It was January of 1988 when former champion Larry 'The Easton' Assassin' Holmes faced a young 'Iron Mike Tyson' in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In his debut, the undefeated Holmes met Nick Wells, 26-5, at the 1972 National Golden Gloves and was knocked out in three rounds. Holmes blamed it on the lack of southpaw sparring partners. Then he found them before their next meeting.
They will meet again four months later at the Olympic Trials. At 1:54 of the first round, it was over, and Wells was once again victorious. “That guy Wells had my number, and he hit me again. It's bad.”
“Iron” Mike Tyson had lost twice to Henry Tillman in the 1984 Olympic trials and box-offs. In fact, he will face him again after losing his title to Buster Douglas, knocking him out in the first round.
As a champion, Holmes won his first 48 fights when he defeated IBF light heavyweight champion, Michael Spinks, 27-0. It was the first time a light heavyweight champion defeated a heavyweight champion. Holmes won one by tying former champion Rocky Marciano's record at 49-0.
After the fight, he said, “Marciano couldn't put on my jockey belt!” I always wondered how Holmes got away from catching his left hand and throwing it out, if the shorter Marciano could get under it with a right hand and do damage to Holmes' elbow.
Holmes lost to Spinks on two scorecards by one point, the same score I scored. In the rematch I had Holmes ahead by three points but he lost again.
Holmes won the title when he won a split decision over Ken Norton. Norton's coach told me, “No boxer wanted a rematch because of the difficulty of the fight.”
Holmes, 37-0, in his eighth defense, was the only one to stop former champion Muhammad 'The Greatest' Ali, 56-3, who recently won a rematch against Leon Spinks, 7-0-1. Holmes showed no remorse, landing multiple punches on Ali's head before it was stopped. Holmes said he could beat Ali after breaking up with him.
Holmes was 44-0 when he stopped Marvis Frazier, 10-0, and after the fight, he remarked, “That's because of the whippings your father gave me in the gym!” Although heavyweight champions were not usually allowed to have non-title fights, they did this time, especially since Frazier was not weighed.
In Holmes' fifteenth defense, he felt lucky to get a split decision over 'Terrible' Tim Witherspoon, 15-0. Holmes was 42-0 and never gave Witherspoon a replay.
All this brings me to where Holmes, 48-2, after losing his two fights to Spinks, will meet WBA and WBC champion 'Iron' Mike Tyson, 32-0. Spinks looked nervous on his crying journey.
Next to the ringers, the owner of the casino, the future president of the US Donald J. Trump, and the former champion Ali were present. When Ali was introduced to the ring, he simply tapped Holmes' gloves. He walked over to Tyson and whispered something in his ears. Tyson adored Ali.
In the first round, although two judges gave Holmes the upper hand as Tyson showed no respect for him. In the second round Tyson went to the body and Holmes started to show fear in his eyes as he tried to get away from Tyson who was following him.
In the fourth round, Holmes went down. Later, again, Tyson's right dropped Holmes on his back as the referee stopped without a count that wouldn't have mattered, because he was out.
“I cried when Holmes beat Ali; beating Holmes was revenge against Ali,” said Tyson (who was 14 at the time).
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