Larry Holmes bridged the gap between two eras and made a name for himself as one of the greatest fighters in heavyweight boxing history.
His left jab was almost unstoppable and led Holmes to the WBC Heavyweight title in 1978.
He won his first 48 fights, almost matching Rocky Marciano’s incredible record and leaving an unbeatable legacy in boxing.
Here is everything you need to know about Larry Holmes.
How old is Larry Holmes?
Larry Holmes was born on November 3, 1949, making him 75 years old. He had a 29-year career in boxing, which included a 7-year stint as World Heavyweight Champion from 1978 to 1985.
Holmes was the 4th of 12 children and dropped out of school as a child to work in a car wash.
Larry Holmes’ height, weight and reach
During his fighting career, Holmes stood at 6 feet 3 inches, or 191cm. His fighting weight was around 200 lbs, and he had a reach of 81 inches (206cm).
Who was Larry Holmes’ wife?
Holmes married his wife Diane Robinson in 1979, and the pair have remained happily married in the decades since.
The couple has two children together, while Holmes also has three daughters from his previous relationships.
Larry Holmes’ boxing record
| Record (W-L-D) | (T)KO |
| 65-6-0 | 44-1 |
Larry Holmes’ last fight
Nearly 30 years after he made his professional debut in boxing, Larry Holmes picked up a victory in the final fight of his legendary career.
Holmes battled Butterbean as one of his many occasional comebacks over the years, although this one marked the definitive end of his run in boxing.
Despite being 52 years old, the legendary fighter dominated his much younger and heavier opponent, although he looked completely exhausted when the final bell rang after 10 tough rounds.
The judges awarded Holmes the unanimous decision victory, ending his final fight with a victory to send him off into retirement.
Larry Holmes vs Muhammad Ali
In October 1980, Holmes defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Muhammad Ali. The former champion had come out of retirement in an attempt to become a record-breaking four-time champion, although the dominant Holmes had different plans for the boxing icon.
The fight was a total domination from Holmes, and it was sad to watch on Ali’s behalf. The former great champion was knocked about during the fight, looking lethargic next to his younger, faster, and stronger opponent.
The judges all scored Holmes as winning the first, although the bout was stopped in the 10th round due to the punishment Holmes was inflicting on Ali.
Larry Holmes vs Mike Tyson
In 1988, Holmes became the first person to straddle two generations as he added Mike Tyson to the list of boxers he’d taken on in his career.
In doing so, he became the only person to face off against both Tyson and Ali, two GOATs of their generation who had seemingly no connection in the boxing world.
Both fights were very similar, but in different ways. While Holmes dominated Ali in their fight, after the former champion came out of retirement, the same happened to Holmes when he returned to fight Tyson in 1988.
While Holmes was the only man to stop Ali, Tyson knocked out the former world champion for the first time in his career during their legendary bout, cementing him as the next big star in boxing.