Who else would have KO'd Holmes the way Tyson did?

A prime Liston would have demolished that version of Larry Holmes.

 

Any big puncher would have beaten the 1988 Holmes. That's not to take anything away from Mike Tyson.

 

Louis
Marciano
Liston
Frazier
Foreman
Shavers
Page
Lewis
Bowe
Wlad
Haye

 

LOL. Even a rusty Holmes was all wrong for Liston. Sonny would have been eating jabs all night and been busted up before four rounds were over. Sonny didnt have the speed of Tyson or the head movement to accomplish what Iron Mike did against Holmes.

 

Nobody.

Holmes was made to order for Tyson.

 

Try watching the Sonny of 1959-1961 and not the one who fought Clay

 

I was never a fan of Tyson, but I think he is being sold short here. Nobody beat Holmes like that because Tyson was a tremendous finisher. Possibly Louis, Frazier and Liston could do the same or similar, but make no mistake, that was a great performance by Tyson.

 

If the question were " could anyone have beaten a 1988 Holmes in the EXACT same fashion with three knockdowns in the fourth round? " Then maybe things might have ended a little differently.. But frankly I think a prime Joe Louis, Sonny Liston and perhaps even Lennox would have demolished THAT version of Holmes..

 

All very good finishers, magoo. I don't think Holmes was a knockout waiting to happen though. Only an elite finisher could do the job in my opinion and your's fit the bill.

 

Exactly if Tyson had fought him again who's to say he would have won in that fashion?? Good performance but Holmes was over the hill.

 

Quite a few of the above and quite possibly the Dempsey that beat Willard too.

 

I have. Where is the blazing hand speed and the head movement of Tyson which was key to slipping Holmes jab, getting inside, and landing before Holmes could tie him up? Sonny was relatively slow of foot and hand and utilized intimidation and offense as his defense. Holmes, even that Holmes, would not have been scared of him and would have been bouncing jabs and right hands off his cranium all night and when Liston tried to get dirty or blind him with linament Holmes would have performed surgery on his eyes with his well schooled thumb. Holmes was all wrong for Sonny. The best thing Sonny could hope for is that his reach would allow him to jab with Holmes (and I laugh to myself as I try to imagine Sonny's slow thudding jab matching Holmes steady hard shotgun jab). This fight almost isnt even fair to Sonny. Mythically match the guy with someone who isnt going to make him look absolutely ordinary.