It's frustrating for journalists to get a sensational story only to find out it's not true.
It has happened many times to me and the revelations of Larry Holmes, world heavyweight champion in Las Vegas 40 years ago, I have had to keep it to myself up to today.
Larry Holmes is pictured here with his wife Diane, and their daughter Kandy Larie.
Before Holmes defended his title against Gerry Cooney, Holmes set up his training camp in Caesars Palace.
The Holmes-Cooney conflict sold itself.
Both men were unbeaten, and Cooney, the Deontay wilder of his time, had knocked out 21 opponents with his dynamite lefthook.
America had never had a white champion in heavyweight since Rocky Marciano, who retired undefeated 27 year ago.
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Don King, the promoter of the fight, was able to generate additional publicity by turning it into a Black-vs.-White race war. Holmes and Cooney were disgusted.
This was all white supremacists needed to let off steam and issue Holmes death threats.
Nearly eighty world heavyweight championships have been covered - many of which are highly controversial. But the build up before Holmes and Cooney entered in the ring at Caesars Palace's 30,000-seater arena was unquestionably my most disgusting and toxic.
Holmes was always happy to chat, smile and be relaxed whenever I interviewed him before the previous defenses.
However, six weeks prior to the fight with "The Great White Hope", as King called Cooney's King, Larry was in his hotel suite. I realized as soon as I walked into the room that he was extremely anxious.
He was not the laid-back, amusing person he is.
After a carload with rednecks and rifle-wielding robbers had set up their mailbox on his front yard, he told me that he needed to relocate his wife Diane, his children, and their belongings to safety.
This news item would have been a big deal in the febrile atmosphere at the time.
Larry must have seen my journalistic light and quickly said, "Please don’t write about that because I’m already in enough trouble with this black-and-white nonsense."
"I believe that what happened in Eastern is warning to me, my family, and if it appears in the media it could encourage other racist idiots."
SUN BINGO GET PS50 BONUS & 50 FREE SPINS TODAYHolmes was relentlessly harassed by white supremacist groups right up until the opening bell. They warned him that they were ready to shoot him as soon as he entered.
Las Vegas Police Department was very serious about the threat and placed their top marksmen at different vantage points overlooking ring in case of an assassin.
The only violence that night was contained within the ropes. It was amazing to see Holmes focus on beating Cooney despite the stress.
Cooney had his moments, but Holmes wasn't in his league. After being floored twice, Victor Valle, his trainer, decided to throw in the towel in round 13 to save his man.
FOES TO FRIENDS
I was able to meet the two of them last week in London before they embarked on a four-gig tour through England as part the celebrations marking their legendary battle forty years ago.
Larry grinningly released me from my vow to silence and said that it was okay to tell the mailbox story.
Diane, who was with them on the trip, told me that she will not allow a mailbox to be placed in front of her house.
She stated, "I will never forget how scared and panicked I was. I believed they were trying to kill me and my children."
"Since then, I have insisted that the mailman make his deliveries at my door.
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I am happy to report that Larry, 72, and Gerry 65 are in great health. King tried to incite hatred, but they have been best friends ever since they met in Atlantic City eight months after their fight.
They both stated: "We didn’t care about black or white, we cared about one another."
