Twenty seven years ago, Holyfield "upset" Buster Douglas

Holyfield was smart enough not to trade with tyson. Just like he was smart enough not to do it with Foreman and not to do it excessively with Bowe after he lost the first one.
I like both guys and Holyfield would have always troubled him because he was just as fast, just as strong if not stronger (once he bulked up to 215+), had just as good of a chin(plus the ability to stick and move when things dont go his way while tyson because of his height and style just continues to absorb punishment when things dont go well) and had studied him inside out and was obsessed with beating him.

 

Did you consider that the contenders might have been avoiding fights with each other because they were waiting to be paid vs Tyson?

Spinks also took the money fight against Cooney. It's dollars, not conspiracy.

 

Berbick wasn't "mediocre" by just about anyones stetch. He was a solid contender for many years and won the strap off a very good heavyweight who had been on a roll. He'd shown toughness many years earlier as well going 15 rounds with Holmes.

 

Rubbish, Holyfield traded with Tyson plenty of times in their bouts and always came off best. He clearly was the harder puncher in there, Tyson knew it.

 

Holyfield himself said he was smart enough not to take any of tysons bombs flush, there are plenty of interviews of him saying that. He always rolled with the punches in the exchanges while Tyson squared himself up and got nailed.

And once again you choose to believe your own narrative over Tysons Opponents' personal anecdote.

 

Sure they were on hold whilst they awaited a shot. They didn't want to risk missing the payday. Perhaps they went off the boil? It is true more guys than normal challenged Tyson without beating rated men for up to three years.

Tubbs had to beat Smith to get Page. Bruno had to beat Coetzee to get Witherspoon. Smith beat Bey to get Witherspoon. Berbick beat Thomas after beating Bey and Mitch Green.

Bey, the last heavyweight to challenge Larry, beat Page to get Holmes.

It was different once Tyson became champion.

 

You can still trade with someone and try to evade their shots, if not Tyson never traded with Holyfield.

 

Yes thats true but the way holyfield traded with bowe in the first fight was different to how he traded with tyson.

 

Maybe because he had more confidence in his tank or maybe because he was less experienced, who knows?

 

I think it was the overconfidence of an undefeated fighter. He was reckless in the first Bowe fight and i think the loss taught him a lot.
Holyfield always came in physical shape but he didnt always use his brains and skills to the fullest before his first loss

 

Yeah up to that fight Holyfield was able to overwhelm or outpunch everyone that he met. That applied obviously with the cruiserweights but even with the bigger stronger heavyweights he could beat them just by throwing short but fast high volume bursts of punches. This was until he met Bowe who was not only bigger and stronger but was durable enough to take Holyfields punches and fast enough to hit him back with his heavier punches.

 

Well he could do it with dokes, cooper and holmes but he didnt even try it with foreman. Bowe is lucky that holyfield was as dismissive of him as he was, because Holyfield would have lost his title a year sooner, and by stoppage imo if he tried with Foreman what he tried with Bowe.
Bowe showed a great workrate and a combative spirit. But when you think about it, if he was as good as some people think he was he should have blown out holyfield much worse than he did given the size advantage and the stupidity of holyfields decision to brawl with him(george benton actually wanted him to stick and move)
I always thought of holyfield as the much better fighter.
Could you imagine frazier getting on his toes and try to outbox PEAK ali and only lose a competitive decision?