{"id":35225,"date":"2020-07-24T21:32:43","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T21:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/wbc-talks-round-87-no-me-digas-que-no-puedo-larry-holmes-con-greg-armstrong\/"},"modified":"2020-07-24T21:35:33","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T21:35:33","slug":"wbc-talks-round-87-dont-tell-me-i-cant-larry-holmes-with-greg-armstrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/en\/wbc-talks-round-87-dont-tell-me-i-cant-larry-holmes-with-greg-armstrong\/","title":{"rendered":"WBC Talks Round 87 ; Don`t Tell me I can`t , Larry Holmes with Greg Armstrong."},"content":{"rendered":"

WBC Talks Round 87 ; Don`t Tell me I can`t , Larry Holmes with Greg Armstrong.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Panel:<\/div>\n
Larry Holmes<\/div>\n
Greg Armstrong<\/div>\n
Mauricio Sulaiman<\/div>\n
Jill Diamond<\/div>\n
Victor Silva<\/div>\n
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Larry Holmes and Greg Armstrong have got together to create the book: “Don`t tell me I can`t,”\u00a0chronicling \u00a0Larry`s extraordinary, magnificent and enthralling career, but also exploring the behind the scenes events and gems, which makes boxing such a rich tapestry of characters, events, yarns and\u00a0all time \u00a0legends.<\/div>\n
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As Larry stressed: “Tell me I can`t and I will!”\u00a0 Larry`s talent and being the possessor of the\u00a0BEST left jab of all time are important factors, but also his willpower to prove himself time and again, for one of the longest reigns of any heavyweight champions.\u00a0\u00a0A brilliant pro record of 75 fights, which encompass 69 wins, with 44 KO`S and just six losses.<\/div>\n
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Larry describes this book as truthful and not sugar coated. Greg who was a News Producer for twenty five years at CBS and is the winner of the Edward R Murrow Outstanding Journalism Award said: “We always have a good truthful respect. I think the Champ feels comfortable enough to speak to me. The home town hero and his opponent. One thing shines through.\u00a0 If you lost to him…and many did, or you won, he holds no grudge.”\u00a0 Greg says that one of the aspects they explored in the book, was people challenging Larry to a fight. Regular Johns and celebrities. Sparring or flat out. Fighting in the ring or in the street! So to avoid the hassle, sometimes Security has to step in.\u00a0 Greg said: “I just can`t imagine someone challenging the heavyweight champion of the World. Two unfortunate souls who did…got into the ring with him!”<\/div>\n
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Peals of laughter as\u00a0a photo of Larry\u00a0is shown in the\u00a0swimming pool of Caesars Palace, holding the WBC\u00a0aloft,\u00a0after defeating Ken Norton for the title, in an epic and grueling war, which was only decided in the final round. To cool off, Larry had pealed off his clothes and\u00a0taken the plunge! He says: “I was so excited I had won the belt and I was so happy! Ken had told me he was going to knock me out, so I fought even harder.\u00a0 It was\u00a0VERY close.”<\/div>\n
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Then Larry \u00a0described the Great Don Jose Sulaiman as a friend: “A guy who was there for you!”\u00a0 Larry also spoke of the doubts of some people, who he grew up with, that he could become Champ, and his need to prove himself one of these days, also stressing: “I take care of myself and be nice to everybody.”<\/div>\n
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Larry wistfully recalls: “One of the saddest things I had to do, was to fight Muhammad Ali.\u00a0 When I stared, he was the person who gave me a job. I was a kid travelling around the World with the greatest fighter of all time. He was humble and he treated everyone nicely.<\/div>\n
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“Respecting a person is important.\u00a0 I want to be respected. If I lose, I gave it my best shot. I ALWAYS put my mind to it. Boxing is a rough game. You have to treat people right or you get bad luck.”<\/div>\n
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Greg talks about the mechanics of creating the book explaining: “We sat down and covered individual fights and Larry`s ascension to the crown. Then we go into Don King and Harold Smith, then trainers, then the\u00a0Gerry Cooney fight and the Champ`s legacy and behind the scenes. And all that Larry had to\u00a0go through to stay at the top. There`s also a chapter devoted to what the Champ thinks about retirement and its phases. Larry typically retorts: “You don`t really retire until you die. I`m seventy years old, and I`m still fighting!”<\/div>\n
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Greg said: “This is my first book and it took me six months to write it. I hope the fans enjoy it. It`s a tell all in detail and tells the truth.”<\/div>\n
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Sometimes truth can be even stranger than fiction could be!\u00a0 Larry who was a hold out stalwart\u00a0when Harold, put a million dollars on his\u00a0desk\u00a0to tempt him. He also asks Mauricio about the latest news about the proposed upcoming fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.\u00a0 Mauricio said he thought it was going to be over three rounds, but now there`s talk of eight rounds and no headgear.\u00a0 Mauricio is hopeful it`ll be an exhibition and not a fight, stressing: “There is nothing more sacred than safety. It is a very dangerous thin line.”\u00a0 Larry urges Mike and Roy to use head guards plus 16 or 18 ounce gloves, go out and have some fun, like Gerry and I do.<\/div>\n
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Getting back to the book, Greg explains that one of the chapters deals with the fight there never was, \u00a0between Larry and George Foreman saying: “It just never gelled time wise.\u00a0 They actually signed for the fight in 1999, and it fell through.\u00a0 Every time it was about to happen…it didn`t.\u00a0 It is one of those great mysteries?”<\/div>\n
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Questions were asked about how to obtain the book.\u00a0 It`s already out in paperback and hard back, and it can be ordered online via Amazon. Larry is even promising to deliver himself if a large batch is ordered. The WBC has started the ball rolling by promptly ordering one hundred books! Hopefully soon a documentary is going to be produced.\u00a0 All those interviewed for the book, have readily agreed to take part.<\/div>\n
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Larry is rightly famed for his superb left jab. He laments that it seems to be a lost art and deftly demonstrates it, doubling it up, explaining its purpose is to keep you out of trouble and should be whip like, plus fluid. And only stiffen up when you`re getting ready to go for the KO.<\/div>\n
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Concluding the firepower, fireside chat was a treat. Larry who`s one of the very best of all time, had a ring style which embodies some of the finest attributes of the Noble Art, and he wasn`t shy to outline this!<\/div>\n
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