Larry Holmes, a former heavyweight champion, has called out George Foreman as "the biggest fraud in boxing." Holmes, who ruled the heavyweight division from 1978 to 1985, doesn't think Foreman deserves the high regard he gets in the sport.
Holmes made a name for himself with 16 defenses of the WBC belt and fights against big names like Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, and Mike Tyson. He claims he and Foreman were close to fighting, but it never happened.
Foreman's career took a different path. He first became champion in 1973 when he knocked out Joe Frazier in two rounds. After losing his belt to Ali in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle," Foreman made a comeback 10 years later. He went on to beat Michael Moorer and became the oldest heavyweight champion.
But Holmes isn't impressed. He shared his thoughts in a recent interview:
"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 kept criticizing Foreman's skills and record:
"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 win over Moorer might be seen as a great moment in boxing history, but Holmes sees it differently. He thinks it was just a lucky punch.
Despite Holmes' harsh words, both he and Foreman are in the Boxing Hall of Fame. It seems the bad blood is mostly on Holmes' side, as he continues to criticize his old rival's legacy in the sport.
