Larry holmes era was terrible...

[THE PHILOSOPHER]

Tim witherspoon (a fight most thought holmes lost) had fought 15 fights. Leon Spinks was 10-2-2. James Smith was 14-1. Ossie Ocasio 13 fights. David Bey had 14-0-1.Marvis Frazier had 10 fights. Imagine that now! LOL. And let's be honest larry lost to bummy carl williams and probably Snipes too!

A slick historian may tell you that he defeated 5 world champions and was a dynamite champion himself. Let’s look at that:

A.Ken Norton was not a World Champion. He was given a belt (WBC) and lost it in his first defense against Holmes in a SD.

B.Muhammad Ali was waaaayyyy past his prime and nobody really gives Holmes credit for that victory.

C.Leon Spinks? The fact that a man who had half a dozen profesional fights became the ring mag and WBA champ tells you everything! Spinks was 6 -1 (yes all of 6 -1) when he beat ali for the ring and WBA titles. He was 10-2-2 when he challenged holmes!

I guess larry's signature win was Cooney who's greatest fight was his war against drugs and alcohol. Man, Holmes is a great fighter with a solid chin don't get me wrong, but he fought novices LHW's and bum's to close decisions.

[THE PHILOSOPHER]

A few e.g's:



















Seriously?

[greynotsoold]

Heavyweight eras always suck because HWs are the least skilled of all weight classes; alas,big and dumb are inextricably linked. A guy will be considered "great" as a heavy for exhibiting skills that are par for the course among welterweights.

[roberto duran legend]

Nowhere near as bad as this era.

[Master]

Stop trying to re-write history and to suit your fighter Wlad. Larry Holmes was too seasoned and accomplished to lose to Wlad. Larry’s fight with Norton was exciting and dramatic.

Tim Withersoon was a quality fighter at that time, and Snipes and Williams were good fighters and would give Wlad a run for his money also they are far better than Wlads opponents that he has beat. There were other good talented fighters like Dokes, Thomas and Tubbs.

[TysonBomb]

lol and Mike Tyson gets a bad rep for fighting in a "weak era" when Holmes' competition was just as weak if not worst

And Mike was able to unify all the belts and become the undisputed champ ... something Holmes never did

But this current era is worst than the Holmes or Tyson era ... just look at Wlad's opponents from 2012 ... an old cruiser, a punching bag, and a guy who he already decisively beat

[imp]

Not to mention the cruiserweights that haye already has beat fighting in this eras heavyweight divison.

Everyone knows this is the weakest era in heavyweights but the klit brothers are still respected.

[beenKOed]

Tim witherspoon (a fight most thought holmes lost) had fought 15 fights. Leon Spinks was 10-2-2. James Smith was 14-1. Ossie Ocasio 13 fights. David Bey had 14-0-1.Marvis Frazier had 10 fights. Imagine that now! LOL. And let's be honest larry lost to bummy carl williams and probably Snipes too!

A slick historian may tell you that he defeated 5 world champions and was a dynamite champion himself. Let’s look at that:

A.Ken Norton was not a World Champion. He was given a belt (WBC) and lost it in his first defense against Holmes in a SD.

B.Muhammad Ali was waaaayyyy past his prime and nobody really gives Holmes credit for that victory.

C.Leon Spinks? The fact that a man who had half a dozen profesional fights became the ring mag and WBA champ tells you everything! Spinks was 6 -1 (yes all of 6 -1) when he beat ali for the ring and WBA titles. He was 10-2-2 when he challenged holmes!

I guess larry's signature win was Cooney who's greatest fight was his war against drugs and alcohol. Man, Holmes is a great fighter with a solid chin don't get me wrong, but he fought novices LHW's and bum's to close decisions.

You talk like Holmes did something wrong, like he has something to apologize for. It's like you are saying he was less than a real champion because he didn't fight a high quality opponent every fight.
Think about this, Joe Louis had a Bum of the Month Club. If you are a fighter and are not fighting, you aren't making any money. No money for the skirts, cars, family, you know what I'm talking about.
If you are setting on your ass instead of fighting, boxing fans are pissed off, promoters are asking what the hell is going on, those guys you aren't fighting are calling you names, and sanctioning bodies start asking for your that belt back.
You can set back with a smirk on your face and chatter away about this or that champion, but I think they were doing what they could to keep moving ahead.

[El Kabong]

You can only fight who is around in your era...Larry Holmes did his best vs the best the division had to offer at the time. I think Cooney was a very solid fighter but he needed more experience to really give Holmes hell. Maybe had Foreman been around the era wouldn't have looked so poor.

Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight champions of all-time. 25 successful title defenses in a row and having lost a few years due to World War II that may have been closer to 30 or maybe over. He didn't have great opposition but he'd fight anyone anywhere at any time and sometimes that's what it takes to be great.

[christianshreve]

The Holmes era came at the end of the greatest generation of Heavyweights. I'd like to know how exactly you believe the Klitschko era matches with that of the late 1970's.

[brocktonblockbust]

sorry but there isnt a single name on this list besides Marvis Frazier that I would consider a pushover--- in fact lets see you fight some of these big boys---I think Holmes' era was underrated.


1985-09-21221½Michael Spinks199¾27-0-0Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USALUD1515

1985-05-20222¼Carl Williams21516-0-0Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada, USAWUD1515

1985-03-15223½David Bey233¼14-0-0Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO1015

1984-11-09221½James Smith22714-1-0Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO1215

1983-11-25219Marvis Frazier20010-0-0Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO110

1983-09-10223Scott Frank211¼20-0-1Harrah's Marina Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USAWTKO512
time
1983-05-20213Tim Witherspoon219½15-0-0Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWSD1212

1983-03-27221Lucien Rodriguez20935-7-1Watres Armory, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USAWUD1212

1982-11-26217½Randall Cobb234¼20-2-0Astrodome, Houston, Texas, USAWUD1515

1982-06-11212½Gerry Cooney225½25-0-0Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO1315

1981-11-06213¼Renaldo Snipes215¾22-0-0Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USAWTKO1115

1981-06-12212½Leon Spinks200¼10-2-2Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USAWTKO315

1981-04-11215Trevor Berbick215½18-1-1Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWUD1515

1980-10-02211½Muhammad Ali217½56-3-0Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWRTD1015

1980-07-07214¼Scott LeDoux22626-8-4Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota, USAWTKO715

1980-03-31211Leroy Jones254½24-0-1Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO815

1980-02-03213½Lorenzo Zanon21525-4-2Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWKO615
1979-09-28210Earnie Shavers21159-7-1Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO1115
1979-06-22215Mike Weaver20219-8-0Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USAWTKO1215
1979-03-23214Ossie Ocasio20713-0-0Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWTKO715
1978-11-10214½Alfredo Evangelista208¼23-2-1Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWKO715
1978-06-09209Ken Norton22040-4-0Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWSD1515
1978-03-25210Earnie Shavers21054-6-1Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, USAWUD1212
referee: Davey Pearl | judge: Harold Buck 120-108 | judge: Joe Swessel 120-108 | judge: Dave Moretti 119-109

[brocktonblockbust]

fantastic heavyweight fight for the ages---they dont do it like this anymore--Holmes 34 years old here, Witherspoon only 25!
OH AND A MESSAGE TO ALL KLITSCHKO LOVERS---don't u see how much more exciting a fight like this is than a Klitschko fight? not to mention how much more skilled and competitive and entertaining. None of that running straight back with 90-inch arms outstretched ad nauseum ad infinitum until you start thinking about changing the channel. The great Dundee doing the commentary here is constantly marveling at the high quality boxing he is witnessing before him--the skill, the grim determination; the boxing ability and heart. At 18:00 there is a nice Muhammad Ali interview between the 4th and 5th round I believe. Ali and Dundee said during this fight that Witherspoon was equal to an Archie Moore or a young Ken Norton and they were surpised at his excellence. Holmes beating this guy at 33 yrs old is a feat in itself therefore. **9th round is priceless--every true boxing fan will get the chills watching it--Angelo Dundee screaming at the top of his lungs "Holmes is OUT OF IT!! Larry Holmes is OUT OF IT!!!" sUPERB ROUND ONE OF THE BEST EVER**

[christianshreve]

I agree, for the most part. Smith, Snipes and Cooney had real power. Witherspoon was a real problem when he was in shape, and Weaver was a nightmare through most of the decade. Why do many people insist it was the worst top 10 in history?

[El Kabong]

I agree, for the most part. Smith, Snipes and Cooney had real power. Witherspoon was a real problem when he was in shape, and Weaver was a nightmare through most of the decade. Why do many people insist it was the worst top 10 in history?

I think a lot of it is due to the old guys being worn down from the previous era and the young guys getting their title shots vs Holmes too early or when they were too green.

[Master]

So in answer to your question Phil, the Larry Holmes era was not terrible, this one is. But you cannot take anything away from Wlad he beats fighters they put in front of him. Not spectacularly but effectively, now imagine what would happen if he had to take on some of the undefeated fighters that Holmes had to deal with. How would Wlad deal with them?