Larry Holmes: Klitschko has no jab, no heart & would be beaten by Wilder or Stiverne

[SlimTrae]

Wlad has earned the right to be an ATG because he has overcome adversity in his early defeats and knock downs, being undefeated in over 10 years, beating the best out there and having more defences than anyone except Louis but he has had no career defining fights during the 10 years.

The opposition have been a joke and he has struggled against some of them on the biggest platforms to showcase his quality. Yet he does not provide that entertaining wow factor (bar his last fight).

Sad thing about history is how loss(es) makes a fighter look ordinary to those who look back on it- as opposed to living through it.- Cooney is that example of it.

Cooney 6'5 25-0 23 ko's Walking through Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young- he was a massive specimen with a power punch & a chin. Yet Holmes proved his skill level could nullify, height, jab & power. -& when Cooney hurt him to the body, will power pulled him out- thats what he questions about Wlad--even stating Wlad is good technically, but theres more to boxing than skill.

Wlad vs Puritty good example- Wlad is throwing nicely, bustin' through Puritty's guard- - then by round 7-8 Puritty is throwin' wild shit, - Dog fight is on.

He's got little skill, but full of will! Guard up high, Wlad's gas tank- on low..Fool don'e punched himself out..against a 1/2 skill fighter whose will pulled him through, now Wlad is on the canvas...oops Rd11- Wlad is fighting backward, flopping backwards, no inside game-so he's trying to clinch his way outta dog fight. He lost to a determined fighter, not a skilled one.

Same with Sanders: every time Sanders landed- Wlad's instinct was to grab-clinch (total sign) that he can't scrap like a dog to get out of it...he got dropped at the moment he tried to clinch. Cory @ this time is totally squared up- but Wlad's instinct was now was to cover while plodding forward- no balance.

In his deepest moments of his career- Wlad never tried to fight his way out- he clinched & flopped his way out.

Now that he has gained the ability to effectively clinch- he's been able to avoid the dog fight...especially since today's HW's are oversized poodles.

Holmes simply pointed that out.

Holmes proved at the time a 6'5 boxer which was massive, could be whooped....