Larry Holmes Jab

[billeau2]

I always LOL at people that say Larry was better than Ali.

No, he fûcking wasn't. The only thing Holmes did better than Ali, was the right uppercut and he actually went to the body. I'll humor the idea that Holmes was a harder hitter, maybe he was. They were comparable in power, I'll say that much. Ali's KO against Bonavena proves to me that Ali could really crack when he sat down on his punches.

Ali outclasses Holmes in every other category. He was a greater athlete, he threw better combinations, he has greater hand speed, his jab is just as quick and more versatile, he moves a lot better and has better footwork, and I'd argue he had a better left hook

Just compare their fights against Shavers - Holmes was prime against Shavers, Ali was past prime and almost shot. Yet Holmes was the one on his a$$. It's obvious that Ali had more heart and he had greater durability.

I remember when people stopped calling Holmes a guy trying to copy Ali, then I remember people pointing out that Larry was quite good. I will say that Larry had really good lateral movement...And then....it became an opinion more widely held than would be imagined that Larry had a better jab. i found this amusing. I do think Larry deserves credit but sometimes people reach.

Truth is imo that Larry's excellent lateral movement complimented his jab nicely. Ali could use the jab so many ways, he could hit you from across the ring with it.

[joseph5620]

I always LOL at people that say Larry was better than Ali.

No, he fûcking wasn't. The only thing Holmes did better than Ali, was the right uppercut and he actually went to the body. I'll humor the idea that Holmes was a harder hitter, maybe he was. They were comparable in power, I'll say that much. Ali's KO against Bonavena proves to me that Ali could really crack when he sat down on his punches.

Ali outclasses Holmes in every other category. He was a greater athlete, he threw better combinations, he has greater hand speed, his jab is just as quick and more versatile, he moves a lot better and has better footwork, and I'd argue he had a better left hook

Just compare their fights against Shavers - Holmes was prime against Shavers, Ali was past prime and almost shot. Yet Holmes was the one on his a$$. It's obvious that Ali had more heart and he had greater durability.

That's pretty much how I see it when comparing the two.

[Anthony342]

The truth is that the reasons that most of those fights weren't made probably had more to do with Don King.

Was King managing Holmes at that point, those possible opponents or both?

[Scott9945]

Was King managing Holmes at that point, those possible opponents or both?

I believe that King and Holmes split in late 1983. Holmes dropped his WBC title and was the first major fighter to claim and defend an IBF title.

[LacedUp]

Aaron Pryor, Donald Curry, Michael Spinks, Marvn Hagler all came around the same time for the IBF as Larry Holmes if I remember correctly.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I believe that King and Holmes split in late 1983. Holmes dropped his WBC title and was the first major fighter to claim and defend an IBF title.

I thought King handled Holmes for the spinks fights... I could be wrong..

And what about the tyson fight years later.. Was king the promoter?

[them_apples]

Ali was far superior to Holmes. Holmes was an imitator of Ali, but even an imitation is quite good.

Holmes was a good athlete but the amount of effort he put into trying to be as fast as Ali, he gave up through telegraphing his punches more and could be timed. Holmes proved durable and tough enough to win most of his fights but the best Holmes nearly lost to a sliding Norton, its pretty obvious to me he would have lost to a prime Norton who would have nullified Holmes jab and had enough speed to do some work on him.

Ali was a smarter fighter with a lot more in his toolset, Holmes was good but against the very best its all 50-50, Where as Ali probably beats anyone prime for prime. Way too versatile, A class mental game and the heart of a Lion.

Some might say Lennox Lewis gives Ali problems, but prime for prime, even past prime vs prime, Ali is far too good. Holyfield was on the slide doing quite well vs Lewis, Ali is leagues better than that version of Holyfield.

Tyson get's about 3-4 rounds of success early and then starts getting beat up after being frustrated.

Frazier is like Tyson only he starts later and has a better mental game, doesn't have the same right hand though. Loses to a prime Ali.

Enough said, under the lights on his best night, prime for prime - the Ali that destroyed Liston, he's just too good.

[them_apples]

I scrolled back and noticed a lot of people completely discredit Holmes entirely, I don't think he beats the VERY best but there's a lot of guys he was above. He may had tough fights with them but he still wins.

I'd pick prime Holmes over Holyfield, Lewis and Bowe, prime for prime - but these fights would likely be very close.