Larry Holmes still speaking his mind...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 27 Jul 2004, 11:48

During his commentator stint on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights in July, Larry Holmes was asked about his hometown of Easton.
"Easton's OK. I would just like to get a little more support out of Easton," Holmes said.
That same weekend, someone painted "leave" along with a racial slur on a banner on the patio of his Ringside bar. Holmes' employees scrubbed it off, only to see the word return with the slur.
Holmes, 54, explained that by lack of support he meant he wants more area residents to patronize his Ringside bar. They flock to new Easton eateries and travel as far as New York City for dinner, but they don't come to his bar, he said.
"I don't knock anybody, but don't knock me because I busted my black ass 24/7 for 36 years," Holmes said. "So don't come down on my property and try to destroy it."
Holmes said he considered reporting the incident to police but decided instead to contact local media to ask others in the city to help stop the vandalism.
"It could be their property one day," he said. "People have to be friendly and neighbourly and watch out for everybody."

J · Post by J » 27 Jul 2004, 11:50

quite right as well. Mindless idiots.

mickeybeard · Post by **mickeybeard** » 27 Jul 2004, 12:00

*Sigh*

I'd pay good money to see them try that with Larry standing over their shoulder.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 27 Jul 2004, 12:01

Knowing Larry, he's probably charging $20 a drink.

Hope he catches those grafiti racists himself, they wont know what hit them.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 27 Jul 2004, 12:11

MightyWarrior wrote:Knowing Larry, he's probably charging $20 a drink.

Hope he catches those grafiti racists himself, they wont know what hit them.

Scum. How dare they mess with The Easton Assasin.

I'd like to visit Larry's bar when next in the states. I bet the champ is good Company.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 27 Jul 2004, 12:16

Yes I've heard he's great company and likes a few beers too. The late Harry Mullan spent a night on the tiles with him in Denmark I think ( I think Larry had just fought there ). It'd be great to visit his bar. He's got a website I believe, which he logs onto a fair bit.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 27 Jul 2004, 12:35

Must have been when he fought Nielsen I guess?

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 27 Jul 2004, 13:03

Hope they catch those mindless jealous racist idiots.

Larry was a class Champion and has done very well for himself, sometimes he puts his foot in his mouth with the occasional comment, but I get the feeling he is one of lifes good guys.

I must check out his Web-site.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 27 Jul 2004, 13:09

Larry is a ledge and funny as fornicate to boot. Is James Toney his nephew or something? A lot of similarities.

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 27 Jul 2004, 14:08

holmes website is very good especially his messageboard which he always posts on.

i still fancy holmes would beat john ruiz

ruiz style is just made for larry.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 27 Jul 2004, 14:11

What's the site address then?

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 27 Jul 2004, 14:28

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:What's the site address then?

http://www.larryholmes.com/

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 27 Jul 2004, 14:36

Ta. Might have guessed!

Loynesy · Post by **Loynesy** » 28 Jul 2004, 02:05

Not trying to be provactive, but the one time I have met Holmes he was a rude, sad, bitter racist middle aged man.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 28 Jul 2004, 07:00

Loynesy wrote:Not trying to be provactive, but the one time I have met Holmes he was a rude, sad, bitter racist middle aged man.

"Black vs Black equals green for white." 8)

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 28 Jul 2004, 07:32

Larry strikes me as a very bitter man, he's always lashing out at something whenever I hear him interviewed, he hates George Foreman with a passion, and he's always slagging someone off, Lewis came in for lots of stick, he gave Tyson loads before he got ass-whupped by him. Larry seems to be very bitter than he never got his due, though that is as nothing compared to the master of vitriol and grudes, Joe Frazier.

He may be a lot different in person of course, but just an observation.

Larry was a class act in the ring though, which is what really counts, one of the greatest heavyweight champs ever, definetly in my top 5, makes number 3 on my list.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 28 Jul 2004, 07:35

Larry is totally driven by money. That's his problem. I think he's petrified of going broke.
Incidentally, I watched his amateur fight with Duane Bobick the other day in the 1972 Olympic trials. Larry was inexperienced at the time, but Bobick gave him a pasting. Was very impressed with the white American.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 28 Jul 2004, 12:40

bennie wrote:Larry is totally driven by money. That's his problem. I think he's petrified of going broke.
Incidentally, I watched his amateur fight with Duane Bobick the other day in the 1972 Olympic trials. Larry was inexperienced at the time, but Bobick gave him a pasting. Was very impressed with the white American.

