And that's the thing. How good Thomas was is only one part of the equation - Larry was looking really slow and it was obvious he'd declined significantly. Holmes is actually fighting father time at this point. He was surviving on heart and determination as much as skill at this point. Experience too.
Holmes didn't avoid Pinklon Thomas. Thomas didn't avoid Holmes. Their paths just never lined up. They could've met in the HBO tournament, but they both lost their first fights.
I remember watching his fight with Tyson recently & he actually fought pretty good. He just seemed sluggish. He landed some nice jabs on Tyson. Had a great chin!! I remember watching the fight in the 80’s & marveling at the shots he took.
The 80's would have been a terrific era if all the top HWs had the mindset of, say, Holy or Holmes before '83. Page, Dokes, Witherspoon Thomas and Tubbs would all been hitting their peak when Tyson brok through and I think we would have had some interesting fights when they got matched against Mike. Tyson-Thomas was quite good as it was.
I concur,Bokaj. A top condition and motivated version of Tony Tubbs would have given Tyson an excellent fight albeit a losing one. Certainly far better than the fat man who Mike knocked out in between his bouts with Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks.
My Dad fumed about that for the rest of his life! He swore blind the fix was in, with Tyson being told at the end of the first to carry Thomas over the under/over (round 3). To a degree he had a point, it was amazing after that first round, Thomas was able to recover enough to make it to the sixth with prime Tyson. But that Dad lost a penny or two, weakens his allegation!
Thomas already like old man with Tyson & like dead body with Holyfield! this is because drugs addiction. he went back in drugs world after win with Weaver. so high on drug he even imagine it that he can sing! Lol
