Big fight's that would've been different if both were in their prime

Joe Louis vs Marciano is the main one that comes to mind.

 

There are too many to name.

Ali Holmes is an obvious one.

Johnson Willard another.

 

Sincerely doubt it.

 

Holmes Tyson (Tyson sucks the jab all night and gets expertly clinched until he falls from the uppercut and gets stopped in the late rounds)

Holmes Ali (in one of the most fascinating though tactical fights in boxing history, 60s Ali wins a unanimous decision; 70s Ali though loses in a split)

ANYone versus FOTC Joe Frazier. This will be wildly unpopular, but I think that Frazier would have worn down even prime Foreman, stopping him in the later rounds. Ready to duck lol!

Leonard vs. Hagler The Marvelous one foils Ray's attempts at running again and again, giving the former all kinds of trouble with the right jab and stance-switching, finally stopping him in 10.

This is hesitant, because I really hope Aaron was on the up and up, but Arguello vs Prior I would have been very different if there hadn't been the suspected enhancement drink. Arguello would have ko'd him with THAT magnificent right within 10.

 

1980 Holmes vs 1992 Holy: This would be a very tough fight, mostly because of Holy's somewhat weird style (the way he could both stay away and dart in...not like most other heavyweights in history).

That said, Holy tended to get messed up some by a big uppercut, and that was the only Holmes punch that could be called a certifiable power shot.

Holmes in a really tough fight stops Holy in nine...but there is a dispute on the stoppage itself (Holmes was leading by two points at the time of the stoppage and was raining the right hands after a brief uppercut knockdown. The stoppage is disputed partly because of Holy's known resiliency...he was blocking most of the fight-ending punches and his legs seemed fine).

In the rematch Larry wins a unanimous decision.

 

Holmes would have never beaten the 87-88 Tyson. Never.

Holmes even on his best day was hurt/dropped by much lesser fighters than Mike.

Ernie Shavers didn't have Tyson's finishing ability, that's what it comes down to.

Might have taken long, but Tyson at his best catches any version of Holmes.

 

Tyson v Holyfield 1 would have been different.

Did Holyfield fight the Tyson that put Berbick down 6 times with one punch, did he fight the Tyson that demolished Pinklon Thomas with 20 unanswered punches, did he fight the Tyson that damn near punched through Larry Holmes destroying him in 4, did he fight the Tyson that steamrolled Spinks in 90 seconds, did he fight the Tyson that walked through Razor Ruddock's destructive smash punch again and again dispelling the bully myth?

Nope, 96 Tyson was not the same fighter. Compare the footage, its night and day. This fight would have been one of the wars of all time, my mind changes as to who would win as I believe prime for prime, they are fairly evenly matched.

 

Deloyhoya vs Mayweather Jr.
Mosely vs Mayweather Jr
Pac vs Mayweather Jr.
Leonard vs Norris
Leonard vs Camacho
Hagler vs Leonard
Louis vs Marciano
Ali vs Berbick
Ali vs Spinks 1-2
Ali vs Holmes
Ali vs anyone after Ernie Terrell , with the exception of Frazier in the FOTC.
Tyson vs Lewis
Tyson vs Douglas,
Hagler vs Mugabi (though Hagler won, would've been much easier and less damaging if he was closer to prime)
Mugabi vs Johnson
Mugabi vs Norris
Holmes vs Spinks 1-2 actually, their wouldn't be a reason for the 2nd fight.
Holmes vs Tyson.
Chavez vs Randell
Whitaker vs Trinidad (could the Robotic Trinidad land more than 1 clean shot?)
Sanchez vs Gomez ( I'm not saying Gomez actually defeats prime Sanchez, but the prime disciplined version of Gomez wouldve given Sanchez hell) I could go on, their are many big fights that are totally different if both fighters were prime or closer to it.

 

Yeah I agree, Perry. It would have been a totally different fight.

But the result might have been the same though with Holmes still winning.

 

Very little chance of that. Holmes would have been totally outsped and outpunched.

 

De La Hoya - Mayweather

Mosley - Mayweather

 

Cus expected Holmes still to be champ and trained Tyson to beat him. The overhand right that he caught him with would have landed over the jab against any version of Holmes, ESPECIALLY if a younger Holmes stood his ground a bit and fought less of a negative fight than the 88 version did.


Holmes is an ATG Champ. Tyson has his number

 

Some of these might have been pretty much the same even if they were both in their primes, but maybe not:

Johnson vs. Jeffries
Marciano vs. Louis
Holmes vs. Ali
Tyson vs. Holmes
Tyson vs. Lewis
Pryor vs. Cervantes
Sanchez vs. Nelson
Pedroza vs. Olivares

 

Greb vs Tiger Flowers

 

That’s my thought exactly. Watch the sequence where Holmes is first knocked down. That type of punch Holmes was always open for. Why? The opening is there as Holmes stepped forward with his jab and then drops it. The opening is there if Holmes side steps to his left again throwing that jab and dropping it. Lesser skilled fighters just did not have the speed, timing nor technique however Tyson did so.

In contrast prime Ali had the upper body and head movement and speed to avoid such blows.