Holmes predictable—Tyson

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 21

Holmes predictable—Tyson

NZPA-Reuter Atlantic City Mike Tyson said he had an edge in his fight on Saturday against Larry Holmes because the former champion telegraphed his left in his losing bid to take Tyson’s heavyweight crown.

“I always knew when the left was coming,” said Tyson, who pounded Holmes, aged 38, to the canvas twice in the fourth round in Atlantic City before knocking him out with a tremend-

ous right hand just six seconds before the round ended. “I could see the punch. I’m elusive and hard to hit, but Holmes was telegraphing his punches,” said Tyson, who raised his record to 33-0 by stopping his twenty-ninth opponent within the distance. It would have made little difference if Holmes had not telegraphed his left hand punch.

The few times Holmes, fighting for the

first time in 21 months, scored with the left, it had the effect of a flyswatter. Holmes’ right was not any better. At one point in the third round — probably the former champion’s best — Tyson merely shook his head and smiled after Holmes hit him with a right hand to the head, which the crowd thought had done some damage. The only damage Holmes did was to the reputation of the New Jersey Boxing Commis-

sion, which sanctioned the hopelessly mismatched fight. Many ringsiders felt Holmes, who was handed the worst beating of his 51fight career, narrowly missed serious injury.

He was a shell of the fighter who ruled the heavyweight ranks for 7% years and now has a career record of 48-3.

Except for one brief stint of dancing on his toes in the fourth round, Holmes was flatfooted Tyson literally never took a step backward

throughout the fight, unless the referee ordered it. Holmes showed that he indeed is ready to spend a great deal more time with his grandchild. Tyson’s role was nearly secondary to all of the attention paid to Holmes’ futility. Tyson, who was paid about SUSS million ($7.5 million) for the fight, was his awesome self, again demonstrating his terribly disciplined desire to win.