The more I look at Holmes' record the more it impresses me.

it is, he beat everyone but a handful of guys good enough to knock each other off for versions of the world title.

 

His longevity and staying active impresses me he fought often 3 or 4 times a year as champion. His opposition however does not impress me but you can't hold that against him he could only fight who was around at the time.

 

he was indeed a solid champion. i cant grumble too much, he had an edge over a whole era, was good to watch in his prime and tough. theres not much more you could ask of holmes without being too picky.

 

It is impressive but it would look more impressive with:

W 15 Greg Page
W 15 Tony Tubbs
TKO 9 Gerrie Coetzee
TKO 14 Michael Dokes
W 15 Tim Witherspoon (rematch)
W 15 Mike Weaver (rematch)

He have fit in all those fights either by being more active in spells or not fighting the Marvis Fraziers of the world. That said his resume is still impressive, but its frustrating for whatever that he and us the fans missed out on a half dozen title defenses that he likely would have won if his stubborness hadn't prevented it.

 

Holmes' title fights and overall pro record is good... He fought some real tuff dude's...... Holmes knew his craft well...... Okay, so he never fought prime "Page or Dokes," so what? Look at them guys now... One is dead and the other is supposedly ill with liver cancer........ Yes, a shame, but Holmes still is proven supreme.....

MR.BILLbbb:hat

 

I've looked at this for a good minute, and I can't for the life of me, figure out what the hell your comments about Dokes and Holmes has to do with anything.

 

You forgot Pinklon Thomas a guy who at his peak was thought to have been a guy that might take the fading Holmes... Thomas at his best was also better then the guys you mentioned. He beat a prime Witherspoon,Weaver and was still green and up and coming when he drew with Coetzee...

 

Hello, McFly, are you home?:huh:scaredas:

Holmes often gets ragged by critics cuz he passed or missed fights with "Page and Dokes" during his reign..... DUH!
atsch:roll:

MR.BILL:hat:deal

 

Yes, but so what, look at Ali now. He can barely feed himself. What does disparaging a fighter's current state have to do with him avoiding fighting them while they were in their prime?

 

The hell?:huh:roll:

Look, I care less if Holmes never fought "Page or Dokes" in the early 1980s, but it sure as hell would've been nice, as his ill-fated 1984 mega-bout with Gerald Coetzee, too........... None of it happened, but Lawrence Holmes is still a top-10 ATG champ.....
bbb:hi:

MR.BILL:hat:think

 

Holmes was more than just rusty.
He was 38.
He was at least 5 years past his best, probably closer to 10.
He was heavier than he'd ever been.
He was coming off a 21-month layoff and two losses to Michael Spinks, (who had never fought a heavyweight before dethroning Holmes.)

Tyson-Holmes needed special permission to be sanctioned, and several voices in the boxing press voiced concern over it.
Holmes was an old has-been and got destroyed like everyone thought he would. Luckily, the predictions that "he could be killed" didn't come true.

 

Actually, despite the 4th round KO loss to prime Tyson in '88, I thought Holmes had a groove digging after 3 rds in Atlantic city..... Tyson was off-key and too anxious and looked like a rookie but, he still pulled through with a wicked right to Holmes' forehead in round 4 and, well, the ending was a given from there.....

MR.BILL:bbb

 

Spot on.

Similiar situation to Wladimir Klitschko today really who is, by today's standards, also quite active.