Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes told FanHouse that he felt discredited by the documentary, Muhammad and Larry, which aired on ESPN on Tuesday night.See what Holmes had to say about the hour-long segment, whose main point appears to be that the 1980 fight -- featuring a 30-year-old Holmes' domination of a 38-year-old, past-his-prime Muhammad Ali -- should not have taken place.
FanHouse: What are your comments, positive and negative, about ESPN's Muhammad and Larry documentary?
Larry Holmes: The positive is that I got on TV and that people got a chance to see what Larry Holmes is all about. The negative about it is that it didn't do me any justice because -- and this is my opinion -- they did too much about Muhammad Ali on the drug situation.
They said he was taking thyroid pills, and that the pills were doing this and that. As far as that goes, it discredits me because they're telling me now that this man was on drugs, and that's the reason that I probably beat him like I beat him.
I knew Ali from the beginning because I worked with him as a sparring partner for four years. Overall, it was a good venture. I think that, like anybody, if they didn't put that Ali drug [stuff] up, it would have been great.
But they focused too much on him having a problem with the drugs that he was taking. That's my opinion.
FH: Was the documentary accurate in its portrayal of your sadness after beating Muhammad Ali?
Holmes: First of all, I know Ali. Ali is my friend. I've been knowing Ali since he gave me a job as his sparring partner. He gave me an opportunity. Just having the opportunity to work with him and to learn from him and to get paid was a helluva thing.
The guy was always good to me. He has no negative stuff to say about me. He was always good to Larry Holmes. I can't say anything negative about him.
But I thought that it was a slap in my face, at times, and that it hurt me because it took away from my credibility. Ali was a great champion and a great fighter. I beat him up. But I didn't beat him up because he couldnt' fight, I beat him up because I could fight. I loved the guy, I still love the guy, I just think that they could have done us better justice.
FH: How old is your baby daughter who was shown in the documentary?
Holmes: That little girl ain't little no more. Her name is Kandy, and she's 29 years old and she just got married last year to a great kid. They're happy, and I'm happy for them. I have five kids, four grandkids and two great granddaughters.
FH: How well are you doing, financially?
Holmes: I'm okay. I still have my office here and my little business, Larry Holmes Enterprises. I'll be 60 years old in a few days on November 3. So what I'm doing is not doing some of the things that I used to do. I'm just cutting down and relaxing.
I'm still trying to run my little things, making my personal appearances, trying to do little things in the industry, television or movies or whatever. We're trying to come up with a reality show called 'What's Up, Holmes?', and I have my weekly show, 'What The Heck Were They Thinking?'
So, financially, we're doing OK. I don't have the millions that I used to have because I spend a lot of money in this city called Easton, PA. And that's one of the things that I was hoping that they would focus on in Tuesday night's show.
FH: Can you tell us more about your endeavors in Easton?
Holmes: I have Larry Holmes Drive, and I have Larry Holmes Enterprises. I have office buildings here, and I just sold one of the five story buildings that I had, which housed a federal court house and a bank in it. I kept 24,000 square feet with my office and stuff in it.
I have a charity bingo here, and I have my nightclub and stuff and two restaurants. I have my gym, which I have up for sale now. I have a band, Marmalade, and we play anywhere. I'm one of the singers -- they do a set and I'll do a set. We have fun.
I just try to keep my head up and keep right on going and show people that everybody don't have to get into trouble to be recognized. You can do good things in the country and be recognized.
I'm OK, and I can't complain.
Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Larry people saw the fight and it speaks for itself. What are you talking about being discredited you got the win , but you will never be great as Ali. Be thnakful that espn showed the docomentary because today kids don't who you are
I disagree with Larry, this was a show that showed everyone what the real Larry Holmes is about... a great guy. Yes I thought they would do more on how you have really invested in you city. But any boxing fan watching Ali spar before the thiroid drugs know he had no chance to win this fight. He was already slow and lethargic. The problem is you were a great fighter but was the guy following what is percieved as the greatest fighter. Just like following John Wooden or Dean Smith or Vince Lombardi.
Larry Holmes was a great heavyweight champion and I believe would have put up a hell of a fight with Muhammad ALi had Ali fought at his best. I can imagine that it would have been a trade off with holmes winning one and Ali winning one fight.
Larry Holmes would have beat George Foreman but foreman ducked holmes back then in the 70s and then in 1999 because he didn't want to get exploited in the media about losing to a 49 to 50 year old man a the time. To add more Ali was a great champion but not the greatest he would have had a hard time with some our our modern fighters who some of them weight about 300lbs like the klitchkos and but Ali is a top 5 heavyweight off alltime.
You obviously don't know what you are talking about. These bums that are fighting today couldn't beat Holmes or Ali or anybody fighting in that era for that matter. Those guys were warriors. The heavyweight class of today is a joke. A Who's Who of Nobodies. Give me a break. There is no fighter past or present that could have beaten Ali in his prime.
Larry was a cry baby in his day and he's a cry baby today.
Your 15 minutes are up Larry. Adios.
DUDE, come up for some fresh air.
Appears you have a bit of an anger problem going on in your life.
