Most Underrated Champ!? | Larry Holmes Genius Style Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- Larry Holmes was the only man to ever take the championship from Ali and keep it, defending his title an incredible 19 times. The Easton assassin cried after his over Ali victory, upset at having to hurt his hero, who was at that point deep into his physical decline. In part because he’d beaten Ali and in part because he wasn’t Ali, Holmes was never really given a fair shake by the public or the press. Which is a shame, as he’s one of the most skilled heavyweights in history with one of the most unique, interesting, and powerful styles ever seen in the ring.
Ironically, Holmes fought much like Ali, with a bit of Foreman thrown in. Holmes had head movement and footwork reminiscent of Ali and guard manipulation tactics reminiscent of Foreman. And while Holmes similarities to Foreman are almost certainly coincidental, Holmes similarities to Ali are most certainly from his long time spent as his former sparring partner.
At the same time, Holmes was very much his own fighter, creating fascinating new tactics out of the old that better fit his own proclivities. In this way, he kept to the principle; Keep what is useful, discard what is useless, and create what is essentially your own.
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Fantastic breakdown - Larry was the perfect mix of grace and spite, he would have been a tough match for heavy weights from any era.
I think Holmes prepared Forman style for aiding Ali against Forman
Thanks for this. I'm the guy who was complaining in the comments on your Tyson Fury poll about the disrespect for Larry Holmes and saying I wanted to make a tribute video. You did an infinitely better job than I ever could. You are The Man 🙏👍!
Larrry Holmes was with out a doubt an awesome boxer... What do think about a video "Jimmy Young" after all he gave hell to all the top boxers in the golden years???
@@joaquimaugustorocha Jimmy Young was a very good fighter who was unlucky enough to come through in an era full of all time great fighters. He didn't beat the best, but he fought them all like he believed he could and made them give their best to beat him. And let’s be honest he beat Ali, and it wasn't even close. I see Jorge Linares as a similar level contemporary fighter in the lighter divisions. A gatekeeper. He will never hold a major title but you have to beat him to be in the title picture.
It's crazy how the guy who defended the heavyweight title 19 times is remembered more for losing to Tyson and being part of the story of Tyson taking out the guy who took out Ali than the 19 defences. You hear very little about Holmes nowadays, unless the topic of great jabs comes up.
20! 20 title defenses!
It was partly because Larry Holmes had very little charisma and personality. Partly because he was sandwiched between Tyson and Ali. And it was partly because Larry was an asshole. In his defense, he never tried to become something he wasn't. He stayed true to himself, invested his money well and took care of himself pretty well after his career ended. I only recently became a boxing fan, so Holmes' greatness was something I only realized in the last couple of years. But I agree, the Ali fight really soured people on him and he was never really embraced as heavyweight champion.
AGREED! Holmes is extraordinary.
Larry Holmes suffered from not having another great fighter to challenge him. He was so far above everybody else's level, that it wasn't fair.
I maintain that a 21-year-old Mike Tyson versus a 29-year-old Larry Holmes would have been a great fight that went the distance. Both fighters were highly intelligent and defense oriented. It would have been a tactical battle and an interesting result no matter who won. But in his prime, there is no way that Larry Holmes could have been knocked out against Mike Tyson.
@@DepressionShaman Larry was a very charismatic individual but he wasn't as much of loudmouth as Ali or as intimidating and introverted as Tyson. He was too normal and intelligent yet impossible to manipulate and he refused to feed the media. A lot of people were ridiculously unfair to him so he accepted his bad guy role and gave them a taste of their own medicine. He's a great friend to his former rivals and learned how to forgive which is more than can be said for the haters out there. Never trust the mainstream media. Don't believe me? Look at what they did to Sonny Liston. That will give you some idea. Holmes was a terrific champion and a great person.
Larry Holmes is, I would argue, the single most underrated heavyweight in boxing history, mostly by virtue of his quiet, understated demeanor. One could argue that boxing decline was due to middling competition, but I would argue the reverse: Holmes' stifling domination of the field made the spectacle uninteresting. Boxing was still a popular sport during Holmes' heyday in the late 70's and early 1980's, you need look no further than the Four Kings of Boxing, Hearns, Hagler, Leonard, and Duran, to realize that. Mostly, what Holmes lacked was knockout power. He had a lot of TKOs, but very rarely just put his man on the canvas, and that was what sent a huge thrill through the boxing world when Tyson burst on the scene in the late 1980's. It wasn't just that he was winning, it was the swift and brutal manner in which those victories came.
Nah it's Ezzard Charles
... NOBODY speaks on Ezzard Charles
@@savharris5702 Charles wasn't nearly as dominant, trading control of the Heavyweight strap with Jersey Joe Walcott. Also, any boxer from before the 1960's is going to struggle to get recognition today. Finally, don't place too much weight behind boxing rec's formulae. Floyd Mayweather is not the best pound-for-pound boxer ever, and even if he was he wouldn't hold a 68% margin over his nearest competitor.
@@AaronMichaelLong you kinda lost me along the way
... But regardless of dominance, he still is more underrated, far as my readings and research can see.
Ingo Johansson gets more mentions than Charles
@@bradhuskers Whooooooooa now
...Larry top 5
@@bradhuskers Eh, I don't think that's a fair comparison at all. Look, I'm a *huge* Foreman fan, but even I realize that a slugger like Foreman is going to have a better time keeping competitive as he gets older and his reflexes start to go.
