Larry Holmes vs. Scott LeDoux was a professional match contested on July 7, 1980, for the WBC heavyweight title.
Background Immediately following his victory over Leroy Jones, WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes announced plans to make his next title defense against fringe contender Scott LeDoux.Leroy Jones Is Halted In the 8th, N.Y. Times article, 1980-04–01, Retrieved on 2026-05-11 Original plans called for Holmes to move on to a unification bout with John Tate, who faced Mike Weaver on the same telecast as the Holmes–Jones fight, but Tate opted to make plans to face a returning Muhammad Ali instead. Ali was in talks to face LeDoux in a tune-up bout before facing Tate, but Tate's loss to Weaver and LeDoux subsequently signing on to face Holmes derailed those plans.LeDoux Now Seen as Ali Opponent, N.Y. Times article, 1980-03–10, Retrieved on 2026-05-15
Rather than face Weaver, Ali held a press conference on April 16, 1980, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel announcing that he would instead be challenging Holmes.Ali Will Face Holmes Next, UPI article, 1980-04-17, Retrieved on 2026-05-17 Holmes and Ali and their respective promoters, Don King and Murad Muhammad, reached an agreement to face one another on July 11, with the bout set to take place in Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium. However, the Holmes–Ali was temporally shelved when the superintendent of the Maracanã Stadium, Ricardo Labre balked at the idea of hosting the fight, citing potential damage to the grass field used for soccer.Proposed Ali-Holmes Title Fight Hits Site Snag, Sarasota Herald-Tribune article, 1980-04-30, Retrieved on 2026-05-17 Following the cancellation of the Ali fight, Holmes and King pivoted back to LeDoux. King announced the Holmes–LeDoux fight on May 19 with the Met Center in LeDoux's native Minnesota being named the venue, becoming the state's first ever heavyweight title fight.Now It's Holmes vs. LeDoux, N.Y. Times article, 1980-05–20, Retrieved on 2026-05-17
Fight details In what proved to be a one-sided affair, Holmes dominated LeDoux through six+ rounds. Holmes landed his trademark left jab almost at will, severely damaging LeDoux's left eye, which was bleeding and badly swollen by then end of the fight and, as LeDoux admitted afterwards, left him unable to see out of during the later rounds. The beginning of the end for LeDoux came with around 30 seconds left in round six after Holmes landed a right uppercut that caused LeDoux to fall to his knees for the only official knockdown in the fight. LeDoux would answer the 10-count, but would protest to referee Davey Pearl that he had been illegally thumbed, though the knockdown would stand. Having survived the knockdown, and despite his injured eye, LeDoux would go back out in the seventh round, but after two minutes of action, Pearl would stop the fight after determining that LeDoux could not continue due to the damage to his eye, giving Holmes the victory by technical knockout.Holmes Stops LeDoux in 7th to Retain W.B.C. Heavyweight Title, N.Y. Times article, 1980-07–08, Retrieved on 2026-05-18
Fight card Confirmed bouts: Weight Class Weight vs. Method Round NotesHeavyweight200+ lbs.Larry Holmes (c)def.Scott LeDouxTKO8/15Light Welterweight140 lbs.Saoul Mamby (c)def.Esteban de JesúsUD15Featherweight126 lbs.Edwin Rosariodef.Jose Luis LaraTKO2/10Cruiserweight190 lbs.Paul Ramosdef.Johnny TownsendUD10Welterweight147 lbs.Brian Brunettedef.Wayne GrantKO2/4Middleweight160 lbs.Mark Holmesdef.Robbie RobertsonTKO2/4
Broadcasting Country Broadcaster ABC
References