Larry Holmes vs. Muhammad Ali explained

Fight Name:The Last Hurrah!
Fight Date:October 2, 1980
Location:Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Titles:WBC and vacant The Ring heavyweight titles
Fighter1: Larry Holmes
Nickname1:"The Easton Assassin"
Hometown1:Easton, Pennsylvania
Purse1:$6,000,000
Record1:35–0 (26 KO)
Height1:6 ft 3 in
Weight1:211+1/2 lb
Style1:Orthodox
Recognition1:WBC
Heavyweight Champion
Fighter2: Muhammad Ali
Nickname2:"The Greatest"
Hometown2:Louisville, Kentucky
Purse2:$8,000,000
Record2:56–3 (37 KO)
Height2:6 ft 3 in
Weight2:217+1/2 lb
Style2:Orthodox
Recognition2:Three-time Lineal heavyweight champion
Result:Holmes wins via 10th-round RTD

Larry Holmes vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as "The Last Hurrah!", was a professional boxing bout contested on October 2, 1980, in Las Vegas for the WBC and vacant The Ring heavyweight championships.[1] [2]

Background

Larry Holmes was Ali's sparring partner for a long time. "He lived with Ali. They boxed hundreds of rounds. Look for Ali to decision Holmes," said Rollie Schwartz, past national chairman of the AAU Boxing Commission prior to the fight.[3]

After defeating Leon Spinks to regain the WBA heavyweight title on September 15, 1978, Ali announced his retirement in June 1979. On February 14, 1980, Ali told the Associated Press that he was 75 percent sure that he would return to the ring. On March 5, he agreed to fight John Tate, the new WBA heavyweight champion, in a bout tentatively scheduled for June.[4] However, Tate lost the title to Mike Weaver by a 15th-round knockout on March 31. At a press conference on April 16, Ali said he would fight WBC Champion Larry Holmes. The announcement came as a surprise, as the press conference was billed as a contract-signing for a bout between Ali and Weaver. Ali said negotiations for a Weaver fight fell apart the previous night when Weaver's promoter, Bob Arum, issued new demands that "were totally unacceptable."[5]

On April 28, it was officially announced that Ali and Holmes would box on July 11 in Rio de Janeiro at the 165,000-seat Maracanã Stadium. Promoters Don King and Murad Muhammad said Ali would get $8 million and Holmes would receive $4 million.[6] However, the announcement came as a surprise to the boss of the stadium, who said it was "all new to me." Rio de Janeiro State Sports Superintendent Ricardo Labre said, "The chances are 99.9 percent against the bout being held here." He said setting up the ring, seats and other equipment "would destroy our grass. This is a soccer field." The bout was officially called off on May 12. Ali made $250,000 and Holmes $100,000 in forfeit money.[7] After the cancellation, Holmes signed to fight Scott LeDoux, whom he stopped in seven rounds on July 7.

On July 17, 1980, Ali and Holmes signed to fight on October 2 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Promoter Don King said Ali would be paid $8 million and Holmes $6 million.[8] Caesars Palace constructed a temporary 24,790-seat outdoor arena for the fight. The live gate was $6 million, a record for that time.[9]

Due to concerns for Ali's health, the Nevada State Athletic Commission had the former champion examined at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic as a prerequisite to being granted a boxing license. Ali checked into the clinic on July 23, 1980. His neurological exam was conducted by Dr. Frank Howard, whose report contained the following information: Ali showed a slight degree of missing when he tried to touch his finger to his nose, he had difficulty in coordinating the muscles used in speaking, and he did not hop on one foot with expected agility. However, Dr. Howard determined that there were no specific findings to prohibit Ali from fighting. The Mayo Clinic report was forwarded to the Nevada State Athletic Committee, but it was not made public at that time. Based on the report, Ali was granted a license to box in Nevada.

Ali weighed in at NaNlb, his lightest weight since he defeated George Foreman on October 30, 1974.[10]

which [11]

The fight

Holmes sufficiently dominated every round of the fight. The hot, 89-degree arena tired the aging Ali quickly, who consistently fell victim to quick, sharp jabs and combinations by Holmes. The fight was actively critiqued by announcers on all stations in which it premiered. Most famously, ABC's Wide World of Sports commentator Howard Cosell lamented that the fight was difficult to watch and that, given the legend Ali was, the referee should stop it. Holmes' insistent and rudimentary assembly of punches and combinations put on full display the aging Ali's inability to mount sufficient defense and meaningfully attack opponents. Despite there being no knockdowns, Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee, against the wishes of Ali himself and other cornerman Bundini Brown, stopped the fight and subsequently gave Holmes the win via technical knockout.

