Larry Holmes set up a rematch with Muhammad Ali in the championship of the tournament after narrowly defeating Joe Louis in an exciting losers’ bracket final. Unfortunately, the tournament had a bit of a lackluster finish as for the second straight matchup, Ali and Holmes took defensive postures, didn’t land any big blows, and left it to the judges. Once again, Ali’s hand was raised, and he claimed the top prize as the 16-man double-elimination tournament came to an end.
Legends of Boxing Heavyweight Tournament Home Page
Losers’ Bracket Final
Larry Holmes vs. Joe Louis: It looked to be an evenly matched fight. Holmes knocked Louis down twice: once in the first round and again in the sixth round. Louis gamely fought on and might’ve outpunched Holmes in the majority of the rounds. But the two 10-8 rounds in Holmes’ favor turned out to be the difference. It was close, but the judge #1 had it 115-111 for Holmes, judge #3 saw it 114-113 for Holmes, and judge #2 scored a 113-113 draw. Holmes def. Louis by majority decision.
Championship
Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes: Like the first bout, this was a defensive struggle between the two tacticians. This one was a little bit closer than the first matchup in the winners’ bracket final. Each boxer only landed one stunning blow, both of which came in the fourth round. Other than that, it was jabs and counters. Ali clearly won rounds eight and nine, but the other 10 were close enough to be left to the judges’ call. Ali was crowned the champion by scores of 118-111, 116-115, and 117-112. Ali def. Holmes by unanimous decision.
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 