Didn't Larry get DQ'd in that fight?

Imagine if Larry had gone to the Olympics that year and faced Teofilio Stevenson! Very interesting, at that stage though I'd go for the more experienced Cuban to win on points.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 28 Jul 2004, 12:41

KOJOE90 wrote:
bennie wrote:Larry is totally driven by money. That's his problem. I think he's petrified of going broke.
Incidentally, I watched his amateur fight with Duane Bobick the other day in the 1972 Olympic trials. Larry was inexperienced at the time, but Bobick gave him a pasting. Was very impressed with the white American.
Didn't Larry get DQ'd in that fight?

Imagine if Larry had gone to the Olympics that year and faced Teofilio Stevenson! Very interesting, at that stage though I'd go for the more experienced Cuban to win on points.

Yes, he got disqualified in the final round for holding. It was harsh. Bobick was catching him repeatedly with precise shots to head and body and Holmes was just trying to survive. He had been decked with a lovely short right in the first.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 28 Jul 2004, 12:45

Because of the Bobick fight, it took Larry up untill the Norton fight to shake off a reputation he had in American fight circles for being a coward.

And I think it was Norton who ended up exposing Bobick, in his "coming out fight", by destroying him inside a round on National TV.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 28 Jul 2004, 12:57

MightyWarrior wrote:Because of the Bobick fight, it took Larry up untill the Norton fight to shake off a reputation he had in American fight circles for being a coward.

And I think it was Norton who ended up exposing Bobick, in his "coming out fight", by destroying him inside a round on National TV.

Very true about Holmes, I don't think an early career knockdown by Kevin Issac helped Holmes reputation either.

Prior to the Norton fight wasn't Joe Frazier involved with Bobicks training? I'm sure I read a story that one day in the Gym Frazier tried to put a right glove on Bobicks left hand which caused a split between the two.

I'm sure Farzier has since stated it was a easy mistake to make and Bobick blowe it out of proportion. Frazier then said he was glad that Norton KO'd him.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 28 Jul 2004, 13:01

Could be true Joe, haven't heard that one. Smokin Joe was never the best trainer in the world, or manager - just look at the way he threw his son - HIS SON!! - in with Holmes, then Tyson.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 28 Jul 2004, 13:07

MightyWarrior wrote:Could be true Joe, haven't heard that one. Smokin Joe was never the best trainer in the world, or manager - just look at the way he threw his son - HIS SON!! - in with Holmes, then Tyson.

He also tried to change the style of Marvin from a slick Amatuer Boxer to a Pro 'Joe clone'.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 28 Jul 2004, 14:34