Without taking anything away from Foreman, if Moorer had listened to his cornerman and not traded with Big George, Foreman would never have beaten him. But George played on Moorer's overconfidence.
Larry was never a slugger, he was a speed and finesse out-fighter who relied on quick head movement to avoid getting pummeled, and was a terrible matchup against Tyson, who was one of the greatest swarmers who ever entered the ring. And Tyson, too, didn't have the longevity of Foreman, because his game also relied on preternatural speed to avoid return-fire. Finally, Foreman's 10 year hiatus helped his longevity. For all the punishment prizefighters take the the ring, they take ten times that in training.
And you'll note that while Foreman was happy to fight many of Holmes' old victims, most notably Gerry Cooney, he never made a Holmes challenge in his comeback, and I don't know if such a fight would have favored George.
Incredibly underrated, and one of the best ever. The shit he gets for beating Ali is incredibly unfair, yes Ali was older and well past his best, but Holmes could hardly be expected to not fight the man in front of him, especially with the Heavyweight title on the line. Ali should never have put himself in the ring, and the Commission should not have allowed him to fight.
Ali should have retired after Manilla, and Holmes should not be forever tainted by one of the least interesting and least competitive fights he ever had.
INDEED👌🏿
There is two problems with the commission not sanctioning the fight.
1. Ali, while in his first retirement, made a mockery of Lyle Alzado. Go watch the tape, and see how great Ali looked.
2. Ali was cleared to fight by none other than the Mayo Clinic. Yeah, not much was known about neurology back then, but it's not something you can't easily discount either.
Those two things are what led the commission in Nevada to sanction said fight.
As for Holmes, he had two options as well.
1. Refuse to do the fight, and risk forfeiting the title back to Ali.
2. Fight, and catch hell for beating the piss out of a 39 year old man.
As you can see, Ali clearly thought he could pull it off, and Holmes was backed into a situation where he couldn't win no matter which option he chose.
So the fight was made. Holmes basically mailed it in, took his KO along with his public humiliation, and went on his way.
What else could Homes do?
@@bradhuskers brad rawdogsner
Wow where to start with this. Let's first look at the wins Larry Holms had he beat Ali yes a faded over the hill Ali but Ali none the less, and was the only man to ever KO Ali, he beat Ken Norton, Leon Spinks (who only is of note for beating Ali in his 8th professional fight) Earnie Shavers (regarded as the hardest punching boxer of all time), Tim Witherspoon (two time heavyweight champion in his own right). With 19 consecutive title defenses the 2nd most all time behind Joe Louis and he went 48-0 one fight short of tying Marciano. Sure he lost to Micheal Spinks and Tyson at 37 and 39 respectively, which is fairly old.
Now is Big George an all time great heavyweight no doubt and underrated in his own respect, but George Foreman beat Micheal Moorer to get his title at 45 which is impressive with Big George being so old but still it was Micheal Moorer. So not as impressive as if he beat say Holyfeild or Lewis. Now Holyfeild beat Foreman by UD to no one's surprise.
Where as the Easton Assassin is underrated. Mike Tyson is massively overrated, but I bet you think he is a top 5 all time great heavyweight.
@@johnh8546 Nothing personal, but who did Michael Moorer beat to become the heavyweight champion? I'll give you 3 guesses, the first two don't count.
Larry Holmes fought Muhammad Ali, Shavers, Norton, Spinks, Mercer, Tyson, Holyfield and Butterbean. It’s incredible.
Weatherspoon
Butterbean underrated
I honestly think the early 1980s before 1986 was a weaker era than the 1970s and 1990s. Unfortunately, the public never gave Larry Holmes the respect he deserved at the time. By the time Holmes reached his prime (age 29-30). Must fighters were already shot or retiring. Muhammad Ali was a tired old man who devoured pills for the fight. He was really just a sick man at that time with a lot of will power. Earnie Shavers was 34 and still had the edge by a bit. Norton was 35 and was starting to go down hill afterwards. Larry didn’t really have much of a challenge until when he fought Tim Weatherspoon. By the time Holmes fought Michael Spinx he was already 35 and 36 for the second fight. It was surprising the way that he came back to go distance with Holyfield, defeated Mercer and go up against Butterbean. It was also shocking that he was one point of fighting with Oliver McCall
Oliver McCall I think was also a elite fighter
@@sebastianblackfyre proved it when he took lewis out. Shame that he couldn't control his addictions as I believe he could have beaten him again in their rematch if he was mentally stable
I feel bad for not knowing how skilled Holmes is. "Ali with a mix of Foreman" is the best way to explain his boxing style and it's amazing.
This is by far the best breakdown I've seen thus far. I never knew Larry Holmes was such a student of the arts of adaptation. His trapping, and interceptions are martial itself. Very intriguing.
This was a really good breakdown. I can see from this that Tyson Fury has taken pieces from Larry Holmes style.
I see a lot of wing Chun , I think he just put things together that worked well for him over time. Vary talented man. Smart to.
I agree. But I also feel that wing chun is terrible when it comes to blocking looping hooks, or uppercuts leading into hooks.
@@513AxeManF33 a bue sao is where you thrust your arm out to intersect, but I do think it is a week spot. But wing Chun is suppose to rush in on lose of contact, not stand at the sporting distance. WC and boxing is a good mix to learn.
Wing chun is trained to intersect on the center line. Jab to the and up jab followed by a looping right, the head is off the center line at an angle. The wing chun artist is susceptible to the shot.
I was always a Holmes fan. I’m glad the big guy is finally getting some much deserved love. Great breakdown!
