With the recent sad and quite shocking, we-thought-he-had-years-ahead-of-him death of heavyweight legend “Big” George Foreman, the debate – at least in some minds – over who the greatest living heavyweight is, is no more. For so long, plenty of people were torn between naming Foreman or Larry Holmes as the greatest living big man of the sport.
The Greatest Living Heavyweight
Me, I really had a tough time picking between both kings who ruled the heavyweight division in the 1970s (and in the 1980s in the case of Holmes, and in the mid-1990s in the case of miracle man Foreman). But now, as he celebrates his 76th birthday today, Holmes takes the unofficial title, at least here he does.
Some fans point to Mike Tyson as the greatest living heavyweight; others say Lennox Lewis deserves the distinction. Others still may argue that one of the Klitschko brothers deserves the honour. But to many of us, with the passing of Foreman, “The Easton Assassin” is firmly the man.
And it’s easy to see why Holmes is so respected (this, respect, a thing Larry always said was denied him during his active years as a fighter, when he was world champ, especially), why Holmes is so admired. For one thing, Holmes might just have had THE most excellent, finest jab in the long history of the division. Holmes also racked up quite an impressive number of world title retentions, as he ruled over the division from June 1978 to September 1985.
Legacy Beyond the Shadow of Ali
Holmes’ resume is especially impressive, with the former sparring partner of Muhammad Ali, in whose shadow Larry toiled for so long, holding many good wins over bad, young dudes: Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Renaldo Snipes, Carl Williams, and plenty of others.
Holmes didn’t duck anyone, that’s for sure. And despite his critics, and, yes, despite Larry’s own behaviour of poor sportsmanship upon losing the world title to Michael Spinks – this, when Holmes badmouthed Rocky Marciano, whose 49-0 record he was trying to equal and then surpass – Holmes carried the crown with dignity.
The Norton War Remembered
Going back to the start of his long reign, we must always remember how super-special Holmes’ winning fight with Ken Norton was/is. The last truly great 15-round heavyweight fight, Holmes WS15 Norton, is a classic that so many fans love dearly. And the 15th and final round equals the torrid Hagler-Hearns round-one as far as savagery.
And now, some decades after he first went pro, some decades after he proved his many critics wrong, Larry Holmes is loved dearly. Who hasn’t got, as the aforementioned Lewis might say, ’nuff respect for Holmes?’
At 76 years of age – and here’s to many more – Larry Holmes: the greatest living heavyweight.