Larry Holmes: “I learned so much working as Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner for five years. I borrowed it all from Ali. Jab-jab-jab-jab, right hand, left hook. Jab-jab-jab. I watched him, I sparred him, and he did that, so why couldn’t I do it. Ali was one of the greatest fighters of all time. I had the pleasure of meeting him, eating his food, running on his grounds and people always ask ‘what was it about Muhammad Ali?’ and I try my best to explain it, but, you know, it’s unexplainable, because he did so much of everything.”
“He taught me so much, and then he came back to fight me in the ring. I took no pleasure in beating Ali.”
Despite Larry Holmes’ deep respect and admiration for Muhammad Ali, the brutal nature of their 1980 fight left a bitter taste for many fans. Watching a faded legend take a one-sided beating from someone who once idolised him felt less like a passing of the torch and more like a public undoing. Holmes showed sorrow, even cried after the bout, but for the public, it was too much to watch. He won convincingly, but in doing so, he lost something harder to reclaim — the affection of those who weren’t ready to see their hero fall.