@@RogerYeahmon mike Tyson is smaller than Holmes and considered a big guy
@@RogerYeahmon people really do consider him a "big guy" sometimes even before his fights in his prime the commentator would refer him as "big Mike Tyson"
@@RogerYeahmon im not even kidding who ever says "Mike Tyson is small" who?? Mike Tyson has giant hands, size 13 feet at only 5'10 and he has a big head, which means he has a big frame, he's a big guy
@@RogerYeahmon please explain how middleweight golovkin is bigger than Mike? I would genuinely like to know
@@RogerYeahmon i saw that picture you sent of mike and golovkin its just the camera because how would mike weigh more?
I am 68 and followed him throughout his career. He is an all-time great and could have competed with any Heavyweight of any era. I get angry when I hear "yeah, didn't he have a great jab?" That was only part of it. As you describe, he was a whole lot more.
Great analysis, but you missed out one more thing. He had guts. He could take it and come back to win.
So true, he was knocked out by Earnie Shavers before he hit the floor and recovered, beat the count and still won, amazing
Holmes' biggest asset wasn't his jab it was his mental toughness!!!
His guts wasn't the reason but rather the result of his tremendous skill set
@@kevindean1327 agree. holmes was all dog, all the time. whenever he was hurt he'd hide it, sneer at his opponent & fire back double. a hard, hard man.
@@papalegba6759 What I always liked about Larry is he spoke the truth. I also have the same birthday as Larry Nov 3 so since I was 16 or so (41 years ago) I've always thought "happy birthday Larry" on that day. His win over Cooney was his defining moment! It's hard to believe the amount of racism surrounding that fight!! Larry was an upstanding citizen of the United States, Cooney too, but Reagan had a direct line installed into Cooney's dressing room for post fight congradulations but not a line into Holmes'. That really hurt Larry's feelings and Cooney paid a big price as Holmes really did a number on him. I love Holmes' fight with Ray Mercer when he was 42 he was unbelievable that night. Too bad he wasn't able to get Foreman in the ring, that would have been epic!!! Oh well lots of great fights never happened. Leonard and Pryor would pretty much be at the top of my list, or Duran and Pryor, or Sanchez and Pedrosa. Boxing sucks now. Bunch of cherry pickers!!!
I always feel kinda bad for Ken Norton. He was a great boxer during an extraordinary boxing time period.
I feel bad for Sonny Liston. He aged out of this era but he grew up hard and was a very unappreciated champion. If he came up in a different era he would have been a legend.
Yeah your right but it weren't only Norton, you can throw in Shavers & Lyle to
Ya but Norton actually won against 1 or 2 of them on occasion.
Sonny is a legend in my opinion
I should specify that I feel bad for Norton because in another era he would have been a dominant champ for years if not for the monsters of the two eras he was in.
Holmes easily one of my all time fav heavyweights. Had a great jab and overall punch selection. He'd hit you with a left hook over and over again. He had good speed and some great power to go along with it. He'd hit you with that dynamite right just right. Great video
@@studentofsweetscience6922 you need to give some substance to this and not just petty insults at Ali.
0
Holmed lacked a good left hook... and couldn't fight on the inside
Holmes is actually one of the hardest fighters to read I've ever seen. Every fight he seemed to develop a different set of instinct type movements that made his last fight look similar but completely different.
Most fighters you can watch 2-3 fights and learn they will always duck left or back step ect with a certain punch there defending. making a predictable rhythm to build a true plan against. His tactics change so much but so little it makes his style unpredictable it's great to watch even 40 years later.
Not only did Larry Holmes have one of the best jabs of all time, but he also mastered the two footed jump kick off a car
Classic
Lol
Was that staged??!! Poor Trevor berbick
I don't think he actually mastered that as he damaged his tailbone when he landed on his toucass!!!
Hardly anyone talks about Larry Holmes these days and yet he was one of the best HWs of all time.
I think he and Lennox Lewis were very underrated heavyweight champions. This is curious because they had similar styles. excellent jab , good feet movement , powerful right hand.
I don't think Lennox is underrated. He's commonly considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, and I see him in most if not all top 10 lists I personally see.
I think Lennox was underrated during his reign. But after it I think people really appreciated how great he was. I know I have personally heard from many boxing fans that they consider him to be the greatest heavyweight champ ever.
Maybe he's just not as beloved in the U.S. because he was a Canadian?
This! Lennox became more respected and appreciated after he retired. He's in my top 5 personally, and I was never a big fan of his as a kid watching him. However, he fought everyone in the 90s into the early 2000s. Ducked no one, fought in a good heavyweight era, high KO percentage, avenged both his losses. Could box, brawl, and was a good finisher when he had you hurt. I have him slightly ahead of Holmes.
@@brocklanders3616 hold up, do you have it Lewis first, Holmes second for the all time heavyweight list?
@@brocklanders3616 Grew up during Lewis's reign. As a little kid, he was my favorite boxer based solely on the fact that I thought "Lennox" was such a cool name. That he was soo dominant was an added bonus.
1. Ali 2. Louis 3. Foreman 4. Lewis 5. Holmes
Those rhythmic movements he hid his punches with really remind me of the teep kick stepping rhythm. Amazing fighter.
Bruce Lee talked about slow hand movements and fast punches also.
Teep kick is redundant. Teep means push kick. No need to add kick after the teep
@@BlackPantherKev you seem a liitle bit not too bright but want to show smarts😂
@@nas8326 you aren’t bright. But here you are commenting.
