Larry Holmes is a classic example of somebody they gets judged by how he was late in his career. A lot of people forget this Holmes they only remember the flabby Larry in his mid to late 30s. This Larry Holmes was one of the greatest heavyweights ever. His straight, crisp, punches and hand speed were remarkable from a man his size. He was amazingly technical for a guy 6’3 over 215 pounds. His jab is right up there with Ali and Liston as the best ever. He is a tragically underrated fighter.
In his prime, Larry Holmes had very fast hands, good movement, knew how to neutralize an opponent by tying him up, and could take a punch. Taking nothing from Mike Tyson, but the bout would have been a lot more interesting had Holmes been in his prime.
Not only was Holmes old by the time he fought Tyson, but he had also been sitting around doing nothing for a while when the fight was offered to him. He had virtually no time to get in shape for the fight. Holmes in 1981 braves Tyson's early storm and then gasses him out with that hammering left. 1981 Holmes by UD over any version of Mike Tyson. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
@@matthewchristine3476 But even in his prime, Holmes would get hit several times by fighters with a much lower skill level compared to prime Iron Mike. I agree that Mike's stamina was one of his more blatant flaws but I just don't think it would've been enough to keep him from stopping Holmes
@@brandonlamb9067 Indeed, Tyson was one of the best finishers ever in the heavyweight division. Once you were hurt, it was pretty hard to get to the next round let alone recover to win the fight. We also need to look at the psychological aspect of fighting. Mike never once got in trouble and came back to win. Holmes did many times in his better days. That punch Shavers landed in their 2nd fight would have knocked out a dinosaur. Mike didn't like fighting people who weren't afraid of him. Larry Holmes feared nobody. He had that dog in him. If they fight 10 times, I see 4 Tyson KOs and 6 Holmes UDs.
@@jiyere he is even in the top 5 without question. The people who really love boxing know exactly how great Holmes was, an d it's more relvevant nowdays. The average people is another story lol This kind of guys think that the best fighters are the hard punchers lol
@Steelmonger888 Holmes never had a dancing partner like Ali, and I think that's what lacks in his boxing resume. But you could make the argument that Ali didn't last in the boxing game as long as Holmes did. I think there shouldn't be a 1 to 10 ranking but tiers.
@Randy Smith it would be just like Holmes's or Lewis's, Louis's and so on. I think Norton could've been a good dancing partner for Holmes because he gave him all he could handle but he was too old at 34...
@Randy Smith properly managed, yes he could've been the man for Holmes. Unfortunately Cooney's reputation was built up upon beating past prime veterans of the 70s. He had the tools to become a champion. Punching power, size, heart but unlike Holmes he didn't go through the hard struggles that builds up character. Cooney was making more money as a contender than Holmes did as a challenger against Norton, and received way more attention that Holmes did as champion.. Now you could make the argument Tyson was also on the spotlight but his manager at least cared about him. Rapaport would've done anything for a buck
@@cedricliggins7528 On another video with Larry Holmes I've been arguing with this 18 year old (I imagine) keyboard warrior telling me that Tyson Fury, Joshua the Klitchko brothers et al would have wiped the floor with, Ali, Forman, Holmes and Mike Tyson! Unreal dude! He told me the heavyweights today with their superior reach and height have all the advantages and because of better training are superior. I bothered to give examples of smaller heavyweight fighters beating larger fighters, it didn't work. Lol.
true, but he became even better when he develloped his own style. Picking the shots at the right time, pacing himself during the fights to comback stronger in the late runds, he also had a fantastic one two, a great uppercut, was an amazing cunter puncher, and had of course his own amazing jab. Holmes didn't float like a butterfly like Ali but he had a an amazing ring IQ, alawys being in the good distance to fight the opponents, moving when it was usefull. I see similarites with Ali of course, but people who say that he was just imitating Ali are wrong, they are really different fighters with their own way to box.
@@emzid5105 Great comment. The only real similarity is that both Ali and Holmes were outfighters who did their best work at range. But how they accomplished that was different. They are definitely the 2 best outfighters ever in the heavyweight division, no doubt about it.
@@ddiesel1836 idc wether you agree or not, what I said is indeed true. He in FACT was Ali’s sparring partner, and you can obviously see in the fight that Holmes adopted certain aspects of Ali’s fighting style. Even today many other utilize the footwork, the body movements, rope-a-dope technique, etc. I didn’t say he emulated Ali’s style completely, but he definitely adopted SOME of his movements and techniques.
Larry Holmes - although a champion, perhaps the most underrated heavyweight ever. This is Holmes at his best: crisp, precise jabs, measuring distance for the most effective power punch; great chin and stamina, excellent conditioning. Although champion at the very end of the 70's decade and in the early eighties, I consider him more in the same era as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Shavers and Young. And the Holmes that fought and lost to Spinks and Tyson was long over the hill and past his prime. And, having mentioned the great heavies of that time, going to another topic: How would Tyson do against this 70's group? Well, I'm not sure. He sure was great to watch when he was hungry, maybe my all-time favorite heavy to watch, with old-time ring savvy and phenomenal conditioning, skill, and brutality. But I'll go out on a limb and state that he sure wouldn't go on the tear that he did in the 80's. Prime Ali or peak Holmes against a hungry Tyson? Tough call, but I think Tyson comes out on the short end, maybe even out by TKO. A young and angry Foreman or savvy Shavers? No phone booth stuff with those two; the last place Tyson or anyone would want to be in with.
I get your point but compare prime foreman to prime tyson and uts no comparison the speed amd movement... tyson kos all of them. Dude had roy.jones speed in heavyweight
@@gl6996 the first statement is true while his stamina was good, he wasted it with empty punches. But his head movement is excellent. A good example is his fight with Jerry quarry. to me his skills as a boxer is underrated and everyone pawns if off as brawling, when he had great defense in the majority of his fights.
Very true, Shavers ìs the the heaviest puncher of all time ! Holmes supposed to reign as champion over the weakest era, but if you look at the opponents in that era,there were some fearsome punchers.
The main thing he took from Ali was ring movement . The jab though was his own .. much more forceful and powerful . He also had better accurate technique than Ali , who relied on only on his reflexes and punching speed .
I’m so glad I was from this era, each great heavy weight had his trademark trunks and I loved Ernies deep blue ones that almost looked like suede, my favorite was Frazier’s or big George’s the red with the blue stripe
Joe wore multiple colors. (Only color I don't recall ever seeing him in was red)..I think he started the trend of the longer trunks..Check out his trunks after Ali 1..
