Larry Holmes says he regrets facing heavyweight legend: ‘I shouldn’t have done it’

Heavy truck icon Larry Holmes is one of the most successful champions of all time, having led a legendary seven-year reign. However, there is one opponent that Holmes admits he should never have faced.

Holmes dethroned Ken Norton with a split decision victory in 1978 to capture the WBC world heavyweight title and hung on the belt until 1985; defeating challengers such as Muhammad Ali, Earnie Shavers and Leon Spinks during this period.

That famous streak ended with Michael Spinks handing Holmes a first career defeat and then also winning their rematch the following year, leaving “The Easton Assassin” with a 48-2 record as he announced his retirement from the sport.

Yet less than two years later, Holmes returned to action to face unified world champion Mike Tyson, where he suffered the only stoppage defeat of his career – flattened by Mike in just four rounds.

Talk to The telegraphHolmes honestly shared that he only took this fight for the money and that doing so was a mistake in hindsight, but said he was confident of beating Tyson if he was a few years younger.

“I shouldn’t have come out of retirement against him. I fought Mike Tyson and I lost. He stopped me. Tyson could punch, you can’t take that away from him.

“He was standing in front of you, trying to push you against the ropes, but he wouldn’t have been able to do that to me in my prime. I would have beaten him. But I did it for the money.”

Holmes continued to fight until 2002, finally hanging up his gloves with a 68-6 record at the age of 52.