@@BlackPantherKevnitpicking terminology is redundant
Only one KO loss, and that was to Tyson. KO'd Ali. KO'd Ernie Shavers. 75 pro fights. That is just completely impressive. Prime Holmes vs. Prime Foreman would have been epic.
I mean he beat the final version of ali, although I’m not tryna take anything away Holmes so I do apologize if I angered someone but he’s definitely the most underrated and one of the most skilled boxers ever.
Prime Holmes would beat Prime Foreman. Foreman had trouble with boxers in those days like Ali and Jimmy Young. Holmes was a better version of both of them in the mid 1970's
@@mongoslade277 Holmes was not a better version of ali
@@mongoslade277 there styles r only somewhat similar if u study them, Holmes got his jab from ali
@@johnnysmithington3749 After 1975 he was. Ali was never the same after that Thrilla In Manila fight with Frazier. Ali should've retired after that fight. From 1976 on Holmes was better than Ali
Glad u gave Holmes his due and props... lotsa peeps forgot. His guard was almost muay thai like. Would have love to see him throw knees and elbows in a parallel dimension.
A rather horrifying thought, but sure lmaooo
There's an old piece of footage of about 5 minutes of Ali and Homles back when Holmes was one of his sparing partners.
Thinking back on it now, with one dancing to the outside and the other dancing in the opposite direction, it truly was something special.
Damn….Lemme apologize for not truly understanding how dangerous a boxer Larry Holmes was. True legend👏 and I agree with you CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED.
not underrated by me or any other boxing fan in the 80s. he was deadly, a great, great fighter.
Your channel is AMAZING. I’ve watched some boxing, but I’ve never been a boxing “fan.” Your commentary is a bridge from the layperson to the intricacies of the sport in a way I haven’t seen. Any combat sport you cover, you’d likely make me a fan. I also appreciate the famous names so much more because of you.
100%
Check out Rich the fight historians channel as well. Great stuff.
@@Hetstaine Rich the historian will blow up as he's racking up massive views
Same here
I think he’s the biggest natural talent in boxing history. He was this skilled and he started boxing at 19 that’s simply unheard of.
He started boxing when he was 13... Come on man
Holmes was the undisputed HW champ during my youth. Between Ali and Tyson he gets overlooked.
BEST HW JAB EVER. And heart for days.
His brother Sherlock got all the attention, book and movie deals, etc. but together, they were an unstoppable team. Brain + Brawn = best of both worlds
😂😂😂
His brother was named John not Sherlock.
@@richinyv1 that was his "big" brother
Great comment!!!
Thanks for covering my childhood heroes. Holmes vs Cooney 1982 was the first Boxing match I'd ever seen. Age 10. I was hooked for life.
I wish I was brought to boxing so much younger than I was, bit embarrassing really.
That was the highest grossing fight of all time until the 2nd Holyfield vs Tyson fight 15 years later. "The Bite Fight"
In my opinion , one of the greatest heavyweight of all times .
He is ranked top 3 so he is (not just based on ur opinion)
@@johnnypat0346 I use to box and study Larry Holmes style of fighting, my opinion comes from experience . I don't care what ESPN, Ring Magazine , and Top Rank, have him rank . He should be the top #1 heavyweight of all-times with his speed, skill, and timing, which was legendary .
I seen him fight in person against "Evander Holyfield" he won that fight and he was in shape when he fought him . When he fought "Mike Tyson" he had only 6 weeks to get in shape and Mike himself admitted that if he had time that it would have been a different fight ! So yes, he is the number 1# heavyweight of all-times in my view. These ranker most of these clowns never put on a pair of boxing gloves in their lives!
@@TheTiger2311 I box too. Holmes is by far my favourite HW but i think Ali and Louis`s greatness surpass his
@@johnnypat0346 Yes, outside the ring Ali did a lot for boxing in fact, he was bigger than boxing and the Ali law came into existence because of him . Joe Lewis was a hell of a fighter in his era, because a lot black people look up to him as a hero , he made the way for other black fighters to be able to become champion after Jack Johnson was seen as a bad example he brought proud back into boxing for blacks in America boxing . But like you stated,"Holmes is by far my favourite HW but i think Ali and Louis`s greatness surpass his". He surpass them in skill, speed, and talent, what put him in the company of great fighters.
@@RogerYeahmon These men could hold his jock strap much less beat him. They don't even have the fundamental of the gab or angles to even be on his level. Most of these heavyweight today couldn't beat Mike Tyson much less defeat a Larry Holmes.
Your technique breakdowns are literally the best! Great video!
The greatest boxer at disguising their punches in the heavyweight division had to be Joe Louis.
They said that Joe could throw any punch from any angle in any stance that he used.
If you take a look at the film, Louis would come at an opponent from a single stance in a round, and he would throw jabs come counter punches, right cross, uppercuts all from the same stance and the same look. His combinations for his knockouts were incredible.
Larry Holmes disguised his jab very well, but he's not at the top of the list of great heavyweights due to others being able to disguise all of their punches most of the time.
I also think it's unfair to Larry that no other great fighters were out there to test him at his level. He needed somebody like a Joe Frazier.
The defeat of George Foreman by Ali causing his retirement for 10 years deprived Larry Holmes of a real rival.
