Larry Holmes, the heavyweight boxing legend, has shared a surprising story from his amateur days. The former world champion admitted he once quit during an Olympic trial match against Nick Wells.
Holmes, known as "The Easton Assassin," had a career that spanned nearly 30 years. He held the world heavyweight championship for seven years from 1978 to 1985. Many regard his left jab as one of the greatest in boxing history.
In the professional ranks, Holmes remained undefeated in his first 48 fights. He scored notable victories over Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Tim Witherspoon, and Muhammad Ali. His first defeat came at the hands of Michael Spinks in September 1985 in Winchester, Nevada. Seven months later, Spinks won their rematch by split decision.
Despite his impressive professional record, Holmes revealed a moment of weakness from his amateur career. In an interview with Sky Sports Boxing, he admitted to quitting during an Olympic trial match against Nick Wells.
"The reason why I couldn't beat Nick Wells was because he was a southpaw, I mean he was coming at me like this and I wasn't used to that because I was beginning. When he'd throw that punch it would hit me on top of the head and I went down … He was gonna hit me again I said 'no more I quit, I quit'. I knew I couldn't handle it so I just quit. So people said I didn't have the heart and that bothered me, I had to convince themm that I had the heart."
Holmes explained that he couldn't cope with Wells' southpaw style. The experience left him feeling frustrated and determined to prove his critics wrong. People questioned his heart after the incident, which motivated him to show his true mettle in future bouts.
The boxing great never got his chance to compete at the Olympics. However, his professional career more than made up for this early setback. Many boxing experts now regard Holmes as one of the best heavyweights of all time.
