Larry Holmes, the former world heavyweight champion, has taken a swipe at Mike Tyson. He claims the legendary boxer wouldn't have made it in Holmes' era.
Holmes, known as "The Easton Assassin," held the heavyweight title from 1978 to 1985. He defended his crown 20 times and beat big names like Muhammad Ali, Earnie Shavers, and Ken Norton. His reign ended after two losses to Michael Spinks.
In an interview with Bryant Gumble, Holmes didn't hold back about Tyson. He said:
"Everybody in this room here would have been able to beat Mike Tyson. Mike Tyson was born right. You'd have never heard of him [in our era]."
These words might surprise many, given Tyson's impressive career. "Iron Mike" became the youngest world heavyweight champion at just 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old. He went on to become the undisputed champion, beating Trevor Berbick, Tony Tucker, and James Smith along the way.
Tyson's initial retirement came in 2005 with a record of 50 wins, 6 defeats, and 2 no contests. But he recently made a comeback at 58 years old. He faced YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a controversial bout, losing by unanimous decision after eight rounds.
It's worth noting that Tyson and Holmes did meet in the ring. In 1988, Tyson knocked out Holmes in the fourth round. It was the only time in Holmes' career that he was stopped.
Holmes' comments have stirred up debate among boxing fans. Many wonder how fighters from different eras would stack up against each other. But for now, both Holmes and Tyson remain respected figures in heavyweight boxing history.
