Editing Larry Holmes (section)

===Trouble with the WBC===
{{Main article|Larry Holmes vs. Tim Witherspoon}}
Holmes's next two fights were one-sided decision wins over [[Randall "Tex" Cobb]] and  ex-European champion  Lucien Rodriguez. On May 20, 1983, Holmes defended his title against [[Tim Witherspoon]], the future WBC and WBA  Heavyweight Champion. Witherspoon, a six to one underdog and with only 15 professional bouts to his name, surprised many by giving Holmes a difficult fight. After twelve rounds, Holmes retained the title by a disputed split decision.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120871/4/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026130341/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1120871/4/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2012|title=Holmes Really Had a Spoonful|author=Pat Putnam|date=May 30, 1983|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=February 26, 2015}}</ref>

On September 10, 1983, Holmes successfully defended the WBC title for the sixteenth time, knocking out [[Scott Frank (boxer)|Scott Frank]] in five rounds. Holmes then signed to fight [[Marvis Frazier]], son of [[Joe Frazier]], on November 25, 1983. The WBC refused to sanction the fight against the unranked Frazier. They ordered Holmes to fight [[Greg Page (boxer)|Greg Page]], the #1 contender, or be stripped of the title. Promoter [[Don King (boxing promoter)|Don King]] offered Holmes $2.55 million to fight Page, but the champion didn't think that was enough. He was making $3.1 million to fight Frazier and felt he should get as much as $5 million to fight Page.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8KMyAAAAIBAJ&pg=1379,2360852&dq=marvis-frazier+greg+page+2.55&hl=en |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160227022939/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8KMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Bu8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1379,2360852&dq=marvis-frazier+greg+page+2.55&hl=en |archive-date=February 27, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Holmes had an easy time with Frazier, knocking him out in the first round.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RaQyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2803,3084162&dq=larry+holmes+marvis+frazier&hl=e |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312082655/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RaQyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P-8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2803,3084162&dq=larry+holmes+marvis+frazier&hl=e |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following month, Holmes relinquished the WBC championship.