How soon they forget!

You have to sympathize with famous people who sometimes try to score a point by dropping a local name. What’s even more embarrassing is when the local person has world-famous credentials.

A recent victim of this gaffe was President Donald Trump during his recent visit to Old Forge in Lackawanna County.

In mentioning various locations across the state, Trump included Easton, which apparently triggered an association with former world heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes, who was known as the “Easton Assassin” during his storied career.

“How’s Ernie doing? Good? How good is Ernie, right? Isn’t he great?” Trump asked. “He was heavyweight champ, right?” Several people in the crowd corrected Trump, who quickly came back with, “How good was Larry? That was probably Muhammad Ali’s most dangerous fight. I’ve never seen anything like it. Muhammad would never go down, but Larry was a great champion.”

This is the second time Trump has given Holmes a shoutout. The previous time was when he was in the Lehigh Valley at the Owens and Minor plant in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, in May. On that occasion, after learning that Holmes still lives in Palmer Township, Northampton County, Trump said of Holmes, “He was some fighter. Tell Larry I said ‘hello.’?”

After learning of Trump’s comments in Old Forge, Holmes tweeted, “Funny how you knew my name when you came to the Lehigh Valley. Are you mad I wouldn’t make an appearance on your behalf?” He ended with the hashtags #wearen’tfriends #iamlarryholmes.

It’s not clear whom Trump had in mind when he called Holmes “Ernie,” or maybe it was “Earnie” for Earnie Shavers. Holmes upset the hard-punching Earnie Shavers in March 1978 with a convincing 12-round win that set up a title shot against Ken Norton in Las Vegas on June 9, 1978.

In what many boxing experts consider one of the best fights of the decade, Holmes won the championship with a split decision over Norton.

Holmes said he has bumped into Trump a few times and exchanged only pleasantries, mostly when Trump owned the Trump Plaza near where Holmes had several important fights in Atlantic City.

Holmes has never been actively involved in politics and doesn’t plan to start now. He will turn 71 on Nov. 3 - Election Day. Holmes, however, has expressed a preference for Democratic contender Joe Biden, just as he said he had preferred Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, who lost to Trump.

Trump’s visit to northeastern Pennsylvania was on the same night that Biden gave his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination during the all-virtual Democratic National Convention.

Holmes had held the heavyweight championship from 1978 until 1985. He has had a chip on his shoulder for years believing that he was never accorded the respect that he thought he deserved. He also felt that he lived in Ali’s shadow.

In 1982, when Holmes was challenged in the racially hyped bout with Gerry Cooney, a telephone line was installed in Cooney’s dressing room so that President Ronald Reagan could congratulate him after an expected Cooney victory. No phone was installed in Holmes’ dressing room. Holmes won by technical knockout over Cooney in the 13th round of a scheduled 15-round fight.

Before he became champion, Holmes fought eight times in Scranton and once in Easton. After he won the championship, he had one more fight in Scranton, a unanimous 12-round decision over Frenchman Lucien Rodriguez, which my son and I attended in 1983. Honestly, though, it was a lackluster affair which Holmes did not take particularly seriously.

Holmes lost the title in 1985 to light heavyweight champ Michael Spinks. It was after this fight that Holmes uttered those fateful words - “Rocky Marciano couldn’t carry my jock strap” - which was roundly condemned throughout the sports world. Holmes was aiming for his 49th consecutive win without a loss in taking on Spinks, which, if he had won, would have tied him with the legendary Marciano, who had retired as heavyweight champ with a perfect 49-0 record.

Holmes failed to regain the title in a rematch with Spinks in a controversial split decision. Again, Holmes riled the boxing world when he said after the match, “The judges, the referees and promoters can kiss me where the sun don’t shine.”

Holmes was considered by sports writers and others in the boxing community as an outstanding boxer with a devastating left jab but, despite his considerable skills, he also was considered a whiner and complainer.

Say what you will, Holmes has always been loyal to Easton where he grew up and where a statue was erected to honor him on Larry Holmes Drive.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com