Holmes, Larry

Holmes, Larry
born Nov. 3, 1949, Cuthbert, Ga., U.S.

U.S. heavyweight boxing champion.

Holmes won 19 of 23 amateur bouts before turning professional. From 1973 to 1978 Holmes won 28 consecutive bouts, culminating in a victory over the reigning champion, Ken Norton. He defended the title 17 times between 1978 and 1983, once (1980) against Muhammad Ali. He lost the title to Michael Spinks in 1985. Only Joe Louis held the heavyweight crown longer than Holmes.

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▪ American boxer
byname  the Easton Assassin 
born November 3, 1949, Cuthbert, Georgia, U.S.
 
 American heavyweight boxing champion of the late 1970s and early '80s who was known for his solid defense.

      Holmes, a street fighter in his youth, entered organized boxing at a youth centre in Easton, Pennsylvania. He won 19 of his 22 fights and several titles before turning professional at age 24. In the mid-1970s he was a sparring partner for both competing heavyweight champions, Muhammad Ali (Ali, Muhammad) and Joe Frazier (Frazier, Joe). Holmes struggled to establish his identity as a first-rate fighter with these two great heavyweights in contention and found it difficult to get top-level bouts.

      From 1973 to 1978 Holmes won 28 consecutive bouts, culminating in a victorious 15-round decision over reigning champion Ken Norton on June 9, 1978, for the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight crown. Holmes defended the title 17 times between 1978 and 1983, defeating such formidable boxers as Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks (Spinks, Leon), and Gerry Cooney. On October 2, 1980, Holmes faced the celebrated Ali, who at age 38 was mounting a comeback. Holmes won in 11 rounds, cementing his claim as world heavyweight champion. The fight, however, was emotionally difficult for Holmes. He counted Ali as a good friend, and this fight, occurring after Ali's prime, put Holmes in the position of having to beat, in fact pummel, his mentor.

      In 1983, amid ongoing disagreements with boxing promoter Don King (King, Don), Holmes relinquished his WBC title. The International Boxing Federation, however, still regarded him as heavyweight champion, and he defended that title three times before losing it to Michael Spinks (Spinks, Leon) in a 15-round decision on September 21, 1985. Holmes retired after the loss, his first in 49 bouts, which kept him from matching Rocky Marciano (Marciano, Rocky)'s career record of 49–0.

      Holmes came out of retirement in 1986, only to lose a rematch to Michael Spinks. In 1988 he again returned to the ring to take on heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (Tyson, Mike); the referee halted the fight in the fourth round after Holmes had endured three early knockdowns. In 1991, after beating opponent Ray Mercer, Holmes advanced to the title bout with Evander Holyfield (Holyfield, Evander), who defeated him in a decision. On April 8, 1995, Holmes challenged Oliver McCall for the WBC heavyweight crown but lost in 12 rounds.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Holmes, Larry — (n. 3 nov. 1949, Cuthbert, Ga., EE.UU.). Boxeador estadounidense, campeón mundial de peso pesado. Antes de hacerse profesional, ganó 19 de sus 23 combates como aficionado. Entre 1973 y 1978 triunfó en 28 peleas consecutivas, racha que culminó con …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Larry Holmes — Holmes en 1979 Fiche d’identité Nom complet Larry Holmes Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Larry Holmes — Holmes en 1979 Nombre Larry Holmes Nacimiento 3 de noviembre de 1949 Cuthber …   Wikipedia Español

  • Holmes — Holmes, Sherlock * * * (as used in expressions) Holmes, Larry Holmes, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr. McGuffey, William Holmes …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • larry — larry1 /lar ee/, n., pl. larries. a hoe with a perforated blade for mixing mortar or plaster. [1850 55; of obscure orig.] larry2 /lar ee/, n., pl. larries. See larry car. * * * (as used in expressions) Adler Larry Bird Larry Joe Holmes Larry King …   Universalium

  • Larry — /lar ee/, n. a male given name, form of Lawrence, Laurence. * * * (as used in expressions) Adler Larry Bird Larry Joe Holmes Larry King Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff Rivers Larry * * * …   Universalium

  • Larry — (as used in expressions) Adler, Larry Bird, Larry (Joe) Holmes, Larry King, Larry McMurtry, Larry (Jeff) Rivers, Larry …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Holmes — /hohmz, hohlmz/, n. 1. John Haynes /haynz/, 1879 1964, U.S. clergyman. 2. Oliver Wendell /wen dl/, 1809 94, U.S. poet, novelist, essayist, and physician. 3. his son, Oliver Wendell, 1841 1935, U.S. jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme… …   Universalium

  • Larry Holmes — Daten Geburtsname …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Holmes (surname) — Holmes is a surname, and may refer to many people. Since holm is a Scandinavian word meaning a small island , people bearing the name might either have a Scandinavian ancestry or have a surname derived from a place which gained its name from a… …   Wikipedia

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