LARRY HOLMES vs. MICHAEL SPINKS (2) Site / AUTO 

Description : Here we have a superb Larry Holmes autographed super rare original onsite poster from the Las Vegas Hilton where on 19th April 1986 Larry Holmes attempted to regain his world heavyweight crown in the rematch with former undisputed former Light/heavyweight king & now IBF heavyweight champion Michael Spinks.

Michael Spinks figured Larry Holmes would come out desperate for an early knockout, so he was ready. To run, that is. Spinks threw only seven punches in the 1st round and ran from Holmes the first 4 rounds before coming on strong to take a split-decision win and keep his portion of the heavyweight crown.

The sold-out crowd of nearly 9,000 at the Las Vegas Hilton watched as Holmes built up a big early lead, but seemingly wore down as Spinks mounted his own attack from the fifth round on. Holmes still had enough left to stagger Spinks in the 14th round with a right hand that caused the champion's knees to buckle. But it was a mark of his loss of skills that Holmes was unable to finish Spinks off. It was that vaunted right hand that Spinks worked so hard to stay away from in the early rounds, and it almost cost him the fight. Spinks lost the first 4 rounds on all ringside scorecards to dig a hole he almost couldn't crawl out from. Spinks dominated the middle rounds, changing the flow of the fight by backing Holmes up with left hooks that landed often. By the end of the 11th round, Spinks had pulled ahead on one scorecard and even on another. The fight was essentially a draw with 4 rounds to go.

"I looked up and saw the ring card for the 12th round and I said to myself, 'If you're going to win it, you've got to win it now,'" said Spinks.

That meant going in and trading punches with Holmes, still dangerous and throwing right hands despite a right thumb he said he fractured in the 3rd round. Spinks said he knew the risks of the strategy. He came out throwing punches in the 15th round and seemed in control of the possibly deciding round until a Holmes right with only a minute left stunned him again. But it was too late as Spinks not only lasted the round, but won it on 2 of the 3 scorecards. The fighters embraced with Spinks telling Holmes, "In my mind, you'll always be a champion." The fight was the second loss to Spinks in a row for Holmes, who had won 48 straight fights while dominating the heavyweight ranks for 7½ years. It also marked the end of an era, as a tearful Holmes said he would fight no more. "It's over, this is it," the former champion said. "I don't need it, I don't need the aggravation."

One judge favored Holmes by 3 points, but the two other judges liked Spinks, by 2 and 3 points, respectively. It was a decision Holmes found tough to swallow, just like the first fight between the two.

"I think I won the fight more convincingly this time," Holmes told reporters gathered in his suite several hours after the fight. "How many times do I continue to have to prove myself?"

This original Las Vegas Hilton onsite poster represented here has been signed by Larry Holmes, and comes with a letter of guarantee of authenticity from KOfightposters.com for a lifetime & beyond.

Postage: £10.00 Special Delivery... £20.00 International.