Who do rate higher P4P Canelo Alvarez or Larry Holmes?

It would make an interesting debate if we broke everything down.

 

We're not just comparing his longevity.

We're comparing his ability, his resume and his best wins etc.

Compare their best wins.

They absolutely beat comparable opposition.

Larry didn't avoid many top dogs.

Canelo ducked GGG for 18 months, cherry picked a shot Kovalev and won't fight Benavidas.

Holmes fought PRIME versions of Evander and Tyson.

He beat Mercer at 42.

This is a lot closer than what you believe.

 

Why?

 

Eh both guys avoided some match ups. Holmes avoided some guys late in his reign but came back to face the likes of Tyson and Holyfield, which showed he was willing to take on anyone if the circumstances were right.

Canelo outright ducked Benavidez and avoided GGG for a while and essentially tried to age him out.

In terms of sheer skill, i will give it to Canelo. Better defensively and offensively. He has more variety in his punches and the way he targets the head and body.

I am leaning Canelo due to his overall skillset but i am not 100% sure. You can make a case for Holmes due to his lengthy title reign and the fact that between 1978-83, he was the best heavy in the world and during these years, i don't think he avoided anyone.

 

He did not duck all of those guys.

And why have you mentioned the Coetzee fight, when you said that it fell through?

Canelo ducked GGG and he's been ducking Benavidez for years.

 

What on earth are you talking about?

 

What a surprise.

No contest?

No brain.

 

How is it easily?

He beat better fighters?


Who?

The biggest win of his entire career was a faded GGG who he'd ducked for almost 2 years.


He cherry picked a shot Kovalev.

Ducked Benavidez.


Do a comparison.

Apply CONTEXT.


He didn't beat a better group of fighters.

 

There's a big difference tho. When Holmes faced them he no longer had the title (and his 0 losses) and something to lose. He actually had everything to gain. He was trying to get to 50-0 undefeated with low risk and then retire. If he got there would he have retired for good? That's an interesting question. Almost all of them come back and the money was a big carrot. Actually it would have been more money if he'd retired unbeaten.

 

Classic has regressed so badly.

 

i agree 100%. His shameful ducking late in his reign definetely hurts his standing IMO.

I think he would have retired at 50-0 but i don't think he could resist a big paycheque. King would have offered him millions to fight Tyson anyway and i think one thing Larry loved more than being unbeaten was money.

 

Agree totally dmt, on all fronts.

 

He's wrong in what he said.

 

Holmes is a single strapper in a single division.

That's very simple, let's start there.