Which fighters from any era could have beat a 205 lb version of Holyfield?

At what weight? HW? CW? LHW going up to HW?

 

Riddick Bowe beat him at the weight (even though I still rate Evander Holyfield higher on my all time list than Riddick Bowe), so I will leave Bowe out.

I only really feel comfortable saying that Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali would have beaten Evander Holyfield. And I believe Jack Dempsey would have beaten Evander Holyfield, but I am not real comfortable with that.

 

Steward Lewis, prime Larry Holmes, 1988 Mike Tyson and many others would beat 205lbs 1992 Holyfield

 

Lewis, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, and Holmes.

 

Bowe and anyone as good as, or better than, him.

 

I would favor Evander Holyfield over Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Lennox Lewis, or Wladimir Klitschko, but some of them would not be easy fights, in my view,

 

I don't rate Holyfield highly not necessarily due to the steroid cheating stuff but moreso that his weakness has always been against big punchers and obviously there are many of them at heavyweight. With that said, every big puncher from atleast the 60's on up whom either combine it with decent boxing skill or a massive size advantage has a strong shot at beating Holyfield. Needless to say thats a bunch of guys.

The ones who combine good punching power, decent skill and a size advantage destroys him such as 88 Tyson or Holmes.

 

You forgot Michael Grant and Ray Impellitier

 

Okay then.

When Lewis and Holyfield actually fought (to a Draw and a Decision win for Lewis), Evander was about 215 pounds, and about 37 years old, and Lewis was about 245, and about 34 years old. So Lewis outweighed him by about 30 pounds.

When Evander was about 28 years old (against Douglas) he was 205 pounds and about 28 years old. If we take that as his prime, then it would be fair to take a 28 year old Lewis the same. So, when Lewis was 28 (against Bruno) he was 229 pounds. So Lewis would outweigh Evander by about 25 pounds.

So a prime Evander has no chance against a prime Lewis because he is 10 pounds lighter? But Lewis would have been about 15 pounds lighter, himself. Evander stood a chance when they actually fought, but he stood no chance if they were both prime?

Okay then.

 

I would give that version of Holyfield a chance against anybody to be honest.

 

Lots defeat Holyfield at 205: Ali, Louis, Lewis, Liston, Foreman, Holmes, Frazier, Tyson,Wlad ... heck I could even give a chance to Norton or Quarry.

But again, for the same token, Holy could eventually defeat any of the above mentioned.