The evening flight from Rochester through Buffalo to White Plains was always packed on weekdays. Seat 13-B beside me was the only empty one on the plane. I checked my watch. Two minutes to departure. I could hear the baggage doors slamming. How splendid. Suddenly a red-faced chap in a crumpled suit staggered down the aisle. He dragged his carry-on bag over the seated passengers and hollered at the cabin crew for a drink. The man was huge. I shifted toward the window.
"I'll hang that up for you," said the flight attendant.
"Aren't you sweet," sneered the man. He collapsed into the seat beside me, banging his leg against mine. I earnestly hoped he would not notice my existence.
"What's that you're readin'?" he asked with his scarlet nose next to my temple.
"Airline maga -- "
The man lurched for the passing stewardess. She quickened her step, thigh barely beyond his grasp.
"Make that bourbon, honey," he yelled.
The plane pulled away from the gate. My eyes scanned a paragraph without comprehension.
"What's that you're readin'?" he asked again, this time simply taking the magazine out of my hands.
"Help yourself," I said sincerely.
He jammed the magazine into the seat pocket in front of him. "What do you think of Spinks?" he asked in a voice that could be heard throughout the plane.
"Boxer, right?"
"That goddam Leon!" he shouted. "He don't wanna go up against Norton. Shit."
An avalanche of racial epithets followed.
People in the seats ahead cringed. So did I.
The plane began its slow taxi. I confronted the thought of sharing my fate with a bigoted maniac.
"You don't know who I am, do you?" asked my tormentor.
"Sorry, no."
He shouted his name in my general direction. It did not register at first. I raised my eyebrows and smiled, pretending otherwise.
"That's right. I'm 'The Great White Hope'! Put 'er there."
My knuckles folded sideways inside his grip.
He explained in slurred speech that he was a 'contender'! Most recently this fellow had participated in a fight with someone named Ken Norton. From the context, I deduced the match had not lasted long (59 seconds, in fact).
"Bitch owes me a drink!" he said, turning abruptly in his seat and craning his neck. Any moment, I expected my seatmate to storm the galley for booze.
"What do you think of Ali?" I asked.
"Clay, you mean."
I nodded.
"Cosell always talkin' about Ali this and Ali that. He don't know shit. Get me back in shape, you'll see what I make of Cash-yuss goddam Clay."
"Back in shape?"
"Don't pay no attention to this," said he, slapping himself on his not inconsiderable midsection. "Give me six months, 15 miles a day, some work with the weights. I already got a gym lined up - hey, where'd that broad go! - then you give me a shot at Clay. "
The plane's engines spooled up for take-off. The fellow in the seat beside me fumbled with his seatbelt, filling the cabin with epithets. As the plane pitched up, he froze, his eyes glazed. The wheels came off the pavement and thumped inside the fuselage. He swallowed hard, eyes wide.
"Landing gear," I explained. The plane climbed into the leaden overcast sky typical of Rochester. Several minutes passed.
"What do you do between fights?" I asked.
Beads of perspiration appeared on the man's upper lip. "Huh?"
I repeated my query.
"Public Relations," he uttered, then without warning the self-proclaimed contender gasped and elbowed my upper arm.
"What the hell was that?"
I tried to follow his eyes, which were fixed on the seatback ahead.
"That noise!" he exclaimed.
A grinding sound from under our seats came to a stop.
"Flaps coming up," said I. "They let the plane fly slow and..."
"You a pilot or what?"
"Only light planes. Cessnas, mostly."
The boxer shook his head. "Never get my ass in one o' them. Takes three doubles to get me on one o' these!"
"What about the ring?"
"Huh?"
"Getting in the ring. That's something I would be scared of.
Aren't you?"
The man blinked his eyes slowly. "Yeah, but I keep my feet on the ground!"
In but a few minutes the seatbelt sign came on, and the pilot announced the beginning of our descent into Buffalo. As we emerged from the clouds in a steep left bank, I pointed the city out below.
My companion declined to look out the window.
"Make this trip often?" I asked.
"Gotta fly all the goddam time," he grumbled.
The flight attendant came by to check our seatbealts. She crouched in the aisle.
"Sorry, Mr. Bobick," she said. "But the leg from Rochester to Buffalo is too short for beverage service."
Suddenly I remembered: Bobick, Bobick - yeah, Duane Bobick. I took another look at his face. Wait'll I get to the office. Hey, I sat next to Duane Bobick himself!
"Are you continuing with us to White Plains?" asked the flight attendant.
"Not a chance," Bobick grumped.
Our airliner touched down and taxied to the gate.
"Why did you take up boxing?" I asked. "Uh, just curious." Duane Bobick held up two fingers and stared intently at them. "First," he scowled, "because I'm stupid."
I declined to comment.
"Second," he hollered for the whole plane to hear. "I like to hurt people!"

Detroit News wire services May 30, 1997

"Duane Bobick's arms were injured in an accident at a paper mill in Little Falls, Minn. Bobick, a former Olympic boxer, was working at Hennepin Paper Co. when his arms got caught in a machine that uses two stacked rolls to draw paper. His arms became entangled between the rolls, a company representative said. Bobick's right arm was severely damaged, and there was some damage to his left arm, including broken bones and crushed blood vessels. Despite the injuries, Cameron said the company is expecting him to return to work. Bobick, a heavyweight, was a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team."

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 28 Jul 2004, 15:24

bobick did something that a lot of fighters didnt manage to do.
he beat teofilio stevenson in the amateurs.
its something that michael dokes, greg page,tony tubbs and john tate couldnt do.