Holmes, Holyfield, and Jerry Quarry... In particular, I liked Holmes's piston-like jab and great heart. How he ever got up from that Shavers's overhand right (in their second fight) I'll never know... Even when Larry could box circles around his opponent, he could never resist beng lured into a brawl to prove that he was not only more skilled but tougher. The 15th round of Norton-Holmes is one of my favorite round ever. Larry also had some tough moments against Witherspoon and Weaver...
Btw, if I haven't seen a fighter fight at least seven or eight times, I won't put him on my list even though he may deserve to be there.
Martin, what was it like watching Dempsey fight Firpo at the Polo Grounds?
Homie, it was a tied fight going into 15, and the round was basically a tied round. Holmes won the title by split decision
My favorite HWs: Holyfield of course, Tyson, Foreman, Tommy Morrison, Joe Frazier
Homie, Holmes and Norton stood toe-to-toe and let it all hang out in the 15th round. Great ending to a great fight.
Jason, Tommy Morrison? WTF? Why? He had no stamina, no chin, and at times, a very poor work ethic. He had a big left hook and nothing else. At best, he was a B level fighter who got more hype than he deserved because he was white. In addition, he was a steriod user (which he admitted in that SI article).
I, too, like Foreman a lot. Especially his fight against Ron Lyle. However, I will always look at Tyson as a major disappointment.
ron, I wasn't saying they were the best, just my favorites. I really like Morrison, I don't know why. I just have a soft spot for him
Tyson was a disappointment, but when you're universally recognized as potentially the best HW in 100 years at the age of 19 or 20, its tough to live up to that. I prefer to remember him in his prime, and even now, I have an unexplainable soft spot for him
Foreman is just the man, period. I can't beleive they haven't made a movie of his life yet
Homie, Holmes did beat the shit out of Cooney. It was Holmes/Norton that went down to the wire. That last round was unbelievable.
Since this thread is about "favorites" as opposed to "greats," I'll toss a few of mine into the pile.
Without a doubt, Jerry Quarry was my favorite fighter. My earliest memory of him was from an episode of "I Dream of Jeannie," when I was about ten years old. From that point forward I was a fan of his. He was one of the best counter-punchers I've ever seen.
Another favorite of mine was George Chuvalo. I've always admired how tough he was. He wasn't as skilled as his contemporaries, but he was as tough, determined, and strong as any of them.
Ron Lyle was another guy I really liked. He started his career late in life after a prison stint and, for a while in the 70's, was a juggernaut in the division. He probably would've gone a lot farther than he did if he'd had age on his side. His brawl with Big George is a classic.
Other favorites of mine who just happen to also be greats include Smokin' Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, and Evander Holyfield.
"Anybody remember Mike "The Bounty" Hunter?"
I remember him. He's from my neck of the woods. As I recall, he beat a couple of fairly decent fighters in his day. Oliver McCall, Pinklon Thomas and Dwight Qawi Muhammad immediately come to mind. I wonder what he's up to these days.
I'm not afraid to admit I was a Tommy Morrison fan.Just enjoyed watching him fight.
yeah, no kidding holywood would ruin foreman. They need to make a movie about gatti/ward too though. I personally think that benicio del toro would make a great gatti
Stratakos, we have more or less the same tastes in heavyweights. That's a bit weird. Sorry, I'm married :) I see Quarry and Holyfield as being very similar fighters: excellent counterpunchers, great heart, too enamored with their power, loved to mix it up, and excellent chins. Unlike Holyfield, however, Quarry cut too easily. And Evander won some big fights, whereas Quarry coldn't win the most important ones of his career, albeit in an era of great heavyweights.
Holmes beat the shit out of Cooney, I agree. Dropped him in the 2nd. Basically, Cooney was a one-handed fighter --horrible straight right hand-- and Holmes took his left hook away from him. If Larry had boxed him all night, I doubt that Cooney would have landed a single left hook to the body but Holmes, tough guy that he was, wanted to mix it up a bit too. I love what Holmes says to him right before the fight, during the instructions: "Let's give 'em a good fight." I wish that Holmes weren't so bitter --that Rocky Marciano comment-- and weren't so racist, but I loved watching him fight. Heart of a lion. Snipes decked him with a right hand and he got up a proceeded to continue to beat the hell out of Snipes. Outside the ring, post-fight, as well.
Quarry didn't have near the combinations or skill that Holyfield had. Both had huge hearts but Quarry was more of a swarmer. I don't see much similarity between them.
ron, when Holmes fought Rocky pepeli on USA fights pepeli said holmes was saying racist comments to him through the fight. Larry denied it. Holmes had tremendous will power. That is the only way you get up after getting hit with tremendous shots from Weaver, Snipes and shavers. He also was hit with a huge shot from cooney and bluffed his way through it. He put up with adverse conditions to. When he fought undefeated Leroy Jones, he hit jones in the face and the biggest lump of snot came out of Jones's nose. Holmes persevered while I gagged and kept hitting jones. Ali is the best Hvy I saw and Holmes is #2.
Erich, I, too, remember that fight on USA Tuesday Night Fights (a show that I miss, btw). Holmes had all of the qualities that you would want in a fighter except a big punch. Witherspoon had Holmes on the ropes in their fight, and hurt, but Larry toughed it out.
BEE, even though Holyfield was faster, Quarry put together his punches very well, mich better than any heavyweight today with the exception, perhaps, of James Toney.
ron, re: Holmes's bitterness, its been my experience that many atheists are unreasoningly bitter.
Jason, I'm an atheist and I'm not bitter at all. I think Larry's bitterness comes from the fact that he never got out of Ali's shadow and felt that he never got the credit that he deserved. That is a bit odd because most of us on this forum, at least, really liked him as a fighter.
reading his autobiography, i got the feeling that it started much earlier than that. Not that what you're talking about didn't contribute to it, obviously
Schulz, Botha.