Discussion With Larry Holmes In The UK

[Tony1244]

[Caractacus]

Larry Holmes says in the clip that he turned 64 years old,so that interview must be from late 2013 or early 2014.
He is 70 years old now and will turn 71 in November..

[mcrow42]

One of the greats and a good guy too.

Champ for 7 years if I remember correctly. Wins over Norton, Ali, beat Mercer at like age 43, and gave Holyfield a good fight too at that age.

My grandpa who was an old Italian boxer (my Dad too) loved Larry Holmes. Too bad many people's memory is the Larry Holmes that fought Spinks and Tyson, which by that time was past his prime.

[Caractacus]

yeah, I remeber Larry Holmes when he was fighting on TV still a contender in 1975-1976.
His left jab combined with the vinegar he had in him it seemed.

[DrDuke]

Too bad many people's memory is the Larry Holmes that fought Spinks and Tyson, which by that time was past his prime.

Well, true boxing fans know Holmes very well, but casuals not always, yes. I also saw Holmes first time in his Tyson fight in a rewind on the local TV. The commentators there were saying, that Holmes was a great boxer, former long-reigning champion, that it was important fight for Tyson. That's a one of examples, how Tyson's aura was being made, btw.

[evrenb]

Like every true great he believes he was the best (he wasn't) and had an excuse for every loss.

[Onetimeonly]

yeah, I remeber Larry Holmes when he was fighting on TV still a contender in 1975-1976.
His left jab combined with the vinegar he had in him it seemed.

I don't remember him on TV before shavers.

[Onamastus]

He boxed Tom Prater in that dodgy tourney but yeah doesn't appear he was on often

[Caractacus]

he fought Roy"Tiger" Williams too on a prime weekday ABC Boxing special too.
(April .4.1976)
Muhammad Ali vrs Jimmy Young was the main event
also on the live card was Ken Norton vrs Ron Stander

[Ambling Alp II]

I certainly could be wrong, but I am almost positive that the Holmes-Williams fight was not actually televised, at least live. Stander-Norton was the first fight that I ever saw. I specifically remember watching it before Ali-Young.

[Caractacus]

diud you watch it on the East Coast or the West Coast ?
( there was a entire thread about this a few years ago)
Also I seem to remember Larry Holmes taking part in another prime time ABC Boxing special
( with Ken Norton vrs Lorenzo Zannon the main event)
September 1977)

[Onetimeonly]

I saw Norton/zanon

[Ambling Alp II]

In the midwest, central time. We are an hour behind Eastern Time and 2 hours ahead of the West Coast.

[Onetimeonly]

Looking up the event. Young/Ballard I remember. No recollection of the Holmes fight being televised.

[Caractacus]

maybe the just aired Holmes vrs Williams on the East Coast ?
what was aired there before the live ABC transmission ?

[Onetimeonly]

That was houpe. I was on the east coast.

[f read]

Larry Holmes was a great champion. I would put him in the top half of the top 10. I believe adaptability was his strongest asset. He had heart stamina a great left jab decent power. I believe his one liability was a lack of a great opponent i.e. Ali-Frazier to bring out the best in him. I met him and spent an evening at his Round One Club in Easton July 11 1987. This was 6 months before he fought Tyson and at that time the Tyson fight was not even signed at the time. I was in awe of his size. He was a big man and he was probably 25 pounds or so heavier than he fought at. A woman that i worked with knew him personally and he sent a bus to Trenton driven by his brother to pick us up and take us back. I tried to talk boxing with him but he seemed more interested in charming and schmoozing the women.