The Fighting Life: Larry Holmes, "Cooney had me hurt, but didn't realize it"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2023
- Larry Holmes is considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions in history. In this interview the Hall-of-Famer talks about sparring with Muhammad Ali, and later fighting him. He also talks about his epic fights with Ken Norton and Gerry Cooney. #larryholmes #muhammadali #gerrycooney #kennorton #boxing #boxinghistory #thefightinglife
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One of the all time greats that never got his just dues. Personally, I think Holmes had the greatest jab of any heavyweight fighter in history.
His jab was a power punch
Best in the business
Foreman’s was more powerful, but Larry’s was much faster, more bizzy.
I’m not a boxing historian but from what I seen, that jab he had was the best ever
He gets his due from me and definitely perfected the jab. Got screwed out of tying, maybe surpassing Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record. #Politics #Politicking
@@DWeb0414 he definitely got screwed on that fight against Michael spinks.
A lot of youngsters don't realize how good this guy could box. He beat Ray Mercer easily after Mercer destroyed Tommy Morrison. He was 42 years old at that time. He then fought a prime Evander Holyfield and gave him a good fight later that same year.
Tommy got caught in the ropes Tommy beat razor Riddick all these guys were bad ass
Holmes' opponents knew they'd been hit when they fought Larry Holmes. He was a great champ.
@@r.o.y8940 Tommy was gonna get knocked out anyways… I can tell you’re white, by that excuse you used..
@Sheha Nagaraj you know the amazing thing is that Holme's best weapon, his jab, was shot. He beat Mercer with ring experience and ring savvy.
The depth of the Heavyweight Division in the 1970s was amazing.
Larry would have been a tough night for any heavyweight that ever lived. He was a great champ.
Can you imagine Holmes and Wilder boxing?!?!
@@bayareaknight3134 That would be awesome. But of course my money is on Holmes.
@@GrubKiller436 I just put that out there. I don't think Wilder can actually box. Like Holmes said the jab isn't taught anymore and poor Wilder hasn't learned how to jab...smh.
Except for one, apparently.
Mike used him like a heavy bag.
@@tonym2513 Get real. Larry was old and past his prime by then. My statement alluded to a prime Larry Holmes being a tough night for any heavyweight ever. I stand by that.
I’m an ‘80s kid so this was the heavy champ i knew. Larry Holmes was a legend. He was very underrated. He was a dedicated husband, father, and family man. What more could one ask for in a man?
Absolutely correct! Great fighter and a great guy.
I was born in 1973 so yeah...this dude was Champ like my entire grade school years, my dad watched all the fights and was a Holmes fan as was i.
@@seansimms8503 We’re a year apart so that sounds bout right. My family all sat around when a Holmes fight came on. He was big news back then.
Unlike Evander Holyfield. FIVE kids born out of wedlock to four women. I like Holyfield as a boxer but, not outside of that.
@@generic53 ...I liked middleweight/first moved up to Heavyweight Holyfield, manufactured Heavyweight they called him cause he packed on so much muscle getting to Heavyweight, his fight against George was legendary and I was pulling for George, the shots George took from him and didn't go down showed me how tough that old big out of shape guy really was, I swear Holyfield nailed him with some mean 5, 6, 7 shot combos and the SOB wobbled but refused to go down, amazing...mind you these combos were all flush landing and to George's face, he looked like $hit but made it.
Larry was a great champion. He never dodged any fight. Fought clean. Class act
Best heavyweight jabbers ever
#1 Larry Holmes
#2 Wladimir Klitschko
#3 Vitali Klitschko
#4 Cassius Clay
#5 Lennox Lewis
I was very impressed by how Holmes survived the knockdown by Shavers. Few other heavyweights had the powers of recuperation that he had. Holmes is criminally underrated.
He actually had been knocked out, but was revived after he hit the ground.
Holmes was only Kod once by Mike Tyson and he was past it
@johntoomey4480 Well, he had come out of retirement and was much older by then.
Remember though, his attempted uppercut was blocked by the ropes, as he aimed wrong.
I think people doubt Larry's chin because of the end of his career when he probably went on too long, he was well capable of surviving bombs from hard hitters like Shavers/Cooney etc.
