Lehigh Valley Voice - March 01, 2022
The Easton Assassin
By Deb Lehman
"Champions are not the ones who always win,” said Larry Holmes. “Champions are the ones who get out there and try. And try harder the next time. And even harder the next time. 'Champion' is a state of mind that is determined to thrive beyond a set of circumstances.” (www.heartofalegend.org)
Larry Holmes a/k/a “The People’s Champ” started boxing as a child at the PAL program,
and although he also enjoyed playing football, boxing is what he loved most and pursued.
His left jab—known as the “Holmes Hammer”—is often rated among the best in heavyweight boxing history. (Wikipedia.org)
A history, that began on the night of June 9, 1978, turned out to be a game-changer for 28-year-old Larry. It was his first championship boxing match against reigning champion Ken Norton. They went fourteen rounds and the stakes were high.
“It was scary and exciting,” said Diane Holmes, his wife of 41 years.
She realized, as did everyone at Caesars Palace, that the fifteenth round would determine the winner. Somehow, during the final 30 seconds of that exhausting fifteenth round, Larry found the stamina to pummel Norton with a right cross and a stinging uppercut. Those final moments secured his victory as the world’s champion and earned him the nickname “The Easton Assassin.”
