Decades after one of the most brutal nights in boxing history, former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, now 75, still carries the echoes of his 1988 clash with Mike Tyson—a fight that saw him knocked down three times in the fourth round before the referee stopped the bout. It was the only time Holmes, a titan of the sport, had ever been stopped in his illustrious career. Yet, to this day, the “Easton Assassin” remains unwavering in his belief that if he and Tyson had met in their primes, the outcome would have been drastically different.
The fateful night of January 22, 1988, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall marked a collision of eras. Holmes, then 36, came out of retirement—ring-rusty and past his prime—to face a 21-year-old Tyson, who was at the peak of his ferocious power. Tyson, already the undisputed heavyweight champion, was a wrecking ball, having obliterated opponents with a 32-0 record, 28 by knockout. Holmes, on the other hand, had been out of the ring for nearly two years, his body no longer the finely tuned machine that had dominated the division in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The result was a one-sided thrashing: Tyson knocked Holmes down three times in the fourth round, ending the fight at 2:55 with a devastating right hook. For Holmes, who had never been stopped in 48 previous bouts, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
But Holmes has never shied away from defending his legacy. In a recent interview on April 10, 2025, with The Ring magazine, the former champion reflected on the fight and doubled down on a claim he’s made for years: “If I was in my prime, he’d be the one getting pushed back into the ropes. He’d be the one eating those jabs. Mike Tyson was good—but he wasn’t better than me at my best.” It’s a bold statement, one that has reignited one of boxing’s greatest “what if” debates: Could a prime Larry Holmes have defeated a prime Mike Tyson?
Holmes’ confidence is not without merit. The man who carried the heavyweight division after Muhammad Ali’s reign was a master technician, renowned for having one of the sharpest jabs in boxing history—a weapon that allowed him to control fights and wear down opponents. From 1978 to 1983, Holmes defended his WBC heavyweight title 16 times (and later the IBF title four more times), a run that included victories over the likes of Earnie Shavers, Ken Norton, and a young Gerry Cooney. His record stood at 48-0 before his controversial loss to Michael Spinks in 1985, a testament to his durability and skill.
Tyson, however, was a different beast. In his prime, he was a terrifying blend of speed, power, and aggression, capable of ending fights in seconds. A prime Tyson, as seen in his 1986 destruction of Trevor Berbick to win the WBC title at age 20, was a force of nature. But Holmes believes his experience, ring IQ, and that legendary jab could have neutralized Tyson’s ferocity. “I would’ve kept him at a distance, made him miss, and punished him with counters,” Holmes said. “He wouldn’t have gotten close enough to do what he did in ’88.”
The debate has sparked lively discussions among fans on social media. “Prime Holmes would’ve jabbed Tyson into next week,” one user posted on X. Another countered, “Tyson in his prime was unstoppable—Holmes wouldn’t have lasted three rounds.” While the boxing world will never know the true outcome, one thing is certain: Larry Holmes’ unshakable belief in himself endures, even decades after the punches landed. The Tyson-Holmes saga remains a timeless “what if” that continues to captivate the sport.