I don’t know how he got up. Larry was great champ
Norton, Frazier, Shavers, Foreman, Holmes and Ali.... absolute Titans..
A great era of boxing
And Ron Lyle wasn’t to bad either.
Norton vs Holmes for the title in an incredible fight. Watch it on youtube. Larry won a split decision in an extremely close fight. An all time great fight.
Also Bob Foster, Jerry Quarry, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young, George Chuvallo,
It is not an understatement that Larry had one of, if not, the best heavyweight jab. It was glorious.
IMHO, the best jab though was Big George Foreman. Someone said it was like getting hit with a tree trunk.
And a guy they called the bear😊
Jeb ? His jab was like a straight right man goodnight Irene.... Better than the man he learned it from Ali
@@generic53I'll give you a thumbs up Boss but I have to disagree looks like splitting hairs but I remember watching homes jab just determined the whole outcome of the fight
Arguably the most beautiful jab in the heavyweight division
he is One of the best fighters of all time. I respect him.♥️
Absolutely the Most Under- Spoken about as being one the best heavyweight Champions ever. Let ok at his record.
Larry Holmes is the most underrated Heavyweight Champion of all time.
I finally get to see the mellow side of Larry Holmes. I urge all you younger fans to please check out this fighter. Possibly the most underappreciated heavyweight champion ever.
Why does everyone say Holmes is underappreciated? I've never seen a top ten heavyweights of all time list without his name on it.
@@HopyHop1 Hopefully he's catching back up with the general public. Back then, though, public opinion was pretty set against him--though not the good sportswriters. Holmes made a lot of bitter remarks from not getting his due, especially after that debacle against Michael Spinkis.
How can anyone not love Larry Holmes.........class act all the way.
I wouldn't say Larry was a class act but no modern era heavyweight could carry his jock other than Tyson.
@@Bklyn2SoCal Actually he was.......and still is. The only reason you'd say that is if you have some agenda.
@Galatian No agenda, just my opinion let me explain. I definitely have love for Larry & have always admired 'the greatest jab in the history of the division'. He was a beast. As an older, wiser Larry, I'd say he's a classic act now.... he has a great understanding of his journey, of how he stacks up against his peers & he seems like a genuinely, nice, warm dude. Ahaun IMO, it was a different story when he was fighting. I'm curious so please be real, we're you implying my agenda must be race? I can't imagine what else it could be.
@@Bklyn2SoCal You do realize the word agenda can mean many things, right? Funny, how race is the first thing you bring up. And yet, still no reason why Larry isn't a class act being listed by you. Also, Tyson was a flash in the pan who never won a big fight after the split with Kevin Rooney. Lewis and Holyfield were better fighters although Holyfield was dirty(headbutts). Tyson had the talent to be the best ever but pissed it away.
@Galatian Slow your roll Mr Agenda, the only reason I brought up race is because boxing fans are notorious for that sh_t. (Leftists are also but that's a convo for another video 😁). Again I like Larry & have been a fan for years but when he was a young cat Larry was a far cry from classy. It's clear you & I define class differently, so you do you & I'll kick you down just this: When Larry was young he was disingenuous & full of himself, but the tacky street dude grew up. (I can relate). Now I know class comes in different flavors (so restrain yourself from the need to straighten me out) & he has come a long way from being the young cocky boxer who beat an old Ali. On the Tyson thing, I hear the final bell ring on our bout so may the force be with you. ✌️
Met and partied with Larry Holmes also met Earnie Shavers two great warriors! RIP Earnie!
A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Larry & his lovely wife, very classy people, kind and warm. Larry Holmes is a great champion, when it got tough in the ring Larry got tougher, mark of true grit & the heart of a lion.
He sounds and speaks better than 99% of boxers half his age. Happy to see it.
A great guy. A real gentleman who represents boxing in a positive😂 way.
Larry went 48-0 at the beginning of his career.....one short of Rocky Marcian'os record of 49-0. A tremenodus defensive and offensive fighter. Maybe the best head movement ever. Always stayed simple and humble. Glad to sing he is aging gracefully.
yea your are right, that head be moving like the cookie monster !lol but his jab was like a high powered rifle!
The "powers that be" won't let Rocky Marciano's record B broken w/o a knockout.
