Holmes Faces Unbeaten Mercer

Now we find out if Larry Holmes, the 42-year-old former heavyweight champion and current George Foreman wanna-be, can lift his game to another level.

The last time Holmes fought in recognizable form was April 19, 1986, when he lost for the second time to Michael Spinks on a controversial 15-round decision. Holmes stayed away for almost two years before coming back in January of 1988 for a last payday and was knocked out by Mike Tyson in the fourth round.

But in a sport in which no one is ever really retired as long as television is willing to put up money, Holmes was back at it again in April of last year.

He stopped Tim Anderson in the first round, and four fights later, he is preparing to take on Ray Mercer tonight at the Trump Plaza. For his trouble, Holmes, 53-3 with 37 knockouts, will make $1.05 million.

Mercer, despite his brief career (18-0, 13 knockouts since turning professional in 1989), is already 31. A former Army sergeant, he didn’t begin boxing until he was 22. He fought as an amateur in the Army, qualifying for the 1988 Olympics, and won a gold medal in Seoul. He will earn $1.2 million tonight.