Larry Holmes vs Leon Spinks part one

[Iraeta323]

The commentators voice is hilarious....thats the voice that I put on while I watch football

[andrelebaron]

Larry Merchant is the poor man's Howard Cosell.

[tightmadnesss]

Larry Holmes is the worst heavyweight champion ever because a) he lost to Duane Bobick as an amateur b) he fought Ali when he was old c) he dodged Greg Page, Pinklon Thomas, Gerrie Coetzee. d) He did not unify the titles

[JK5810]

@tightmadnesss Stop taking drugs and start boxing.. It's a great sport..

[bigdaddy4069]

@tightmadnesss You obviously know NOTHING about boxing. You talk shit, . . . . . . . . COMPLETE SHIT !!

[onlyjoetee]

@tightmadnesss amateur fights are for learning your trade,it was Ali who wanted that fight,Larry had more skill than the fighters you named put together x 10!!!!!!!!!!

[whitedeviltx]

Im absoloutly sick of people making excuses for Ali, he was good maybe very good, but he just was not the best ever

[bicklesby1]

@whitedeviltx maybe very good??? definitely very good.

[4real313]

I know Boxing and this is the top 10 best fighters of all time and I can tell you why for each one and why Larry Holmes is the on the list if anyone wants to know ok. 1.Sugar Ray Robinson

2.Joe Louis

3.Henry Armstrong

4.Muhammad Ali

5.Jack Johnson

6.Floyd Mayweather

7.Archie Moore.

8.Larry Holmes

9.Jack Dempsy

10.Willie Pep

[dreman1970]

@4real313 FLOYD MAYWEATHER?? I love that guy, but #6 ALL TIME?? Listen, Rocky Marciano HAS to be in the top 10....Granted a lot of his opponents were older, but the bottom line is he was UNDEFEATED......Just like a lot of people don't give the 72 Dolphins credit because of the opponents they had during that season, but again, the bottom line is that they were the ONLY undefeated NFL champions.....If you put Holmes in the top 10...I don't think he was any better of a fighter than Hagler or Duran

[4real313]

@dreman1970 U know nothing about boxing at all man Boxing is like no other sport. BOXING IS NOT LIKE FOOTBALL, Rocky Marciano is a 1 time heavyweight champion with 9 title defenses he isn't even in the top 20 fighter in his era let alone top 15 or 10 OF ALL TIME . Rocky Marciano never beat a legitmate fighter in his prime. Now that I handled that lets talk about the Living Legend.

Floyd mayweather (I meant to put a line under it) but look at my reply to this for the rest.

[4real313]

@4real313 Floyd Mayweather only had 17 fights and became WORLD CHAMPION HE WAS WORLD CHAMPION for 10 years. Floyd Mayweather won 6 titles. 4 WBC titles, 1 IBF title and 1 IBO title. Floyd Mayweather has the most Pay per view buys of all time and generates the highest gate of all time. Floyd Lands on the highest percentage of any boxer with more than 40 fights and definanitly of any fighter with over 40 fights and undefeated. Plus Floyd Mayweather has defended his title 13 times. 

[dreman1970]

@4real313 Okay listen, to say Marciano is a ONE time champion in comparison to Holmes winning the WBC, the ring magazine and the IBF is a dumb argument.....THE TITLES WERENT SPLIT IN MARCIANO'S DAY, so how the hell is he going to be a multiple champion?? And Holmes was the first heavyweight champion to LOSE to a light heavyweight too....TWICE (although he didn't lose the 2nd one). And if you re read my original post, I DID say Marciano's opponents were older.

[dreman1970]

You use different criteria for different fighters.Geez, with Mayweather you talk about his multiple titles......Okay, now what IF Pacquiao beats him........Then what?? Tommy Hearns won titles in five different weight classes but that doesn't make him top 10.....PPV buys are irrelevant and can't be used as criteria unless it was available for EVERY person in the list. If you want to talk about gates, then Ali's #1. NONE of the big money today is there if not for Ali. PURE FACT

[whitedeviltx]

@dreman1970 I think you meant Tyson

[RayPFP]

@4real313 Marcaino didn't have 9 defenses , Tyson did , Marciano had 6 defenses.

[4real313]

@dreman1970 Larry Holmes is the 8 the best boxer ever.

Larry Holmes won the WBC heavyweight championship in 1978, the RING HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP in 1980, and the IBF HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP in 1983.

Larry Holmes is a 8 year reigning champion.

Larry Holmes has TWENTY TITLE DEFENSES which is second to only one in his weight class, only third of all time.

[whitedeviltx]

@4real313 Good list, I am happy to see that you dont have Ali no 1 like everyone else but I have to ask where is Rocky marciano he beat both louis and Moore and never was beaten. Good list though

[bellacaroabdourazak]

@whitedeviltx are u serious??? hes beat an old louis who came out of retirement to pay his debt... man louis in his prime would of eating him up... stop it with ur great white hope loool

[TheFastFreddy]

Leon was a muhfucka...i would have hated to fight him amateur or pro...spinks was a killa win or lose you know you was in a fight

[coolpoolman89]

Larry Holmes was the BEST Boxer technician by far !! NO Question ,He was ROBBED in many fights because of Rocky Marciano record was in jeopardy !!!! Larry was the best in hes time NO doubt

[statue75]

Every time Spinks even drops his right hand a little, Holmes is there with the jab. Textbook.

