Esteemed trainer Freddie Roach once laid out his prediction for how a fantasy fight between a prime Larry Holmes and a prime Lennox Lewis would play out.
Renowned for possessing arguably the best jab in heavyweight history, Holmes is heralded as one of the greatest champions that the division has ever witnessed, having famously held onto the heavyweight throne for seven years.
After defeating Ken Norton to first get his hands on the title, ‘The Easton Assassin’ overcame the likes of an ageing Muhammad Ali, Earnie Shavers and Leon Spinks during his reign, maintaining an undefeated record until his 49th fight.
Meanwhile, Lewis defeated every opponent he faced during his professional career, avenging defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman and trumping stars such as Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Vitali Klitschko.
However, in an interview with Boxing Social, Roach, who guided Manny Pacquiao to superstardom, picked Holmes to come out on top against Lewis, believing that Lewis carefully selected his opponents during his time in the ring.
“Lennox Lewis was very good in his day, Larry Holmes was a great fighter with a great jab. I like Larry Holmes in that one.
“Lennox, I think that he ducked too many people. There was a couple of guys that he just didn’t want to fight, and he never gave the rematch, after a controversial fight, with Klitschko. So, I’m going with Larry Holmes.”
Lewis hung up the gloves following his 2003 victory over Klitschko and, as Roach mentions, opted out of a rematch with the Ukrainian, feeling it the perfect time to retire. Holmes fought on well past his prime, ultimately losing to the likes of Tyson, Holyfield and Oliver McCall before finally calling time in 2002.
