Could Holyfield Take "Zaire '' Foreman?

I’d pick prime Holyfield to beat foreman, but the Tyson 1 version was a lot slower and probably gets stopped

 

I think Holyfield does better than most people here seem to think. He was physically extremely strong so I don't think foreman pushes him back that easily.
Holyfield in 1996 had become much calmer and more cerebral he seemed to see almost every single shot Tyson threw coming despite of Tysons handspeed.
Foreman power shots would be even easier to predict and holyfield was great at catching and countering and hurting people between their combinations.

The Douglas KO, the punch that sent Tyson to the ropes, the mercer and Bowe KDs, the punch that had foreman reeling, the Qawi KO were all well timed counterpunches and foreman left himself more when he threw than most.


Sure Foreman raw physicality might overwhelm Holyfield but we thought the same thing about Tyson didn't we?

Foreman in his first career is also just as much of a bully mentally as Tyson was after prison.

 

Although I’ve already pointed out I would take Foreman, I don’t think he was unbeatable that night minus Ali. If anything, if there was ever a night Prime Foreman wasn’t going to win it would have been in Zaire. I think if you found a heavyweight on the borderlines of very good with an 8/10 chin and 8/10 defence probably would have got the job done over 15 by simply outlasting him. Maybe I’m selling him short idk

 

Holyfield doesn't win this

He's getting knocked out

Foreman threw some monstrous shots that night

 

George was a monster, can see Holyfield getting stopped mid rounds if not sooner.

 

1- a slow fat old foreman landed plenty of flush bombs on prime Holyfield despite his lack of hand speed. How do you figure a past his prime Holy has an easier time picking off catching and countering a prime Foreman's shots?

2-foreman was a bully with a backbone. He got off the floor to whoop Lyle's ass, something Tyson failed to do his whole career.

Lol Holyfield did not have 8/10 defense. That's incredibly generous.

 

A younger Holyfield if picking his spots then yeah. Not the one who fought Tyson.

 

I think you misinterpreted my post as I never said he did. My view is that Foreman takes this matchup due to Holyfield’s willingness to get into a tear up

 

I don't think Holyfield fares too well, here. Not many would, against 'Zaire' Foreman.

I'd wager on a first-half stoppage win, for Foreman, as a value-for-money bet.

 

Because Holyfield became more defensively aware and careful after Bowe 1.

2. Tyson never had a flash KD. If you knocked him down it meant he was gassed out and you've been beating the **** out of him for several rounds.
Kind of like Foreman in Zaire.

 

I actually feel the Tyson 1 version has a better chance than prime Holyfield.

Contro made a post above that I completely agree with.

I'm guessing your version of prime Holyfield is from 1990-91? While that version is quicker, I don't think he has the size to tie Foreman up all night and thwart Foreman's offense. He'd be more seasoned the bigger and calmer he got with age.

But who knows for sure!

 

I actually meant the Bowe 2 version, he was pretty built buy this time and still had the speed

 

IMO, Holyfield mainly boxes George, engages occasionally, and tastes the canvas because of that, but, in the end, he stops a tired Foreman in the championship rounds. I rank Holyfield higher than most.

 

1-but younger Foreman was faster than his older self and could cut off the ring expertly. Even if you think older Holyfield was more defensively responsible, those are 2 x factors he has to deal with if he fights a younger version of Foreman (who was also much more aggressive, threw more combinations, and attacked the body more often). He'd also be dealing with more looping unorthodox shots than the fairly straightforward basic (but powerful) straight shots of old Foreman.

2-Foreman's knockdowns were not flash knock downs so that's an irrelevant point. Foreman got nailed pretty hard multiple times when Lyle dropped him. He got up to win. Tyson never did that. Hence your bully comparison to Tyson is a bit off. A bully would have definitely lost the will to continue in the Lyle fight.