Larry Holmes, one of boxing's greatest heavyweights, wishes he'd fought George Foreman during his career. The former champion shared this regret in a recent interview on 'What The Hell Happened With Larry Holmes'.
Holmes, known as 'The Easton Assassin', had an incredible run in the ring. He started his pro career in March 1973 and went on to win his first 48 fights. During this streak, he beat some of the best in the business.
Holmes won the WBC heavyweight title in 1978 by defeating Ken Norton. He defended it 16 times and later added the IBF heavyweight belt to his collection. His list of victories includes big names like Earnie Shavers and Muhammad Ali.
But there's one fight that got away. Holmes said:
"George has a short temper, he's not a nice guy like me. The people always say 'what about George?' I would have had the pleasure of knocking him out. He pulled right out on me."
The fight with 'Big George' Foreman reportedly came close to happening. Holmes claims they had agreed to meet in the ring, but Foreman backed out. This likely would have been in the early 90s, after Foreman's comeback from a 10-year break.
Holmes' perfect record ended in 1985 when he lost to Michael Spinks. He tried to get revenge seven months later but lost again. Meanwhile, Foreman made history in 1994 by becoming the oldest world heavyweight champion when he beat Michael Moorer.
The matchup between Holmes and Foreman would have been a clash of two heavyweight legends. Both had powerful punches and different styles. It's a fight fans can only imagine now, but one that Holmes clearly wishes had happened.
