The legendary Larry Holmes once claimed that a former world heavyweight champion was the biggest fraud in boxing.
Holmes possessed arguably the best left jab in boxing history, earning himself the right to be recognised as one of the greatest heavyweights to have ever graced the sport.
Known as ‘The Easton Assassin’, Holmes reigned as the world heavyweight champion for seven years between 1978 and 1985, making no less than 20 successful defences of his crown during this period.
He produced many legacy-defining victories at the peak of his career, defeating the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Trevor Berbick and the late, great Muhammad Ali before he was eventually dethroned by countryman Michael Spinks.
Despite crossing paths with many legendary opponents during his tenure, one man that Holmes did not face before his retirement was George Foreman, although it was reported that the American duo came close to facing each other during the early 1990s.
In a resurfaced video clip, Holmes sensationally claimed that Foreman was the ‘biggest phoney in boxing’.
“Everybody know that George Foreman can’t fight, everybody know that Tommy Morrison kicked his butt, everybody know that Shannon Briggs kicked his butt, everybody knew that he wouldn’t fight me. George Foreman is the biggest phoney ever.”
Perhaps the greatest achievement of Foreman’s storied professional career came in November of 1994 when he defeated WBA and IBF champion Michael Moorer to become the oldest world heavyweight champion of all time.
‘Big George’ called time on his career several years later having shared the ring with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Tommy Morrison and Joe Frazier along the way.
