larry holmes---was he the greatest?

[BIG H]

..... but certainly not anyone fighting at the moment.




























Chorus howls of disaproval from Klitschkofan and Rahman.

Lol - Nobody from now would get on the "Greatest" list, but I'd give Vit Klitchko a good chance against a lot of the previous greats - not coz I think he is/was great coz I don't, but could you honestly see Floyd patterson (RIP) beaing him.

'Great' and 'Best' are very different, something Britkid takks about a fair bit. I.e James Buster Douglas on the night he beat Tyson ,was probabaly one of the "Best" heavyweights in history, but he doesn't even come into the radar when talking about "Greatests"

[SimonH]

Was he the greatest... No; I have him #5 at heavyweight:

20: Riddick Bowe
19: Floyd Patterson
18: Max Schmeling
17: Ezzard Charles
16: Sammy Langford
15: Harry Wills
14: James Corbett
13: Sonny Liston
12: Joe Frazier
11: Mike Tyson
10: Lennox Lewis
9 James Jeffries
8: Jack Dempsey
7: Rocky Marciano
6: Evander Holyfield
5: Larry Holmes
4: Jack Johnson
3: George Foreman
2: Joe Louis
1: Muhammad Ali

I have him #42 in the all time list: (#) in comparsion to the last time I done the list (This list was finished 26/3/2006)

52 Ike Williams (N/C)
51 Mike McCallum (+2)
50 Battling Nelson (-7)
49 Felix Trinidad (N/C)
48 Nicola Loche (+2)
47 Evander Holyfield (+1)
46 Wilfred Benetiz (-1)
45 Khoasio Galaxy (+2)
44 Jose Napoles (N/C)
43 Michael Spinks (+3)
42 Larry Holmes (N/C)
41 Terry McGovern (-3)
40 Kid Gavilan (-3)
39 Azumah Nelson (+2)
38 Bernard Hopkins (+1)
37 Jack Johnson (-1)
36 Ricardo Lopez (-1)
35 Roy Jones (-1)
34 George Foreman (-1)
33 Joe Gans (-1)
32 Ruben Olivares (-2)

[atomic bull]

Holmes ain't the greatest, Ali ain't the greatest.

1. Louis
2. Marciano

Weak era's my a**, they fought whoever were out there and beat them. And I don't think I'd be calling Walcott and Charles nobodies.

Foreman would have destroyed Holmes

Lyle my man, I have to disagree with you on Holmes vs. Foreman, Holmes had the best jab that I have ever seen, better than Louis, better than Liston and better than Ali, Foreman thought he had trouble with slick N.Philly native Jimmy Young, HOLMES WOULD HAVE GIVEN FOREMAN A SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT PRIOR TO K.O HIM .

[atomic bull]

I would'nt say he was the greatest Heavyweight champ, but top 10 all-time heavy, maybe top 5, he was that good.

[El Kabong]

He was one of the greatest, but everyone agrees that Ali in his prime is the greatest of all time!

Nope, not everyone...Ali is 3rd.

Who was better?

Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano. No it's not because Joe was in the Army and supported his country and no it's not because Rocky was white.

Joe 25 successful title defenses and looked BRILLIANT in those defenses too!
Rocky 49-0-0 and like Julio Cesar Chavez could win coming from behind via KO.

Ali is considered #1 because he fought and beat other big names that everyone recognizes and because he was a BLATANT self promoter...I'm the greatest, I must be the greatest...Pardon me for asking but isn't humility a part of islam? I mean his wife couldn't dress in western clothes but he could yell and hoot and holler like an idiot. Don't get me wrong he had skill but get a grip guys he's not THE GREATEST

Could Snipes jab? Could Shavers? Foreman wasn't bothered by Norton's jab, why would Holmes' bother him? All George needed was one shot and if...I mean WHEN he hurt Larry it would be all over no one survived once Foreman hurt them

[atomic bull]

He was one of the greatest, but everyone agrees that Ali in his prime is the greatest of all time!

Nope, not everyone...Ali is 3rd.

Who was better?

Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano. No it's not because Joe was in the Army and supported his country and no it's not because Rocky was white.

Joe 25 successful title defenses and looked BRILLIANT in those defenses too!
Rocky 49-0-0 and like Julio Cesar Chavez could win coming from behind via KO.

Ali is considered #1 because he fought and beat other big names that everyone recognizes and because he was a BLATANT self promoter...I'm the greatest, I must be the greatest...Pardon me for asking but isn't humility a part of islam? I mean his wife couldn't dress in western clothes but he could yell and hoot and holler like an idiot. Don't get me wrong he had skill but get a grip guys he's not THE GREATEST

Could Snipes jab? Could Shavers? Foreman wasn't bothered by Norton's jab, why would Holmes' bother him? All George needed was one shot and if...I mean WHEN he hurt Larry it would be all over no one survived once Foreman hurt them

Norton's jab wasn't even in the same league as Holmes, Snipes was'nt a very good boxer and Shavers did'nt know what a jab was, Holmes was a crafty boxer/puncher and Foreman would have to hurt Holmes first, and a prime Holmes were talking about against a prime Foreman who tired after 4 rds, and Holmes had a very good chin.

[El Kabong]

Snipes and Shavers BOTH floored Wittle Warry.

Holmes might have been crafty but if Cooney could land on him and Shavers and Snipes then Foreman would rock his ass

[atomic bull]

Yeah he got dropped by both Snipes and Shavers, ...but he got up and K.O. both of them, Foreman got knocked down by Young, so IF young would be able to hurt Foreman,.. Holmes would finish the job.

[El Kabong]

Yeah but Lyle knocked him down too and he came back to KO him...Foreman had a better beard than Holmes

[VictorCharlie]

Holmes cleaned out a division that was just as strong as the one Louis/Marciano/Tyson did. Its true he didn't have a great HW to fight but he was a phenom of a pure boxer who dominated for a long time. Plus the Spinks fights are always viewed as a one sided win for Mike. Those fights were really close and the second fight was widely considered a terrible decision. So the fact that he fought two very close fights with one of top 3 cruisers of all time at the age of 35 isn't that much of a slight. Much like Louis and Marciano you can't blame Holmes for not having a great div to fight in, but like the other two you have to praise him for cleaning it out and reigning for so long. I put the guy behind Jack Johnson, Ali, Louis and Foreman as far as ATG scale.