Quote Originally Posted by IamInuit View Post
My apologies but I have gotten tired of this myth that is Larry Holmes over the years and his default position in top 10 lists.

Larry Holmes whether by chance or premeditation had impeccable timing. He entered a division ripe for the taking. Yes he was skilled as a fighter but the fact is he was careful.
Let’s have an honest look at Mr. Holmes.

1978. He fights a Wbc eliminator with Shavers. Not only was Shavers washed up but he had just lost to Ali in a Wbc/Wba title challenge about 4 months earlier and had no business in an eliminator.

Same year he gets a fight with Norton for the title magically vacated by Ali via slime ball Don King and the Wbc who just happened to be in Dapper Don’s back pocket. Lets not forget that Norton also was extremely battle worn and just a few fights away from retirement. Holmes got the slim points win in a fight many if not most thought he lost.

He then finishes off the year with a defense over Evagelista and another against Ocasio in early 79.

He then meets Weaver who at the time had almost as many losses as he does wins and he takes Holmes to the wall before being stopped in the 12th.
Then for some odd reason Shavers gets another shot. Shavers by this time was essentially shot and he dropped Holmes prior to being stopped in the 11th.

In 1980 he goes on a run beating the likes of Zanon, Leroy Jones and Ledoux.

He caps off the year by beating up an Ali in perhaps one of the worst matchups in boxing history and is on record of saying that he did not care about Ali’s health but only the seven figure paycheck.

He starts 1981 off with a win over Berbick followed by Leon Spinks both of which could not fight their way out of a bathtub.
To end his year in 81 he takes on Snipes and struggles getting dropped in the seventh but to his credit stopped Snipes in the 11th.

The Snipes win must have changed him because should have been able to railroad a one dimensional oaf like Cooney at the start of 1982. It should have looked much like it would in his next fight with Cobb but it didn’t.

He starts 1983 off with Rodriguez and ends up going balls to the wall with young inexperienced Tim Witherspoon eking out another split win in a fight many thought he lost. He ends the year beating Frank and Marvis Frazier.

He drops the Wbc title. He did this because he had no intention of fighting Thomas, Dokes, Tubbs or Page or rematch Terrible Tim.

He has one fight in 1984 against a completely shot Bonecrusher Smith for the Ibf title and how Smith even qualified is beyond me.

In 1985 he first stops Bey and then goes on to struggle against Carl no chin Williams even though it’s scored a Ud. He then gets beat by Spinks in what was classed as the upset of the year and then gets beat by him again at the start of 1986 even though I thought he won the first fight.
Next he is ironed out by Tyson albeit being inactive for close to two years. Post 1988 he really did not do much. Beat an inexperienced Mercer, lost to a faded Holyfield and got out boxed by Oliver McCall. Not only did he skip out by dropping the WBC on prime guys like Page, Dokes etc but he never fought Young, Foreman, Frazier or even Ron Lyle. He should have also rematched Norton.

“Marciano couldn’t carry my jock strap”

Not so sure about that. It’s real easy to look like one is unstoppable when all you have been doing is beating up hasbeens and the inexperienced.
You have go to be out of your mind. In fact, you can change the subject name to Wladimir Klitschko and the other names to the other bums/hasbeens/inexperienced guys he faced and it can stand for the same thing!

LOL....

Holmes cleaned up the old guys who refused to leave that were carry overs from the late 60's and early 70's, and he killed babies in the womb before they got to big for their britches who all went on to become champions.

Page, Dokes and Tubbs didn't fight Holmes, as it appears, because of politics. They were all WBA Champions and it all seemed odd.

Holmes would have SMOKED Dokes, Page and Cotzee. And you know it!