Could any version of Holyfield defeat the Toney of 2003?

My point wasn't about his shoulder. It looked to me like he was already feeling fatigued after the first round

 

Toney is half a decade younger than Holyfield and wasn't coming off a long lay off from a shoulder surgery. Of course he was quicker.

And Holyfield just had a 10 month lay off after a bad performance against Byrd in which he tore his shoulder out, he was over a year removed from his last solid performance against Rahman, and had not looked great in a long time. I would argue it was not Toney's last great performance. Toney dominated Ruiz over a year later, and in 2006 whipped Peter regardless of what the judges said.

 

You don't think a 10 month lay off from surgery at 41 years of age effected his conditioning?

 

Holyfield began to rapidly decline in the late 90s-early 2000s before settling and maintaining a certain level of form. Obviously prime and a slightly past prime verision of Holyfield beats him. Early-Mid-Late 2000s Holyfield was a decent fringe contender but hardly the ATG of the early-mid 90s. I'd actually argue that Holyfield didn't become SHOT until the very end 2010-2011... Only 6-7 years ago.

 

I am not saying that his conditioning should of been great like in his prime. I am saying that he looked to me to be unwell like in the first Moorer fight or the third Bowe fight

 

Given the info we have, I would say Toney was too tough a come back opponent. Shoulder surgery is hard to come back from, he rushed back into the game too quick period. In his next fight, Larry Donald of all people beat him up and was close to stopping him mid way through the fight before backing off.

I think 2006-2008 after he took additional time off to get back in shape, he had a solid mini resurgence.

 

The version of Holyfield that lost to Bowe in their first fight beats
Toney brutally (and James is one of my favorite 3 fighters ever).
That fight was what it was because Evander was literally an old man
in the ring.

 

Agree 100%

 

Did the surgery not make his shoulder improve? He was throwing hooks against Toney and was fighting fairly well for about four rounds. Toney caused a lot of stylistic issues and broke him down.

 

would have loved to see holy from buster douglas fight against toney! would have stoped toney late after outclasing him.

 

I believe that foreman fight took a lot of Evander.

 

3-1 or 4-1 for Holyfield I think