Reasons

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Over the next seven years, Larry took on any fighter the promoters could throw at him and emerged victorious every time, sometimes picking himself off the canvas to do so.

 

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Future WBA Champion Mike Weaver had him in serious trouble in the 10th before Larry came back in the very next round to drop ???Hercules??? twice before the referee called a halt to it.

 

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Everybody thought Larry was through when Earnie Shavers landed that big right hand in the 7th round of their rematch; but somehow, through some bottomless reservoir of heart, courage, and will, Larry got up and out lasted ???Mr. Devastation???, finally stopping him in the 11th. Being World Heavyweight Champion meant everything to Larry Holmes and you could feel that every time he climbed through those ropes.

 

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Other notable defenses include wins over future Alphabet Soup Titlists, Trevor Berbick, Tim Witherspoon, and James ???Bonecrusher??? Smith.

 

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Among future ???champs???, Holmes also stopped the two men to precede him to the throne. Leon Spinks went down in 3 and an old Ali was forced to retire after 10.

 

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. Throw in a few highly ranked and undefeated contenders such as Leroy Jones, Renaldo Snips, Gerry Cooney, and Carl ???The Truth??? Williams and what you???ve got is a resume that rivals those of both Louis and Ali. Seriously, do their records look that much better than Larry???s, if at all?

 

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Here???s a hypothetical questions: If there hadn???t been WWII, if there hadn???t been the social revolution of the 1960???s, if the playing field were equal, would Holmes be considered the best?

 

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Ali and Louis both had extraordinary circumstances surrounding their reigns, Larry just had Reaganomics.

 

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. Louis reigned four years longer; but he was inactive as champion for four of those years. Why isn???t Larry Holmes considered the Greatest Heavyweight of All Time, is it because Louis and Ali were better or is it because the times in which they reigned were more memorable? Think About That!

 

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Joe had more power, Ali had more flash and pizzazz, and both had more charisma; but Larry had just as much heart and determination as the two of them and beat almost as many men of equal quality???.maybe more.

 

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This is about boxing, isn???t it? Larry Holmes was your ordinary average guy with a fire in his belly who wanted to prove to the world that he was somebody.

 

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. He didn???t have Ali???s hand or foot speed or Louis??? fearsome punch; but what he did have was heart and skill and the drive to make the most out of the talent he did have, which was considerable.

 

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In the end, if you take away the extracurricular circumstances, if you take away the ???We???re gonna Win because God is on Our Side,??? and ???No Viet Cong Ever Called Me Nigger!???

 

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and focus just on what happened inside the ring, does Larry???s reign and accomplishments really differ that much?

 

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Don???t misinterpret this piece.

 

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I???m merely playing the role of Devil???s advocate.

 

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By no means am I saying Larry Holmes was the Greatest Heavyweight Champion of All Time.

 

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All I???m trying to get across it that the question is indeed worth asking. Is He??

 

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think

 

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I

 

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will

 

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stay

 

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up

 

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all

 

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night

 

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.

 

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I have

 

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enough

 

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Beer

 

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and