BoxRec

I fornicating LOVE Larry Holmes.

He is a legend.

Seems to have mellowed a little too...

Just looked up his career stats- WOW

Must have been one of the best of all time

Can't believe he was fighting just over 10 years ago

Larry was so polite last night but back in the day he was mean fornicator...

Ezzard wrote:Larry was so polite last night but back in the day he was mean fornicator...

Yeah, for some reason I never associate Holmes with that mean streak that he definitely did have.

Same with George Foreman - I tend to think of him as the cudly gentle bloke on the cover of his grilling machine, but in his prime he had a magnificent physique and was as mean as anybody.

The likes of Chisora should look on Youtube at the video of Holmes jumping over a car to batter Trevor Berbick in the street - that is how you do it, not try to act all gangsta and then start crying when touched by a plactic bottle !

In my opinion larry was the best ever, at his peak i dont think anyone in history would have lived with him. Not ali, not tyson, not marciano (far far too small) and not either klischko!

anyone agree?

rhino222 wrote:In my opinion larry was the best ever, at his peak i dont think anyone in history would have lived with him. Not ali, not tyson, not marciano (far far too small) and not either klischko!

anyone agree?

I can see where you're coming from. At his peak he really was untouchable. Maybe the smartest (in the ring) heavyweight ever ?

His autobiography is a very good read.

rhino222 wrote:In my opinion larry was the best ever, at his peak i dont think anyone in history would have lived with him. Not ali, not tyson, not marciano (far far too small) and not either klischko!

anyone agree?

Yeah Michael spinks you bum!

Larry was a master boxer & learnt plenty from Ali !!
He was a close second to Ali but if he wasn't in the same camp he'd be no way near Ali period !!

bripez wrote:
The likes of Chisora should look on Youtube at the video of Holmes jumping over a car to batter Trevor Berbick in the street - that is how you do it, not try to act all gangsta and then start crying when touched by a plactic bottle !

still one of my favourite things, ever.

Holmes was still extremely dangerous as a middle aged man in the 1990s. Great jab, could twist out of the way of punches and packed a booming right hand. Still a real handful. Not many men beat him at his best.

His book is one of the best, most well written boxing biogs ever - though credit to the equally great and late Phil Berger for that. Berger also worked his magic with Joe Frazier's 'Smokin''.

Groove Armada wrote:

hurlock wrote:

rhino222 wrote:In my opinion larry was the best ever, at his peak i dont think anyone in history would have lived with him. Not ali, not tyson, not marciano (far far too small) and not either klischko!

anyone agree?

Yeah Michael spinks you bum!

Larry was a master boxer & learnt plenty from Ali !!
He was a close second to Ali but if he wasn't in the same camp he'd be no way near Ali period !!

Why are you calling Spinks a Bum?

But he did learn from Ali! That's like saying you'd be crap if you were not good!

Spinks was technically good, but too small, and shit scared of iron mike!!

rhino222 wrote:In my opinion larry was the best ever, at his peak i dont think anyone in history would have lived with him. Not ali, not tyson, not marciano (far far too small) and not either klischko!

anyone agree?

I do,someone described his jab as like being hit with a broken bottle on the end of a broom stick,i loved Larry i saw him box Holyfield in vegas,2 legends on one night,he did however refuse to sign his autograph for me because i wouldn't buy one of his tapes he was selling,he was a singer in a band believe it or not,still worship the man though despite that.

Don't it irk anyone else when he starts taking credit for beating Ali ?
I mean he made out he had beaten Ali in his prime with his "i knew how to beat him " comment

mrpedigree wrote:Don't it irk anyone else when he starts taking credit for beating Ali ?
I mean he made out he had beaten Ali in his prime with his "i knew how to beat him " comment

I thought he meant it in the context that he had sparred with him for 4 years and knew everything about him.

He also mentioned on Thursday he did not want that fight to happen. Larry Holmes is a very underrated champion.

Larry had that blue bottle in between rounds...but yes...a real great...could have beaten anyone.

Larry is one of the greatest no doubt about it. Got to love him, he's even got a chip on his shoulder 30 years on and is still griping about losing a few dollars here and there.

He's mellowed, but when he was fighting for recognition in Ali's shadow, then Gerry Cooney, he had a real mean streak that made it hard for people to warm to him.

I remember watching the build up to his title tilt against Norton - I wasn't too sure who he was ( I knew who Norton was ) but he came over as a mean SOB in the interviews, while Kenny definitely came over as the good guy. But watching that truly amazing fight ( on TV in the US ) I turned in to a huge Larry Holmes fan - he was phenomenal that night ( as was Ken ).

I agree he'd probably have beaten any one on his night ( though Iron Mike would have a punchers chance early - Larry could be hurt and dropped, and Mike was a terrific finisher, for 2 or 3 rounds at least ) even Foreman and Lennox might have come 2nd to Holmes.

But Ali in his prime would surely have been too fast for even Larry - the Ali who knocked out Cleveland Williams was unbeatable and as good as there's ever been.