Larry Holmes

Born the son of a Georgia sharecropper, Larry Holmes would go on to reign as boxing's Heavyweight Champion for a record breaking seven and a half years. He also successfully defended his world championship title a record setting 19 times. "The Easton Assassin," as he was known, was one of Muhammad Ali's sparring partners when The Greatest set up a training camp in Pennsylvania near Larry's adopted hometown, Easton. Eventually, the two would face off in a fight billed as The Last Hurrah near the end of Ali's historic career. The two have remained close friends over the decades. Larry has also remained close friends with Gerry Cooney, with whom he had one of his biggest fights. The fight was so big that Caesars Palace constructed its first outdoor arena in the casino's parking lot. Although the promotion of the fight played the race card to full advantage, neither Cooney nor Holmes had personal issues regarding race. Today they are not only friends but support each other's charitable ca