Larry Holmes vs. Alfredo Evangelista
| Org. | Pos. | As of | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1+ Mth. Old | |||
| WBA | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| WBC | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Ring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2+ Mth. Old | |||
| WBA | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| WBC | 4 | 31.07.1978 | by 04.08.1978 |
| Ring | 6 | 18.06.1978 | 24-31.07.1978 |
| 3+ Mth. Old | |||
| WBA | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| WBC | 4 | 27.06.1978 | 27.06.1978 |
| Ring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Larry Holmes 215 lbs beat Alfredo Evangelista 208 lbs by KO at 2:14 in round 7 of 15
- Date: 1978-11-10
- Location: Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- Referee: Richard Green
- Judge: Duane Ford
- Judge: Harold Buck
- Judge: Hal Miller
- Promoter: Don King
- Ring Announcer: Chuck Hull
- World Boxing Council Heavyweight Title (1st defense by Holmes)
- Video Image
Notes
- Bout announced on October 12.[1]
Holmes knocks out Evangelista to retain WBC title
Associated Press | November 11, 1978
Larry Holmes peppered Alfredo Evangelista with hard left jabs and then knocked him out with a thunderous right hand in the seventh to retain his World Boxing Council heavyweight championship last night.
The scheduled 15-rounder at Caesars Palace was a mismatch from the start and the big right hand brought a merciful ending for the Spaniard.
Evangelista had gone 15 rounds in a losing title shot against Muhammad Ali May 16, 1977. But that Ali was out of shape at 230 pounds and mentally down.
Last night, however, Evangelista ran into a man who was in top condition and had something to prove. Holmes is trying to fight his way out of Ali's shadow.
"Either quit or fight me," yelled Holmes to Ali.
"I'm not going to wait for him or duck anyone else." Most boxing people feel the chances of Holmes fighting Ali, who is recognized as champion by the World Boxing Association, are virtually nonexistent.
"I'll fight Ken Norton or Jimmy Young or anyone else," Holmes added, then said that his future plans will not be dictated by the media.
There is speculation that Young probably will be Holmes' next opponent and then Holmes might face the winner of a Norton-Earnie Shavers fight set for Feb. 18.
"It wasn't an easy fight. We trained hard," said Holmes of his first title defense. Holmes won the title at Caesars Palace last June with a split decision over Norton.
Holmes obviously trained hard, but it was just as obvious that the fight was an easy one.
"I used my left jab a lot," said Holmes. "I thought I might be able to stop him on cuts."
Holmes' jab was not just a thing of beauty for boxing buffs.
It was not designed just to keep the challenger off balance. It was meant to inflict pain. It was a mean jab and it made a mess of Evangelista's face.
At the end of six rounds, Evangelista's face was badly swollen and he was bleeding from beneath the left eye. He was a picture in frustration.
Then, as the fight passed the two-minute mark in the seventh round and as Holmes was backing away, the champion smashed home a right to the jaw that dropped Evangelista to the floor. Evangelista got to his knees almost immediately, then pitched to his face to be counted out by referee Richard Greene.
The victory, in Holmes' first defense of the title he won on a split decision from Ken Norton at Caesars Palace on June 9, was his 29th in an unbeaten pro career.
Evangelista, who weighed 208¼ to 214½ for Holmes, is the European champion, but his standing as a major factor in the heavyweight division may have disappeared.
The 23-year-old Uruguayan native, who is a citizen of Spain, never did any damage to Holmes. He hardly ever hit him as Holmes used his four-inch advantage in reach to perfection. Evangelista's only chance was to jump in and try to land to the head, but Holmes foiled him at every turn. - Associated Press
Notes
- Larry Holmes 28-0 (19 KOs) vs. Alfredo Evangelista 23-2-1 (18 KOs)
- Holmes earned $1.5 million, while Evangelista made $150,000.
- Evangelist, a 4-1 betting underdog, entered as the European Heavyweight Champion and was ranked #4 by the WBC.
- The fight was the main event on a card that also included Ken Norton vs. Randy Stephens and Alexis Arguello vs. Arturo Leon.
- There was a crowd of 5,300.
- The fight aired live on ABC.
Quotes
- "He was no easy opponent. I wish it was easy. I wish every fight was easy. I feel he was a worthy opponent. The guy had an awkward style. I tried to confuse him by changing my style. I figured as long as I could keep hitting him with a left jab I was OK. I used my left jab a lot. I thought we might be able to stop him on cuts." – Larry Holmes
- "I would like to see Muhammad Ali retire . . . to go out like the legend he is." – Larry Holmes
- "I talked to Muhammad yesterday and he told me he'd quit when he's ready. I don't know what he's gonna do. Nobody knows what he's gonna do. But if he fights again, I feel his next fight should be with me. Either quit or fight me. I'm not going to wait for him or duck anyone else. I'll fight Ken Norton or Jimmy Young, or anyone else." – Larry Holmes