I know Mavrovic went 12 rounds with Lennox Lewis during a time when he was making short work of most fighters. But I can’t tell if Mavrovic was REALLY that durable or if Lewis was kicking back that evening. I don’t remember watching that fight. Anyway, I’d still favor the layoff version of Tyson over Mavrovic who from what I can tell never beat anyone with a serious name. But exactly HOW it happens and how soon I don’t know
Tyson by KO inside 5. There's absolutely nothing to suggest that Mavrovic could trouble mid 90s Tyson. Mavrovis wasn't quick, athletic or hard-hitting guy, he was tough boxer with good chin. Tyson fights in a completely different style compared to Lennox, and Mavrovic would've had a harder fight vs Mike. Speed, explosiveness, overall boxing skills of 1996 Tyson were so much better than Mavrovic so Zielko would've eaten Mike's hooks and uppercuts and finally would've hit the canvas or get stopped by the referee.
It will be controversial but I think Mavrović endures the first hard rounds and then gains the upper hand and wins on points or is hurt by a verdict. Zejlko was better than Botha. Remember that he was already sick to fight Lewis and it was not prime Zet.
Yeah, I sparred with him like 12 years ago when he was preparing for a comeback. He would go to every gym in Zagreb and spar with anyone who wanted. In my gym, he would usually spar with heavyweights, but no one was on that day, so the coach put me in. It was weird because I'm welterweight and was fighting amateur fights, but Željko is a class, and he wouldn't go full force on me. We sparred two rounds, and it was a more learning experience for me than for him. I was too respectful. When I think about it now, I should have gone harder to give him a better spar. He punched with light shots when he saw an opening because he knew I was too small. pic: This content is protected In the end, Bačurin broke his rib a few weeks after and the comeback never realised. He would fight with Firat Arslan then, and in my opinion, Firat would win, he was still very active and very good. Tyson from 96 was still a force, and he would probably give Željko a beating of his life, probably knocking him out in the first half of a fight. Željko had great chin and stamina, but was very limited technically, which is the problem for most Croatian boxers. Now, there is a rise in coaching, and coaches have started to adopt modern training and boxing techniques, which could elevate boxers in the near future. But 10-20 years ago, if you were a hard worker and had a natural chin, you were ready to go, which was not enough for elite-level fighting.
