Larry Holmes, one of the most dominant heavyweights of the early 1980s, claims George Foreman pulled out of a signed contract for a fight between them. The former champion says promoter Don King failed to secure the money in time, leading to the bout's cancellation.
Holmes, known as "The Easton Assassin," held the world heavyweight championship from 1978 to 1985. He won the WBC heavyweight title by defeating Ken Norton and went on to defend it 20 times. During his reign, Holmes faced off against notable opponents like Earnie Shavers, Trevor Berbick, and Muhammad Ali. His impressive run came to an end with back-to-back losses to Michael Spinks.
The potential fight with Foreman never materialized, despite both fighters signing contracts. Holmes explains:
"I would have had the pleasure of punching him in the face because he's a hypocrite. George has a short temper, he's not a nice guy like me. I would have had the pleasure of knocking him out."
Holmes doesn't hold back his opinions about Foreman. While the public generally sees "Big George" as a nice guy, Holmes disagrees. He views Foreman as someone who might be nice for a moment or two but ultimately has a short temper and isn't what people think he is.
The former champ continued to fight until his retirement in 2002, long after his prime years. Meanwhile, Foreman made a remarkable comeback later in his career. Foreman went on to defeat Michael Moorer in 1994, winning the WBA and IBF heavyweight titles just shy of his 46th birthday. This victory made him the oldest world heavyweight champion of all time.
