Larry Holmes firmly believes that one heavyweight, who claimed to possess a superior jab, made a concerted effort to avoid fighting him.
‘The Easton Assassin’ reigned as world heavyweight champion for nearly seven years, making a total of 19 title defences between 1978 and 1985.
After claiming the WBC title by edging a split decision against Ken Norton, Holmes defeated the likes of formidable puncher Earnie Shavers – and, more controversially, a faded version of Muhammad Ali – before losing on points to Michael Spinks.
From there, the American would suffer further defeats to Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, whose following outing saw him lose on points to Riddick Bowe in 1992.
This represented the start of Bowe and Holyfield’s iconic trilogy, which eventually saw ‘Big Daddy’ end their rivalry with an eighth-round stoppage victory in 1995.
Their previous two encounters, however, delivered far more compelling spectacles, with the notorious ‘Fan Man’ incident taking place during their rematch in 1993.
And yet, before losing to Holyfield, it seems that Holmes had hoped to face Bowe himself, only to discover that his rival’s team was far from interested.
Speaking with TRU SCHOOL SPORTS, Holmes insisted that an attempt was made but, instead, Bowe’s handlers decided to take him in a different direction.
“I tried to fight him and they [Bowe’s team] never accepted the fight. They can say whatever they want.
“I know what I did; people know what I did – they know how I fought – and that’s all there is to it.”
Holmes added that he would have emerged triumphant in their hypothetical encounter, claiming that his greater stamina would have proved a decisive factor.
At the same time, though, it must be said that Bowe – being much closer to his prime – would have certainly had the edge from a physical standpoint.