@@1968doggdidn't Floyd break it
@@nippahut You got that right. He just frustrated the hell out of his opponents. They couldn't get close or he would tag them with that unstoppable snake of a jab, and they coudln't hit him because his head was never in the same place for more than a split second. His body was thick and he could take those body blows, and if you did get through his defense, he just tied you up with those strong arms...a simple combination, but really effective. He was still winning matches in his FIFTIES!
@@jw-vx8im No, we mean in heavyweight. There are records that are 49-0 in other weight divisions. But we're speaking specifically heavyweight.
As a young boxing fan back then I always thought Larry was top 10 of all time. Just a very intelligent fighter And extremely tough. I believe the press and media caused some anger for Larry but I hope he knows the fans knew the truth of his greatness.
Larry was an old school fighter. He wasn't out there to impress the press. He just didn't have the mouth that Ali had and they didn't know what to do with someone that wasn't even going to try. Any time I've ever seen someone interview him that wasn't antagonistic he's always class.
Larry is GOAT
Not just top 10. Top 5 for sure!
The problem was that he was coming to the stage on the heels of the greatest heavyweight boxing era in history, and he was the anti-Ali when it came to likability. Then he tried to be cocky and braggadocios like Ali but he came off arrogant and abrasive. On top of that the competition was nowhere near what it was the decade before, as it was for Tyson, and he fought a lot of the great fighters past their prime. There was just a myriad of circumstances that caused him to be underrated, but his talent was real. I would not say Top 10 though.
Larry has everyone saying "he never got his just dues" but he was the Heavyweight champ 7 or 8 years, and is in the International Boxing HOF.
so not only do real boxing fans know how great he was, but even the average sports fan also knows how great he was.
I agree that he was one of the greatest. The reason many people think he's underrated and overlooked is because he had the misfortune to come between Ali and Tyson.
@@dustylover100 Yes but the career is just incredible. Holding the title that long with killers in the division. Shavers, Norton, Witherspoon, Cooney, on and on. Stylistically he would have beat Foreman like Ali and Jimmy Young did.
@@kingtyomama6564Agreed. He wasnt blue blooded, or particularly charismatic or handsome as Ali, so I think that hurt him in terms of him getting the credit he deserved. And look, its impossible to compete with the days of Ali, Foreman, and Frazier in terms of depth of the heavyweight division, but I think some felt that division had fallen a lot, and that Larry wasnt tested as much as those other guys, to get to 48-0.
Talking shit on Rocky Marciano doesnt help either lol.
Sounds like he is a humble man who worked hard, and was more talented than he wants to brag about. “Big” George Foreman also said that Cooney was one of the hardest hitting boxers he fought in his life, there’s a trend here about Cooney and Shavers. You need more than a heavy hand to be the best of the best in boxing. Respect to all of them !
Many champs have gotten the short end of the stick like Hagler, Holmes is one of them.
The great thing is that he was a legend in the ring and had the brains to set himself up well in spite of not profiting rom his boxing career compared to others.
Larry Holmes is a hero. On top of the heroics in the ring he is humble and wise. He is a great role model of success.
He leveraged a modest earnings for his craft into an empire.
Tremendous mental energy to win against anyone, anytime, anywhere. Superb boxer with tremendous stamina and quickness.
Would Give Fury serious competition
Holmes had great heart and will to win never gave up
As under appreciated as Holmes was a fighter, he was even more so as a man and personality. One of the rare guys who kept and possibly grew his money. Still as witty and sharp-minded as he always was.
What a great interview… Holmes speaks from his heart and doesn’t even talk about his greatness…
He gives credit to other fighters and makes us appreciate his candor with a look into how he became Champ.
Very good to see him so sharp and aware in his retirement, unlike so many fighters. Good job, champ!
I remember people talking him down as having no heart, being dumb, etc…but he’s the one who took Earnie Shavers best shot full on and got up, he’s the one who built a nice house in 1978 and stayed in it, he’s the one who hung on to his money.
I still don't know how in the hell he got up after that Shavers' blow. And to go on and beat him impressively. Amazing.
I don't remember anyone saying he was dumb
Any man that gets knocked down by Earnie Shavers and gets up and beat him is a superb athlete.
