ATG: Who Ranks Higher? Holyfield or Holmes?

Holmes. Both top 10, though.

 

Holyfield, in my estimation, he's a top 20. His achievements are well above the norm. Pesonally, I'd rate him as top 4 H/W.

 

Holyfield for me.

 

Holmes should be a cinch for a top 10 all time heavyweight. He was 48-0 in his prime, never lost to a lesser fighter as Holyfield did, and accomplished more past his prime.

 

P4P, Holyfield.

 

They are close to the same weight in their primes.

 

The "never lost to a lesser fighter" is a distinction that is more a credit to the judges of his fights than his fights itself, though. On any other day, he had been walking away with losses with Witherspoon and Williams, which certainly would not have been unfair decisions. Holmes was aging during those fights, but Holyfield was 33 against Moorer too.


That said, i rate a bit Holmes higher.

 

Holmes won a close match vs Witherpsoon. I have scored it with the intent of trying to give Witherpsoon the close rounds. Bottom line is Holmes won too many early rounds.

Holmes was robbed vs Spinks in the re-match, and robbed vs Neislen as well. Holyfield was never robbed of victory. The judges gave him a draw vs Lewis, and the wrong Ruiz fight.

 

Holyfield's short but conclusive achievements at Cruiser have to come into value P4P.

I'm not sure on this one. Holyfield fought just about everyone worth fighting and then some. Has some downs, but many ups, and the lower weight.

I'll have to think. Holyfield has the best win of either of them.

 

I noticed you conveniently made no mention of Carl Williams in your post. Carl Williams is another "lesser" fighter that Holmes should've lost to. And anyone not totally biased towards Holmes knows that Witherspoon did at least enough for a draw, if not a win.


Now that i think of it, Spinks was also a lesser fighter that he lost to. Yes, he was old, but that first loss was mostly because he underestimated him and just prepared poorly. In the rematch he showed that age was not the factor, but training was.

 

You also used to score the first Spinks match to Holmes, somehow. What happened there, did you change your mind recently?

I had the match for Holmes by a point or so.

 

Oh, really now?

 

I was judging it on their HW careers. Holmes definitely ahead there. P4P wise Holyfield had a definite case.

 

Exactly. P4P it's close i think, very close.