Editing Larry Holmes (section)

===IBF heavyweight champion===
Despite his no longer being recognized by the WBC as champion, Holmes was still regarded as the lineal champion as well as being recognized as world champion by ''The Ring''. On December 11, 1983, the newly formed [[International Boxing Federation]] extended recognition to Holmes, and he accepted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?hl=en|archive-date=July 11, 2012|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120711085957/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SzUtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ir4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1334%2C4129623&dq=larry+holmes+international+boxing+federation&hl=en|url-status=dead|title=Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref>

As 1984 began, Holmes and [[Gerrie Coetzee]], the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] champion, were signed to unify the titles on June 15, 1984, at Caesars Palace. The fight was being promoted by JPD Inc., but it was canceled when Caesars Palace said the promoters failed to meet the financial conditions of the contract. Holmes was promised $13 million and Coetzee was promised $8 million. Even after cutting the purses dramatically, they still couldn't come up with enough financial backing to stage the fight.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8WMeAAAAIBAJ&pg=2709,1128942&dq=larry+holmes+gerrie+coetzee&hl=en|work=Times Daily |title=On Again, Off Again Fight May Be On Again|date=July 3, 1984|access-date=February 26, 2015}}</ref> Don King then planned to promote the fight, but Holmes lost a lawsuit filed by Virginia attorney Richard Hirschfeld, who said he had a contract with Holmes that gave him right of first refusal on a Holmes-Coetzee bout. Holmes then decided to move on and fight someone else.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZGoVAAAAIBAJ&pg=3975,4615380&dq=larry+holmes+gerrie+coetzee&hl=en|work=Eugene Register-Guard |title=Holmes signs for title fight in November|agency=Associated Press|date=September 19, 1984|access-date=February 26, 2015}}</ref>

On November 9, 1984, after a year out of the ring, Holmes made his first defense of the IBF title, stopping [[James "Bonecrusher" Smith]] on a cut in the twelfth round. In the first half of 1985, Holmes stopped [[David Bey]] in ten rounds for his 19th title defense. His next against [[Carl "The Truth" Williams]] was unexpectedly tough. The younger, quicker Williams was able to out-jab the aging champion, who was left with a badly swollen eye by the end of the bout. Holmes emerged with a close, and disputed, fifteen-round unanimous decision.