Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes

Nacimiento : 1949-11-03, Cuthbert, Georgia, USA

Historia

Larry Holmes is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which led to his boxing nickname of the Easton Assassin. Holmes, whose left jab is rated among the best in boxing history, held the WBC heavyweight title from 1978 to 1983, The Ring magazine and lineal heavyweight titles from 1980 to 1985, and the inaugural IBF heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985. During his only title reign, he defended his title against 19 fighters, the second most in history behind Joe Louis. He also holds the record for the longest individual heavyweight title streak in the modern boxing history. Holmes is one of only five boxers—along with Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks and Trevor Berbick—to defeat Muhammad Ali; he is the only one to have stopped Ali. Holmes won his first 48 professional bouts, including victories over Norton, Ali, Earnie Shavers, Mike Weaver, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Carl Williams and Marvis Frazier. He fell one short of matching Rocky Marciano's career record of 49–0 when he lost to Michael Spinks in an upset in 1985. Holmes retired after losing a rematch to Spinks the following year, but made repeated comebacks. He was unsuccessful in three further attempts (against Mike Tyson in 1988, Evander Holyfield in 1992 and Oliver McCall in 1995) to regain the heavyweight title. Holmes fought for the final time in 2002, aged 52, against the 334lb Eric "Butterbean" Esch, and ended his career with a record of 69 wins and 6 losses. He is frequently ranked as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and has been inducted into both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame. When Holmes was nineteen, he started boxing. In his twenty-first bout, he boxed Nick Wells in the semifinals of the 1972 National Olympic Trials in Fort Worth, Texas. Wells, a southpaw known for unprecedently high knockout-to-win percentage for an amateur boxer, with a majority of knockouts coming in the first round, stopped Holmes in the first round. Nevertheless, Holmes was chosen by a selection committee of the National Olympic authorities to fight at the Olympic Box-offs in West Point, New York, where he had a match-up versus a fighting seaman Duane Bobick. Holmes was dropped in the first round with a right to the head. He got up and danced out of range, landing several stiff jabs in the process. Bobick mauled Holmes in the second round but could not corner him. The referee warned Holmes twice in the second for holding. In the third, Bobick landed several good rights and started to corner Holmes, who continued to hold. Eventually, Holmes was disqualified for excessive holding. Holmes invested the money he earned from boxing and settled in his hometown of Easton. When he retired from boxing, Holmes employed more than 200 people through his various business holdings. In 2008, he owned two restaurants and a nightclub, a training facility, an office complex, a snack food bar and slot machines.[citation needed] Holmes currently co-hosts a talk show What The Heck Were They Thinking?

Perfil

Larry Holmes

Películas

In the Company of Kings
Self
In the Company of Kings follows a fight fan's unforgettable journey into the dark heart of American boxing to talk to eight former World Champs and those closest to his hero, Muhammad Ali, about race, struggle, victory, defeat and picking yourself up off the canvas. Features Larry Holmes, Bernard Hopkins, Tim Witherspoon, Earnie Shavers, the Spinks brothers, Bob Arum and more.
A la sombra de Mike Tyson
Himself
Por su descomunal personalidad y sus feroces golpes, Mike Tyson dominó el mundo del boxeo durante los 80 y los 90. Incluso cuando "Iron Mike" estaba en la cárcel, la categoría de pesos pesados le seguía perteneciendo. Mientras tanto, como si fuese Ahab esperando pacientemente para capturar a la enorme ballena, Evander Holyfield aguantó durante años para tener la oportunidad de derribar a Tyson.
Thrilla in Manila
Himself
On October 1, 1975, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali was in the ring with his arch rival Joe Frazier for the third time. This fight in the Philippines, which has been nicknamed "Thrilla in Manila," is considered one of the most dramatic boxing matches in history - in the words of the voice-over, "They hated each other." With the help of archive material and eyewitness accounts (including Imelda Marcos), this documentary not only reconstructs the match, but shows us what was happening behind the scenes as well.
Champions Forever - World Heavyweight Champs!
Himself
Previously unseen footage, seeing and hearing the champions interviewed and talking to each other at a private dinner party hosted by baseball’s legendary great, Reggie Jackson. Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Norton. For more than twenty years, these kings of boxing ruled the ring as they passed the world heavyweight title from one to the other. Now for the first time, see them all come face to face – gloves off – in an unprecedented video event. Footage from over 30 fights, which include 15 title matches, featuring interviews and news events as they occurred during each champion’s reign.
Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson
Self (archive footage)
Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson is a 1993 film made by acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple. Though Tyson was in jail serving a sentence for rape, Kopple used existing interviews with the boxer, as well as her own extensive interviews with those closest to Tyson, to explore the man's history. The film traces Tyson's story from his troubled and tumultuous upbringing, through his rapid ascendancy in the ranks of the boxing world and his subsequent struggle with the trappings of fame. Fallen Champ earned Barbara Kopple a Directors Guild of America award as Best Documentary Director of 1993.
Champions Forever
Self
No other film has the sweeping review of Ali's greatest fights, the legendary fight footage, and the real time relevant comments and conversations with the men who made him "The Greatest." Muhammad Ali was simply the greets and he proved by going up against the most incredible fighters of all time, together they made the world of sports stand still as they battled for dominance.
Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes
On January 22, 1988, Holmes was lured out of retirement to challenge reigning Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson. Tyson dropped Holmes in the fourth round with an overhand right. Holmes got up, but Tyson put him down two more times in the round, and the fight was stopped. After the fight Holmes once again retired.
Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks II
Self
IBF Champion Michael Spinks meets former champion Larry Holmes.
Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks
Self
As heavyweight championship bouts go, the Sept. 21, 1985, first pairing of long-reigning Larry Holmes and moving-up-from-light heavyweight Michael Spinks, at Las Vegas’ Riviera Hotel and Casino, was competitive and entertaining, if not necessarily an all-time classic.
Half Nelson
Larry Holmes
Rocky Nelson is a New York cop, who after making a major bust and selling the rights of his story to Hollywood decides to try his luck out as an actor. However, when he gets there, the directors think that he is too short to be an actor. He is then approach by someone who offers him a job at a Hollywood security agency, cause he would fit in there being an ex-cop and while working there he could come in contact with some Hollywood heavy-weights who could give him the break he needs. And at the same he gets to live in Dean Martin's guest-house.
Muhammad and Larry
Through the poetic lens of visionary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles, Muhammad and Larry explores the unique and poignant relationship between two great boxers and two remarkable men who were more than just competitors. They were once teacher and student, and remain close friends.