How good was Larry ‘The Easton Killer’ Holmes?

Former WBC and IBF heavyweight champion Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes went 19-3. He was from Easton, PA, and his coach Ernie Butler would take him to Muhammad Ali’s camp in Deer Lake, PA. When Holmes turned professional, he had been at Muhammad Ali’s camp training with him. Promoter Don King had Ali convince Holmes to sign a contract if he switched 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 Philadelphia, “neither of them wanted a rematch because of 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’ eighth defense, he would face 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 spoke a lot about racial issues 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 faced “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon of Philadelphia, 15-0, who had also trained with Ali at Deer Lake. It was May 1983 when she won a controversial split decision over Witherspoon, improving to 43-0.

Two fights later, Holmes faced former champion “Smokin” Joe Frazier’s son, Marvis, 10-0, in a non-title bout as 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 because your dad spanked me in the gym!”

Two wins later, he defeated Carl “The Truth” Williams, 16-0, which I thought was controversial, although the score didn’t show it.

Holmes was now 48-0 in his next fight against light heavyweight champion Michael Spinks, 27-0. It was Ring Magazine’s ‘Uprising of the Year’ in 1975, with Holmes losing for the first time by one round in two of the cards. I felt that Spinks won the last round to make the decision, making him the first reigning lightweight champion to win the heavyweight title. After the fight, Holmes said, “Marciano couldn’t wear my jockstrap!”

Holmes lost a split decision in the rematch and I felt like he was robbed. In his next fight, he faced “Iron” Mike Tyson, 32-0. I remember the current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, sitting in the ring with Ali when the latter was introduced to the ring. He slapped Holmes’s gloves without saying a word. He then walked over to Tyson and whispered something in his ear. “Knock him out?”

After taking one of the first three rounds on two of the cards, Holmes was knocked down three times by future world champion Tyson, landing on his back. After the fight, Holmes said, “I got caught in the ropes!”

Six fights later, Holmes would defeat newly crowned WBO champion Ray “Merciless” Mercer, 18-0, who relinquished the title before the fight, robbing Holmes of the WBO title.

Holmes’ next fight saw him lose to IBF, WBA and WBC champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, 27-0. He would win his next seven fights before losing to WBC champion Oliver “The Atomic Bull” Mc Call, 25-5.

After winning his next five fights, he would lose a split decision to “Super” Brian Nielsen of Denmark, 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 think Holmes was a top ten heavyweight champion, but only an in-ring champion. Now decide: “How good was Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes?”