What Larry Holmes Said About Ali Before He Died

Larry Holmes was Muhammad Ali's sparring partner before he was his opponent. For years, he threw punches Ali slipped, studied footwork he couldn't catch, and absorbed combinations designed to make someone else great. He was honored just to be in the room. Then the fight was made. October 2nd, 1980. Caesars Palace. Twenty-five thousand people watching. And Holmes stood across the ring from the man who had taught him everything — knowing exactly what Ali no longer had. He tried to get it stopped. He threw open-handed punches. He begged the referee. He did everything a professional isn't supposed to do. And when it was over, he crossed the ring and wept. The world blamed him anyway. This is the story of what Larry Holmes said about Ali — before the fight, during it, and in every interview for the forty years that followed. A story about friendship, legacy, and what it really costs to beat your hero.