Full size modern heavies like Dokes, Douglas, Tyson, Moorer, Stewart... I'll take any and all of those over Carpentier and Firpo and a chinny Fulton and an old retired Willard.
Holyfield too hittable. Dempsey is no 96 Tyson, he'll be trying every move in every round. Dempsey by shock KO within 8
Holy has all the chips here. Better chin, stronger, faster hands, better skills, experience with better big men. I can't even imagine how this would be close except if Dempsey gets to stand behind the Color Line he drew.
Holyfield took the bombs of Tyson, Lewis, Bowe ( for the most part ) and Foreman. The best I can see Dempsey doing in the fight of his life is a grueling 12 round war .. that is putting aside the issue of what Evander took , etc ..
I would not say all .. Dempsey was the better two handed puncher and both had exceptional warrior spirits. Size size, non PEDed they were near identical .. Evander had an inch in height and equal reached at 77 or so ..
You do address the elephant in the room but I must take Holy as he was, given the advantages of the era he had. I would say Vander is the better combo puncher tho he did see to load up more as his opponents got so much bigger. And honestly, I think he hits every bit as hard as Dempsey if not harder.
The one and only ray arcel on dempsey "he should have been the only guy anybody ever thought of when they thought about the greatest heavyweight champion.. I mean he had everything." 1991
A great lesson contained there. Don't listen to doddering old timers who have lost touch with reality and yearn to inflate the value of their own halcyon days. If defenses against hapless Bill Brennan, sick Miske, non-entity heavyweight Gibbons, non-entity heavyweight Carpentier and amateur Firpo make you the greatest, I want to see the Rule Book on Great.