On October 2nd in 1980, 38-year-old Muhammad Ali faced a 30-year-old Larry Holmes inside the ring. While Ali, ahead of the bout, claimed he would become the oldest athlete to win a world Heavyweight title, Holmes punished ‘The Double Greatest’ to win the bout via an RTD. 

Later, during an interaction with the media, Ali revealed that he’d realized he would not win against Holmes in the wake of the first round of their fight. Although he understood Holmes would carry the day, he thought to himself that the latter would have to “kill me to get me out of the ring“. Likewise, Holmes handed Ali the most excruciating fight of his life, showing literally no mercy. After 43 years of The Last Hurrah!, fans recently stumbled upon a forgotten video of Holmes sparring Ali.

Larry Holmes’ sparring with Muhammed Ali leads fans to critical analysis

It was in 1972 that Holmes was hired as a sparring partner for Muhammad Ali. Before joining Ali, he had worked with Joe Frazier for four years. In the sparring video below, one can easily spot the difference between Holmes and Ali in terms of quickness and accuracy. One must laud the way Holmes bobs and weaves as a tired Ali approaches him.

In the comments, one fan said, “It’s so sad that to this day Larry doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.”

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Meanwhile, one noticed “how Larry stopped the last punch when he saw that Ali finished the round“. To tell the truth, one must admire Holmes’ professionalism. 

On the other hand, one pointed out that “Ali as pictured here is nothing like the Ali of 1964 to 1974 in terms of speed, reflexes, and crisp punching“.

In a similar tone, one said that “it would have been a totally different fight if Ali was at his peak when they fought“.

In this context, one must mention that besides being 38, Ali had an overdose of thyroid medicine before fighting Holmes. And while Holmes did not fight a prime Ali, he considered ‘The Greatest’ “my buddy“. As result, ‘The Easton Assassin’ had a breakdown after he defeated the same person “that taught me how to fight“.

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Anyway, another added, “It just shows what a healthy and prime Ali would have done to Holmes“.

Finally, one fan said, “Look at Holmes, move, duck, and counter while Ali is pushing his own gas tank. This is great stuff.“

Maybe it would have been a different fight had Ali fought Holmes in his prime. However, what is your reaction to this sparring video?

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