Who Did Larry Holmes Ever Beat That Was Good?

[GranberryReturns]

He beat a geriatric Muhammad Ali. a near geriatric Ken Norton, and an extremely limited Earnie Shavers.

Has any other champion beat less qualified competition?

[bennie]

He beat a geriatric Muhammad Ali. a near geriatric Ken Norton, and an extremely limited Earnie Shavers.

Has any other champion beat less qualified competition?

He beat Norton because Norton had whupped Jimmy Young. Man, Norton gave Jimmy a good whuppin'. Jimmy came back really well, all the way into speed.

[Jaywheel]

I'm starting to like that new member. :P

[GranberryReturns]

He beat a geriatric Muhammad Ali. a near geriatric Ken Norton, and an extremely limited Earnie Shavers.

Has any other champion beat less qualified competition?

He beat Norton because Norton had whupped Jimmy Young. Man, Norton gave Jimmy a good whuppin'. Jimmy came back really well, all the way into speed.

He was awarded a hotly contested decision.


LOL

[Bricks]

c'mon granberry if you want to be controversial you have to say things I dont agree with.

Larry Holmes is one of the most overrated heavyweights of all time and a classless jerk by the same token.

Not wishing to reopen some peoples old wounds but what a prime George Foreman would have done to Holmes :(

Ive always felt the Tyson loss told us a lot more about Holmes than some think. Especially since Holmes constantly likes to use his victory over a parkinsons and drug ravaged Ali as proof he always would have beaten Ali.

Holmes is a loud mouth with no dignity the way he is always hollering and acting vulgar

[Ezzard]

c'mon granberry if you want to be controversial you have to say things I dont agree with.

Larry Holmes is one of the most overrated heavyweights of all time and a classless jerk by the same token.

Not wishing to reopen some peoples old wounds but what a prime George Foreman would have done to Holmes :(

Ive always felt the Tyson loss told us a lot more about Holmes than some think. Especially since Holmes constantly likes to use his victory over a parkinsons and drug ravaged Ali as proof he always would have beaten Ali.

Holmes is a loud mouth with no dignity the way he is always hollering and acting vulgar

Fair enough, just don't tell me that Tyson has dignity, is less vulgar and has more class...

In fact it seems to me that these days Holmes' behaviour is standard for many boxers.

[BoxBuzz]

This of course is not terap/granberry.....just someone riding the old man's good name.

[Darling]

This of course is not terap/granberry.....just someone riding the old man's good name.

LOL

[Bricks]

c'mon granberry if you want to be controversial you have to say things I dont agree with.

Larry Holmes is one of the most overrated heavyweights of all time and a classless jerk by the same token.

Not wishing to reopen some peoples old wounds but what a prime George Foreman would have done to Holmes :(

Ive always felt the Tyson loss told us a lot more about Holmes than some think. Especially since Holmes constantly likes to use his victory over a parkinsons and drug ravaged Ali as proof he always would have beaten Ali.

Holmes is a loud mouth with no dignity the way he is always hollering and acting vulgar

Fair enough, just don't tell me that Tyson has dignity, is less vulgar and has more class...

In fact it seems to me that these days Holmes' behaviour is standard for many boxers.

Oh I wouldn't. Its just Larry made a big deal of telling us "I'm the one going down in history he's going to go down in history as a SOB" about Tyson. In that instance at that time , Tyson did keep a dignified silence and let his fists do the talking.

One thing about Tyson that even his biggest detractors cannot deny is....the man is a incredible boxing historian and reverential to fighters of the past and fighters in general. He always spoke respectfully of Ali, Dempsey, Frazier (even though Joe often criticised him), Liston,Norton, Louis and Jack Johnson. There is a fairness, honesty and reverence about Tyson in his feelings towards his predeccesors on the HW crown.

Wheras all you hear from Holmes is how Lennox Lewis was afraid to fight him, he always had Ali's number, he would have beaten Tyson if he had trained, George Foreman was always scared of him, Rocky Marciano couldn't carry his jockstrap etc etc. Holmes thinks he was the best ever.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Why wouldn't Holmes think he was the best ever? That is the mentality of a great fighter. Tyson thought he was too, except Mike always knew that Evander was his daddy.

