The Title Reign of Larry Holmes: Ossie Ocasio

[thenonpareil]

Two days before he was scheduled to defend his WBC heavyweight title against longshot Ossie “Jaws” Ocasio at the Las Vegas Hilton Pavilion, Larry Holmes rode a bus up into the Nevada Alps to visit the Spring Mountain Youth Camp, where he gave a squad of wayward teens the inspirational talk of a lifetime. For Holmes, this outing underscored one of his prime objectives: to be a sporting figure with gravitas. “I want to be accepted as the true champion I feel that I am,” Holmes told Philadelphia Daily News reporter Tom Cushman. “And I want to conduct myself as a champion. I’m trying very hard.”

Judging from some of his most recent actions, alas, Holmes had yet to master consistency. A few days earlier, at a press conference to boost lagging ticket sales, Holmes had poured a glass of water over Ocasio. “I wanted to kill him,” Ocasio would later say of the man who had publicly treated him like a schmuck, “to pick up the pitcher and break it over his skull. In my country, people do not do such things as he did. But I knew it would be stupid to kill him before the fight. I decided to let him play the part of the fool.”

https://hannibalboxing.com/shoot-the-mo ... ie-ocasio/

[Tuan_Jim]

Ocasio's hunger and awkward style enabled him to beat the ill-disciplined Young, but Holmes was a more serious proposition. So strange to think the young man who got bashed around by the Easton Assassin would one day be an old, bald, paunchy guy good enough to mess around brutes like Lewis and Mercer without breaking a sweat.

Wonder where he is now? Most up to date image I have of him is a mugshot from the early 2000s.

[Ambling Alp II]

Ocasio had some ability. However, it's really hard to outbox a great boxer who is about 5 inches taller than you. He didn't have enough power to bother Holmes.
It was amazing that the referee didn't stop this fight earlier. This is going back quite a while, but I seem to remember the ref was going to stop it, Holmes actually waved off the referee after one of the knockdowns and the ref actually continued the fight!

Also remember that the preliminary was Shavers-Norton which ended in the first round.
Even after replaying a lot of highlights, ABC had over an hour of time to kill so they put on a rerun of Battlestar Galactaca!

[scorpio83]

Ossie Ocasio was good in his early career at heavyweight, but not good enough against the legend in "The Easton Assassin" Larry Holmes.

[SenorPipino]

Another forgettable Holmes title defense coming on the heels of the equally forgettable Evangelista fight.

I recall Holmes knocking Ocasio down with jabs.

[Nile4000]

Ossie Ocasio was good in his early career at heavyweight, but not good enough against the legend in "The Easton Assassin" Larry Holmes.

But good enough to hold Dynamite Dokes to a draw, and arguably beat him.

[oogiebe]

But good enough to hold Dynamite Dokes to a draw, and arguably beat him.

Oh yeah, and how about that rematch!!

[Nile4000]

Oh yeah, and how about that rematch!!

Indeed : ! Might have been the fastest blows Michael ever threw!

[oogiebe]

Indeed : ! Might have been the fastest blows Michael ever threw!

I always wondered if Ocasio would've had a better career had he just stuck to the CW division.

[Nile4000]

I always wondered if Ocasio would've had a better career had he just stuck to the CW division.

My feelings exactly, probably could have become champ again at some point. Well, he did better than Leon Spinks at the weight.

[oogiebe]

My feelings exactly, probably could have become champ again at some point. Well, he did better than Leon Spinks at the weight.

LOL! Leon Spinks. I rarely ever think of him! He was gold in "Facing Ali."

[Onetimeonly]

Ocasio definitely won the dokes fight. Robbed at home.