According to Holyfield who was better: Bowe or Lewis?

Not sure what Holyfield thought. But his opinion would have to be formed by looking at them from two very different perspectives. He was significantly past prime for one of them and also fighting using a very different style.

 

I did post a thread about it a few years back.

Rooney, Cayton, Torres, Atlas, Patterson, Holmes all picked Ali to beat Tyson.

Its in the book by Thomas Hauser....Ali the life and times.

 

I've never heard anyone say Tyson beats Ali outside of a few crackpots on these forums.

 

Around 1988 there were a few who thought he might, but that quickly went away about a year and half later.

 

Not sure Holyfield avoided him. Let's look at the timelines.

Lewis became WBC champion in 1992. Bowe was considered the real champion at that point and Holyfield was aiming for another shot at the titles.

Holyfield won back the title from Bowe in 1993 and then defended against Moorer in 1994. This is the only realistic chance of the two fighting as Lennox still held the title and Holyfield could have went for an unification. Holyfield then lost to Moorer and Lewis lost to McCall about half a year later.

Holyfield took a break for a full year after discovering alleged heart issues. Returning in 1995 he took a tune-up against Mercer and went for another shot at Bowe, a more important match for him at the time as Lewis was still climbing up the ranks. He lost to Bowe due to Hepatitis, and took another year off. Returning in 1996, he fought Czyz to shake off the rust and fought Tyson who had 2 titles and was considered the man. Beat Tyson twice, avenged himself against Moorer and won the IBF title from him, and then finally went for an unification against Lennox as both men held straps and there were no obstacles around.

 

"if he didn’t cross channels and went with Don King, he would have gone down as the greatest heavyweight in history." Kevin rooney


Also he is on the what if Tyson had fought Ali in their primes video,hes certainly not backing ali up on it.your info is false...again!

 

80's Tyson is a stylistical nightmare for Ali. A Frazier 2.0, if you will. Just take that into consideration.

 

"To this day you can still find oodles of critics, some with press and boxing credentials, who criticize big punchers for winning fights when they failed to knock out their opponents, slamming them for outboxing the other guy, something they would never criticize a boxer for doing. You certainly can’t tell them that they can’t come up with a single 19 yr heavyweight in history that would be capable of beating a slick, experienced former contender who was still capable enough the year before to go the distance against Larry Holmes’ title challengers, Carl Williams and Marvis Frazier as well as against future champ Gerrie Coetzee and then Tyrell Biggs." a reference in an article....also showing the dumbed down fans thinking that Tyson would need a knock out to win and that's his only chance. :-(

 

Holyfield did not win the title back,he lost to Bowe in the third fight.Bowe retired after Golota. I think they just couldn't fight because the belt divisions then?

 

Hell, just a few weeks back 90% of the forum backed Tyson to beat a prime Holmes, but Ali is off limits?

 

He won the titles from Bowe in the second fight. Bowe wasn't champion in the third but a rubber match was appropriate.

I just don't think Holyfield ducked. Doesn't seem like him, he was fighting top guys in his forties.

 

Ali didn't even actually beat Frazier in the rematch,he was given the gift decision. Holmes is superior in more ways that are more important than the skills Ali had,but that's another thread..

 

but he lost the titles in the third fight? I beileve holy was weary of lewis after the Ruddock fight and actually Ruddock in 91,who was coming of 14 k.os on a 16 fight win streak who he had an option to fight but went with foreman.

 

"I think that fighter, in my opinion, could have and should have probably beaten anybody that was in his path. Anybody including Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. Well, I’ll give Muhammad Ali and Rocky – well it could have been different, I mean, Rocky punched like hell. Muhammad punched like hell. Rocky had beat everyone. Muhammad had heart and was hard to hit. The fights would have been interesting. But I believe that Mike would have come out the better. Because he punched very hard [laughs]. Mike…I believe that Mike is one of the hardest punchers in history. He punches harder than Rocky. Punches harder than Joe Louis. Punches harder than George Foreman.” Kevin Rooney on the night he k.od spinks!