Evander Holyfield vs Jim Corbett

I don't like to make the case for a fighter based on a losing effort where they looked good, but he gave Jeffries a better fight than anybody prior to Jack Johnson.

He obviously isn't going to just fold against Holyfield.

 

A middleweight who probably hit harder than Holyfield.

 

Billy Conn looked great against Louis for 13 rds, would you pick him to beat Holyfield?
Maybe that 23rds says more about Jeffries than Corbett?

 

Billy Conn looked great against Louis for 13 rds, would you pick him to beat Holyfield?
Maybe that 23rds says more about Jeffries than about Corbett?

 

I think Evander would hit Corbett a lot more frequently than Fitz did!
I'm also confident that Gentleman Jim would not be knocking Holyfield down!
Fitz was a patient, wily trap setter, a style that allowed Corbett to look good until the Cornishman found his range. Like wise the stolid ,methodical , trundle forward ,wear you down eventually, style of Jeffries flattered the Bank Clerk, Holyfield would be all over Corbett from the get go. Holyfield knocked down Mercer and Bowe no mean feat.I doubt Corbett would last more than 3 rounds!

 

Look, I remember picking Golovkin over Corbett, and your clips just reminded me why again.

Those lunging lead hands combined with wrestling and that dubious looking footwork where Corbett basically almost falls over on his own accord. He doesn't look good. Granted the film is awful so we might be able to say that is part of the problem but seriously, there's nothing I see there that would remotely bother Holyfield.

Holy would have a field (sorry) day with all the holding, being the much bigger, much better conditioned and much stronger fighter. I see none of the head movement that a guy like Czyz used to frustrate Evander. There's little evidence of a guard and frankly his punching technique is less of a kinetic chain than a leaping lunge. There's no jab, or working off of a jab. Evander would either picke him apart technically or much more likely, blow him away.

Some of these old time guys like Pep etc had genuine skills, but Corbett doesn't impress me much.

 

Give me a break.

 

Had Corbett come along during Vander's era, we wouldn't even know his name.

I pick Froch to destroy Corbett. Do the math on Holyfield.

 

For what it's worth I don't give Corbett much of a hope here either.

I think Holyfield's style was exactly the type that would be worst for Corbett, and he was just much better overall.

I do think Corbett is being sold short overall, though he was basically a nearly man, except he just happened to be in the right place for the histoic win over Sullivan. He was certainly very gifted for speed.

He punching technique at range, is probably his worst aspect on film. I think some of it seems to be to set up the grappling.

 

I would not pick either of them to beat Holyfield, but I would expect them both to give him a lot of problems.

Why would you expect anything else?

 

Corbett was not stupid, and he is obviously not going to get drawn into a slug fest with Holyfield.

Nobody came particularly close to putting Corbett away in three rounds, so why would you have any expectation that Holyfield would do it?

It might be a sensible pick if we were matching him against Tyson, but we are not!

 

Yes I am sure that you would pick a traffic cone to destroy Corbett!

 

I'd pick Conn to beat Corbett he had more skill ,speed, and durabilty ,imo. I see nothing in Corbett's game or resume to give me any reservations in picking Holyfield to batter him into submission quickly and one-sidedly.

 

Sharkey 178lbs 5'8,was doing it in 9 rds when Corbett's second jumped into the ring to effect a dsq for him and save him from a ko.
Holyfield would batter Sharkey into insensibility!
How many heavyweights, as we understand the term today, did Corbett beat?
Kilrain who was 25lbs over his best weight, Corbett won a dec over 6 rds.
A washed up ,drunken 34years old nearly 35, inactive Sullivan,that took him 21 rds , who else?
Again I ask.
Who did Corbett beat to give him a chance in this match up?

 

Yet just about every report has Corbett coming on stronger during the stoppage.

The reports are all over the place, I've seen some that had Corbett winning at the ending, and there was a ton of suspicion about it being a fix.

I think we should be cautious about taking anything from that fight.