When Larry and Muhammad Ai finally did meet on October 2, 1980, it was a one sided massacre. I don’t care if Ali had never been on the prescription pills he was taking, Holmes still would have destroyed the over the hill shell of a fighter. It finally removed the Ali shadow that had hovered over Holmes for years,.
With each successive win, be it over Trevor Berbick, or Leon Spinks, or Renaldo Snipes in 1981, Holmes still had his detractors. They too could not argue with the fact that he beat the best possible contenders available and many by knockout.
In June of 1982, Larry really started to get the respect he craved when he knocked out Gerry Cooney in Las Vegas. Cooney had showed grit and a big punch, but Holmes was impressive in showing his superior talent. After 4 years as champ, he finally convinced many that he was the best since Ali, and no one around could beat him.
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