Larry Holmes went on an incredible 48-fight winning streak to begin his incredible and historic career.
Despite Holmes getting dethroned in an upset loss to Michael Spinks in 1985, ‘The Easton Assassin’ was a champion for seven years at that stage.
Holmes became champion by beating Ken Norton in 1978, with his following title run including wins over Earnie Shavers, Muhammad Ali, and Leon Spinks.
For his 40th professional fight, Holmes had to attempt to defend his title against the number one heavyweight contender.
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Larry Holmes took on Gerry Cooney in 1982 at Caesar’s Palace
A win over Renaldo Snipes would see Holmes with a professional record of 39-0, with 11 title defenses to his name.
On June 11th, 1982, Holmes would be scheduled to take on the number one contender in the heavyweight division, Gerry Cooney.
The Irish-American had a professional record of 25-0 at the age of 25. Cooney had also won all but two fights via stoppage, as he showed fantastic stopping power.
It was set to be one of Holmes’ most dangerous fights since becoming a champion, with Cooney coming off of back-to-back first-round wins over Norton and Ron Lyle.
However, it would be Holmes who could maintain his unbeaten record in Las Vegas.
Throughout the fight, Cooney had three points deducted due to low blows. Despite the illegal blows, Cooney had fought well as a challenger. ‘The Gentleman’ would have had a lead after 12 rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards without the deductions.
Holmes would then ensure that the judges were not needed in the fight in round 13. Landing thumping punches on the challenger, Holmes had bloodied and bruised Cooney.
In the final moments of the 13th round, Cooney’s trainer entered the ring to call off the bout. As the coach entered the ring, the referee officially waved off the bout.
The loss was the first of the Irish-American’s career, as Holmes earned his 40th win.
Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney formed a friendship after their 1982 meeting
The fight between Holmes and Cooney received much attention in the build-up and was highly anticipated by many.
One topic of conversation going into the bout was that Cooney could become the first white heavyweight champion in over 20 years. This would lead to many labeling Cooney ‘The Great White Hope’.
However, neither Holmes nor Cooney felt the topics of race going into the bout were relevant when speaking to NJ.com in 2015. Cooney said, “We were just two athletes going in to do our thing, and we both want to win. That’s why all those people were there.”
Since the bout in 1982, the two heavyweights have struck up a friendship. Speaking to Vlad TV, Holmes said, “Now Gerry and I, we’re close friends. He called me the other day. He calls me every other day. We talk and stuff like that.”