Textbook demonstration of using a good jab with side to side movement. Holmes IMO had the most effective use of the jab of all of the heavyweight champions. Louis, Ali, Liston. 3 I'd rate behind Holmes. Holmes just that good with the jab.
@@55cleon Holmes surely gained an enormous amount of top level experience sparring with Ali. When you spar with a really good boxer and hang in there is how you learn. Even pros dont stop getting better when they spar against a real good opponent. I agree. Sparring is terrific as long as you dont take beatings. Ali was likley the superior boxer in the beginning, yet as time went by and they kept sparring withe each other Ali was getting older, past prime. Soon enough, I think Holmes will be able to not only hang in there against Ali, but win rounds. You definitely learn by sparring opponents with more experience and better skills than you have. You either get better or get beat up. Holmes got better and better.
@@Ali-vl1sc Floyd is not a heavyweight. I wrote that Holmes had the best jab of all the heavyweight champions in boxing history. Floyd is not even under consideration. He was a junior lightweight at his best.
@@nycinstyle my fault I didn’t read it all I just seen the best jab part but I mostly watch middle weight/light weight fights and from what I seen in heavyweights I do agree
Larry Holmes was a great champion.He said once that because of the way he grew up, he had something to fight for.He certainly, fought that way. He beat all the greats of his era squarely and fairly.Just found myself wondering how he would have fared against Foreman....
@@aszul7750 with all due respect, i've been watching fights for 60 years, even up to now, and they aren't the same..it's not nostalgia but facts..it was just a different way then..simple
@@aszul7750 sorry dude, but Joshua or Wilder would get absolutely smoked by any top 10 heavyweight between 1962-1974. Any of em. Fury is the best boxer of current heavies and he wouldn't even crack top 15 in the aforementioned era. These guys today don't fight as often and they duck the other greats to protect that zero, if they have a zero. The Golden Era heavies (and Holmes, Tyson, etc) fought the other top dogs with no excuses. Today's heavyweight boxing is trash.
Seemed like Holmes learnt a lot from Ali, as at times his jab, movements just are so similar to Ali. Holmes definitely one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time. ✅🥊✅🥊
Shavers great puncher but no where near Haglers conditioning, Hagler was one of boxings greatest at getting in shape and staying in shape. He was so disciplined and his cardio was off the charts. Man, if Shavers had trained like that he would have been Champion for a few years.
@@Johnbrownsmarch I beg the differ although Holmes is no Ali I think Holmes does outbox Tyson in prime ..38 year old Holmes with 2 years rust lasted longer than Tyson's first 17 opponents .Holmes is a different breed just like Tyson
That Holmes Jab was a thing of beauty...........more like a stinging jab... how Larry got up from that Shavers haymaker is mind blowing. what a fight.... Larry had a great jab, excellent movement, and a great chin....
Here is a list of heavy weight greats in their prime who would have beaten prime Tyson. 1- Ali 2-Joe Frazier 3-Joe Louis 4-Big George Foreman 5-Ernie Shavers 6-Ron Lyle 7-Larry Holmes 8-Sonny Liston. I didn't included Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey because I think they were to small and light (190+ ponds) for Tyson, although both Marciano and Dempsey had real power in their punches and would NOT surrender under pressure. I also didn't include Ken Norton because of his glass jaw which he had issues when fighting big punchers like Tyson.The key to beat Tyson is by overcoming fear and NONE of these Heavy Weight Greats in this list ever feared anyone, they fought ALL comers and had the kind of heart that a lion has.They would stare down Tyson and would say to him "Bring it on bad bully, lets see what you got".
Yes good list, although you couldn't include Jack Dempsey because he would have refused to fight Tyson. Dempsey was a great white heavyweight no doubt but only that.
@Steelmonger888 Yeah, Mike had flawless defense. In his early days he never go hit. Mikes failing was he could not adapt later, which Ali did amazingly...
Beautiful and excellent Move from Larry Holmes@ 8:05. He gave a right strong Uppercut, escape from the deadly punch of his opponent and dissipate his opponent's energy simultaneously. Imagine his opponent, one of the boxing legend, Ernie Shavers. Waaaw.! This is why I love Boxing.
Qué gran peleador era Larry Holmes!!!! maneja todos los registros del boxeo: pegada, camina por la lona con estilo y técnica depuradas, un jab punzante, pegada, sabe amarrarse y una muy buena resistencia física para soportar los golpes de un tremendo Shavers. Una fantástica pelea de uno de los pesos pesados menos reconocidos. Larry se merece ser colocado entre los mejores de los pesados de todos los teimpos
@@gokhansartas2418 Didn't have Ali's super speed of the 60's. He might be a clone of the 70's Ali. He does have some Ali style. He's not of Ali's caliber though.
@@jeffriessman9693 He obviously wasn't as fast, he was a big ass dude. He did compensate with his strength, though. I put him higher than 70's Ali, but not 60's. Definitely top 10.
Ernie Shavers was not a man any body wanted to get in the ring with. Ron Lyle said he hit harder than Foreman and Joe Frazier could tell you a little about Foremans power, but Lyle fought both, getting hit by either is not for the casual observer. Holmes knew he wasn't going to be able to trade with Shavers and fought a brilliant fight. Many years later, in an interview with Foreman they were asking about fighters he had fought and their power. He said Gerry Cooney hit hard and a few others, they asked him about Shavers , loved his reply, " I never fought Ernie Shavers, thankfully"....
This is definitely prime Holmes in 1978. Would be very interesting to see what would happen against the 1975 Ali when Ali still had fast hands like this version of Holmes. Probably would be a very close fight
@@torvilasulvstle362 with Cus in his corner if Mike had been competing in that time frame would have buried Larry Holmes and any other contenders. Holmes would have gave him fits but unlike Earnie, Mike would have finished Larry Holmes.
No way his jab was better than Ali. Even when he tried to dance and emulate Ali, whose sparring partner he was. He looked nowhere near like Ali. Anybody could get on their toes and try to dance. But nobody did it like Ali. Ali was a smooth grace dancer. Almost like a ballerina. Holmes and other heavyweights who tried to dance looked like they were almost jumping up and down.
Shavers fought both and rated Holmes jab as better. Shavers spends an entire paragraph in his book talking about Larry’s jab and what a nightmare it was. He said it was so fast he couldn’t see it coming half the time and felt like a right hand every time it connected. He said Ali’s jab was a bit faster but lacked the power, so he didn’t rate it as high.
When a lot of people think of Larry Holmes they think of the late 80's and 90's when he was a shell of himself. Most of them never saw this version of him. Dude was flat out awesome then. Maybe the best of all time in his prime.
