Best heavyweight toe to toe?

I will surprise a few people here but once hurt, Larry Holmes in his prime fought very well in the trenches when he had to. He could slug it out.

I'm thinking against Norton, Co0ney, Witherspoon, Snipes, Shavers,

 

prime Tyson ( 1986-1989 )

 

Sonny Liston

 

Tyson for me.

Ali, Louis, Lewis and Holy can all beat Tyson by hurting him from mid range and staying one step ahead of him.

But you make anyone stand toe to toe with Tyson and they will get knocked out.

 

I think he was generaly not that smart inside. Needed more room. I think Tyson did damage on the way in or when a guy was already stunned. He was not into exchanges at close range. Swaping blows.

Bonecrusher held him, so did Bruno. and Douglas man handled him. When I think toe to toe I'm thinking slugfest. Only really against Rudock did Tyson exchange somewhat at close range but he was not prime then.

 

No man beat Tyson inside during his whole career.

He doesn't have a great rep for in fighting but his style was always the same, slip his way inside and put on the hurt up close.

Holy countered him but was very nearly blown out. Douglas and Lewis beat him from the outside. No one roughed him up inside.

 

I'm okay with either Tyson or Foreman being selected. I think Liston and Lewis both required more variety than just to fight inside, and I think others like Holmes and Ali, were more likely to win decisions than blow out an opponent from close quarters.

 

Tua KOs him

Similar power, stronger Iron chin

 

Frazier, Louis, Dempsey , Marciano. Some would say Tyson, but I'll always questions his character win the fire got hot. Did he really want to continue with Douglas? Biting Holyfeilds ear? And a few other episodes when in tough fights.

 

I would probably favor Foreman, Tyson, Tua, Bowe, and Ike over any of them, toe to toe.

 

Agree

 

I'll go with Tua. I'm not sure he took a backwards step in his career. I also thought he beat Ike.

Ike, Holy, and Bowe are also up there.

 

Ridiculous post.

Tyson was one of the most devastating inside fighters of all time. His entire pick-a-boo style was get inside and swarm with hard flurries. His style was all bout trading, that was one of the reasons for his short career, if you are in a position to trade well the other guy is well and being in the firing zone fight after fight makes for tough career.

Most opponents didn't want Tyson getting close to him THATS WHY they tried to negate him on the inside (movement from Biggs and clinching from Holyfield).

Slugfests? Tyson vs Holyfield 1, Razor Ruddock 1, Douglas had tremendous back and forth action.

Inside action? Tyson vs Tubbs and Biggs were clinics on breaking guys down inside. Tubbs was crazy to be flat footed and engage on the inside whilst Tyson had to get past the jab to then slowly dismantle Biggs. His body work in that fight was excellent.

 

Towards the end of round one of Joe Louis-Max Baer is one of the greatest toe-to-toe punch-for-punch slug-fest exchanges I've ever seen in a heavyweight bout, and Louis had the harder puncher in a corner as the bell rang.