Larry Holmes says Joshua, Fury, other heavyweights couldn’t compete in his era
The 72-year-old, who held the WBC title that is currently in the possession of ‘The Gypsy King’ from 1978 to 1983, insists the current crop of heavyweights are far less talented than the stars of yesteryear.
Fight legend Larry Holmes doesn’t believe that the likes of Tyson Fury and Nigeria born Anthony Joshua would’ve been able to compete against the best heavyweights in boxing history.
The 72-year-old, who held the WBC title that is currently in the possession of ‘The Gypsy King’ from 1978 to 1983, insists the current crop of heavyweights are far less talented than the stars of yesteryear.
Holmes’ spearing left jab was a trademark throughout his career – but he also displayed a mean drop kick!
“These fighters of today, I don’t knock them. I don’t wanna knock them, but they couldn’t stand up against us,” Holmes told talkSPORT Fight Night.
This is not the first time Holmes has taken shots at todays heavyweight fighters as he recently accused them of lacking the fundamentals.
“They don’t have no skills,” he told Fight Hub.
“They throw punches like this [from their waist] for a jab, you don’t throw a punch like that, you throw straight.
“You can’t hit me with that right hand because this hand’s here to protect me.
“They don’t know how to throw a one-two, and move out to protect yourself.”
Fury is the WBC heavyweight world champion
Fury has established himself as the current king of heavyweight boxing but Holmes is not impressed by the 6ft 9inch Englishman, who moves really well considering his size.
“He’s gotta move like Larry Holmes, that’s what he’s gotta move like,” Holmes said about Fury.
“You’ve got to give punches, you shouldn’t take punches. And that’s what he does, he takes punches.
“I guess that’s what he wanted to do, prove to people that he can take a punch.
“The game of boxing is hit and don’t get hit.”
Holmes concluded by claiming today’s heavyweights don’t want to fight each other and are only motivated by money, whereas in his era the best fought the best.
“The fighters today are not the fighters that I fought.
“We fought the top ten, we didn’t duck nobody.
“Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney, Kenny Norton, all those strong guys.
“Today these guys don’t want to fight.
“If you want to make some money, you’ve gotta bring it to them, you’ve gotta make these guys fight.”