Josh Light stop it!! Holmes better than Ali?! NOBODY was better than Ali. No matter the weight class. As good as Ali was the world never got to see the best of him. He spent the best 3 years of his boxing career, in the prime of his life in prison. And even with those lost years he was still better than any heavyweight in history.
@@davidrobinson9034 there is no doubt Ali was one of the greatest. But because he was such a bombastic and iconic personality, people overrate him just a tad. If you look solely at their careers and not sentimentality, you can make an argument for Holmes. Holmes went 48-0, won the championship and held it for years. He never lost until he was past his prime at 35, and even then the fight was controversial. Yes Ali lost three of his prime years, and yes he may very well have been untouchable in the 60's, we will never know for sure. But he came back still young well within the prime years for most boxers and lost to Frazier and Norton, and you could probably argue he lost more than once to Ken Norton who Holmes later beat when Norton was still close to his prime. Granted, I think Ali fought in a tougher era. But there is no diminishing what Larry accomplished. He was not the iconic personality Ali was, but if you look solely at their records and don't make an argument for Holmes you simply aren't being honest.
@@joshlight6892 Irmão Ali ficou 56-4 Sendo três de suas derrotas quando não estava nas mesmas condições de seus oponentes, com Leon e Holmes estava velho e doente, contra fraizer estava a 4 anos parado, e ele não perdeu 2 vezes pro Norton foi apenas uma, e o Norton estava mais forte que na luta contra o Larry, ali no auge foi invencível fez os melhores lutadores de sua época parecerem fáceis de derrotar e talvez nunca nem sequer tenha mostrado seu verdadeiro auge por causa do exército. Além disso Ali venceu Sonny, jimmy, foreman, shavers, Norton, fraizer entre outros. Ali> Holmes não há dúvidas de que no auge dos 2 Ali foi superior.
@@davidrobinson9034 Ali didn't literally go to prison. But yes, he would stayed champ those three years. The best fighters of those days he would have beaten: Machen, Mathis, Terrell likely would have got a rematch (and lost to Ali again), same with Chuvalo. I think on a boxing level Ali may or may not have actually been the very greatest boxer. He said Sugar Ray Robinson was the best. But George Foreman was right. Ali was of course great, but that didn't matter, because Ali was bigger than boxing. He was bigger than sports, really.
@@emzid5105 annnd they were wrong lol... but Ali literally gave him the first 5 rounds tho, after that it was his fight. Also Ali slugged it out with Shavers at the end and almost ko'ed him if there was more time in the 15th round. I think this is the best performance of skill Holmes has showed in all of his fights. Moving around, jabbing all night setting his man up, slipping parrying, ducking, incredible Demolished Shavers, at this point he's much better than Ali was in '77 ( I kno this fight was in 78 but just sayin)
@@ryanjohnson5811 I don't have a top 5, I think each performance are different but if you ask me which I highly regard they would be against Shavers 1 & 2, Norton, Cooney, Mercer, Holyfield (Yes even if he lost, causing that much trouble at 42 to a 28 yrs old champion is a great performance to me) and many others I'm sure that I haven't seen yet. But if we talk about boxing clinics, then I would agree with you so far, this is the best I've seen of Holmes.
Ali may have been the greatest but there was a time of great fighters so many great fighters. Larry Holmes was my favorite. That right hand was amazing. I guess he still is my favorite of all time.
Nunca he visto a alguien recibir tanto golpe fuerte y quedar de pie; Earnie no solo golpeaba muy fuerte sino que también tenía una mandíbula de acero. En cuanto a Larry Homes, no se le ha dado el crédito y los honores merecidos.
The best heavyweight jab of all time. He was fast enough to hit all of his opponents with it and then, in the later rounds, the opponent would start to let themselves get hit with it and Holmes would start making it heavier and heavier as the fight wore on. He would just start putting more and more shoulder into it.
@@kingdomofanimaria hey buddy how can you even ask that question…Ali bigger faster and better knockout punch … chins about the same …. Ali all day my humble opinion … who do you think
@@kingdomofanimaria oh also Ali his jab and reach …. Would be tough for Holyfield with his coming forward style …. His only chance get on the inside ….. it Ali too crafty against the ropes he was a great friend Maude fighter also
People talked about how Tyson knocked Holmes out but no one consider the version of Holmes that Shavers fought, Larry was 10 and 9 years younger than Larry that Tyson fought
The Holmes-Shavers fight is conclusive prove that although Holmes was an excellent heavyweight boxer, he was not as great as Ali, Frazier, Louis, Dempsey, Marciano and possibly Johnson. Shavers protected himself superbly throughout the fight. Shavers blocked a lot of Holmes' best punches with excellent defense. Holmes threw many more punches than Shavers in the fight but never really hurt Shavers in that fight.
People don’t have a clue on the kind of natural punching power Shaver’s had possessed and he is singlehandedly the reason why many of the heavyweights of that day could hardly be understood long after they’re careers were over. He was leaving guys brains 🧠 unplugged way after they got up after the ten count. While this guy continued to speak perfect English with his UK accent. Everybody from Ali to Forman said, he could crack like no other.
Yep, Ernie, Kenny n Smoking Joe Frazier all had one thing in common, looking for that one big one. Its cool to watch them looking for it but its also very sad when they didn't find it. Tyson's ability to fire D'amato's combos at his opponents was a much better strategy.
Shavers didn't hit harder then big george look how many times he landed big punches on holmes and nothing happen if george hit someone 1 time clean like that IT WAS OVER
No foreman never koed anyone with just one punch he used to throw combos . You should look at other fights of shavers he koed more than 20 guys with 1 punch under round 3 which foreman didnt . And everyone who fought both forman and shavers said shavers hits hardest
Yeah he did. And every boxer who was asked that had fought both of them said he did. Go to 09: 55 of this video -> ruclips.net/video/YH435Ch0Kvk/видео.html and then come back and say nothing happened to Holmes when he got hit by Shavers.
This was considered a bit of an upset, and a real surprise that Holmes won going away. Every round on 2 of the 3 judges scorecards, with Shavers maybe winning the 2nd, or 6th. The rest was all Holmes. Great movement, great jab. If you watch his fights before this Holmes looked good, but not nearly this good, and Shavers had damn near beat Ali, and this was still in his prime. Very impressive win for Larry. One of the best HW champs ever. Only Ali and Joe Louis were better in my book.