[Coptic78]

@statue75

Yes, that was a mistak. Spinks should have covered up

[lela04]

larry one of my big favourites, showing he s lightfooted as well!!

[GreatkingAlexander]

larry holmes one of the best in history ouick right left combo say if did ali shit bullshit man he did his own thing had the second most title defenses in heavyweight histoy 20 man i am telling you he well respected from my side one of the best to ever do i rank em second on my list right behind the only joe louis.

[coolpoolman89]

@ I agree !! You know Boxing my friend !!!

[bluemonkjd]

Who's Leon's pimp?

[ErikS1975FreeState]

Leon Spinks was a descent fighter but Larry Holmes is 1 of the Top 5 Heavyweights of all time & in his prime no way Leon Spinks beats him if Larry Holmes shows up.

[1899sharkey]

Ali was much more fluid than Holmes in their respective primes. Larry was a great fighter, but not quite an Ali.

[xBMF9000x]

Spinks has to be the ugliest son of a bitch on earth. He has no teeth so when he smiles he reminds you of fucking Shrek!

[THOMASBANTON]

@xBMF9000x What you talking like that for,your a shallow peice of shit,this page is for nice people go away

[xBMF9000x]

@THOMASBANTON Calm down dude, it was just a joke. He was still a good fighter just not the best looking one and there are plenty of people out there who would agree with me. And don't call me a shallow piece of shit for simpley stating a fact. I state my mind and if you don't like it, tough shit.

[greenfruitface]

Man, Holmes has amazingly fast hands. I'd love to see prime Homes vs. prime Ali. It'd be great- two pure boxers going at it.

[bishop92882]

I agree, I think the biggest skeleton of Larry's career is the fact that he never got to face Ali until he was past his prime and showing signs of Parkinsons. As Holmes said himself, he was damned if he did or didn't, because in beating Ali, people would say it was no big deal because he beat a washed up fighter. If he lost, people would have said, "Oh, he was nothing, imagine how bad Ali would have killed him in his prime".

[AsakaAsakaAsaka]

Spinks has one of the *ehem* stongest faces I've ever seen. HAHAHA

[bloodgutsnglory]

Let's be honest. Leon had no business in the ring with Holmes. His record was that of a new up and comer fighter. 12 fights? Get the fuck outta here.

[bishop92882]

Leon was only ranked where he was from being a former champ when he beat Ali by a fluke back in 78'.

[Childhoodsince85]

It was not a fluke that Leon won against Ali in their first fight....He won on points....Even Ali admitted to that.

[bishop92882]

@Childhoodsince85: Albeit the greatest moment of Spinks' career, what made it seem like a fluke was his record afterwards. Maybe I should have used the term, "Flash in the pan".

[assahkumlamman]

Holmes is like a mirror image of Ali. Prime Ali vs. Prime Holmes that would be perfect fight

[KingRhaul]

dumber shit i've ever heard.You must be 10 years old

[loyaldude10]

Ali wins it. Holmes didnt have much power in R hand--remember how he would often place his left on opponent to measure him, try a KO R hand. Ali could take punch better also

[bishop92882]

Not quite mirror image of Prime Ali, Prime Ali was surreal in hand and foot speed, miles ahead of the Holmes you see here. I would say about the level Ali was anywhere from the 2nd Norton fight to Manilla, which was where Ali's (and Frazier's) greatness was highlighted one last time and left there for good. Neither were the same after that fight.

[Coptic78]

Don´t you think that Spinks looked good here?

[thamwisai]

A more appropriate name for Holmes should have been the Pennsylvanian Professor...the guy was a boxing doyen

[naggale]

mag do you also have the fights with michael spinks?

[tadryanski]

He'd have beaten tyson in his prime

[shaneomac911]

Whos' that Larry holmes would have? I agree he was a great fighter in his prime. But i believe that Leon Spinks got lucky when he beat Ali for the title. Ali most likely didn't train properly for that first fight against Spinks.

[Coptic78]

@shaneomac911

Yes, but Spinks beat also Bernardo Mercardo, the 1980 WBC top contender. Remember: Mercardo stopped bout Trevor Berbick and Mike Weaver. So maby Spinks was not as bad.

[loyaldude10]

@shaneomac911 --Ali should never even have been fighting at that point.

[liktocholikt]

@loyaldude10: I agree; Ali did not fight well during his last 6 years as a boxer. From after Manila it was nothing there but opponens which were mediocres. Spinks was a great light-heavyweight nothing else.

[cpaignboxing]

@shaneomac911 ali was way past it by the first spinks fight anyway

[shire2005]

Anyone wondering what holmes vs joe louis would look like spinks is about the same exact size louis was and bigger than marciano.

[jhuan0]

Size doesnt mean much. Its about styles.

Spinks was very different to both Marciano and Louis.

