I've heard it was a absolute clinic by Holmes right up until the final round stoppage. Supposedly from a few accounts Ibar pulled a Cobb and shipped enormous punishment, encouraging Holmes to keep hitting him and taunting him. Only time Ibar was ever stopped. He was stopped on his feet protesting I believe. Holmes stated he thought he was ****ing nuts in a interview once I believe. So, anyone know?
Great article on Ibar. http://www.inthedays.com/lovers-of-...s-a-testimony-of-a-beloved-brother-in-christ/
Very end of 77, one fight before Holmes met Shavers for the first time, two fights before he met Norton.
Yes, Holmes-Arrington is on tape. It was on the under card of Norton-Young, along with Jerry Quarry-Lorenzo Zanon, and I expect it's only a matter of time before it joins those two bouts on youtube. Cosell said the improvement in Holmes from Arrington to Shavers I was stunning, and it would be a fascinating study for those who haven't seen both matches to witness the contrast for themselves.
As far as I know, it's never been on the internet, and I don't recall even seeing a brief clip of it. However, JQ-Zanon (albeit a very poor copy) surprisingly turned up on youtube less than a week ago, so that suggests a strong possibility that Holmes-Arrington might not be too far behind. That was a major fight card for ABC, with SRL in a preliminary match, and a significant historical day in boxing otherwise, with Valdez and Briscoe squaring off in Campione d'Italia for the retiring Monzon's World Middleweight Title. In retrospect (and even then), that was an incredible event, with the abdicating King Carlos present to bestow his crown upon his successor. (When Duran relinquished the Lightweight Championship in January 1979, the WBA and WBC splintered it, and it certainly doesn't seem now as if a vacated undisputed title will ever again remain intact.)
