People seem to be unanimous that peak Holmes beats peak Holyfield - is this the case?

I'd pick Holmes 39 times out of forty.

Maybe more.

A prime 29 year old Holy had his hands full with a well past-it 43 year old Holmes.

Put him in with the Holmes who fought Cooney and I don't think he makes it to the final bell.

 

Yes holmes would win.........holyfield had headaches with technitions........................holmes at 42 gave holy fits....imagine now 10 yrs off holmes 20 lbs lighter.....and sum legs/great chin/great heart..................................holmes wins.......................

 

Hell, yes...... Holmes wins.........

MR.BILL

 

Prime Holmes beats a lot of fighters though...just about every heavyweight there ever was actually.

I dont think the gap was that far that Holy at his best couldnt get prime Holmes on a bad night and win.As Larry was prone to the odd hiccup even in his prime. But more often than not Larry would take it..38 times out of 40 I say .

 

OKAY.

I said 39 but I can live with 38.

(speaking of hiccups, one such was Witherspoon, who I feel bested Larry.

I remember thinking " there goes his undefeated streak" and was very surprised when Larry got the nod.)

 

I think that using the Holyfield/HOlmes fight of 1992 might be a little little misleading when using it to gauge a potential fight between a prime Holmes and a prime Holyfield. When Holmes fought Holyfield in '92, he basically stuck the joint out! He did his best to not fight; he was a defensive genius in that fight, and his reluctance to fight and open up made Holyfield not only look bad, but it made Holyfield virtually ineffective against a guy who basically didn't try to win. A prime Holmes would have been working, he would have been much busier and active, and he would have opened up. But that would have allowed Holyfield to counter, engage, and get his stuff going as well. So, there's more than one way to view the Holyfield/Holmes fight of '92 and how it might predict a battle between prime Holyfield and Holmes.

 

People make it sound as if Holy lost to Holmes in their fight, or even that it was close in any way. Holy beat him clearly, even if Holmes made him work all the way.

I think an equal or better case can be made that Holyfield beats Holmes based on Holmes' razor thin fight with a slightly aging Norton - who was basically a poor man's Holy.

 

Holmes was still tuff for Holy back in 1992, but Holmes had no legs at all by then.... Holy clearly won, but Holy had all his tools in his box; Holmes did not.....

MR.BILL

 

I absolutely give Holyfield a chance, but I would lean toward Larry barely in a first fight. A second fight I would give to Evander if they would have one. Evander beat Douglas on a one punch counter in 1990. Beat Riddick Bowe in the rematch when fanman came crashing down. Got a draw with Lennox when Lennox outweighed him much by 30 pounds as did Bowe earlier. Holmes in 1981 or 1982 usually weighed in about the same as Holyfield later, and then Larry went up to about 222 when he got a little older in the David Bey era, so the size was about the same with Larry a little taller. The thing which usually was tough for Evander in his prime was the bigger guys like Bowe and Lennox, so Larry was not much bigger at all. In someways I think Larry might eek out the first fight and Holyfield would win a rematch where he usually improved on his first fights. Holyfield had a decent jab himself. What a fight this would be. Larry's jab would be the key. Holyfield 78 inch reach to Larry's 81.

 

Good post. I'd still favour Holmes, but you're right that there's a big difference in trying to survive and stealing a couple of rounds, than actually going for the win.

 

Its not out of the question that Holyfield could beat Holmes but 2 of them at their best I think Holmes UDs him sticking primarily to his outside game, circling & keeping his jab in Holy`s face all night long, occassionally letting his stinging right hand go, probably taking about 8 rds in a 12 rder.

 

Mr.Bill.... You dont need to type your name after every post, it already says it to the left of your screen.
Dont worry your not the only one, I`ll be having a word with `the predator` too, he does that ****.

Ps. Your right about Holmes beating Holy.

:thumbsup

 

That Holmes/Norton fight wasnt close at all, those judges were on LSD.
Larry outboxed Norton for about 2 3rds of that fight then kept it 50/50 when Norton went for broke.
Clear win for Holmes.

 

If Witherspoon and Norton can take Holmes to SDs then Holyfield can conceivably win a close UD if he drags him into the trenches, gives him too much pressure to deal with and really makes him work, Holmes is the better boxer and should win the series though