Holmes didnt lack good opponents, he happened to come right after the best era of HW boxing ever. Ali had the very best opponents u can ask for and made the standard so high that all other dominant champs who came after him were accused of fighting in a weak era like Tyson, Lewis, Klits bros when in reality that era was an exception not the norm.
Anyway how good was Holmes? he was the most complete and rounded HW champ ever. He had no weakness and he did it all, he could outbox his opponents from distance by using his jab and footwork or he could out-fight his opponents from the inside using body hooks and uppercuts.
Lewis, Ali, Wlad were great jabbers like Holmes, but once the distance was closed they would immediately clinch cause they werent comfortable fighting in close range unlike Holmes who had no problem.
Frazier, Marciano, Tyson, Patterson all were aggressive fighters who need to close the distance to be effective but couldnt fight in long range.
The only other HW champs that did both were Riddick Bowe and Sonny Liston but both didnt have the footwork or mobility of Holmes and both didnt have the stamina of Holmes. Larry did have an underrated chin and conditioning cause he went 15 rounds and always finishes strong.
Larry Homes didn't have a lot of power but what made him so good was his quick jab.
I think someone that has a longer ,more solid jab than him would have left Holmes vulnerable like a turtle without a shell or a rabbit running from a cheetah ,those candidates would have been Sonny liston and today Vladimir Klitschko ,i feel those 2 would have had Holmes number.
I share the sentiments of Eddie. Larry Holmes is the nearest comparison to the GOAT, Muhammad Ali but with the better jab and deadlier uppercut.
Holmes was very good and should be somewhere in the top all time.
The exact spot is a personal opinion.
He would not have beaten a prime Ali and probably not Frazier.
Larry Holmes was not appreciated until long after he retired....
I rate Ali and Holmes as the best two heavyweights that ever graced a boxing ring...
Watch the tapes of his fights, pictures speak a thousand words...
I would put him right up in the top 5. He had longevity,one of the greatest jabs in heavyweight history, adaptability, a decent right hand. The only thing he is lacking is a great opponent. For instance Ali had Frazier and Foreman.
