Prime Evander Holyfield vs Prime Mike Tyson

Ha! Yes Prime Tyson had too much skill speed & power for Evander.

 

Take a look at the first fight, Holyfield did what few did against Tyson and went to the body with success, he even dropped Tyson with a perfectly timed body shot.

Holyfield would box him and outfight him in the trenches and get him out of there late, he had the power to stop Tyson in his tracks.


You're one of the armchair experts that live in a fantasy world, someone who completely ignores what actually happened when they did fight and invent some mythical prediction.

Past it Holyfield kicked Tyson's ass twice, everything else is fantasy...

 

Evander was programmed to fight within his limitations for this fight. He held wrestled stood in the pocket and basically waited for tyson to come forward and be countered him. I don't know that evander at any other stage of his career would have fought Tyson this way. It wasn't in his character. So to me the stars alligned for him as far as timing of this fight. No way Holyfield hits tyson as mhch as he did had that fought in their primes and no way does Holyfield fight this type of disciplined fight. He couldnt do it against Bowe who was much bigger and be could t even do it against Foreman who he was killing when be boxed from the outside. So the timing of this fight was perfect for Evander. He beat The tyson of 96 always would that version but that wasn't the same Tyson of the late 80's.

 

You're forgetting one thing, Holyfield walked through Tyson's shots. He took bombs off the likes of George Foreman and Lennox Lewis, he could and would handle Tyson's power just like he did when they fought. The timing was better for Tyson because a young Holyfield with his blistering combinations would get him out of there even earlier.

 

They fought twice and both times Holy won. First by Ko second by DQ because Tyson knew he was going into deep waters again. To think Tyson switches all this completely around to beat Holy at some earlier time is a real stretch. If we are talking Holy at his best he was too complete a fighter and too tough ever to lose to Tyson. Tyson just did not have the mentality to defeat a fighter with such strong will to win as Evander.

 

Nice to meet one of the few on this thread with some brains.

 

You forget Holyfield was hurt by Foreman Bowe cooper and stewart none of which had the finishing skills of Tyson in his prime. Do you think if Tyson hurt Holyfield like cooper did he wouldnt be able to finish him? Im not making excuses for Tyson Im just saying you can't say he was the same fighter in 96 he was in 88 and in my opinionTyson was a whole different fight for Evander in his prime and Evander even admits it himself.

 

You forget Tyson was knocked senseless by Douglas... We can all play those games. Fact is Holyfield took Tyson's shots no problem, the same can't be said for Tyson. Go and have a look at round 10 of their actual fight if you want reminding. You're forgetting one big thing, Holyfield was nowhere near the fighter in 96 that he was in 91.

 

Tactically Holy fought Tyson perfectly. Not giving him room, pushing him back, and taking his heart. He would have done this to Tuson at any point in his career.

 

So you think 86-88 Tyson was pretty much the same compared to mid 90's?what world do you live

It was totally different fighter,maybe you should go look the fights again?

 

It's HOW you fight Tyson that counts. Holys game plan beats any Mike Tyson.

 

So you think Holyfield of 96 was the same fighter he was around 90-93?? What world do you live in?

 

I don't know who would win in their primes, but if I'm not sure, one way I do use as a guideline is the tactics used when they fought. In their primes it really boils down to whether or not Tyson could knock Holyfield out, because he's not winning a decision, unless he gets several knock downs in the fight.

Gun to my head I think the big difference in the fight is Holyfield's chin. I think over the course of the fight it ends up frustrating Tyson and he ends up taking more punishment than any other pre Douglas fight he was in.

One thing for sure, it would be a hell of a fight, however long it lasted.

 

This is my take on it as well. Tactics matter. That said, Tyson's a little younger than me and Holyfield's a little older, and if you asked me in 1986 who I thought would win it would have been Tyson hands down. But over time, having watched him fight more, I can see he was beatable if you were an elite fighter and stood up to him and either had a tremendous amount of heart, and/or a huge size advantage, which basically narrows it down to Holyfield and Lewis.

 

Holyfield didn't take Tyson's shots. He even admits this. Tyson didn't connect much as he was outmaneuvered and mostly hit air. THis is coming from Holyfield even.