Yeah, Larry moved to the right real nice, great angles. I love TKO boxers. Larry's lack of heavy-handed strikes was balanced out by his speed, broken rhythm, and counterclockwise foot movement. East Coast Assassin! Great vid, thanks 👍
You said it well "he was criminally underrated". Your analysis of his boxing IQ and craftsmanship is second to none. It's a shame the Easton assassin gets shaded by Ali's showmanship and Tyson's dynamite but for boxing craftsmanship Holme's is definitely one of the greats and it's great your channel is leading this appreciation drive. Love your work
As a kid in the 70s & 80s, I used to love watching Holmes make Hamburger Helper out of the right side of opponent's faces, with his "machine guns jabs!"
I am always pleased when Holmes is given such respect.
THANK U!
I have to believe that it is very difficult for most people to be objective about Ali's ranking among heavyweights. Obviously Ali was a special and rare talent. At the same time, Ali was simply bigger than the sport of boxing, his religious convictions were especially admirable, compared to today, when it seems as if any and everybody is for sale to the highest bidder, and Ali was probably the first super star athlete in the modern era to understand marketing and branding. Additionally, with so many more lucrative ways (MMA, pro wrestling, NFL, NBA) for physically gifted males to earn a living, I cannot ever see an era of so much elite competition, as Ali and Holmes fought.
All that being typed, for MY money, in terms of heavyweights it's Ali, Holmes, and perhaps the greatest overachiever in heavyweight history, if not all of boxing, Evander Holyfield. I know some people will question Holyfield, but here is a guy who turned pro as a light-heavyweight and, like Ali and Holmes, Holyfield fought EVERYBODY. Everybody else has to fight it out for the lower rungs. Ali, Holmes, and Holyfield fought much stronger competition than the Jack Johnson's, Joe Louis', Mike Tyson's of the world, all 3 had an indomitable will to win, finding another gear that their most difficult opponent's lacked, none phoned in any fights..............and all 3 were exceptionally great and durable for long periods of time.
Larry fully deserves the praise he gets nowadays. Great analysis of one of the few very best. Real boxing fans all love Larry Holmes.
Larry Holmes is so underrated
@@matthew-jy5jp no need to be so rude, Holmes is personally one of my favourites. 17 title defenses. He doesn’t get much credit. What do you get from writing comments like this?
@@matthew-jy5jp obviously he was a well respected fighter of the division but as time passes I don’t feel he gets the recognition he deserves.
Don't worry, buddy; I knew what you meant.
Way under rated.
@@camaradiop3731 thanks, man.
This Holmes is amazing. First time I've heard of him and his mix-ups that came with built-in mix-ups.
Larry was in a no win situation , He was coming behind The G.O.A.T. And he was his former sparring partner. You could see he learned a lot from Ali and sometimes his style reminded you him.
I am an electrician in the Lehigh valley. I work around Larry Holmes'house, a lot. Never met him, but many people I know have. Apparently he is extremely generous with his investments and constantly does great things for Easton, PA. Also, he's said to be one of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet. Always stops to say hi to people and chat. Constantly hearing people say "hi champ!" and he'll stop and ask how you are and good to see you, pose for a Pic, spar with ya for a few seconds. Hope I get to meet him one day.
¡What a wonderful explanation of Homes´ techniques! He was really amazing.
Larry Holmes, undoubtedly one of the best ever. He deserves way more respect. Great video, thank you.
I enjoy and learn so much from your very analytical videos. I am an Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate practitioner and I see several practical applications for movements found within our basics and kata.
I will watch this and the George Foreman video repeatedly. 🥋👊🏽
Would love see a video on both Spinks and Holmes fights.
I've been thinking about that too. Or even just a Spinks breakdown.
Absolutely
IMHO Holmes lost the first fight as I believe he took Spinks lightly. But Larry was absolutely ROBBED in that second fight. It should have been a crowning moment for Larry as he regained his title.
One of my all time favorite fighters. I’ve seen more of his fights than any other boxer I enjoy watching because I always learn something new. (Edit: seriously footwork, punches, head movement. The man was a genius)
"even surpassing Ali's" I think you mean "even surpassing Liston's"
No. Liston had a jab that can knock out boxers. Joe Louis and Liston have the power jab.
Nope
Ali isn’t in the conversation for best jab of all time. Liston is. And Larry had the best jab of all time.
@@SKa-tt9nm if anything Larry Holmes should be credited with created the wicked cross. His jab is definitely a point earner and a set up punch but his precise and damaging omnidexiterous overhand straights are legendary.
@@SKa-tt9nm I feel like comparing Ali’s and Liston’s jab is a little unfair to both because they both serve different purposes and they both contributed to their different styles.
Larry Holmes is rarely mentioned in the lists of great heavyweights, yet he most certainly deserves to be numbered with the best of the best.
FINALLY a video on this underrated champ! 🙏🏾
I'm not a big boxing historian. Im more in to MMA for over a decade. I know the fighters. But, Sadly I only know Holmes for being Tyson's target for beating Ali. Now that I see his skills, I can say he has to be up there in top 10 of all time. Him changing the angles mid punch is a beauty. This is why I depend on u for boxing history.
Personality and likeability play a larger role in evaluating athletes than many would like to admit. Can you imagine if Mayweather was likeable? I think this plays into the same with Holmes. Remember when he said that Marciano couldn't carry his jockstrap? That kind of thing brings your approval down.
