CANASTOTA, N.Y.ùWith a precise, powerful left jab, Larry Holmes reigned as heavyweight champion for more than seven years, successfully defending his crown 20 timesùthe second-longest title run in heavyweight history. But during his recent induction into
“I’m sorry. I’m choked up a little bit. Why not?” Holmes said, receiving a sustained ovation from the crowd of nearly 1,000. “When you get to this point, when people come out to salute you like this, it makes you want to cry. So if I cry, cry with me because I feel good,” said Holmes. Holmes headlined the 2008 induction class, which also included junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins and late middleweight Holman Williams.
All three are in the hall’s modern-era category. Middleweights Len Harvey and Frank Klaus and welterweight Harry Lewis were honored in the old-timer category, and 19th-century Irish heavyweight Dan Donnelly in the pioneer class. A seventh-grade dropout who forged his body in eastern Pennsylvania’s steel mills and honed his boxing skills in a Police Athletic League gym, Holmes compiled a record of 69-6, with 44 knockouts.
He was heavyweight champion from 1978-85. His 20 successful title defenses were surpassed only by Joe Louis with 25. Holmes nearly matched Rocky Marciano’s perfect 49-0 mark when he was upset by Michael Spinks for his first loss. Despite his impressive resume, Holmes always has been underappreciatedùmostly because he defended his title against any fighter, regardless of ranking or name. “I wanted to defend the title properly. I wanted to give everybody the opportunity to fight,” Holmes told the crowd, which included a large contingent of family and friends from Easton, Pa., among them his 3-week-old great granddaughter and 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers.
“I didn’t get into boxing to become the heavyweight champion of the world. I didn’t get into boxing to get into the Hall of Fame. I got into boxing to make money and pay the rent,” said Holmes, now 58 but just five years removed from his last fight. Holmes said his detractors were his greatest motivationùincluding famed sportscaster Howard Cosell, who Holmes remembered said, “my legs were too small, I couldn’t punch and I was just a copy of Muhammad Ali.”
Holmes had thanks for many people who helped his career, even singling out his sparring partners. But he gave special credit to promoter Don King for taking a chance on him on the start. “When I was coming up, no one thought about Larry Holmes. Everybody I went to turned me down. No one would give a dime for my career,” Holmes said. (AP)
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