Have a nice day. : D
lol ali aint areal Boxer - all he did was run around the ring - jab hit run - thats all he did..lmao ALI is not a boxer or never would had been -whys every 1 saying hes an awesome boxer -watch his matches- all he does is RUN RUN RUN - RUN RUN RUN RUN -lol i would love to had seen mike tyson get in the ring with ali any day - YEA I SAID MIKE TYSON - HAHAHAH
Kysteve66 - Tyson couldn't even beat Buster Douglas or Evander Holyfield. How the hell do you figure he could have beaten ALI? That ear biter would hav probably tried to bite Ali's leg because he couldn't catch up with him.
Larry,
you are a great fighter
Holmes and Ali were great fighters in their prime. They epitomized the art in boxing and gave us years of great fights. Thumbs up to them both. Thye sure as hell don't make them like that anymore. They are both legends and wil;l always be remembered.
no comment
Larry, try a salad.
I don't think Ali is anyone's friend, but his own. I wish Holmes would have put the Big Mouth in the hospital. All Holmes did was land enough punches to win the fight. We all could see he was holding back. If Holmes would have done to the Big Mouth what Marciano did to Louis, nobody could have minimized what he did. If Holmes liked Clay, fine. But show it OUTSIDE the ring, as Rocky did. Louis was someone he had great respect for and didn't really want to fight. But, given his career's path, he had to do so. Once they were in the ring, Rocky did what needed to be done, and showed his sadness AFTERWARD. If Holmes thinks he knows Clay so well, he'd know that if the situation were reversed, Clay would not only have beaten him up, but verbally poured salt into the wound, as he did with everyone else he fought. Underneath Clay's pretty face and sometimes amusing personality, he was just as bad a human being as Jack Johnson. Holmes was in the position to really destroy Clay, he didn't take advantage of it. So now let him live with the negative publicity aimed at him from the fight.
You know Ali still garners the best positive press in boxing. But here are the facts. Everyone is lamenting about how over the hill he was when he lost to Holms. George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer after he was forty-five six. Then even later took Holyfield to a decison! Ali won over Forman and got his senses damaged beyond repair and never fought him again.
Here are the facts:
Ali was 56-5 with 37 KO's
Tyson was 50-6 with 44 KO's
Foreman was 81-5 with 68 K0's
One must note that Foreman fought during the golden age of Heavy Weights as Ali did. Ali fought both Ken Norton and Joe Frazier. Norton broke Ali's jae and Frazier fought 42 rounds in three fights. Foreman knocked out Fraizer in the second round, and knocked out Norton in the second round. Foreman in his mid-forties was as good of fighter as Ali was when he was in his mid-thirties. Look at the history.
Conclusion: Ali was a great self-promoter and attention getter helped along by ABC and Howard Cosell.Foreman was always over shadowed by Ali as Larry Holmes was.(record 69-6 44 KO's) Holme's never fought the quality fighters in the prime as Ali and Foreman did.
Now after all that Foreman has become a self made multimillionair businessman as well.
I'll leave it with the reader to figure out who was the best heavyweight in the modern era, but you have to leave ABC and Cosell out of it to get there.
Dig yourself. It wasn't Foreman that did the most damage to Ali. It was the 3 fights with Frazier no doubt. Ali and Frazier are the two greatest heavyweight to ever walk the planet in most people opinion. Joe Louis and Holmes follow them. When Mike Tyson was in his right frame of mind he was the nastiest of his time. Remember how Trevor Berbick fell 5 times from one Tyson blow. Let's not forget thta Ali was banned for fighting for two years. The lame brain that said Ali wasn't boxer must be high because that's exactly what he was. Ali was hated by some in his earlier days now he is an icon for what he did. They heavyweight divison will never be like it was back then. Ali, Frazier and Foreman all fought each other. Ali also fought Ken Norton twice, Leon Spinks twice. Holmes fought Tyson when Tyson was right. Marciano's top ten but he never had to deal with a triumphirate like Ali-Frazier-Holmes or even a Norton. Needless to say Ali IS the greates of all time just for his body of work. He took his titles from who ever was the baddest ass on the planet at the time. Liston, Spinks and Foreman and defnded against the same Liston, Frazier and Norton.
I grew up in Easton, saw Larry train at the St. Anthony's youth center before he made it big, met him at his club downtown and welcomed him when he moved into our Old Orchard neighborhood. We ate at his mother restaurant in Philipsburg NJ, Flossie’s fried chicken. Larry is a great guy and was a wonderful boxer. He did a lot for the city of Easton. We always appreciated that he remembered where he came from. Larry you are a real stand up guy. I wish you all the luck in the world.
Larry, Please give it up. You were a mediocre fighter at best. I am 67 yrs old and have been around the fight game since I was 13. You had a great strong jab that is true. You were very predictable also.jab 3 times, then you would throw an inside right. Renaldo Snipes knocked you silly but because you were supposed to win they gave you 17 seconds to clear your head and you were not counted out. Quit your usual crying and be thankful you got as far as you did. You certainly did not deserve it. MEDIOCRE AT BEST. GET OVER IT. You make an Easten ass out of yourself when you cry. You never did have any class.
Old Middleweight
Right on Gary ! Larry had THE TITLE for 7 years He fought who was there. As did Ali Norton Holmes Frasier and yes Tyson.Larry did not get the respect I think he deserved.Larry is a former champ and no one can change that.Keep your chin up Larry you already proved you can take it.
I remember watching Larry box in Scranton and was offered a piece of him for 10K and said no!
Daa....
Frank Hourigan
Larry always was, and always will be a whiner. No class to go along with acceptable talent. Sacman is right on!