Knock-out night out!
ARGUMENTS have always raged on who is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.
Many put Muhammad Ali as the number one. Certainly the only opponent to have stopped him and the only one still alive to have beaten him, Larry Holmes, is right up there with the best.
Holmes and fellow American Gerry Cooney were in Birmingham on Friday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their world title fight in Las Vegas – a bitter affair with Holmes stopping Cooney in the 13th of 15 rounds. It was the 12th defence of the WBC title by Holmes.
There was a lot of racist bad feeling in the build-up to the fight stirred up by promoter Don King to sell ticket.
Thirty thousand were at the outdoor show at Caesars Palace paying in those days over £6million.
These days Larry and Gerry are the best of friends and it was a privilege for me to host the interview before diners at Villa Park.
Holmes, who is now 72, beat the best of his era apart from Mike Tyson, who he fought ‘for the money’ after being out of the ring for two years.
Larry successfully defended his WBC title from 1978-83 and the IBF from 1983-85 against the likes of Ken Norton, Ali, Ernie Shavers, Mike Weaver, Cooney, Tim Witherspoon and Carl Williams. He had the best left jab of all time.
Holmes won 69 of his 75 fights (44 by knockout) and his six defeats came in his fading years in boxing. Holmes made and kept his money!
While at Villa Park, he gave private and impromptu coaching tips to 23-year-old Lewis Williams, a member of the GB boxing team and favourite to win the Commonwealth Games heavyweight gold medal at the NEC in July.