Great interview with an outstanding champion who has been humble and successful in everything he does. Tremendous boxer and very honest, to the point.
Larry is a great and successful fighter but I would not call him humble.
@@briankaren604 Yes, at times he said some brash expressions in relation to being underestimated. He didn’t set out to world champion; he simply believed he had a chance to compete. He studied his craft and worked hard. He knew his worth and believed in himself, same as in business. You can hear his tone of true humility when he talks about his successes.
@@briankaren604Haha, was thinking the same thing. That guy obviously doesnt know Larry Holmes. He does seem to have mellowed a bit in old age, because I dont think at the time, he would ever admit Cooney hurt him. Maybe I missed an interview then and he said so, but I doubt it.
I still can't believe he got up from that Shavers punch. Larry was so resilient. One of the greatest ever !
He said Shavers KO'ed him but when his head hit the canvas he came too. You can see how he fell he was asleep.
People forget he recovered from a shot from Renaldo Snipes that would put most men in the hospital as well!
Great interview with a great Heavyweight Champion, and a fine human being- true integrity and guts-still clear and true.
Personally, my favorite fighter of all time ..... I still can't believe I cried like the biggest baby when he lost his belt ... 'Kiss Where the Sun Don't Shine'
I CAN'T SEE WHERE SPINKS BEAT HIM I THINK THE LOSS CAME FROM ANIMOSITY FOR THE REMARK HE MADE ABOUT ROCKY JUDGES DID"NT LIKE THAT
😂😂😂
I grew up watching Holmes as champ; greatest left jab; still quick today! Glad he's still got most of his faculties and wisely invested his monies.
Glad to see you're doing well Larry.
best heavyweight jab ever!
Holmes the best jabber in boxing history
This is pure gold. Its fantastic to hear these stories from a legend. There were so many tough american heavyweights in this era.
Larry NEVER got the credit he deserved. He was indeed one of the best EVER. What a classy guy!
Excellent interview with a really good guy, right there. I've only seen a few interviews with him, but based on what I have he seems like such a nice man who's humble and appreciative of the legends (and friends) he was in the ring with, as well as his own successes. Bless his heart, I hope he's doing well. 👍
I saw Mr. Holmes fight in Atlantic City Sept. 10 1983 and his jab has to be the most underrated punch in all of boxing.
one of my favorite fighters grew up watching all his fights ali,holmes, and hearns can do no wrong in my book
I saw some of Larry's first few pro fights in person. No one had any idea he would be champ then. Glad to see he hasn't been damaged by the sport, especially since he made comebacks and had several fights when he was over 40.
This was pure gold. I absolutely love watching a class legend talking about legends having legendary experiences together!
Awesome fighter. Had to follow Muhammad Ali...a very tough act to follow. He looks and sounds great.
Larry is so humble, despite his greatness and accomplishments. Real Champion of boxing 🥊. I hope to meet him in person one day.
I once disdained him as a racist but recent videos he has done has changed my thoughts. The guys a good guy. I liked when he sailed over the car that night with his glasses on. I have always called large glasses like that larry Holmes glasses. It did hurt me when Ken Norton lost his title. Norton remains a great American like Holmes does. I totally loved it when Holmes said God don’t like ugly. Absolute classic.
One of the all-time greats and a piece of living history.
Holmes never age. He haven't aged since the early 80s and that alone is legendary.
He is one of the greatest boxers and had a huge heart. Last great one!!!
I had a chance to visit Larry. We spent about 20 minutes chatting and taking pictures. He signed a glove for me. He is a real fine person. A really kind person. A great family man. A true champ in and outside the ring.
The Easton Assassin, what a jab and that fight with Norton is the best heavyweight prize fight of the 70s. This cat could box!
Much Respect and Love to Larry Holmes. He was straight up Warrior and one of the GREATS. TRUE CHAMPION!!!
Larry was a great champion. 7 yr run as champion. "Ain't no stoppin us now"
I love you brother, and you're still looking good man. oh yeah, that "Jab" was awesome!
