Larry Holmes is considered to be a true hero of boxing and a standout fighter in the heavyweight division.
‘The Easton Assassin’ did not taste defeat for the first 12 years of his career. When Holmes suffered a shock loss to Michael Spinks, it ended a 48-fight winning streak.
However, within this streak, Holmes was able to have some career-defining performances.
From Holmes beating Muhammad Ali to Gerry Cooney, he was able to establish himself as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
Within his unbeaten run, there was also the son of a heavyweight legend who was bested by Holmes.
Larry Holmes had a first-round knockout over Marvis Frazier
In November 1983, Holmes would fight the son of Joe Frazier, Marvis Frazier.
Although Holmes was the WBC champion at the time, the two did not compete for the heavyweight title. This was due to Frazier not being ranked by the organisation.
The two still fought for The Ring Magazine heavyweight title, competing in Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas.
Frazier was just 23 years of age when he fought the champion, and just 10 fights into his career. However, the son of the legend had won all of his fights to that point.
Despite going into the bout in good form, Frazier would not have a good showing against Holmes.
A brutal right hand from Holmes would send Frazier down for the first time in his career in the opening round. However, he would recover from the blow.
As Holmes hunted a hurt Frazier, he began to wind up his right hand as he threw punches against the younger fighter. After repeatedly landing on Frazier, the referee called off the fight.
There were just three seconds left on the clock when the bout was stopped.
Frazier would also lose to Mike Tyson, as he only competed a further 10 times after the loss.
Larry Holmes lost world title two years after defeating Marvis Frazier
Despite looking unstoppable against Frazier, Holmes would carry his title for less than two years after the victory.
Holmes was named the inaugural IBF World Heavyweight champion in 1983, defending that title three times in 18 months. In this period, Holmes defeated James Smith, David Bey, and Carl Williams.
Facing Michael Spinks in 1985, Holmes would suffer an ‘Upset of the Year’ defeat, losing via unanimous decision. This would be the first defeat of his career as he dropped his world title.
Holmes would also not be able to right his wrong in a rematch the following year, once again losing on the scorecards.