Holmes benefited a great deal from sparring Ali but he was never quite as good as Ali. A bit too flat footed but sharp and quick to the punch. It’s a shame he was so disrespectful and envious of Ali after all he did for him. Shavers knocks everyone out in today’s era.
HOLMES has got to have the very best jab in HW history!!hard to really find holes in HOLMES game and u can absolutely see the influence of ALI and damn I'm not sure who would have won had Ali and Homes been able to fight in their primes,hell Ida taken Ali and Holmes in mid 70's even??would have been a very hard fight for Ali cuz he woulda been fightin a guy who isn't necessarily a huge guy,closer to Ali's size!!so the speed imo would be far less effective cuz HOLMES defends much like Ali,but it woulda been a tremendous fight,maybe the best of Ali's career,espesially if he overcame,being older then HOLMES in all!!
Every punch Shavers connects is a testament to his power. Too bad he had no stamina, chin, or skills. Cada golpe que Shavers conecta muestra su poder. Lastima que no tenia resistencia ni buena quijada.
Holmes was definatley at his best ever. Earnie could hit like a freight train but Holmes was too fast and agile for him. Earnie was always so close but never could seem to win the biggest fights. Never knocked out though. Tough as nails
Larry Holmes is a classic example of somebody they gets judged by how he was late in his career. A lot of people forget this Holmes they only remember the flabby Larry in his mid to late 30s.
This Larry Holmes was one of the greatest heavyweights ever. His straight, crisp, punches and hand speed were remarkable from a man his size. He was amazingly technical for a guy 6’3 over 215 pounds. His jab is right up there with Ali and Liston as the best ever. He is a tragically underrated fighter.
Holmes began to rule HW division when Foreman stopped, and they both are same age..
He also came after Ali so he was a bit stiff in that regard.
I AGREE WITH EVER WORD. I WATCHED HIM SINCE HE WON THE TITLE AGAINST NORTON ON TV AS THEY USED TO SHOW THE FIGHTS.
In his prime, Larry Holmes had very fast hands, good movement, knew how to neutralize an opponent by tying him up, and could take a punch. Taking nothing from Mike Tyson, but the bout would have been a lot more interesting had Holmes been in his prime.
For a guy Holmes size, he had average punching power. His famous left jab was everything...
Holmes’ blatant strengths were having one of the best jabs in boxing history, silky footwork, amazing rhythm, great sense of timing and a ton of heart
Not only was Holmes old by the time he fought Tyson, but he had also been sitting around doing nothing for a while when the fight was offered to him. He had virtually no time to get in shape for the fight. Holmes in 1981 braves Tyson's early storm and then gasses him out with that hammering left. 1981 Holmes by UD over any version of Mike Tyson. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
@@matthewchristine3476 But even in his prime, Holmes would get hit several times by fighters with a much lower skill level compared to prime Iron Mike. I agree that Mike's stamina was one of his more blatant flaws but I just don't think it would've been enough to keep him from stopping Holmes
@@brandonlamb9067 Indeed, Tyson was one of the best finishers ever in the heavyweight division. Once you were hurt, it was pretty hard to get to the next round let alone recover to win the fight. We also need to look at the psychological aspect of fighting. Mike never once got in trouble and came back to win. Holmes did many times in his better days. That punch Shavers landed in their 2nd fight would have knocked out a dinosaur. Mike didn't like fighting people who weren't afraid of him. Larry Holmes feared nobody. He had that dog in him. If they fight 10 times, I see 4 Tyson KOs and 6 Holmes UDs.
Holmes the most underated boxer..this guy is in my top ten of all time
Finally someone who appreciates him!
@@jiyere he is even in the top 5 without question. The people who really love boxing know exactly how great Holmes was, an d it's more relvevant nowdays. The average people is another story lol This kind of guys think that the best fighters are the hard punchers lol
@Steelmonger888 Holmes never had a dancing partner like Ali, and I think that's what lacks in his boxing resume. But you could make the argument that Ali didn't last in the boxing game as long as Holmes did.
I think there shouldn't be a 1 to 10 ranking but tiers.
@Randy Smith it would be just like Holmes's or Lewis's, Louis's and so on.
I think Norton could've been a good dancing partner for Holmes because he gave him all he could handle but he was too old at 34...
@Randy Smith properly managed, yes he could've been the man for Holmes. Unfortunately Cooney's reputation was built up upon beating past prime veterans of the 70s. He had the tools to become a champion. Punching power, size, heart but unlike Holmes he didn't go through the hard struggles that builds up character. Cooney was making more money as a contender than Holmes did as a challenger against Norton, and received way more attention that Holmes did as champion.. Now you could make the argument Tyson was also on the spotlight but his manager at least cared about him. Rapaport would've done anything for a buck
Who else loves Shaver for being like a tank? Such a machine I miss these guys.
That was boxing's golden age. We are now in the tin age.
@@cedricliggins7528 On another video with Larry Holmes I've been arguing with this 18 year old (I imagine) keyboard warrior telling me that Tyson Fury, Joshua the Klitchko brothers et al would have wiped the floor with, Ali, Forman, Holmes and Mike Tyson! Unreal dude! He told me the heavyweights today with their superior reach and height have all the advantages and because of better training are superior. I bothered to give examples of smaller heavyweight fighters beating larger fighters, it didn't work. Lol.
Result would have been different, Shavers made basic error, threw those bombs when out of range.
Yess...you correct...
@Broadway Joe Strange thing is, he's fine with his cognitive abilities and is very alert. Incredible after 89 fights.
Holmes being Ali’s sparring partner obviously really paid off. You can see he adopted some of techniques that Ali used.
true, but he became even better when he develloped his own style. Picking the shots at the right time, pacing himself during the fights to comback stronger in the late runds, he also had a fantastic one two, a great uppercut, was an amazing cunter puncher, and had of course his own amazing jab. Holmes didn't float like a butterfly like Ali but he had a an amazing ring IQ, alawys being in the good distance to fight the opponents, moving when it was usefull. I see similarites with Ali of course, but people who say that he was just imitating Ali are wrong, they are really different fighters with their own way to box.
@@emzid5105 Great comment. The only real similarity is that both Ali and Holmes were outfighters who did their best work at range. But how they accomplished that was different. They are definitely the 2 best outfighters ever in the heavyweight division, no doubt about it.
i have to disagree. Holmes does not linger around he ropes , bounce around the ring or lock his opponent's arms as much as Ali does
@@ddiesel1836 idc wether you agree or not, what I said is indeed true. He in FACT was Ali’s sparring partner, and you can obviously see in the fight that Holmes adopted certain aspects of Ali’s fighting style. Even today many other utilize the footwork, the body movements, rope-a-dope technique, etc. I didn’t say he emulated Ali’s style completely, but he definitely adopted SOME of his movements and techniques.
