Shoot the Moon: Larry Holmes-Leroy Jones

[thenonpareil]

When Don King announced that Jones would be next for Holmes—before Holmes had even defended against Lorenzo Zanon—the old bugaboo was back: “The Easton Assassin” was targeting tomato cans. This narrative was something Holmes bitterly assessed before the fight. “There’s so much conniving and scheming in boxing, there are days when I feel like I don’t want anything more to do with it,” Holmes fumed. “I win, but it’s never because of how good I am, always that my opponent is weak.”

https://hannibalboxing.com/shoot-the-mo ... roy-jones/

[Ambling Alp II]

Thanks for posting this.

It's worth mentioning that this was actually a mandatory title defense. The WBC actually made Jones their #1 contender. Holmes had to fight him or they could have taken his title away. Obviously the WBC would never make someone the #1 contender that didn't deserve it.

[Caractacus]

was Big John Tate,Michael Dokes,Gerrie Coetzee or Greg Page ever ranked Number # 1
and a mandatory challenger by the WBC ?
Unfortanetly it seemed (at the time) that Larry Holmes was going the same route
as Muhammad Ali had done as far as quality of opponents after 1976.
( both defended the title against Alfedo Evangelista)
I don't think anyone knew back then why Alfredo Evangelista got a title shot with Muhammad Ali
in the first place let alone get another title shot against Larry Holmes.

[overhand_right]

was Big John Tate,Michael Dokes,Gerrie Coetzee or Greg Page ever ranked Number # 1
and a mandatory challenger by the WBC ?

Yes, Greg Page was, but Holmes vacated rather than fight him.

[Caractacus]

was that really Larry Holmes decsion or Don King's ?

[Caractacus]

sheyatt.Greg Page's team must have moved him and his camp at least 150 miles away from the nearest mcDonalds
when he was gettin ready for this fight.( looks like Scott LeDoux was gettin dizzy just watching him move around the ring !)
and That punch that finishes the fight-reminds a lot like a Bruce Lee type of punch.

[overhand_right]

was that really Larry Holmes decsion or Don King's ?

Larry's decision

[Caractacus]

did Larry ever say why ?
maybe on the account of his "arthiritis" ?

[overhand_right]

did Larry ever say why ?
maybe on the account of his "arthiritis" ?

Yes, he preferred easy fights with clubfighter Scott Frank and Marvis Frazier for more money. He didn't much want another Witherspoon night.

[Caractacus]

Was Tony Tubbs ever ranked number one by the WBC when Holmes was still champion ?

[Nile4000]

sheyatt.Greg Page's team must have moved him and his camp at least 150 miles away from the nearest mcDonalds
when he was gettin ready for this fight.( looks like Scott LeDoux was gettin dizzy just watching him move around the ring !)
and That punch that finishes the fight-reminds a lot like a Bruce Lee type of punch.

Page was around 231, still around 9, 10 pounds too heavy. Him and Scott had some run-in prior to the match, and a motivated Greg Page is a dangerous Greg Page, for anyone.

[drunkenpiper36]

Fighting Lorenzo Zannon and Scott Ledoux for the title was a travesty. But Leroy Jones wasn't that bad of a contender. I agree that NEVER should have been ranked #1 by any organization, but in 1980 the pickings were slim, and Jones was a legit top 10 guy.