What did Larry Holmes do better than Muhammad Ali?

Norton was a good boxer and out-jabbed Ali in their first fight by jabbing with him.

 

His jab wasn`t as long though, Holmes had a better reach, having an 81 inch reach can give you an advantage v a shorter armed fighter, Ali`s reach was the same as Usyk`s and Tommy Hearns.

 

That`s a silly comment.

 

Not me. He caught George with some shots in that fight, was swiveling his head.

 

Holmes was the better fighter....at least in my book

 

Give them equal speed of hand and foot, and it would be harder to say what Holmes didn't do better.

 

Reach is simply one facet and you're prone to giving dimensions a bit too much consideration at times Mark. Golovkin was akin to a T Rex with his little arms but his jab still gets lauded. Of course his level of opposition didn't hurt but people still rave about his jab. There's a lot of great jabbers that routinely overcome reach disadvantages to out jab decent opponents.

 

Actually it’s spot on …. Can be said for Norton 2 and 3, Jimmy Young. He was Ali.

 

It's brilliance will wash over you as you age.

 

Whatever Ali was as a complex eccentric person his presence behind even the screen reminds me of great actors and how they’ve just got “Charisma” in everything they do, how they move, how they talk and express and he did this despite being an environment where death isn’t out of the question. You met him I imagine there would be something in the air.

 

100%. He had that aura. Even in his depleted state. He was also a big dude, bigger than his measurements. I met him 4 years before Atlanta so he was a bit debilitated but not frail. Some dudes are just built differently, hard to explain.

My point being, he always won the event. The fight was always about him.

 

That’s exactly why judges scored him rounds for not doing anything, it was more winning the round from Ali then a competition for it, if that makes sense.

 

Not only does it make sense, it's a great way of putting it.

 

Except with Ali’s talent Holmes wouldn’t have needed to develope the better fundamentals you’re attributing to him.

 

Not aiways

he let his weight get up after the Witherspoon fight to the 220s which was heavy for him