@@manamal769 wgaf! Holmes fought the same way when he was an amateur.
What a champ Larry was, my God! Prime Larry has a very good chance against any champion in any era! What a heart, what a chin, what a determination!
Larry Holmes - although a champion, perhaps the most underrated heavyweight ever. This is Holmes at his best: crisp, precise jabs, measuring distance for the most effective power punch; great chin and stamina, excellent conditioning. Although champion at the very end of the 70's decade and in the early eighties, I consider him more in the same era as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Shavers and Young. And the Holmes that fought and lost to Spinks and Tyson was long over the hill and past his prime.
And, having mentioned the great heavies of that time, going to another topic: How would Tyson do against this 70's group? Well, I'm not sure. He sure was great to watch when he was hungry, maybe my all-time favorite heavy to watch, with old-time ring savvy and phenomenal conditioning, skill, and brutality. But I'll go out on a limb and state that he sure wouldn't go on the tear that he did in the 80's. Prime Ali or peak Holmes against a hungry Tyson? Tough call, but I think Tyson comes out on the short end, maybe even out by TKO. A young and angry Foreman or savvy Shavers? No phone booth stuff with those two; the last place Tyson or anyone would want to be in with.
Mike Tyson in his prime? He lives in a phone booth.. that’s his habitat
Absolutely 🌟
I get your point but compare prime foreman to prime tyson and uts no comparison the speed amd movement... tyson kos all of them. Dude had roy.jones speed in heavyweight
who is underrating Holmes?
Great chin and amazing recuperative powers..Holmes was my favourite fighter growing up. An all time great without doubt.
Absolutely 🌟
Larry Holmes jab was so quick and precise. He is definitely a top 10 Heavyweight of All Times.
larry had the best jab in the game. should be considered one of the best heavyweights ever.
Yes and yes.Liston had stiffest jab , Ali had quickest from all angles..Holmes had speed and power both in his jab.
lol
He never got the respect or admiration because he was after Ali.
@@geraldfriend256 liston had crazy reach too
Liston had a better jab js
Holmes fought Shavers twice when some dare to fight him once. Shavers will always be a champion in my book...belt or no belt.
@west west I like Shavers as a person; he's a champion to me in that regard. As a boxer, he did fizzle in fights. Poor stamina and head movement
@@gl6996 the first statement is true while his stamina was good, he wasted it with empty punches. But his head movement is excellent. A good example is his fight with Jerry quarry.
to me his skills as a boxer is underrated and everyone pawns if off as brawling, when he had great defense in the majority of his fights.
@@k.hgiggles6880 I imagine Shavers, like all fighters, took more punches when he got older. He still had that grandpa power 💪🏽💥🥊
@idoj654123 I agree! Holmes is underrated.
I like the fact that George Foreman said that Earnie Shavers hit him the hardest.
Holmes gain lot of experience from sparring with Ali, That was pure Ali movement.
absolutely, another protege of Angelo Dundee!
@@mcb7691 He is underrated!
Very true, Shavers ìs the the heaviest puncher of all time !
Holmes supposed to reign as champion over the weakest era, but if you look at the opponents in that era,there were some fearsome punchers.
The main thing he took from Ali was ring movement . The jab though was his own .. much more forceful and powerful . He also had better accurate technique than Ali , who relied on only on his reflexes and punching speed .
@@shaungreen4756 The best overrated puncher! If you watched his record he won almost buums or light boxer.
I’m so glad I was from this era, each great heavy weight had his trademark trunks and I loved Ernies deep blue ones that almost looked like suede, my favorite was Frazier’s or big George’s the red with the blue stripe
Ken Norton's navy with white stripes, Ali white with black stripes.
I liked Joe's green trunks, I think he should've kept it.
Joe wore multiple colors. (Only color I don't recall ever seeing him in was red)..I think he started the trend of the longer trunks..Check out his trunks after Ali 1..
@@t9190kp And Ron Lyle combined red and white trunks and in some fights I saw blue too
Staying away from that right hand....and shavers throws it like none other....
man he could punch!!
Holmes never got his just dues. Truly one of the all time greats.
Shavers be going in for the kill not reserving his energy for the other rounds
Textbook demonstration of using a good jab with side to side movement. Holmes IMO had the most effective use of the jab of all of the heavyweight champions. Louis, Ali, Liston. 3 I'd rate behind Holmes. Holmes just that good with the jab.
Holmes Developed That Jab Being Ali's Understudy/Sparring Partner.
@@55cleon Holmes surely gained an enormous amount of top level experience sparring with Ali. When you spar with a really good boxer and hang in there is how you learn. Even pros dont stop getting better when they spar against a real good opponent. I agree. Sparring is terrific as long as you dont take beatings. Ali was likley the superior boxer in the beginning, yet as time went by and they kept sparring withe each other Ali was getting older, past prime. Soon enough, I think Holmes will be able to not only hang in there against Ali, but win rounds. You definitely learn by sparring opponents with more experience and better skills than you have. You either get better or get beat up. Holmes got better and better.
That goes to Floyd he legit broke his hand on how accurate and fast his jabs were in his prime
@@Ali-vl1sc Floyd is not a heavyweight. I wrote that Holmes had the best jab of all the heavyweight champions in boxing history. Floyd is not even under consideration. He was a junior lightweight at his best.
@@nycinstyle my fault I didn’t read it all I just seen the best jab part but I mostly watch middle weight/light weight fights and from what I seen in heavyweights I do agree
Ali might have had the fastest heavyweight left jab, but Holmes was right there, but with way more power. Great fighter.
Larry Holmes was a great champion.He said once that because of the way he grew up, he had something to fight for.He certainly, fought that way. He beat all the greats of his era squarely and fairly.Just found myself wondering how he would have fared against Foreman....
How did they go at it like that in this fight then fought a second time? These guys today don't even come close.
Yea they do. Lol dnt let nostalgia blind you
@@aszul7750 no they dont bro, I've seen almost every big match for the passed 2 years and I havent seen shit
@@avbugsy38 yea.two years watching is not alot.
@@aszul7750 with all due respect, i've been watching fights for 60 years, even up to now, and they aren't the same..it's not nostalgia but facts..it was just a different way then..simple
@@aszul7750 sorry dude, but Joshua or Wilder would get absolutely smoked by any top 10 heavyweight between 1962-1974. Any of em. Fury is the best boxer of current heavies and he wouldn't even crack top 15 in the aforementioned era. These guys today don't fight as often and they duck the other greats to protect that zero, if they have a zero. The Golden Era heavies (and Holmes, Tyson, etc) fought the other top dogs with no excuses. Today's heavyweight boxing is trash.