Holmes later said that he knew from the start that Ali was not capable of defending himself from the onslaught. The champion was so concerned about what he was doing to Ali that he went to referee Richard Green and told him that Ali was not mounting an effort. Green admonished Holmes and allowed the fight to continue, but Holmes said that after that point he began to slow down his attack since it was clear to him that Ali was out on his feet.[12]

Post-fight criticism

According to the Telegraph: According to Ferdie Pacheco, Ali's former ring doctor, "All the people involved in this fight should've been arrested. This fight was an abomination, a crime."[13] Pacheco had earlier quit Ali's camp, in 1977, after Ali's fight with Earnie Shavers. Pacheco claims he had sent Ali's medical results to Angelo Dundee, Jabir Herbert, Muhammad Ali, and Veronica Porché Ali noting that "This is what's happening to you. If you want to continue, you have no shot at a normal life." Pacheco said he received no reply from the recipients to his warning.[14]

In 2012 Ali met Pacheco for the last time and told him "you was right", something he had said to Pacheco several times before. According to Pacheco after Ali's death in 2016:

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:[15]

Winner LoserWeight division/title belt(s) disputed Result
Saoul Mamby Maurice WatkinsWBC Super Lightweight TitleUnanimous decision.
Leon Spinks Bernardo MercadoHeavyweight (12 rounds)9th round TKO.
Michael Dokes Tom FisherHeavyweight (10 rounds)7th round TKO.
Mark Holmes Randy RiversMiddleweight (6 rounds)Unanimous decision
Ronnie Smith Danny CruzLightweight (4 rounds)Unanimous decision.

Broadcasting

align=center Countryalign=center Broadcaster
MBS 4
ITV[16]
ABC

Notes and References

  1. News: The night when Ali screamed in pain . The Guardian . 6 January 2007. 10 September 2016.
  2. News: Day when time finally beat Ali . The Telegraph . 11 December 2006. 10 September 2016.
  3. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/437329257/ Schwartz: Sugar Ray Will Feast on Duran
  4. News: Ali to fight Tate . United Press International . 6 March 1980. 21 June 2017.
  5. News: Ali Will Face Holmes Next . United Press International . 17 April 1980. 21 June 2017.
  6. News: Ali-Holmes fight planned July 11 . Associated Press . 29 April 1980. 21 June 2017.
  7. News: Proposed Ali-Holmes Title Fight Hits Site Snag . Sarasota Herald-Tribune . 30 April 1980. 21 June 2017.
  8. News: Ali-Holmes Bout Set For Caesars Palace . Associated Press . 18 July 1980. 21 June 2017.
  9. Nevada Magazine. Nevada Magazine. 1981. 41-42. 93. State of Nevada, Department of Economic Development. en. The biggest of all was Holmes-Ali. The dollar figures and publicity, not to mention the impact on Las Vegas and Caesars Palace itself, stagger the imagination. The event drew a net live gate of $5,766,125 (the largest in the history of boxing), with 25,000 people (the most ever in Nevada) paying $50 to $500 a ticket. Tax revenue to the state was $280,645. Caesar's telephone operators handled 48,000 calls that day, double any other day in hotel history..
  10. Web site: Larry Holmes vs. Muhammad Ali - BoxRec.
  11. Web site: Muhammad Ali said Tuesday he was taking a double.
  12. Web site: 35 years later, Larry Holmes recalls knocking out idol Muhammad Ali . 27 April 2015 .
  13. News: The Time Muhammad Ali Stopped a Man From Leaping to His Death . Slate . 4 June 2016. 10 September 2016.
  14. News: Q&A with Ferdie Pacheco, Muhammad Ali's longtime doctor and corner man. USA Today . 4 June 2016. 10 September 2016.
  15. Web site: BoxRec - event.
  16. Web site: VINTAGE BOXING™️ . Larry Holmes vs Muhammad Ali Full ITV Broadcast . youtube.com . Youtube . 2 July 2024 . 6 August 2021.