Richard A.lawrence he was only telling the truth often truth Hurts I don't think he's going to lose sleep over few bigots or racists Holmes after Ali was probably the best boxer that ever lived he was robed with spinks twice I think u would be pissed to bro sorry for being abrupt
@@muhammedgulistan8022 you totally misread everything I said and you injected race into something that was never there. I simply pointed out that many athletes don't get their due because those that cover them and many fans judge far more on whether they like the athlete personally and many for whatever reason did not personally like Holmes and therefore he was not given as much credit as he should have. Now, were there some that were motivated by race? I'm sure, but that was not the crux of my point.
Richard A. Lawrence my brother I was talking to a wider audience I never said u were racist in anyway but wen u get robbed twice and the media ganged up on you I would have said something worse Marciano very good boxer no doubt but Holmes would have slapped him for fifteen rounds this scenario was blown out of proportion if Holmes had said that about a black fighter no one have given a shit it probably would never had got mentioned so u kno were I'm coming from bro pure white supremacists but no offence to u I treat every one on merit
Awesome video and commentary. Superb boxer my generation forgot to appreciate. I'm 49 and Holmes was not given the credit he deserved.
One of the greatest heavyweights imo definitely in my top 5
I hope Mr Holmes sees these comments. He always talked-about wanting his respect.
Congratulations champ.
Wow no comment about his dropkick?
Best dropkick since Jimmy Superfly Snuka. He didn't have a ring to bounce off or a turnbuckle. A 2 footed dropkick from a car 🤣
He didn't take the title from Ali, he was the champion coming into the fight after a short retirement from ali
Apart from Don King, nobody really wanted to see Ali have that fight with Holmes. Not the sports writers / commentators, the Nevada boxing commission, and Especially Ali's personal Physician. But Ali got it for 1 reason, he wanted it and nobody was going to say no to Ali. He was just too legendary. As for Holmes, both ends of the stick were shit ends. He was told basically, "Nobody will fully recognize you as champion until you beat this man, and when you do you will be hated for it".
I’m a huge Ali fan, so obviously I never gave much thought about Larry Holmes. But after watching this technique breakdown, I can appreciate just how good and underrated he was. You must be pretty damn good to go 48-0 in your first 48 pro fights, and also defend your title 19 times. But I didn’t know he was that good. Honestly, I think a prime Larry Holmes would give a lot of trouble to the top heavyweights of today like Fury, Joshua and Wilder.
In terms of skills absolutely, but His height migh be a problem for him vs the boxers of nowdays. Same for Ali
I think he would have given them more than trouble, i think he beats all of them, maybe Fury would be the most difficult because of his 6'9 size, but both Ali and Holmes fought guys 6'5/6, which is the size of AJ and none of them have the skill set those men did, especially not Wilder.
Great breakdown... Larry's strongarm tactics are very similar to JKD trapping and pinning, awesome to see such ringcraft. Thanks
very good and captivating breakdown. his long guard and guard manipulation tactics were graceful and masterful. definitely one of my new favorite outside fighters
Doing an honest ranking of heavyweights, I don't think Holmes can be rated any lower than the 5th best heavyweight champion of all time, and I'd go so far as to rank him #3, behind only Ali and Joe Louis.
I put Sonny Liston first.
I have him no. 4 after Ali , joe louis, and marciano
My top 5 heavyweights of all time 1 ali , 2 joe louis , 3 marciano , 4 holmes , 5 lennox lewis
I think Jack Johnson is underrated too. At least as a talent. Training was probably different back then.
Joe Louis was the greatest champion in that he was the American hero. But in terms of the best, I'd rate Marciano over Joe Louis. Because Marciano was as good as Louis, but better.
My favorite heavyweight champion of all-time. He didn't have the athleticism and flair of Ali. He didn't have the intimidating presence of Foreman, Liston or Tyson. He didn't have the size of a Lennox Lewis or the current crop of heavies.
But what Holmes did have was amazing discipline, heart and will to win. He fought through pain and fatigue as good any fighter who lived. I think these qualities were even greater than his skillset.
One of the best. Maybe THE best.
Fantastic Video. Thanks for it. Holmes was robbed too of his title and 50th win. All the glory that Money got for his 50th win should have went to Holmes.
Gained a lot more respect for Holmes ! Knew he was good but now I realize he was great #underrated#legend
Couldn't agree more. He has been overlooked for a few reasons. 1) The beating he gave Ali soured him in the public's eye. 2) He was sandwiched in between Ali and Tyson. 3) The beating he took from Tyson hurt his legacy. 4) He also talked a ton of crap before the Spinks fight "Marciano couldn't hold my jock strap" which soured him to the public, and then he lost to Spinks - twice - on top of it. However, from '78 to '85 he was as good as there has ever been. I think he may have been able to beat "prime" 70's Ali (but not the 60's Ali). I do not think prime Holmes could have beaten Tyson; Tyson was a much better version of Joe Frazier and we saw how much trouble Frazier gave 70's Ali (styles make fights). I don't think Ali, Holmes, or Tyson could have beaten 70's Foreman - yes that's right, come on now, if those ropes in Zaire were tight Ali would have been gone in the 2nd round. I've always credited Holmes with the best jab ever in the heavyweight division which led to his success, lightning quick and yet powerful enough to knock you down, but you uncovered a lot that I was not aware of and I appreciate him even more... Thanks! Well done as always!
Doctor Manhattan, sometimes power is not needed when your punch is so quick and accurate. Ali stopped Foreman, Liston, Frazier, Lyle etc... outside of Frazier. All were legit heavyweights he stopped.
@@studentofsweetscience6922 Who did the Nigerian nightmare beat? Tua is forgotten today because he didn't quite have it. He was close and a dangerous opponent for anyone, but that's it- an almost ran.
