Perhaps he's trying to rival James "My Lights Are Out" Toney in the delusional sweepstakes, but former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, now 63, claims he could train for six months and come back to destroy the current world champion Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.
Aside from being another example of the lack of respect the K-Bros get from the American boxing fraternity, it's ironic that one of America's least-liked and least-respected (at least when he was fighting) heavyweight champions would pick on the Klitschko brothers, who have so much trouble with certain elements of the American media.
You'd think that Holmes might empathize with the K-Bros plight, but apparently not. And the Klitchkos have the excuse of being from the former "Evil Empire," fighting against negative stereotypes of "Russian" (the brothers are actually Ukrainian) fighters from movies like Rocky IV.
Holmes had to deal with NOT being Muhammad Ali, and with the fact that, like the Klitschkos, he lacked great competition and often had to be content with beating up past-it fighters like Ali was when they tangled and journeyman types like Randall "Tex" Cobb. He just couldn't make America love him like it did Ali.
But frankly, African-American heavyweights in general have not shown the Klitschkos a great deal of respect during their reign, viewing them as interlopers in a field that was almost exclusively black dominated since Rocky Marciano hanged up his gloves.
Some even pretend the Klitschkos don't exist: Kevin Johnson, an African-American heavyweight who already lost big to Vitali Klitschko, even recently said the "heavyweight champion is ALWAYS an American" right before getting easily beaten by Anglo-Irishman Tyson Fury. So it's no big surprise to see Holmes showing such disdain for the brothers.
"Today, those guys don't know how to fight," Holmes opines in Boxing News Online.
"You give me a good six months and I'll beat the Klitschko brothers. They're strong but they're not going to hit me with the stupid shit they do. They hit all these guys with all this stupid shit but they're not going to be able to hit me with it because I'm not going to be there to let them hit me with it. Even at my age, I would give those guys the fight of their life."
Article comments
1 - Kiev Charlies
Holmes is a tool.
2 - san potkins
Assuming they fought in the same era Holmes lateral movement and pinpoint power jabbing would cut up the Ukrainians. Very close fight to call. Holmes destroyed a few big power hitters weaver and bonecrusher also dynamic inside boxers like Norton or shavers or
3 - san potkins
....stoppage Holmes . Larry had a great chin the balance and timing to keep a bigger man from getting close. Klich brothers would definitely bd top contenders. Larry was also a strong in the late rounds. Not a spectacular knockout punches but had a talent for finding the soft spot. Almost every five seconds tap. Tap. More than enough to make the big boys of his generation want to quit.
4 - dave
larry holmes in his prime would have beaten them no question
5 - Kiev Charlies
Vitali smashes Holmes to bits. Wlad will knock him out too.
6 - RussiaKOcolonizers
Is this guy on drugs?
There have been more white people that attack the Klitschko's! The US media is not controlled by Black people, but by white-racist!
Carl froch, a white-skinny, ugly-looking retarded actually called Wladimir Klitshko a coward
The Africans never had a cold war with Russia, it was you white-racist from USA and uk - the same countries that built their empire by raping, slaving, torturing and killing the black people!
Also Russia stopped you racists from invading Zimbabwe!
You racists-USA & UK are responsible for the propaganda against the Russians! I personally support the Russians, even though I am born in the UK!
GOD BLESS CHINA, RUSSIA AND AFRICA!!!!
7 - Alex Mallinson
If Holmes fought either of the Klitschkos today he could be killed in the ring. In his prime I still think he would lose by UD because he couldn't use his jab as Klitschkos reach is too long.
8 - Andrew
What a joke. Holmes in his prime would have been absolutely destroyed by either Klitschko. Holmes basically used an earlier, lesser form of the base tactics used by the K's, reliance on height and reach and jab. He is incomparable lesser on two of those fronts, but moreover the K's back it up with power that Holmes never dealt with (except when he was ko'd by Tyson) and certainly never had himself. When measureable records, i.e. track time and distance etc, are being broken by superior athletes in all the tangible sports, why is it so hard for people to understand the sports that can't be measured in the same way are progressing as well? Neither fight would be a close one, brutal KO by the K's.