Holyfield's Toughest Test

Quawi/ Haye/ Byrd.

could have.

 

Dempsey and Marciano would be tough, so too would Ezzard Charles and Moore. Tunney maybe, Spink. JJW. Holyfield was super at Cruiser but also somewhat underdeveloped compared to the heavyweight he was to become. All these guys would have a lot of experience over him and are great fighters.

 

Maybe if Byrd hadn't moved up to heavyweight almost from the start of his career and made a serious go at competing at cruiserweight but by the time that he decided to move back down, he was in his late 30s and well past his best.

Haye against Holyfield would have been a very interesting fight if both were at their best, at cruiserweight (and heavyweight).Haye, if anything was a bigger single puncher than Evander and along with his speed would have definitely presented him with a threat that Holy never faced in his CW career. Might have been a pretty wild shootout for a few rounds as Evander wasn't one to back down from a challenge especially at CW. In the end I think Holyfield's better overall skills and more importantly his better chin will ensure the win though Haye's chances shouldn't be discounted entirely.

 

Holyfield is no1 Haye no 2 imo. Lethal in different ways. Holy more complete by far, but Haye is a monster monster 1 shot ko artist at cruiser

 

Not many cruises have a chance of beating holy to be honest imo. He was a legend at heavy and that was a weight above so at cw it's hard to see any one beating him. DmQ pushed him to a split of course but holy was more or less just starting out then, and even then holy won the fight.

 

No way Byrd wins with his punch output.

Haye had power and speed but was a pretty sloppy and not very skilled boxer in comparison to Evander.

 

Holyfield himself said Qawi was maybe his toughest fght.

 

Darn.

I was thinking Schmeling, Louis, Marciano and Dempsey ;D

 

It's a entirely different story adding dempsey, Charles and marciano. That's three ATG right there. But if it's cruisers around the time of the division starting up then no one beats him. He's the king of cruisers

 

Which is why i said could ,Haye would be holys biggest puncher and bigger opponents who was faster than even he was. Haye is tricky not sloppy and unorthodox making him not a easy guy to fight as opposed to a more basic boxer.

byrd is the same threat as Haye ,less power but only heavy punchers beat him.

 

No one has been as truly dominant over the Cruiserweight division, as was Holyfield. He was fighting there when a lot of vying for position, amongst other solid Crusiers, was going on - Qawi being one of these. Carlos DeLeon being another.

Since then, we have had a few Titlists, who stand out for defending on numerous occasions, over time. Vassiliy Jirov and Juan Carlos Gomez, for example - and I suppose Nelson falls into this category as well.

Haye's tenure at Cruiserweight is often bigged up, because of his demonstrable punching power - both there and at heavyweight. In truth, he beat a creaking Mormeck in a fight he was behind on the cards in and then moved on (to heavyweight) only to pop back and blitz Maccarinelli in his only defense - and that was it (though, to be fair, he did unify another title in this defense).

Qawi was the only one to come close to Holyfield, in a 15 round classic. But then, this was very early Holyfield - like a teaser for the things that would come over the next decade and more.

 

Doesn't Nelson hold the record for CW defences? Something like 12 or 13 successful defences. Only fight I've seen of his though was his title winning fight against Carl Thompson who later became the first and only guy to beat David Haye at CW. Nelson looked tall and rangy but seemed to throw fast hard punches as well but I guess people that know of him don't hold him in high regard despite his many title defences?