Edit: oops, I didn't notice that was a Mugabi post. My apologies for starting a fight with a dissenting opinion.

[hhaehre]

Why wouldn't Holmes think he was the best ever? That is the mentality of a great fighter. Tyson thought he was too, except Mike always knew that Evander was his daddy.

The only fighter I have ever heard Holmes speak of with respect is Larry Holmes. The guy is an asshole, pure and simple.

[Diamond WEAPON]

Why wouldn't Holmes think he was the best ever? That is the mentality of a great fighter. Tyson thought he was too, except Mike always knew that Evander was his daddy.

Edit: oops, I didn't notice that was a Mugabi post. My apologies for starting a fight with a dissenting opinion.

Tyson could've easily made the same excuses Holmes always seems to come up with (Tyson's fans sure do for various reasons) but he doesn't. Difference is Tyson isn't so self-conscious thet he feels that he has to pronounce himself the GOAT every time somebody talks to him. Holmes is a prick with obvious self-esteem issues, hence all the insults and disses toward pretty much every HW who ever lived.

[Darling]

Holmes might not give a damn about Dale Carnegie's ideas, but he was a great fighter.

[jrc26]

c'mon granberry if you want to be controversial you have to say things I dont agree with.

Larry Holmes is one of the most overrated heavyweights of all time and a classless jerk by the same token.

Not wishing to reopen some peoples old wounds but what a prime George Foreman would have done to Holmes :(

Ive always felt the Tyson loss told us a lot more about Holmes than some think. Especially since Holmes constantly likes to use his victory over a parkinsons and drug ravaged Ali as proof he always would have beaten Ali.

Holmes is a loud mouth with no dignity the way he is always hollering and acting vulgar

Overrated by who exactly? In order to be overrated you actually have to be talked about as one of the best. Tyson is mentioned over and over and over by people when talking about great heavyweights, so if you want to argue about him being overrated then you could, although I would disagree. Larry is rarely mentioned in the same sentence as Louis, Ali, Tyson, and the others. Larry is in fact underrated because he is hardly ever mentioned.

If it is so easy for a guy to win 47 straight fights can you please explain to me only a couple of guys have ever done it? Larry cleaned out the entire division. Cleaned it out. What exactly should he have done? Do you understand what it takes for a champion to get up for every fight and never get upset? If you think his string of defenses and rain as champion is overrated then I don't think you understand.

Lennox Lewis is an all-time great and he got KO'd twice by lesser opposition.

Foreman was upset by Ali who NOBODY thought could beat him. Then he was upset by Young who NOBODY thought could be him.

I can go on and on naming all-time greats who had an off night and lost. Holmes made it 47 straight fights without having that night. You can argue he was given a good score card here or there, but he did not obviously lose any of those fights.

This is literally the most ridiculous claim I have read in this forum since...well...yesterday when some idiot claimed Ali lost 17 fights

The disrespect and nonsense spewn about great fighters on here is amazing sometimes.

And while I am at it, please quote Holmes when he "uses his victory over a parkinsons and drug ravaged Ali as proof he always would have beaten Ali." Please...

He has never said anything of the sort. In fact he has been nothing but humble about having to beat up his friend in that state. But please prove me wrong with a link showing any such quote where he claims that victory means he would have beat Ali at his best. You can't because he has never said it. He has said he would beat Ali because they were sparring partners for many years and he knew how to beat him. Amazing made up fact on your part though.

[Robinson]

I think the reason why Holmes proclaims himself the best is because no one
else will. He is painfully self obsesses with his own legacy because he has
worked hard, defied odds and done a lot and still the 'experts' really do not
appreciate him and thus he is forced to declare his own awesomeness.

I am not one for self promotion. I am more interested in watching a talented
man in the ring, regardless of who they are out of the ring..thats perhaps
why I do not get confused about the Mike Tysons of the world as far as
boxing talent goes.

Lets say if Holmes fought and beat...

Page, Coetzer, Thomas, Young,Tillis, Bruno and Tate would that make him
all that more greater ? I would love to have seen these fights but they
did not happen for what ever reasons.... but I gurantee that had he fought
one, some or all of those above guys people would still be asking these questions
because sadly so called Boxing 'experts' see each one of those above
men as flawed, tainted and 'crap' when in reality at a time they were justifiably
world beaters in any era or age.