Larry Holmes was a GREAT fighter.
Seemed like Holmes learnt a lot from Ali, as at times his jab, movements just are so similar to Ali. Holmes definitely one of the top 10 heavyweights of all time. ✅🥊✅🥊
Unreal performance by Holmes! Concerning Shavers, as tuff as they come :o
This was probably the best fight I've seen of Larry Holmes
Vicious fight...He was longtime champ after his next fight with Norton...
its sad when you have to come back to this era to find a real fight
Shavers is Hagler after Gamma Rays. Shavers SMASH!!!
Shavers great puncher but no where near Haglers conditioning, Hagler was one of boxings greatest at getting in shape and staying in shape. He was so disciplined and his cardio was off the charts. Man, if Shavers had trained like that he would have been Champion for a few years.
All they had in common was bald heads👱👱
@@hammer44head shavers lacked a granite chin
This was the real . Larry Holmes ! hard jab , speed , and movement . I think this prime Holmes could have given Tyson trouble
He would not have done the same against Tyson, not even as a young man, for a style question, he would have lost perhaps on points.
This Holmes outboxes Tyson 2 out of 3
No version of Holmes ever "outboxes" Tyson. This Holmes has more "athleticism" to give Mike a lot of trouble. Mike would still destroy
@@Johnbrownsmarch I beg the differ although Holmes is no Ali I think Holmes does outbox Tyson in prime ..38 year old Holmes with 2 years rust lasted longer than Tyson's first 17 opponents .Holmes is a different breed just like Tyson
Lol so funny what you say ...larry would do nothing even if hes in his prime facing tyson
Larry Holmes was a great fighter by far...
That Holmes Jab was a thing of beauty...........more like a stinging jab... how Larry got up from that Shavers haymaker is mind blowing. what a fight.... Larry had a great jab, excellent movement, and a great chin....
Here is a list of heavy weight greats in their prime who would have beaten prime Tyson.
1- Ali
2-Joe Frazier
3-Joe Louis
4-Big George Foreman
5-Ernie Shavers
6-Ron Lyle
7-Larry Holmes
8-Sonny Liston.
I didn't included Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey because I think they were to small and light (190+ ponds) for Tyson, although both Marciano and Dempsey had real power in their punches and would NOT surrender under pressure. I also didn't include Ken Norton because of his glass jaw which he had issues when fighting big punchers like Tyson.The key to beat Tyson is by overcoming fear and NONE of these Heavy Weight Greats in this list ever feared anyone, they fought ALL comers and had the kind of heart that a lion has.They would stare down Tyson and would say to him "Bring it on bad bully, lets see what you got".
Good list. Agreed!
Yes good list, although you couldn't include Jack Dempsey because he would have refused to fight Tyson. Dempsey was a great white heavyweight no doubt but only that.
Great list except for Ron Lyle
Ali and Holmes in their prime might have given Tyson in his prime some problem. Tyson would have knocked out Frazier just like Foreman did.
@Steelmonger888 Yeah, Mike had flawless defense. In his early days he never go hit. Mikes failing was he could not adapt later, which Ali did amazingly...
God damn...what a fight!
we can notice how fast was Holmes. His jabs, and combinations are lights, it's amazing
@Steelmonger888 Until he ran in Tyson!!
Beautiful and excellent Move from Larry Holmes@ 8:05. He gave a right strong Uppercut, escape from the deadly punch of his opponent and dissipate his opponent's energy simultaneously. Imagine his opponent, one of the boxing legend, Ernie Shavers. Waaaw.! This is why I love Boxing.
Both taking big punches to head and body, methinks they are both on banned drugs
Qué gran peleador era Larry Holmes!!!! maneja todos los registros del boxeo: pegada, camina por la lona con estilo y técnica depuradas, un jab punzante, pegada, sabe amarrarse y una muy buena resistencia física para soportar los golpes de un tremendo Shavers. Una fantástica pelea de uno de los pesos pesados menos reconocidos. Larry se merece ser colocado entre los mejores de los pesados de todos los teimpos
Fue un gran campeon, solido y de buena tecnica, pero la vida es de momentos ya que despues vino Tyson y lo destruyo
Most underated boxer of all time
Holmes never received the credit he deserved. Great fighter and boxer.
The sound of those punches something you dont get to hear in fights anymore
Larry Holmes in the top 5 heavyweights of all time. On any given he could've beat anyone.
I agree, and yet he often gets overlooked. A brilliant fighter who reigned for a long time. When he lost to Tyson he was way past his best.
@@vordman he just wasn't flashy. Unbelievable jab, great fundamentally, and a great chin.
The clon of Muhammad Ali.
@@gokhansartas2418 Didn't have Ali's super speed of the 60's.
He might be a clone of the 70's Ali.
He does have some Ali style.
He's not of Ali's caliber though.
@@jeffriessman9693 He obviously wasn't as fast, he was a big ass dude. He did compensate with his strength, though. I put him higher than 70's Ali, but not 60's. Definitely top 10.
Holmes had the best jab in heavyweight history
Ernie Shavers was not a man any body wanted to get in the ring with. Ron Lyle said he hit harder than Foreman and Joe Frazier could tell you a little about Foremans power, but Lyle fought both, getting hit by either is not for the casual observer. Holmes knew he wasn't going to be able to trade with Shavers and fought a brilliant fight. Many years later, in an interview with Foreman they were asking about fighters he had fought and their power. He said Gerry Cooney hit hard and a few others, they asked him about Shavers , loved his reply, " I never fought Ernie Shavers, thankfully"....
This is definitely prime Holmes in 1978. Would be very interesting to see what would happen against the 1975 Ali when Ali still had fast hands like this version of Holmes. Probably would be a very close fight
Ali by 1975 was 33 years old, and far past his prime.....
@@milojanis4901 yes but the 33-year-old Ali was still good enough to beat any other heavyweight in history
The Thrilla in Manila version of Ali would stop at nothing to win, I got Ali winning that for sure, post Frazier III, Holmes would win.
Complete schooling by Larry Holmes
Larry is imitating Muhammad Ali , no wonder he was sparing partner to Ali.
Should like to see Holmes at his peak against Tyson.
Holmes could take a punch back then!
@@torvilasulvstle362 Larry at his peak at 38 close to 39 ?
