Larry Holmes: Boxing's Premier Jabber

The left jab. The most basic of all punches in the sport of boxing. The punch that sets up the other, more flashy punches: right cross, left hook, and uppercut. It's a simple and straightforward punch, and it doesn't stir excitement or elicit the "ooh's" and "ahh's" when it lands as do the big power punches in boxing, but a fighter with a good left jab can go far in boxing. It creates openings, it helps to keep your opponent at bay and off balance, and it can preoccupy your opponent while you are timing him for the more lethal punches in your arsenal. And last but not least, a left jab is a great tool for scoring points and impressing the ringside judges. There have been many great jabbers in the world of professional boxing - fighters whose great successes and lengthy careers were in large part due to their excellent left jabs. And no fighter utilized, and relied upon, his left jab to the degree that Larry Holmes did.

Larry Holmes was the heavyweight-boxing champion from 1978 until 1985. He fought them all. Holmes made twenty successful defenses of his heavyweight championship, second only to the great Joe Louis. And the left jab was a huge part of Holmes' success in the ring. Although never a big punching heavyweight, Holmes beat his fair share of big, powerful punching fighters because of his educated left jab. At 6'3" with an 80" reach, Holmes had the reach and leverage to stick his jab with great force; he'd put his shoulder and upper body into his jab and really snap it. Holmes could double and triple up on his jab, and most fighters that faced Holmes found the prospect of overcoming Holmes' jab a daunting task. Instead of just using his jab as a range finder as many other fighters do, Holmes used his jab as a real punch! And what a punch it was! He could control entire fights with his jab, and many opponents were rendered cut and bruised by the force of the Holmes jab.

Yes, in the world of professional boxing, the left jab is a very important punch. And Larry Holmes is almost universally accepted as one of the greatest “jabbers” in the history of boxing!