- Born
- Nicknames
- The Easton Assassin
- The Easton Assasin
- Height6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
- Born the son of a Georgia sharecropper, Larry Holmes would go on to reign as boxing's Heavyweight Champion for a record breaking seven and a half years. He also successfully defended his world championship title a record setting 19 times. "The Easton Assassin," as he was known, was one of Muhammad Ali's sparring partners when The Greatest set up a training camp in Pennsylvania near Larry's adopted hometown, Easton. Eventually, the two would face off in a fight billed as The Last Hurrah near the end of Ali's historic career. The two have remained close friends over the decades.
Larry has also remained close friends with Gerry Cooney, with whom he had one of his biggest fights. The fight was so big that Caesars Palace constructed its first outdoor arena in the casino's parking lot. Although the promotion of the fight played the race card to full advantage, neither Cooney nor Holmes had personal issues regarding race. Today they are not only friends but support each other's charitable causes.
Though nearly forgotten by history, Holmes passed on a potential payday in excess of 30 million dollars to fight white South African contender Gerry Coetzee. The fight was to be held in South Africa during the time of Apartheid and while Nelson Mandela was still in prison. Supporting the worldwide boycott of South Africa until racial justice was in place and Mandela released, Larry Holmes walked away from what would have been one of the richest purses in the history of the sport. From that point on, unbeknownst to Holmes, Nelson Mandela kept a photo of "his champion" in his prison cell.
Holmes has recently appeared in movies for National Lampoon, GRUDGE MATCH, and recorded an episode of Mike Tyson Mysteries.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Alan Donnes
- SpouseDiane Robinson(December 23, 1979 - present) (5 children)
- ChildrenKandy HolmesLarry Holmes, JrMisty HolmesLisa HolmesBelinda Holmes
- ParentsJohn Henry HolmesFlossie Holmes
- RelativesMark Holmes(Sibling)Lee Holmes(Sibling)Floyd Holmes(Sibling)
- Nelson Mandela kept a photo of Larry Holmes on the wall of his prison cell to honor Holmes for walking away from one of the richest purses ever in boxing in support of the boycott of South Africa.
- Pro Record: 67-6 (43 KOs)
- His title defense against Carl "The Truth" Williams was the last heavyweight boxing championship match to ever be shown on free television in America.
- Noted for having one of the the best left jabs in heavyweight boxing.
- A bronze statue of Larry Holmes was recently unveiled in Easton, PA. Known as the Easton Assassin, Holmes remained in his beloved hometown and lives there today. His statue stand between the Delaware River and Larry Holmes Drive.
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