Muhammad Ali shared many intense rounds with one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
At the peak of his powers, the American was nothing short of magnificent, mesmerizing crowds with his incredible movement and sublime boxing IQ.
However, he certainly wasn’t invincible. Ali took a massive shot from Oscar Bonavena before bouncing back to win, and ultimately finished his career with a loss to Trevor Berbick.
Furthermore, rumors emerged that he struggled in sparring with a gifted practitioner of the sweet science.
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Larry Holmes reveals what happened when he sparred Muhammad Ali
On October 2, 1980, Larry Holmes stopped a past his prime, Muhammad Ali, in a gruelling bout at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
However, long before they fought as professionals, the pair shared hundreds of rounds together inside the gym.
During this time period, rumors emerged that Holmes had ‘dominated’ his countryman during their sessions.
In an interview with Tru School Sports, he opened up about what really happened.
‘The Easton Assassin’ claimed: “It was one of the greatest moments I had. I worked with him as a sparring partner. I put him on the end of the jab.
“I hit him with right hands, I hit him in the body, I took him upstairs. I called him names, he called me names, and that’s how it went in the fight.”
Mike Tyson made a promise to Muhammad Ali after Larry Holmes fight
On the night Holmes defeated Ali, a heartbroken Mike Tyson was watching on in despair.
The Brooklyn brawler was a massive fan of ‘The Greatest’, and thus, became fixated on avenging his hero’s defeat.
Incredibly, the pair actually spoke the day after the fight.
Long before he ever set foot inside the squared circle with the now Hall of Famer, Tyson promised Ali that he’d beat Holmes.