Who matches up better stylistically with Tyson: Holmes or Holyfield?

I like Charles in this one :good

 

I've got the feeling that the older, bulkier Holyfield matched up better against Tyson. I don't think prime Holyfield really had the boxing ability to keep Tyson away or the strength and power to control hom on the inside.

As for prime Holmes there is that right. It seems every fighter with a good right staggered Holmes with it, and then you can believe that prime Tyson will find the mark, just like he did in their actual fight. I wonder if even a prime Holmes would be able to ride through a really rough patch against Tyson. Depends, of course, when this happens in the fight.

 

My first inclination was to select the option that you provided " hard to tell ". But I don't think that you started this thread in search of such answers. Therefore, I went with Holyfield as always being able to neurtrailize him. Although Evander was far more bold in his younger years, and often took foolish chances, he was still capable of tying a man up, and what's more was busier than he was during the mid nineties. Most importantly, Evander never would have been afraid of Tyson. You take away the intimidation factor, and you take a lot away from Tyson's chances.

 

I kind of agree with this and picked Holyfield to win at the time. I always fancied Holyfield to beat Tyson even if they had fought in Tyson's first reign.
Reasons being that he wouldn't have been intimidated by Tyson, he could box and had the power to hurt Tyson and he would of matched Tyson for speed unlike a loy of the bigger heavyweights that Tyson destroyed.
On top of that he was at his prime, was still unbeaten and therefore had that winners attitude. 1988-90

 

Agree on all accounts.

Although both men were definately out of prime by 1996, I think concencus felt that Holyfield was " washed up ", whereas Tyson was viewed as merely " past it ". To the diehard boxing fan or expert, there is absolutely a distinct difference. Hindsite shows us that Evander still had some juice left in the tank, but I do feel that his true prime extended during the time frame that you already listed.

 

neither. holy beat a badly declined rusted mike tyson. that was a different breed than the 86-88 tyson. i think lennox lewis matches up much better, holy and holmes always get toasted by iron mike early.

 

yeah, yeah. :tired

 

Long time, no see.

 

I'm starting to think that Tyson is overrated as hell in his prime.

 

Stylistically Holmes matched up better against a prime Tyson. Holyfield really doesn't have the skillset to beat Tyson at his game in his prime, he really just took on a different Tyson that didn't have the skills that made him into the aboslute machine that he was in 1987. Tyson without the head movement and speed isn't Tyson anymore.

 

Tyson was pretty much molded to beat Holmes, perhaps the best jab slipper ever at HW, the speed in which he closed the gap and countered was a nightmare style for Holmes.

Holyfield fought a Tyson who seemed to be a 5 round fighter. Tyson was winning for the first 5 and doing damage. But didn't have the stamina down the stretch to keep it up. A prime Tyson does not fade like this

I see Holyfield as the tougher match up but Tyson beating both at his prime H2H

 

I think there's generally two extremes with him. People who say No-one stands a chance against the maurading Mega Tyson, everyone will lose against him, KO1.

Or the others who say the very first time he gets caught by a bomb he'll run screaming back to his mummy. I think there should be a middle gorund. He was a very fine fighter in him prime, though. No question, but facing any top 10 great and he'd be asked a lot of very stern questions by at least half or more of them. He has a chance of beating some.

 

Yeah, you're right. There's no middle ground when it comes to this guy. Partly this is probably because he never did anything by half measures - either he won big or he lost big.

Never been a big Tyson fan, but I think I'd favour him against most. Ali is favourite against him - Liston, Foreman, Holmes, Lewis, and perhaps Holyfield are all close, hard to call. He's favourite against the rest, though, IMO.

 

It sounds terrible but I remember watching the first Holyfield fight and saying to my mate when Holyfield started getting on top, "look at the bully now". I'd never say that Tyson was a quitter but he did have a temperament problem when things weren't going right.