@@studentofsweetscience6922 I'm saying if the ropes were tight in Zaire like they should have been, Ali would have been knocked out and Foreman would have had the confidence of that win from then on - confidence that he lost when he lost to Ali. I think he could have been the GOAT, but the ropes were loose, Ali could bend backwards and avoid punches that would have knocked him out otherwise, and the rest is history. Watch the Modern Martial Artist's video on George's comeback. He was a much better fighter than people give him credit for - it wasn't just power. But speaking of power, he had power like no other before or since.
@@studentofsweetscience6922 George had a MUCH better chin than Lewis, Bowe, Vitali, and Ibeabuchi. The only time he was knocked out was from exhaustion (Ali) - not punches. The only times he was seriously hurt was exhaustion related and not just the other guy's power. He would have put them to sleep like he put Cooney to sleep.
@@studentofsweetscience6922 Watch the Ali v Cleveland Williams fight and tell me if anyone could have beaten prime 60's Ali?
This commentary, along with footage, combined with fight knowledge, is excellent. I'm a former fighter and I don't want untrained people knowing these secrets... Brilliant documentary. Very well done 👏 Bravo 👏
Phenomenal video. Will you ever do breakdowns on MMA guys? Maybe a prime GSP, Jones, Aldo or Conor?
He's mentioned previously that getting copyright strikes on UFC footage is an issue.
At his peak, he was so dominant that there was a sense that Heavyweight boxing was not a competitive venture. And his greatest sin was that he did nothing to make the mass public like him or hate him - which critical to pump up the hype and excitement amongst fans. He was a stoic guy and that doesn’t sell tickets.
He was an all-time great and it would be a shame if the boxing fans ever forget that.
the main reasons why he didn't sell tickets is because he wasn't a knock out puncher but most of all because he came just after Ali, and people wern't ready to say goodbye to Muhammad, that's all. Not really his fault
Holmes was so underrated, I remember him coming so close to breaking Rocky's record of winning straight fights as champ...and hey, look at Ernie Shavers looking like Holyfield...i had to look twice...was that Don King as well? Lol
Excellent point...I'm 57 which means as sports fans older 'Gen X'rs like me watched Larry Holmes' whole career...truly a great champion who was sandwiched between Ali & Tyson who beat 'em well past his prime. Really nice guy & a hero to his hometown in Pa. I think that he's in the top 6 of all-time heavyweight champions...ahead of Marciano.
Wow, guard manipulation is cool!
It really is. It's so hard to even notice it in real time. Holmes did a lot of subtle things that really sets him apart from other boxers.
THE most underrated Heavyweight Champion in history!! I rate Holmes in the top 3 all-time.
This really makes me appreciate tyson vs Holmes
A brilliant champ who is up there with the true greats of the fight game. My favourite heavy of all times!
Holmes was one of Ali’s main sparring partners that’s why he boxed like him
He said that shit like 3 times in the video
A most well-done and worthy assessment of HWC Larry Holmes! Poor Larry Holms was truly the Rodney Dangerfield of the Boxing World. I don't know if it is his appearance, his demeanor, or what, but he never received the respect he truly deserved.
The worlds most underrated boxer 🥊
Underrated Legend is more like it...
The two losses to Spinks did damage to Holmes reputation at the time.
@@tentringer4065
Then that's the crime in itself if they held the two Spinks fight against him...
Because when Holmes first faced Spinks he's record was 49-0 in which was legendary and tied to Marciano's record, and a victory in that first Spinks fight l would've been the fight that would've broke Rocky Marciano's record making Larry Holmes the first 50-0 Heavyweight champion...
So no, it can't be based on the two Spinks fights alone l don't think...
@@claydogmadman6295 I remember a lot being made of Spinks becoming the first reigning light heavyweight champion to become heavyweight champion. What this very insightful video doesn't show is that Holmes had a lot of tough fights. He was hit and hurt a fair bit during his reign.
@@tentringer4065
Yes l agree, and I'll also ad that Larry Holmes was one of the few fighters that weather'd the storm in most tough fights...
I mean there were a vast majority of Holmes fights to where he was forced to face adversity and he face it and over came it every time...
Never knew how versatile Holmes was, I knew he was an underrated champion but always thought he was replicating the style of Ali and had a stiff jab, This video proved me wrong
Top 10 HW of All Time Easily
The great boxing historian Bert sugar put him at number 10.
In defensive Larry Holmes, Bert sugar did say that it was very hard to rate him due to not having any rivals.
It's easier to place someone like Joe Lewis Barrow on the list because of his high knockout percentage. That's why Lewis is put at number one or two all time and Holmes is placed far lower despite being in the same league.
Most of the time when Larry Holmes knocked the guy out, it was a TKO or the guy was trying to get up at 10.
When Joe Louis knocked somebody out, sometimes they sent in the stretcher, other times they sent in pillows and blankets. They weren't trying to get up at 10, or 20, or 30.....
Yes! I’m always asking channels for Holmes content. His influence is seen in many boxers, from Floyd to Errol Spence. He was was a master at pinning opponents with his lead hand, to setup power shots. These guys all do that now.
He never took the title from Ali. He took the title from Ken Norton.