@@torvilasulvstle362 with Cus in his corner if Mike had been competing in that time frame would have buried Larry Holmes and any other contenders. Holmes would have gave him fits but unlike Earnie, Mike would have finished Larry Holmes.
@@michaeltruthson6262 not a chance
Holmes' jab was amazing, the best ever in the heavyweight division.
2nd to Muhammad Ali
No way his jab was better than Ali. Even when he tried to dance and emulate Ali, whose sparring partner he was. He looked nowhere near like Ali. Anybody could get on their toes and try to dance. But nobody did it like Ali. Ali was a smooth grace dancer. Almost like a ballerina. Holmes and other heavyweights who tried to dance looked like they were almost jumping up and down.
@@davidrobinson9034 exactly.
Shavers fought both and rated Holmes jab as better. Shavers spends an entire paragraph in his book talking about Larry’s jab and what a nightmare it was. He said it was so fast he couldn’t see it coming half the time and felt like a right hand every time it connected.
He said Ali’s jab was a bit faster but lacked the power, so he didn’t rate it as high.
When a lot of people think of Larry Holmes they think of the late 80's and 90's when he was a shell of himself. Most of them never saw this version of him. Dude was flat out awesome then. Maybe the best of all time in his prime.
Josh Light stop it!! Holmes better than Ali?! NOBODY was better than Ali. No matter the weight class. As good as Ali was the world never got to see the best of him. He spent the best 3 years of his boxing career, in the prime of his life in prison. And even with those lost years he was still better than any heavyweight in history.
@@davidrobinson9034 there is no doubt Ali was one of the greatest. But because he was such a bombastic and iconic personality, people overrate him just a tad. If you look solely at their careers and not sentimentality, you can make an argument for Holmes. Holmes went 48-0, won the championship and held it for years. He never lost until he was past his prime at 35, and even then the fight was controversial. Yes Ali lost three of his prime years, and yes he may very well have been untouchable in the 60's, we will never know for sure. But he came back still young well within the prime years for most boxers and lost to Frazier and Norton, and you could probably argue he lost more than once to Ken Norton who Holmes later beat when Norton was still close to his prime. Granted, I think Ali fought in a tougher era. But there is no diminishing what Larry accomplished. He was not the iconic personality Ali was, but if you look solely at their records and don't make an argument for Holmes you simply aren't being honest.
@@joshlight6892 Irmão Ali ficou 56-4
Sendo três de suas derrotas quando não estava nas mesmas condições de seus oponentes, com Leon e Holmes estava velho e doente, contra fraizer estava a 4 anos parado, e ele não perdeu 2 vezes pro Norton foi apenas uma, e o Norton estava mais forte que na luta contra o Larry, ali no auge foi invencível fez os melhores lutadores de sua época parecerem fáceis de derrotar e talvez nunca nem sequer tenha mostrado seu verdadeiro auge por causa do exército. Além disso Ali venceu Sonny, jimmy, foreman, shavers, Norton, fraizer entre outros.
Ali> Holmes não há dúvidas de que no auge dos 2 Ali foi superior.
@@davidrobinson9034 Ali didn't literally go to prison. But yes, he would stayed champ those three years. The best fighters of those days he would have beaten: Machen, Mathis, Terrell likely would have got a rematch (and lost to Ali again), same with Chuvalo.
I think on a boxing level Ali may or may not have actually been the very greatest boxer. He said Sugar Ray Robinson was the best. But George Foreman was right. Ali was of course great, but that didn't matter, because Ali was bigger than boxing. He was bigger than sports, really.
Ali fought shavers and beat him in 15 rounds in 1977 when ali is not healthy and ready to retire
many people tought shavers deserved the decision against Ali
@@emzid5105 annnd they were wrong lol... but Ali literally gave him the first 5 rounds tho, after that it was his fight. Also Ali slugged it out with Shavers at the end and almost ko'ed him if there was more time in the 15th round. I think this is the best performance of skill Holmes has showed in all of his fights. Moving around, jabbing all night setting his man up, slipping parrying, ducking, incredible Demolished Shavers, at this point he's much better than Ali was in '77 ( I kno this fight was in 78 but just sayin)
Best larry holmes performance
one of them
@@jiyere what are your top 5
@@ryanjohnson5811 I don't have a top 5, I think each performance are different but if you ask me which I highly regard they would be against Shavers 1 & 2, Norton, Cooney, Mercer, Holyfield (Yes even if he lost, causing that much trouble at 42 to a 28 yrs old champion is a great performance to me) and many others I'm sure that I haven't seen yet. But if we talk about boxing clinics, then I would agree with you so far, this is the best I've seen of Holmes.
@@jiyere that fight with Norton give Chills till this DAY!
What Warriors!
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Only respect for the Golden age!
Hats off to Larry, 12 years undefeated (if I remember).
But, Ernie Shavers was BAD ASS. Foreman said even Ali struggled against Shavers.
No he said it about norton
Holmes uses Ali fight of style.. Effective ❤
Shavers was basically a heavyweaght Marvin Hagler
Holmes was overshadowed by Ali and Frazier. Holmes had a great jab and was a very good boxer. A good chin, too.
Larry absolutely an Ali student 🌟❤️ A Top 5 All Time great! BEST crisp jab ever for the big boys!
Ali may have been the greatest but there was a time of great fighters so many great fighters. Larry Holmes was my favorite. That right hand was amazing. I guess he still is my favorite of all time.
Nunca he visto a alguien recibir tanto golpe fuerte y quedar de pie; Earnie no solo golpeaba muy fuerte sino que también tenía una mandíbula de acero. En cuanto a Larry Homes, no se le ha dado el crédito y los honores merecidos.
Tyson le dio su merecido...😂
@@GUIGOU2013 cuando estaba viejo, te digo cuantos años tenía? 39 tenía larry holmes en esa pelea, si ubiese sido un holmes prime fijo ganaba.
nobody stood and fought with shavers like holmes. wasn’t for ali or holmes shavers would have been the man
One punch from Shavers is equivalent to 1000 combinations from Holmes. That one Right or Left from Shavers sends you backpedaling very fast.
not on the scorecard
Larry homes...besides Ali....the best jab ever....heavy jab that did damage...great fighters and under-rated
The best heavyweight jab of all time. He was fast enough to hit all of his opponents with it and then, in the later rounds, the opponent would start to let themselves get hit with it and Holmes would start making it heavier and heavier as the fight wore on. He would just start putting more and more shoulder into it.