[karlos81]

Dont be a dope.

Would i picks Holmes over Louis and Marciano yes i do.

BUT

Both are far superior to Spinks.

[pugilistofpower]

Spinks can't be compared with Louis. Louis was a puncher.

[shire2005]

I think leon spinks set a record for making money in so few fights.

In 15 fights he got ali 2X and this fight with holmes. Not bad for a very average heavyweight.

[Coptic78]

Spinks was in good look and was on the way ahead on points before the devastatind 3rd round

[Coptic78]

Lets say that Leon Spinks showed one of his best performances here, ever in 1981, even loosing.

[Jorsalfar]

Easton Assassin was possibly the worst nickname on a heavyweight champ ever.

[only1monk]

that's absurd. he's from Easton....duh.

[datskyjr]

my other happy days were when sakuraba destroyed all the gracies (especialy royce,renzo) whom i think got the bigest mouth

[datskyjr]

dear leon spinks

just in case you'd ever read this,i was about 17 when you beaten ali,i was so happy that i had tears in my eyes,just never liked ali's not very clean fighting style,another fighter that made me as happy was ufc randy coulture when he beaten vito belfort(the big mouth)the two happyest days of my being a sport fan

[ferrywu]

thank u for posting, I appreciate it very much

[Coptic78]

One of the best fights of Larry Holmes ever! Thank you so much for posting this. Never remove it. It is so special!

[heavyweightchampion7]

Watch the right Hand Spinks caught Holmes with during the second Round. He startet too fast and didn´t use his own jab in return and allowed Holmes to land more Jabs in the 3rd.

[Coptic78]

@heavyweightchampion7

Yes, it was really a good one. Spinks could punch, but he needed to stay on his plan against Holmes like he did in Round 2

[PepperWhite62]

Ali - Spimks I was thirty years ago tonight. Remember seeing BIG FIGHTS on network TV? Those were the days. Where has thirty years gone? Seems like it was yesterday.

[heavyweightchampion7]

Yes, and I can´t remember Leon Spinks ever made another important fight there. He was not a bad fighter. He would have been in the Toprank of the fighters today. Of course, Spinks was not a man Who could hold on one Round with Holyfield or Tyson, Tua, Ray Mercer, Bert Cooper, Ruddock or Lewis. Maby he could have fought Michael Moorer for 4 or 5 Rounds and would have been caught cold. But regardless to his bad perfomances against Gerry Coetzee in 1979

[RatatRatR]

Boxer-commentators are hardly ever interesting to listen to. I loved Cosell.

[heavyweightchampion7]

This fight was the last opportunity for Leon Spinks to regain the title. Sad, that Cosell didn`t go on commenting after the Cob fight. I`ve never heared him again then.

[19axlrose88]

Not that he knew nothing, but he was wrong several times. He retired Muhammad Ali before the Foreman fight, he dogged Holmes also, he was no boxing expert.

[tightmadnesss]

Holmes vs Cosell. I believe the two had different philosophies. Cosell believed sports commentators should be individuals who were trained through academia (speak proper English etc.), not just some untrained jock. Holmes believed no one knew more about the sport than the participants. This is why the broadcast both is balanced.

[tightmadnesss]

I love both guys. Too bad they fell out over the Cobb fight. Cosell respected Holmes and admitted he was wrong in the Norton fight. If you look at the Cobb fight, he says tht Holmes is the real champion. Cosell even had Weaver admit Holmes was the real champion on ABC WWofS. Cosell was not a shill like Lsmpley and Merchant. Cosell even went to Easton PA to support Larry Holmes day. I wish these guys didn't fall out. They made a good team.

[tightmadnesss]

I love both Cosell and Holmes. Too bad both guys fell out over the Cobb fight. They both shared a common enemy in Dick Young of New York. Cosell knew boxing and did not SELL you a lie like Lampley and HBO. Cosell did admit during the Norton fight thst he was wrong about Holmes. In the Cobb fight he called him the real champion and Cosell even had Weaver conceed the REAL championship to Holmes on ABC.

[Iamwatchvideos]

Of course he didn't cover Holmes back then. The Ali era had just ended, and no one would've thought Holmes would lighten the next era of champions...

[mikepw15]

i wouldn't go so far as to say cosell knew nothing. i don't think anyone would've guessed holmes would become so great. until shavers, he really hadn't fought anyone or looked that great doing it.

[tightmadnesss]

The difference between Cosell and the other journalist is that Cosell admitted he was wrong and supported Holmes (see Norton fight). The other losers tried to make themselves right by saying stuff like"Cooney will murder Holmes or Witherspoon really beat Holmes or Mike weaver was a bum who did not deserve a shot."

[lela04]

great movement of holmes in the beginning of that round, looking like a dancing ali!

[tyoungk2]

jewish mind around boxing. come on. He would have figured out boxing after covering it all those years.

I think cosell was great announcer.

[HeathInClearLake]

Cosell is full of so much crap. He dogged Holmes until Larry won the title. Then Larry was the greatest things ever. Believe this: Cosell knew nothing about boxing.

[xms32]

He didn't have to.