Holmes lacks the classic rivalries that other 'greats' had, he lacks the political
and media attraction of other great fighters and he had a style too close to some
and not enough like others that people really can not categorise him...

BUT you know what... when you talk to FIGHTERS who have watched fights and
these guys of different eras as to who they think would be the best head to head
or hard for 'them' to fight.... most often Holmes is one of the few that gets
mentioned time and time again....and me personally a man who has had leather
on his fists praise goes a lot further than the man with ink on his fingers and
a cigar at his lips.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I think the reason why Holmes proclaims himself the best is because no one
else will. He is painfully self obsesses with his own legacy because he has
worked hard, defied odds and done a lot and still the 'experts' really do not
appreciate him and thus he is forced to declare his own awesomeness.

I am not one for self promotion. I am more interested in watching a talented
man in the ring, regardless of who they are out of the ring..thats perhaps
why I do not get confused about the Mike Tysons of the world as far as
boxing talent goes.

Lets say if Holmes fought and beat...

Page, Coetzer, Thomas, Young,Tillis, Bruno and Tate would that make him
all that more greater ? I would love to have seen these fights but they
did not happen for what ever reasons.... but I gurantee that had he fought
one, some or all of those above guys people would still be asking these questions
because sadly so called Boxing 'experts' see each one of those above
men as flawed, tainted and 'crap' when in reality at a time they were justifiably
world beaters in any era or age.

Holmes lacks the classic rivalries that other 'greats' had, he lacks the political
and media attraction of other great fighters and he had a style too close to some
and not enough like others that people really can not categorise him...

BUT you know what... when you talk to FIGHTERS who have watched fights and
these guys of different eras as to who they think would be the best head to head
or hard for 'them' to fight.... most often Holmes is one of the few that gets
mentioned time and time again....and me personally a man who has had leather
on his fists praise goes a lot further than the man with ink on his fingers and
a cigar at his lips.

...& that is from one of his own fans, ladies & gents --- that's what kind of irritance Holmes presents to people

[Robinson]

Hahah :) one of his BIGGEST fans ;)

[Goodnight, Irene]

When that's what your own fans say of you, you know you put a foot wrong with people somewhere

One of my favourite Holmes quotes, during a conference, when Holmes addresses a reporter...

Holmes: "If I hurt your feelings back there, Sonny --- is it Sonny? Jerry. If I hurt your feelings back there, Jerry, So...Fvcking...What."

[Robinson]

Better to be a prick in the open that a two faced one however.

I know Larry says some not so nice things, heck we all do..he
just is blunt and honest.

A bad example was when his homo phobia kicked in with Pepelli
I think it was, Pepelli was kidding around and Holmes took it to
heart and wanted to go him after the fight during the interviews.

I over look these aspects of Holmes and figure his actions in general
speak louder than his words.. from all accounts he does a lot community
wise and has helped bail out less than fortunate ex pugs who were
not as wise with their money.

Its hard to match the charm of your precious Foreman though ;)
or the polished elgance of Oscar no matter how hot he looks in
fishnets hehe :)

[hhaehre]

I know Larry says some not so nice things, heck we all do..he
just is blunt and honest.

Some not so nice things? Holmes is a model of consistency when it comes to uttering "some not so nice things".
One thing I like about Holmes is that he took care of his money, many in the sport of boxing should take a lesson from him in that respect.

[Robinson]

Well atleast he was honest and said what he thought... for better... well
for worse and worst ;)

[dempseyfire]

Holmes beat a great fighter (Norton), a near-great (Shavers) and several other very good heavyweights in Witherspoon, Cooney, Smith, Berbick etc.

Overall his competition wasn't great, and I disagree with Rob in that the early 80s were some great HW era (an interesting era with depth that far surpasses what he have now, but more full of guys with good athleticism as opposed to real skills), but Holmes fought the best available given the politics of the period, and his consistency goes a long way.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Shavers is a near-nothing. They don't come more over-rated (or limited) than The Acorn.

[BoxBuzz]

interesting assessment GI, but if he happened to connect he could sure bring the drama. His "punchers chance" was always "something".

[Goodnight, Irene]

If that's enough to make you a near-great, open the floodgates.