@@frenepiquant totally agree... was so quick but forceful and with his reach.... it set up everything else
@@pjpj2639 who win prime Ali or prime Holyfield
@@kingdomofanimaria hey buddy how can you even ask that question…Ali bigger faster and better knockout punch … chins about the same …. Ali all day my humble opinion … who do you think
@@kingdomofanimaria oh also Ali his jab and reach …. Would be tough for Holyfield with his coming forward style …. His only chance get on the inside ….. it Ali too crafty against the ropes he was a great friend Maude fighter also
Jees!
Holmes could take a hard hit!
Shavers.
Great fighter.
Always giving the goats serious problems.
Seems to gas out more than usual in the last round though.
Compare that phenomenal battle of the ages with the current crop of heavyweights.
Louis , ali and holmes for me the greatest heavy weight champion..
The most important punch in boxing is the jab. And Holmes had one of the best ever.
People talked about how Tyson knocked Holmes out but no one consider the version of Holmes that Shavers fought, Larry was 10 and 9 years younger than Larry that Tyson fought
Hard to believe that Jerry Quarry knocked out Ernie Shavers in the early 70s before Shavers went big time.
Yep
Вот это бокс был, настоящая рубка!!!Такого зрелища яростного сейчас не увидешь..
Muhammad Ali.
Holy crap. Larry’s jabs are insanely quick.
The Holmes-Shavers fight is conclusive prove that although Holmes was an excellent heavyweight boxer, he was not as great as Ali, Frazier, Louis, Dempsey, Marciano and possibly Johnson. Shavers protected himself superbly throughout the fight. Shavers blocked a lot of Holmes' best punches with excellent defense. Holmes threw many more punches than Shavers in the fight but never really hurt Shavers in that fight.
What a fight !
Holmes never takes his eyes off shavers, like Ali. Great fighter.
People don’t have a clue on the kind of natural punching power Shaver’s had possessed and he is singlehandedly the reason why many of the heavyweights of that day could hardly be understood long after they’re careers were over. He was leaving guys brains 🧠 unplugged way after they got up after the ten count. While this guy continued to speak perfect English with his UK accent. Everybody from Ali to Forman said, he could crack like no other.
The 70's and early 80's were the Second Golden Age!
Are you gonna do the 2nd fight?
The set up with the right Earnie Shavers was using is the same technique that Mike Tyson would use to knock Larry Holmes out.
Shavers vs. Tyson -- now THERE would have been a brawl!
I would have loved to see fraiser vs tyson
Holy crap Holmes jabs are like a friggin piston ....jeeeeeez
larry Holmes put up a better fight against Shavers than Ali. Larry Holmes was a great heavyweight during his Prime. No one could beat him.
Holmes was a real piece of work, and I ain't talkin about Art...
Larry has always been my all time favorite HW but my god Ernie has to be the toughest man to ever set foot in the ring .
Holmes was a great champ one if the greatest. Would have stopped tyson in his prime .
What a champ Larry was, my Godness! One of the best for sure.
Awesome fight by two outstanding and underrated fighters. Big fan of both these men.
The fight was closer than the score indicates. Shavers held his own against the best of that era. Holmes.
When Holmes was in his prime, Tyson never would have beat him
ESOS BOXEADORES PEGAN BIEN DURO Y ESOS GOLPES COMO DUELEN
Yep, Ernie, Kenny n Smoking Joe Frazier all had one thing in common, looking for that one big one. Its cool to watch them looking for it but its also very sad when they didn't find it.
Tyson's ability to fire D'amato's combos at his opponents was a much better strategy.
Shavers didn't hit harder then big george look how many times he landed big punches on holmes and nothing happen if george hit someone 1 time clean like that IT WAS OVER
No foreman never koed anyone with just one punch he used to throw combos . You should look at other fights of shavers he koed more than 20 guys with 1 punch under round 3 which foreman didnt . And everyone who fought both forman and shavers said shavers hits hardest
Yeah he did. And every boxer who was asked that had fought both of them said he did. Go to 09: 55 of this video -> ruclips.net/video/YH435Ch0Kvk/видео.html and then come back and say nothing happened to Holmes when he got hit by Shavers.
This was considered a bit of an upset, and a real surprise that Holmes won going away. Every round on 2 of the 3 judges scorecards, with Shavers maybe winning the 2nd, or 6th. The rest was all Holmes. Great movement, great jab. If you watch his fights before this Holmes looked good, but not nearly this good, and Shavers had damn near beat Ali, and this was still in his prime.
Very impressive win for Larry. One of the best HW champs ever. Only Ali and Joe Louis were better in my book.
He beats ali
I didn’t realize Larry Holmes and that kind of hand speed. He shows in the beginning rounds.
Holmes benefited a great deal from sparring Ali but he was never quite as good as Ali. A bit too flat footed but sharp and quick to the punch. It’s a shame he was so disrespectful and envious of Ali after all he did for him. Shavers knocks everyone out in today’s era.
Don’t think so, shavers chin was pretty weak and today’s guys are wayyy bigger so he would be at a big disadvantage
Larry Holmes is the greatest
Greatest your ass. Ali... is the greatest.
@@moetherespirator you are correct
Holmes is not bad though
Top 5
Top ten heavyweight?
I should have said-
Larry Holmes one of the greatest
Holmes easy in top 10 of all time, maybe even in top 5.
Agreed
Where is the knock down ? There was one in this fight too..
HOLMES has got to have the very best jab in HW history!!hard to really find holes in HOLMES game and u can absolutely see the influence of ALI and damn I'm not sure who would have won had Ali and Homes been able to fight in their primes,hell Ida taken Ali and Holmes in mid 70's even??would have been a very hard fight for Ali cuz he woulda been fightin a guy who isn't necessarily a huge guy,closer to Ali's size!!so the speed imo would be far less effective cuz HOLMES defends much like Ali,but it woulda been a tremendous fight,maybe the best of Ali's career,espesially if he overcame,being older then HOLMES in all!!
Holmes.. that jab!! Shavers..that right!!!
Two Lions battling it out to the finish.
Just one of those punches from either fighter would put most people in the hospital or worse.
Damn I felt dat!! He hit u like a bullet. 1:07
Every punch Shavers connects is a testament to his power. Too bad he had no stamina, chin, or skills. Cada golpe que Shavers conecta muestra su poder. Lastima que no tenia resistencia ni buena quijada.
It said : Live from Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
But this fight took place in 1978.
I demand a refund !
Holmes was definatley at his best ever. Earnie could hit like a freight train but Holmes was too fast and agile for him. Earnie was always so close but never could seem to win the biggest fights. Never knocked out though. Tough as nails