What if Larry Holmes had fought Greg Page in 1984?

Holmes edges Page in 1984................ Page's BEST chance at beating Holmes was in 1982 or '83............. By '84, Page was losing interest in training and looking slobbish and lazy in the ring.... In '84, Page lost to "Spoon & Bey" on HBO, but closed out the year by stopping Gerrie Coetzee for the WBA belt.........

Come April of 1985, Page lost his crown to Tony Tubbs in a dreadful affair on TV.....

Come 1986, Page's boxing career was clearly sagging.......

MR.BILL

 

Page also lost to Bey in what was an eliminator (I think).

Holmes would probably (as ever) done just enough to win.

 

I think that if Holmes knew he was up against a worthy opponent with top name recognition, he would have made an ernest effort to rise to the occassion, despite his being past it by that point.. The Michael Spinks rematch was one such example where he knew he had to take an opponent more seriously, and ultimately fought a much better fight. The question however, is could Page do the same? He looked excellent against Gerrie Coetzee, but fizzled against lesser fighters right around the same time frame.. If both men showed up to give it their very best, then it would have been a very interesting evening, with my vote going to Holmes in a close outcome. If one or both men entered the ring half-motivated and deconditioned however, then the fight is up for grabs....

 

When it came right down to it, Holmes had that something extra which separates an ATG from a transient champion like Page. (Michael Spinks was far, far more than a transient champion, but rather akin to Larry's counterpart at 175.)

 

Good to see you back on here more often.

 

Greg Page won the WBC mandatory right to fight Holmes when he beat Renaldo Snipes in an final eliminator in 1983. Larry threw his belt in the trash rather than fight page. instead he took on marvin frazier. A Larry vs Page fight would have been a legacy enhancing win for Larry. A young prime very talented fighter who was rated # 1 mandatory. Page seemed to really want larry badly, i think he would have brought his A game. I favor holmes, but given holmes major problems in the witherspoon fight, this may have been a close on on the cards.

 

Thanks, Robbi. Good to see you too. I don't know how long my increased output will last, but I enjoy hanging out here. (I thought I'd be long gone by now, but it's an intelligent and civil forum, hardly a harmful addiction.)

 

Before Larry thumbed Scott Frank, he looked impressive, and of course he followed that up by squashing Marvis. For Holmes to have the experience of Witherspoon behind him would not have been advantageous to Greg. (Also, can Page avoid that educated thumb of Larry's?)

 

Page gets a lot of love on these boards, and that is proper. But you have to be real about the man's ability and accomplishements. His truly notworthy wins are few and far between, and his best win, against Coetzee, occurred when Coetzee has a broken right hand. Page still didn't exacty look great in the fight.

Page was not "inconsistant," he was compeltely disinterested. I think even Holmes in decline would have handled him. Too bad Larry didn't give himslef the chance.

 

Page was a terrible under achiever and when he was bad he was bad, but good when he was good, a very Lazy fighter among a lazy era, Witherspoon, Tubbs were 2 others I can mention in this group . That said his style when in condition (which he would have been in vs Holmes) would pose problems for Larry. Page had a good chin, fast hands, good foot movement and a powerful right hand. Lets face it we don't have to make Shavers a legend because he dropped Holmes, Snipes dropped Larry equally as hard and Snipes never did that to anyone else in fact he was dropped 2 times by Coetzee to (steal a title fight with Holmes) but that's another story.

I think Page was not as good, nor dedicated a fighter as Larry Holmes but was one of the guys with a good chance to beat him. Larry did not give up a title to avoid Page for no reason, there was a reason.

Holmes was my favorite fighter of the era but I was very frustrated

that a rematch with Weaver never happened

Coetzee a limited fighter with a solid chin a heck of a Right hand never happened

Holmes/Page...interesting fight

there were others like Holmes/Dokes/Thomas/Tate that had there window of interest

Again Larry did not give up a title to avoid Page for no reason, there was a reason.

 

Far more intelligent and civil a forum than it's two wayward stepcousins the Lounge and General forums...and it is good to have you back as often as possible Duodenum.

 

I agree. Page inconstant, and in my opinion not better than Witherpsoon or Spinks who Holmes fought as an older champion.