Back story Ali would never gives Holmes a title fight. When Ali list title to slinks homes a Norton was number one contender Spinsl refused and gave Ali rematch thus Leon Spinks was striped of title and in 1978 Norton and Larry Holmes fought for vacant wbc title. Which was long considered the heavyweight championship title. Due to craziness at wba even then. That fight between Norton and Holmes was the best heavyweight fight I every seen. Was first fight my uncle took me to I was in his charge at the time. Environment was wild. Still greatest heavy weight fight I ever seen or heard about. Fifteen rounds and non stop action. Spilit decision. That’s how close that fight was. Both fighters thought they won and they both were right there were no losers on this night. But Holmes received the spilit decision. His only close decision got next 7.5 years. He had more consecutive title defenses than any heavyweight in history. If I’m not mistaken breaking Joe Louis long standing record. What made him special you could knock him down he would get back up and run you down and knock you out. For not having ko power he sure piled up the knock outs lol
Norton lost that fight to Holmes by 1 point. Great fight. A top 10 all time championship fight
I could watch Lennox and Larry’s pumping jabs all day.
Norton was a Helluva fighter. But as Foreman said, he was a slow starter, and that was his undoing against the sluggers. Ali and Holmes couldn't hit hard enough to put him down, and he'd get better as the fight progressed....
I love the videos where you explain the fights on both ends. You did one with sugar ray and Duran where you broke down every exchange. It helps someone with no boxing experience understand what's happening on a deeper level. Keep up the great work. Top 3 favorite channels
Top 3 HW of all time!
He must have been a nightmare to prepare for, has so many moves and a great jab so that’s an almost impossible combo to overcome. Truly one of the greatest of all time.
I can see from watching this that Tyson Fury has took a lot of influence from Larry Holmes.
Glad some body noticed! 👍
Good point. Is fury a Larry fan?
Holmes was very talented, and he fought some of the best. You could write up an entire class worth of multiple semesters just breaking down all the mind games and optimal energy for that kind of fighting.. A legacy for sure worth looking into
Not talented, but driven
holmes jab gets spoke about a lot but he had a great whipping right hand aswell
The defeat of Foreman deprived Larry Holmes of his true rival. The two boxers are the same exact age, they were opposing styles, and it would have been Ali Frazier all over again.
Larry Holmes himself was very disappointed he never got to fight George Foreman.
I used to love it when he would hold his opponent's head with his left and tee off with his right. When he started to do that you knew the fight was over.
are you ever going to keep the Mike Tyson series going? The first 5 fights were so interesting
Agreed. Would love to see a Tillis breakdown, since that was the fight that first showed the vulnerabilities in Tyson's style. When I watched it, I knew the writing was on the wall.
Perfect BALANCE, of Ali & Foreman. Nice! Holmes was a smart man for choosing that style
I love that Tyson went in to the fight against Holmes wanting to get revenge for Ali.
this revenge thing is a bedtime story i'd tell kids before they go to sleep lmfao
You can definitely see the Ali/Foreman hybrid in his style.
You know, I agree with Larry Holmes being an amazing boxer, one of the all time greats, but I don't agree with this title. He didn't "dethrone" Ali, Ali already had been showing signs of parkinson's for his last 2 fights before Holmes. What Holmes beat was not Ali deeply affected by parkinson's syndrome which is nowhere King Ali of the glory days. I don't even know why they allowed him to fight being so ill
Other than that, amazing breakdown
Just clickbate like another channel, wouldn't worry about it mate 😂
The narrative that Holmes dethroned Ali is just wrong. Holmes tried stopping the fight multiple times and cried after the fight was over because he knew his legacy would be forever tied to Ali and on top of that he was Ali’s sparring partner and he looked up to him.
@@johnosullivan2764 Not quite clickbait. Clickbait is whenever there is a false title stating something but there not being anything in the video relating to the title. Holmes beat Ali but I agree that dethroning isn’t the best term because Ali’s mental health was already on the decline far before the fight.
Money! Thats why they let Ali fight.
Underrated describes him best in boxing history. The man was involved in some of the most exciting wars in the ring. He took some and he gave much more, he was knocked down, got up and killed the other guy. Ducked nobody. Thank you for this breakdown. He deserves it.
Never seen a fight of his, yet.
Great job on the vid. Once I seen the notification I was instantly hyped 💯😂
It's a shame he never fought Foreman.
Foreman was the only real rival he could have had at the time. They were the same age.
Foreman's retirement kind of screwed that up.
@@paysonfox88 I do think Holmes had more skills in his arsenal than Holmes. But Holmes would have to endure Foreman's crushing power.
@@studentofsweetscience6922 Now I know from which corner you come, a Larry Homes Fan-Boy, I read your hate speech about Big George Foreman and you've put a lot of effort into your hate speech about the greatest Muhammad Ali and Smokin ’Joe Frazier. The boxing mafia would only have let these 3 greatest fighters win, your words. I tell you the opposite Ken Norton won the thing against Larry Holmes, also Earnie Shavers won the 1 fight against Larry Holmes, the knockdown counts and the harder beats. Don King and Larry Holmes the best friends and you tell me something about the boxing mafia laughable !!! I don't even go into the windfall that Larry boxed.
The 12:14 - 12:32 footage is priceless. Pure martial mastership.
So basically Errol Spence Jr is a lighter lefty Larry reincarnated? Gotcha
As a long time Holmes fan I found this very interesting and well done.
He's not better that Ali. While holmes is a great boxer, he's certainly no match for the greatest. In him prime, that is.
@@studentofsweetscience6922 you’re delusional.
I wouldn't want to fight the guy that made the video!.... He truly seems to understand the technical aspects, as well as the 'practical' applications, of various different techniques!