As he stepped into the ring to fight Ray Mercer under the bright lights in Atlantic City, Donald Trump and Marla Maples unmissable on the hard camera, Larry Holmes was supposed to be finished. At 42, he was more than a decade removed from his “greatest” triumph, a sad, anti-climatic victory over a doddering Muhammad Ali to win
Excellent stuff. Late-career Holmes deserves respect on his name, and Mercer was no slouch. That was one of the first fights I remember caring about, even if the narrative was always “the division is dead” (when aren’t divisions of heavies dead, in any sport aside from sumo?)
Excellent stuff. Late-career Holmes deserves respect on his name, and Mercer was no slouch. That was one of the first fights I remember caring about, even if the narrative was always “the division is dead” (when aren’t divisions of heavies dead, in any sport aside from sumo?)
Foreman’s ’dead-eyed smile’ is exactly right.