Legendary HBO boxing analyst Barry Tompkins provides a wonderful history of light heavyweight boxing champions taking on heavyweight boxing champions….from Tommy Loughran vs Primo Carnera….to Archie Moore vs Floyd Patterson…..to Ezzard Charles vs Jersey Joe Walcott…..to Billy Conn vs Joe Louis….to Bob Foster vs Joe Frazier…..to Gene Tunney vs Jack Dempsey…..and then came the one that really established history in these classic confrontations between the “almost big enough champions” verses the “big enough champions”…..when on September 21, 1985….Michael Spinks took on Larry Holmes….and to our way of thinking here at ImaSportsphile….unfairly won the world heavyweight championship by a light heavyweight champion for the 1st time in boxing history….which was a feat that Evander Holyfield would accomplish again on October 25, 1990….when he as the light heavyweight champion would defeat Buster Douglas…..as for the 2nd time in boxing history where the reigning light heavyweight champion would take the heavyweight champs belt.
It has long been our opinion here at ImaSportsphile, that there are only three ways to take any world champions title from him…..by KO, TKO or seriously disfiguring the champ’s face in a unanimous decision…..something that Michael Spinks did not do any of the three to then heavyweight champion Larry Holmes….when he was the first reigning light heavyweight champ to take the title from the reigning world heavyweight champ….however, when Evander Holyfield became only the 2nd light heavyweight champ to take the belt from the reigning world heavyweight champion, Buster Doughlas….as Holyfield would KO the heavyweight champ in the 3rd round.
