Venue: Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas. 2nd October, 1980.
Muhammad Ali decided to end his
retirement and face his old sparring partner Larry Holmes.
Holmes had learnt his trade not just from one Heavyweight
great but two. Larry Holmes had also sparred with Joe Frazier
for his first fight with Ali.
In truth this fight should not
have been sanctioned. Ali's speech had already begun to slow,
and he looked lethargic. It was clear that Ali was a shot
fighter.
Yet public interest was high.
Could Larry Holmes handle the pressure of fighting the great
Muhammad Ali, the three times world champion? Ali tried his
usual pre fight windup but Holmes was having none of it.
Holmes took little pleasure in
beating Ali up. Muhammad Ali's courage as ever was undoubted.
Angelo Dundee threw in the towel at the end of round eleven.
