Larry Holmes, the former heavyweight champion, has taken a swing at George Foreman's 1994 world heavyweight title victory. Holmes calls the win lucky and undeserved.
Holmes, who held the WBC title from 1978 and made 20 straight defenses, didn't pull any punches when talking about Foreman's famous knockout of Michael Moorer. In an interview, Holmes said:
"George Foreman knocked Michael Moorer out, but a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then. That's what Foreman found, an acorn. All night long he was eating right hands. His face was swollen up, he was taking punches all night and he was getting beat up. He got lucky."
Holmes didn't stop there. He went on to question Foreman's overall fighting ability and credibility. In another interview, Holmes stated:
"Everybody know that George Foreman can't fight, everybody know that Tommy Morrison kicked his butt, everybody know that Shannon Briggs kicked his butt, everybody knew that he wouldn't fight me. George Foreman is the biggest phoney ever."
Foreman's career tells a different story. He first reigned as champion in the 1970s, having epic bouts with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. After retiring in 1977, he made a comeback a decade later. In 1994, at 45, he knocked out Moorer to win the WBA and IBF titles, becoming the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.
Holmes' own career was impressive. He won the WBC title in 1978 and held the IBF and Ring belts. He lost his titles to Michael Spinks in 1985 and was stopped by Mike Tyson in 1988. Holmes made unsuccessful title bids against Evander Holyfield and Oliver McCall before retiring in 2002 with a record of 69 wins and 6 defeats.
Foreman was stripped of his belts after not facing mandatory challengers. He retired in 1997 after losing to Shannon Briggs, ending his career with 76 wins and 5 defeats.
While Holmes questions the legitimacy of Foreman's late-career success, many fans remember Foreman's comeback as one of boxing's great stories. The debate over the merits of Foreman's 1994 win continues to spark discussion among boxing enthusiasts.
