Larry Holmes, the former heavyweight champion, thinks several boxers from his era would beat Mike Tyson. He shared this opinion in an interview clip that's recently resurfaced.
Holmes, who fought Tyson when he was 38 and had been boxing professionally for 15 years, cut his teeth in the tough boxing scene of the 1970s. He reigned as world champion for seven years and was known for having one of the best jabs in the business.
In contrast, Tyson was a ferocious puncher with incredibly quick reflexes. He became the youngest ever heavyweight world champion at 20 years old and had notable victories over fighters like Michael Spinks, Tony Tucker, Marvis Frazier, and Holmes himself.
In the interview with Sky Sports, Holmes was asked if Tyson could hang with the heavyweights of his era. His response was confident and direct.
Holmes said Joe Frazier would beat Tyson up at his own style, saying, "Joe liked guys like that." He also claimed Muhammad Ali would "slap Tyson all day with the jab," and Kenny Norton would beat Tyson because he was too strong.
But Holmes saved his boldest prediction for George Foreman. He said:
"George will tear your head off. Bang. It's like the kitchen sink he's hitting you with."
Holmes believes Foreman would beat Tyson in two seconds because he hits too hard. Foreman's record backs up Holmes' claim about his punching power. Out of his 76 wins, 68 were by knockout. He also became the oldest ever heavyweight champion at 45 years old.
Interestingly, Tyson himself has expressed a desire to have fought Foreman, saying he wanted to settle the debate on who punched harder.
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These hypothetical matchups between fighters from different eras will always be a topic of debate among boxing fans. While we'll never know for sure how these fights would have played out, opinions from legends like Holmes give us a glimpse into the skills and strengths of heavyweight boxers across different generations.