Your personal opinion of Larry Holmes, the man.

I know you asked Robbi, but if I can lay my egg I'd favour Larry. It could be a really fascinating fight.

 

He's shared how much he learned from sparring with Ali and Frazier when he was first getting started, he's said how Tyson really isn't nearly as bad a person as he seems, and it's more the people he tends to hang out with than him himself. He's given big props to all the fighters who got out at the right time i.e. Marciano and Lewis.

Larry taught me how to "whip" the jab out instead of just pushing it. I can't really explain it, all he did was tell me minor adjustments and move my arm in a certain way. Small pointers like that vastly improved my jab. He told to aim my jab at a person's chest if they are awkward and bob and weave a lot, that way chances are they will bob straight into the jab.

If you want to catch Larry, go to his restaurant/lounge on a Friday, that's his drinking day, so don't show up sometime at night, I would get there around noon so he's not too drunk. He can be hilarious when he's drunk, so you will probably get a few laughs out of it.

 

I'd pick Holmes on points or late knockout. He's got the more consistent jab when it comes down to quality. And he's also a better mover - fleet footedness - around the ring. IMO, Holmes could well have got dropped by McCall and Rahman as well. But his recovery powers were better than Lewis's. I'm not quite sure Lewis would have risen from the right hand Holmes took from Shavers. Not many fighters in heavyweight history could've climbed off the canvas from that atomic bomb. I can see both hitting the floor. However, Holmes hands at his peak were perhaps a tad quicker than Lewis's.

A tough fight for both as they were prone to having trouble with boxers who sat back and jabbed on them. Holmes had trouble with Witherspoon and Williams, and Lewis with Bruno and Mercer.

 

The inbetween guy keeping the heavywieght champoinship warm during the Ali/Tyson transition. good tough boxer , but great no

 

He's not great, but the majority of people have him ranked around 3-6 in their top 10 heavyweights of all time?

 

These nuggets are what it's all about! Thanks, buddy.

 

Great analysis Robbi and exactly the way I believe the match would go. Thanks.