Are there any good heavyweight s he could have beaten at that weight? Just curious after watching a few of the Real Deal s cruiser fights?
I think he definitely could have especially if we draw from the days when a lot of traditional heavyweight were about the same size as modern cruisers. Evander was quick and busy at that weight. Tough as nails. Carried a lot of power and could go fifteen rounds. A 1988 Evander vs a 1968 Jimmy Ellis or Jerry Quarry might have been winnable fights.
Unholyfield was an average boxer and was nothing special until he started using PEDs and that is the only reason he was able to jump in weight class and compete at the world level.
Well with his level of experience I’m not sure. I’ve only seen both Qawi fights I think. Holyfield was always just a cruiserweight though PED’s don’t change that, just what the scale says if that makes sense. If Holyfield kept his weight at 190lbs (200lbs on fight night probably?) he’d do fine with all the guys he fought, if he kept a boxing mentality because he was smaller he’d have done better IMO. Naturally Holyfield at a similar level of body fat as Ali was probably about the same size.
Every boxer of the modern age is most likely on PEDs I hope you’re aware of that. Since the 60s athletes have been on PEDs abuse of PEDs was noted as early as the 70s when the first papers were published.
Pretty sure holyfield was on about twice the dose of everyone else. And no, doping in boxing was not nearly as prevelent at that time. For example, George foreman and Mike Tyson never doped and are arguably the two most powerful boxers in history.
Not true at all. He was dominant amateur fighter back when the US had strong amateur boxing program that was loaded with talent. He was never just an average fighter. Yes, his PED use later in his career hurt his reputation and I believe it also hurt him as a fighter as well but Holyfield was a very special fighter that could compete with anyone and any era.
Honestly, there are probably more champions throughout history he could have beaten at his cruiserweight build than ones he couldn't. Certainly the number of good heavyweights he could have beaten would be in the dozens, if not more.
Just look at Tyson now. He absolutely still has this muscles. George foreman on the other hand never doped. You can take that to the bank.
He could have beaten guys like Shavers, Lyle, Quarry, Patterson, Norton, Machen, Folley, Chuvalo, Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey, Jack Johnson, Lou Nova, Cleveland Williams, Roy Harris, Wayne Bethea, Henry Cooper, Rex Layne, Mike Weaver etc. 187-190 pound Evander Holyfield could have beaten any of those guys. It's the Lennox Lewises and Mike Tysons and Riddick Bowes that he would have not been able to beat. He would have did a little something against Ali, Holmes, Liston, Foreman but ultimately would have lost and you can argue that 208 lbs-218 lbs Holyfield loses to them as well
