A Hall of Fame inductee has given one specific reason for why none of this era’s top heavyweights, including Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, would have defeated him in his prime.
Usyk is the current king of the heavyweight division, holding the IBF, WBA and WBC titles, with Daniel Dubois currently in possession of the WBO belt.
The likes of Fury and Joshua have previously reigned as long-term champions in the division, but is is another man that ruled for several years that has made the claim about the current generation.
Larry Holmes is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in history, known for his punishing jab and dominant surge between 1978 and 1985.
During this seven-year period, Holmes made 19 successful world title defences against the likes of Ken Norton and Earnie Shavers, while controversially claiming a 10th-round stoppage over a faded version of Muhammad Ali.
The American was then relieved of his IBF title after suffering back-to-back points defeats to Michael Spinks, before a prime ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson stopped him in round four of their 1988 encounter.
During his separate reigns as world champion, though, Holmes doubts that any modern heavyweight could have lived with him over 15 rounds.
This includes current unified and lineal champion Usyk, who has proven a master of the 12-frame distance but will never complete a sanctioned 15-rounder.
Speaking with CanadaCasino, Holmes said his “determination” and “willpower” would have been too much even for the masterful Ukrainian.
“I don’t think today’s fighters have the heart of the guys from the 70s and 80s. We had determination and willpower to go out there for 15 rounds.
“Today’s fighters could never have done 15 rounds. I believe I would have beat them all. I was always ready. Every fight was like the last serious one.”
While Holmes has expressed his view on the matter, there is no way of knowing how the likes of Usyk, Fury and Joshua would fare over 15 rounds.
It could be argued, however, that, in a prime-for-prime battle with Usyk, there is no guarantee of a Holmes victory.
