Prime Holyfield in this CW tournament?

Gawsiev will drop Holyfield with his outstanding hook to the body. Holyfield Usyk would be a close fight, leaning towards a MD for Evander...

 

50/50

 

Holyfield and this has nothing to do with generational bias.

 

Holyfield would win the tournament.

 

It would be Holyfield-Usyk in the finals where it would put two highly skilled fighters, facing off for Cruiserweight Supremacy! Man what a fight that would have been.

 

Or Jirov and Toney.

 

Gassiev vs Holyfield at the same age (1986). I'd go for Gassiev. 1988 Holyfield (his last CW fight) I'd be more towards Holyfield. People forget how young Gassiev is.

 

I can see where Usyk's style would be problematic for Holyfield, doesn't mean he'd lose but it would be a closer fight.

 

I cant remember at the time.. but did any of Holy's title victims have any momentum going into their fight with Evander?.. some of the current cruisers would be going into their fight with Evander with confidence which besides maybe Qawi... I don't remember if they we all just lambs led to the slaughter...

 

The division was considered extremely weak at the time from what I remember. Qawi was one of the toughest guys in the division ( obviously )

IMO the current division is far more talent rich than when Holy was champion.

 

Easy just to say Holyfield but comparisons are almost impossible due to the far less stringent drug testing back then. You are watching two different products when considering just how much more gear the guys back then could take in preparation for their fights. however the technical eye test tells: All things being equal(In terms of PED tewsting) 3-4 guys beat Holyfied in this tournament.

If you guys do not think Holyfield was doping at CW back then especially in an era with little to no doping control than you need helpl

 

Wasn’t he stopped twice? In Bowe 3 and by Toney. Either way his ability to sustain supernatural punishment stands.

 

I certainly can’t prove anything one way or the other but I tend to believe he began doping for Bowe. I wouldn’t be shocked by any means if it was a lot sooner, though.

 

Holyfield would definitely need peds in this.