Who has best chance of beating prime Larry Holmes

I agree with your pick of Frazier. I think a prime Frazier, the fast, perpetual ball of motion and aggression Frazier, would be a tough fight for Holmes. I don't think Holmes had Ali's natural toughness or durability, and I think Frazier's relentless attack and spartan conditioning would have allowed him to break Holmes down. I don't think it would have been so easy for Holmes to simply dance around, jab, and take a points win as many people probably think.

Tyson would have always been tough for Holmes, due to his speed, explosiveness, and short stature.

 

I think Riddick Bowe would give Holmes a great fight. His size, his jab, and his power. But, I think Holmes would be too fast and too sharp for Riddick. Riddick was bigger and stronger, but he was slower than Holmes, and he lacked Holmes' pizazz in terms of punching crispness. I can see Holmes eluding many more of Riddick's punches than Riddick could of Holmes' punches.

 

Like Tyson - Tillman sorta thing

 

Tyson was being trained by Cus to beat Holmes as Cus thought by the time Tyson would fight for the title Holmes would still be the one to beat. Cus was always convinced Tyson would Holmes any day of the week, and theres an interview with Mike where he says he knew all the right stuff to beat Holmes even at age 15 but he didnt have the confidence back then. Imo, Tysons quickness and eye for openings would have caught Holmes 10 times out of 10 at one point during the fight. In fact, the Tyson that fought Holmes would beat a prime Holmes even faster, beacuse Holmes would open up and do his thing from round 1, not round 4. Tyson KO2 Holmes. :hat

 

I know everyones got their opinion but how can you think marciano could beat Holmes and Ali couldnt? i know what your getting at with styles and **** and have my own opinion on it, but the Ali of late 66 is a different kettle off fish. Nobody, and i mean nobody, would have beaten that man at that time. He was just too good imo

 

The klitschkos?? Maybe, just maybe, vitali would give him a scrap, but wladimir? sure hes been KO'd by journeymen who shouldnt be mentioned in the same sentence as holmes. That big speedy right hand would have wladimirs wide-open jaw lying in the cheapseats

 

If I had to bet my life savings on the one fighter to beat a peak Holmes it would have to be a peak Ali. All the other fighters mentioned so far certainly COULD beat Holmes but I'd still go with Ali in a chess match/street fight. Thier skillsets are very close. So close in fact that both men may have to engage in a little brawling at times in an attemot to "outmacho" the other and gain something of a psychological edge and I see Ali benefiting most from this. Could go either way though. Of the smaller swarmer type fighters ala Marciano/Frazier/Tyson/Dempsey etc.. I think a prime Frazier has the best chance. Tyson certainly has the speed and power but would get discouraged if he doesn't ko Holmes early. Marciano has the power but not the speed or the reach to consistently land enough. Dempsey seems to have trouble against clever boxers and Hlomes was as clever and bigger and faster than any boxer Jack ever faced. It's either ko Larry early or get outclassed. So once again my pick is Ali. It would be a helluva fight though don't you think?

 

Father Time, the almost undefeated undisputed heacyweight champ. Only Marciano beat him. and that says a LOT about the Rock.rasta:happy:smoke

 

I would say the guy who beats Holmes is a guy that can dictate the tempo of the fight, Holmes liked to fight at his own pace and dictate the pace but when someone got on top of him or forced him to fight like Snipes, Shavers 2 he was not as comfortable, although he did come up with the goods in those fights when all said and done, Weaver 2 also.

I cant say enough about the heart of Larry Holmes though, if you were going to beat him you better be willing to take the title from him because he fought tooth and nail to keep hold of his title, as he showed against Williams, Weaver, Shavers, Snipes

I think he was robbed in the second Spinks fight by the way, thought he did! lose the first but not the second.

 

If you asking me who's Holmes toughest fight at his best, I'd say Lennox Lewis.

The Ali fans might go crazy, but Holmes had a better jab, and threw more punches with better variety.

 

Prime Tyson.

 

One thing you could say about a potential fight between Holmes and Lewis, triangle theory that is probably irrelevant but look at the trouble Mercer gave Lewis, look what an old Larry did to Ray Mercer earlier in Mercer's career.