You can see the real and raw emotion in Larry s eyes as he discusses the past. No faking now or when he fought I remember driving thru a snowstorm toward Atlantic City to arrive early and see the whole card An old streetfighter like myself wants to see the whole card
I wanted to see Larry ko Tyson in the Main Event My Dad was going to go with me but I had good seats
In round FOUR Larry came rolling out snapping that jab and strutting and I thought Tyson was a gonner
Recently some guy came up to the bar where I was drinking by myself and minding my own business I never saw this guy and ge starts off by asking me if I ever fought and "Who do u think was the greatest boxer/.heavyweight of all time?" I hate that question because no man is great at anything period
Since the bareknuckle days there have been many good boxers In the 70s Holmes was one of the good ones
No one is great at ANYTHING? What kind of stupid statement is that?
Absolutely , beyond a shadow of a doubt , one of the Best Heavyweights to Ever lace em' up !
Larry Holmes was a great champion and a class act.
I can listen to Larry Holmes talk forever.
Not only one of the greatest but, also a super nice guy. I had the honor of meeting him and talking to him for a bit a couple years ago. I never realized that he was such a cool dude.
Great interview. Very humble.
One of the greats!
Great interview. He definitely kept all his marbles. Thanks for all the memories Champ
I love Larry. Nice job by interviewer here by letting Holmes answer each question in full.
Definitely the most underrated Heavyweight Champion in boxing history. Ive always believed the beating he put on Ali (well past his prime) as well as the beat down he got from Tyson overshadows how good a boxer he was.
Holmes honestly one of my favorite HW champs ever. He had the tools and the heart to be a legitimate threat to any HW of the last 200 years
I was one of Larry's sparring partners in his comeback.
Always gave out $$ bonuses for good sparring sessions, $10,000 if we could knock him down.
I knocked him down once and he paid me and let me go the next day. He said he was too old to get beat up. Lol.
Great guy, top-tier champ.
He is a good man!
Thank you man. It has always pissed me off that Larry is not recognized as one of the top three greatest heavyweights in history. Look at his resume. In his day the heavyweight division was "Murderers Row". and he beat them all, Including that bullshit loss to Micheal Spinx!
Yeah he got royally screwed over in both Spinks fights. Still burns me up when I think about it!
@@ncknight I don’t know about that. Jinx Spinks fought a weird fight and got to Larry, disrupted Larry’s rhythm. Larry could not get on track and The Jinx confused him.
Real story behind it, Michael Spinks was pissed and wanted big revenge because Larry beat up Michael’s brother, Leon. And, they were close brothers. Michael was in Leon’s corner.
So, he went at Larry with everything, fearlessly, reckless abandon. The judges had to give it to Michael. Spinks fought angry, and aggressive, and just a blown-up, lean, swift, light heavyweight.
The fight that never was, Holmes v Foreman would have been amazing. Jeez, George was brutal, especially in his resurrection career. Tyson told Don King, “I’m not gonna fight that animal; you fight him”
But, Larry was a great boxer in his time and in that era. And, he really knew how to box, the sweet science. Smart enough to jab and move, and not get hit. And, he looks great here at 65; never became “punchy.”
@Angelo Iodice I respectfully disagree. Both fights were close, but IMHO the judges gave the decisions to Spinks because Holmes was 48-0 coming into the first fight, and they didn't want to see Holmes (or anyone else) tie Marciano's record of 49-0. It was as simple as that. At any rate, you have your opinion and I have mine.
@@ncknight Sure, because Holmes disrespected the Marciano family, saying that Rocky couldn’t wash his jock strap. It got really ugly back then. Larry thought he was Ali with his mouth. But, Ali knew how to talk loud and nasty, but make it funny for the fans. I mean, he drove Frazier into a frenzy, where Ali’s talk, caused Frazier to shoot out Ali’s lights.
Larry didn’t have the talk. But, he surely had the fight.
But, let’s face it, if Larry truly beat up Spinks like he beat up a Randy Tex Cobb, it would be ridiculous to think they would hand the decision over to a clear loser to prevent a Larry from going to 49-0.
Spinks disrupted Larry all night long, at least in the first fight. Larry had some beautiful classic boxing skills and was damned frickin’ strong and a powerful mindset.
But, the awkward Jinx Spinks just fought a weird street fight, the classic smaller angry underdog. He got the job done.
But, if you are saying that it wasn’t enough to take the crown from the reigning champion, I could see your possible argument.
