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

Lewis didn`t reach his prime till Steward improved him.

 

Too small, you could see that v Bowe.

 

Me, too. Size does not trump all, in my view!

 

30 pounds is a hell of a size gap.

 

Names not mentioned yet...

Marciano, they would end up trying to figure out rhythms and timing and Marciano would do significantly more damage when he lands, I give Marciano the upper hand on the inside as well, Holyfield has mentioned Foreman's timing and Marciano was far more slick and elusive than old Foreman

Bonavena, he was a better inside fighter than Holyfield and just too much of a tank/brawler, he went 15 with Ali so I don't see Holyfield's boxing being too much for him, he would be able to wear Holyfield down and have the upper hand in deeper water

 

Holy was a better counter puncher than Marciano and Bonavena.

 

Holyfield could have been beaten by quite a few top ten heavyweights from the 1960s onwards. Having said that, there are only a few heavyweights who would have been strong favourites to win Ali. Holmes, Lewis and prime Tyson being the obvious (to me) candidates.

 

Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Sonny Listton, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis.

 

I'd favor the following to beat prime Holyfield: Bowe (Obviously), Ali, Holmes.

Toss ups: Frazier, Foreman*, Lewis**

*This fight is a lot closer than people think. Holyfield's elite counter punching ability could give Foreman fits.
**Many people are understandably favoring Lewis here, but given that a Holyfield who was more than half a decade removed from his prime pushed a prime Lewis into uncomfortable waters, I believe it is fair to assume that prime-for-prime, this is a close fight.

 

The trouble is age means next to nothing really as there's so much variation. As an extreme think guys like Moore and Hopkins. Going the other way Tyson. Lewis wasn't at his best until he bedded in his improvements with Steward, and that included bulking up. He was yet to win a title and was soon to be taken out by McCall around 28. He was way below his absolute best. He was probably peak at 32 weighing anywhere from 242-250.

Holyfields peak can be a tough one to ascertain. His rematch win over Bowe was one of his greatest efforts tho that's for sure.

 

An then he got KOed by Rahman with Steward as his trainer in exactly the same way that he got Koed by McCall before Steward took over

 

Then destroyed Rahman in the rematch.

 

What was dumb was that Holyfield an his team deliberately came in light at 205 cos they thought that he needed the extra speed an be lighter on his feet to outbox and out speed Bowe. But like Tyson says everyone has a plan till they get hit an sure enough as soon as Bowe landed, Holyfield reverted to type an tried matching Bowe head on an exchanging shot for shot. He was actually not doing that badly but as the rounds went by it was clear as well as under estimating Bowes durability an heart, Bowe size, strength an harder hitting was starting to takes its toll on Holyfield . I think that was the last time that Holyfield came in as light as 205

 

I actually think he started taking roids after the first Bowe fight.

 

Dont matter. Point is Lewis in his loss to Rahman showd he still was as sloppy an defensively still open to shots with Steward as his trainer as he was before Steward

Steward was a good trainer an did improved aspects of Lewis work like being more patient an look for the openings but don’t make out that Steward was some miracle worker that could magically improve every fighter in every way possible