Former WBC and IBF Heavyweight champion Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes was 19-3. He was from Easton, PA, and his trainer Ernie Butler would take him to Muhammad Ali’s camp in Deer Lake, PA. When Holmes went to turn professional, he had been in Muhammad Ali’s camp sparring with him. Promoter Don King had Ali convinced Holmes to sign a contract if he changed trainers to Richie Giachetti.
In June 1978, Holmes won a split decision over Ken Norton, 40-4, capturing the WBC title. Norton’s trainer, Eddie Futch, told me years later, while at “Smokin’” Joe Frazier’s Gym in Philly, “neither wanted a rematch due to the toughness of the fight.” Holmes was 28-0.
After three defenses, Holmes stopped Ernie Shavers, 59-7-1, in eleven rounds after coming off the canvas in the seventh round.
In Holmes’s eighth defense, he would meet Ali, 56-3. He won every round before stopping Ali for the first and only time in his career in the tenth round.
Holmes met Gerry Cooney, 25-0, and a lot of racial pre-fight talk before the fight, calling Cooney “The White Hope!” Cooney’s management made the mistake of not having a fight for him for a year after destroying Norton. Holmes stopped Cooney in the thirteenth round.
Holmes met Philly’s “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon, 15-0, who also had sparred with Ali in Deer Lake. It was May 1983 when he won a controversial split decision over Witherspoon, improving to 43-0.
Two fights later, Holmes met the son of former champ “Smokin” Joe Frazier’s son Marvis, 10-0, in a non-title bout since he was not in the ratings. Holmes stopped him at the end of the first round, improving to 45-0. After the fight, he said, “That’s for the whippings your daddy gave me in the gym!”
Two wins later, he defeated Carl “The Truth” Williams, 16-0, which I felt was controversial, though the scoring didn’t show it.
Holmes was now 48-0 in his next fight against Light Heavyweight champ Michael Spinks, 27-0. It was Ring Magazine 1975 ‘Upset of the Year’ with Holmes losing for the first time by one round on two of the cards. I felt Spinks won the last round to take the decision, making him the first reigning light heavy champ to win the heavy title. After the fight, Holmes said, “Marciano couldn’t wear my jockstrap!”
Holmes lost a split decision in the rematch, and I felt he was robbed. In his next fight, he took on “Iron” Mike Tyson, 32-0. I remember current US President Donald J. Trump sitting at ringside with Ali when the latter was introduced into the ring. He tapped Holmes’s gloves, not saying a word. Then he went over to Tyson, whispering something in his ear. “Knock him out?”
After taking one of the first three rounds on two of the cards, Holmes was dropped three times by the future world champ Tyson, landing on his back. After the fight, Holmes said, “I got my arm caught in the ropes!”
Six fights later, Holmes would defeat newly crowned WBO champ Ray “Merciless” Mercer, 18-0, who relinquished the title before the fight, robbing Holmes of the WBO title.
Holmes’s next fight saw him lose to IBF, WBA, and WBC champ Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, 27-0. He would win his next seven fights before losing to WBC champ Oliver “The Atomic Bull” Mc Call, 25-5.
After winning his next five fights, he would lose a split decision to Denmark’s “Super” Brian Nielsen, 31-0, who later in his career was 49-0 when he lost. After winning his next three fights, Holmes would end his career by coming off the canvas in the final round before defeating 334-pound Eric “Butterbean” Esch, 65-2-3. His final record is 69-6 with 44 knockouts.
I believe Holmes was one of the top ten heavy champs, but only a champ in the ring. You now decide, “How good was Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes?”
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