If it was Ali in the same position as Holmes that night, they would never take away the crown from a universally loved legend such as Ali was and is. But, Larry was not universally loved, yet you had to respect him.
@@angeloiodice9304 like I said, you have your opinion and I have mine.
A great champion. I'm glad he has his faculties and that's proof he had good defenses and reflexes so as not to get hit . We love ya, champ
I was always very impressed with Larry Holmes as a boxer. Now I'm impressed with him as a person. A real gentleman.
2:43 Interesting how Larry Holmes learned from Muhammad Ali just from observation and paying attention rather than being coached.
Larry Holmes had so much heart. Nobody forgets when he got up from a picture perfect punch from the hardest puncher ever Earnie Shavers.
What a gracious man. Great champion and a good man. Impressive.
“Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” - Larry’s classic theme song
Larry Holmes is a honest man and seems to be grounded very well!
You can tell he's a good dude. My neighbor was a cousin of his. GOD bless and keep Larry Holmes in the name of JESUS CHRIST.
I started watching boxing around the time of Holmes/Witherspoon. Glad to see that guys like Larry, Tim, Gerry Cooney seem to be well and happy. I saw some video of Oliver Mcall too and he seems well.
I know people crap on the 80s heavies as the "lost generation", but compared to 2000-2015, it was golden.
he's right about that stinging whip jab. You never see it today.
Great storytelling!
One of the top 5 heavyweights of all time, The Easton Assassin 👍🏼👍🏼
One of the best champions in boxing history and a real gentleman, Larry Holmes.
Larry had a wonderful gift as a fighter, he could take a punch, move and had a great agile footwork, and was always a strong presence in the ring no matter who he fought. His jab and speed of his left hand was really just incredible and i think that he wasn't fair how he was kind of brushed aside in terms of how great he truly was because of the way boxing critics, media and yes even fans. Unfortunately, his rise was during the end of the Ali era, and at that time everyone was really just in kind of a grief-like state about Ali's retirement but what people don't realize is that this legendary fighter proved to the world in the ring that he was there for a good reason because he was heavyweight champion from 1978 - 1985! I mean that is a feat in itself alone to be champion for that length of time, let alone during that time period when there were so many great fighters coming up during that time and challenging Holmes. Larry you were a wonderful fighter and truly are one of the greatest heavyweights to ever put on a pair of gloves!
Pure class
great fighter. better man!
One of the greatest boxers ever.. Larry Holmes had the 'slickest jab' And a great champion!
WOW, what a cool man. Larry you are one cool cat!
Can you imagine Larry fought Norton, shavers, Ali and hung around long enough to fight Mike tyson? Truly amazing
Holmes was the first champion I remember.
He’s a class act.
He’s not just underrated he’s one of the best ever.
Larry sounds like a good and honest guy..a boxer that sounds like he had respect for others, black or white 🤔 honestly is the best policy 😅😮😢
Saw all his fights. Super smooth so intelligent in the ring. One of the all time GREAT champions. All heart and class.
A very honest, from the heart portrayal of his fights and relationship with other fighters
Larry Holmes was Heavy weight champ from 78-85. That was impressive! Great jab!
Larry is awesome!
Just check his stats, Larry was one of the best heavyweight 's ever period.
He lived the life of a real professional, his priority was to give his family a good life .
The glamour & glitter came after that.
This was a boxer with real hart and discipline.
When you put all those ingrediënts in a cooking bowl you have the perfect recepy for a champion
Great respect for Larry man! One of the greatest and skillful fighter I've seen,I can recall the only time I was cross with Larry was when he beat my idol Ali.
Sadly Larry Holmes never got the respect that he earned and deserved...he was a great champion
Larry Holms is showing a different person than I always thought he was. Most of the media portrays a completely different person. I always admired his fighting skills. One of the greatest ever. His record proves it.
I met Larry once back in the day and he is a people person through and through! In my mind he never got the respect and fame he so richly deserved!
Some great stories right there. Thanks.
i always thought Larry was a great fighter but I didn't know what a great human being he is. His honesty and humanity is even greater. Wow! Just WOW! I agree with every good comment made about him. I was a privilege to have watched him fight and listen to him now.
A gentleman and a great champ to underated
My favorite heavyweight of all times his record tells it all look at his title defenses.....