Boxing Career of Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes posted a remarkable 69 wins, including 44 KOs against only six losses, during a career that spanned nearly three decades. Holmes, whose left jab is rated among the best in boxing history, was the World Boxing Council heavyweight champ from 1978 to 1983. He also held the lineal heavyweight title from 1980 to 1985. He successfully defended his title more than 20 times and became the "only boxer to have stopped" Muhammed Ali in a title match. Below is a decade-by-decade listing of his record broken down by year.

The 1970s: Wins Heavyweight Title

Holmes won the WBC belt in 1978 with a 15-round win against Ken Norton and defended the title four times by the end of the decade. The listings include the date of the fight, the opponent, followed by the bout's location and result. Wins are listed as "W" for a non-knockout win, "TKO" for a technical knockout, where the referee stops the fight when the opponent cannot continue, and "KO" for a knockout. Losses are designated by an "L."

1973

• 03-21 - Rodell Dupree, Scranton, Pennsylvania, W 4
• 05-02 - Art Savage, Scranton, TKO 3
• 06-20 - Curtis Whitner, Scranton, TKO 1
• 08-22 - Don Branch, Scranton, W 6
• 09-10 - Bob Bozic, New York, W 6
• 11-14 - Jerry Judge, Scranton, W 6
• 11-28 - Kevin Isaac, Cleveland, TKO 3

1974

• 04-24 - Howard Darlington, Scranton, TKO 4
• 05-29 - Bob Mashburn, Scranton, TKO 7
• 12-11 - Joe Hathaway, Scranton, TKO 1

1975

• 03-24 - Charlie Green, Cleveland, KO 2
• 04-09 - Oliver Wright, Honolulu, TKO 3
• 04-26 - Robert Yarborough, Toronto, KO 3
• 05-16 - Ernie Smith, Las Vegas, KO 3
• 08-16 - Obie English, Scranton, TKO 7
• 08-26 - Charlie James, Honolulu, W 10
• 10-01 - Rodney Bobick, Manila, Philippines, TKO 6
• 12-09 - Leon Shaw, Washington, D.C., KO 1
• 12-20 - Billy Joiner, San Juan, Puerto Rico, TKO 3

1976

• 01-29 - Joe Gholston, Easton, Pennsylvania, TKO 8
• 04-05 - Fred Askew, Landover, Maryland, TKO 2
• 04-30 - Roy (Tiger) Williams, Landover, W 10

1977

• 01-16 - Tom Prater, Pensacola, Florida, W 8
• 03-17 - Horace Robinson, San Juan, TKO 5
• 09-14 - Fred Houpe, Las Vegas, TKO 7
• 11-05 - Ibar Arrington, Las Vegas, TKO 10

1978

Holmes won the title in March and defended it with a seventh-round KO of Alfredo Evangelista in November.

• 03-25 - Earnie Shavers, Las Vegas, W 12
• 06-09 - Ken Norton, Las Vegas, W 15
• 11-10 - Alfredo Evangelista, Las Vegas, KO 7

1979

Holmes defended his title three times during the year, all by TKOs against different challengers.

• 03-23 - Ossie Ocasio, Las Vegas, TKO 7
• 06-22 - Mike Weaver, New York, TKO 12
• 09-28 - Earnie Shavers, Las Vegas, TKO 11

The 1980s: Defends Title 16 Times

Holmes defended his heavyweight title a remarkable 16 times during the decade -- including the unsuccessful challenge by Ali in 1980 -- until he lost the belt to Michael Spinks in 1985.

1980

• 02-03 - Lorenzo Zanon, Las Vegas, KO 6
• 03-31 - Leroy Jones, Las Vegas, TKO 8
• 07-07 - Scott LeDoux, Bloomington, Minnesota, TKO 7
• 10-02 - Muhammad Ali, Las Vegas, TKO 11

1981

• 04-11 - Trevor Berbick, Las Vegas, W 15
• 06-12 - Leon Spinks, Detroit, TKO 3
• 11-06 - Renaldo Snipes, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, TKO 11

1982

• 06-11 - Gerry Cooney, Las Vegas, TKO 13
• 11-26 - Randall (Tex) Cobb, Houston, W 15

1983

• 03-27 - Lucien Rodriguez, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 12
• 05-20 - Tim Witherspoon, Las Vegas, W 12
• 09-10 - Scott Frank, Atlantic City, New Jersey, TKO 5
• 11-25 - Marvis Frazier, Las Vegas, TKO 1

1984

• 11-09 - James (Bonecrusher) Smith, Las Vegas, TKO 12

1985

• 03-15 - David Bey, Las Vegas, TKO 10
• 05-20 - Carl Williams, Reno, Nevada, W 15
• 09-21 - Michael Spinks, Las Vegas, L 15

1986

Holmes lost in an attempt to retake the heavyweight title from Spinks in April.

• 04-19 - Michael Spinks, Las Vegas, NV, L 15

1988

Holmes was unable to retake the title in a challenge to reigning champ Mike Tyson, who was in the middle of his brief but dominating late-1980s run.

• 01-22 - Mike Tyson, Atlantic City, L TKO 4

The 1990s: Fails to Regain Title

Age catches up to every boxer -- well, except perhaps for George Foreman -- and Holmes was unable to regain the heavyweight title in two attempts during the decade.

1991

• 04-07 - Tim Anderson, Hollywood, Florida, TKO 1
• 08-13 - Eddie Gonzalez, Tampa, Florida, W 10
• 08-24 - Michael Greer, Honolulu, KO 4
• 09-17 - Art Card, Orlando, Florida, W 10
• 11-12 - Jamie Howe, Jacksonville, Florida, TKO 1

1992

Holms lost a 12-round June bout to Evander Holyfield in an unsuccessful attempt to regain the title.

• 02-07 - Ray Mercer, Atlantic City,  W 12
• 06-19 - Evander Holyfield, Las Vegas, L 12

1993

• 01-05 - Everett (Bigfoot) Martin, Biloxi, Mississippi, W 10
• 03-09 - Rocky Pepeli, Bay St. Louis, TKO 4
• 04-13 - Ken Lakusta, Bay St. Louis, TKO 8
• 05-18 - Paul Poirier, Bay St. Louis, TKO 7
• 09-28 - Jose Ribalta, Bay St. Louis, W 10

1994

• 03-08 - Garing Lane, Ledyard, Connecticut, W 10
• 08-09 - Jesse Ferguson, Shakopee, Minnesota, W 10

1995

Holmes challenge of Oliver McCall for the WBC title fell short in April.

• 04-08 - Oliver McCall, Las Vegas, L 12
• 09-19 - Ed Donaldson, Bay St. Louis, W 10

1996

• 01-09 - Curtis Shepard, Galveston, Texas, KO 4
• 04-16 - Quinn Navarre, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, W 10
• 06-16 - Anthony Willis, Bay St. Louis, KO 8

1997

• 01-24 - Brian Nielsen, Copenhagen, Denmark, L 12
• 07-29 - Maurice Harris, New York, W 10

1999

• 06-18 - James (Bonecrusher) Smith, Fayetteville, North Carolina, TKO 8

The 2000s: Two Fights, Then Retirement

Holmes fought his final professional bout in 2002 against Eric "Butterbean" Esch and then hung up his gloves.

2000

• 11-17 - Mike Weaver, Biloxi, TKO 6

2002

• 07-27 - Eric (Butterbean) Esch, Norfolk, Virginia, W 10