Prime for Prime-Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson

The fact is that Holyfield would still be able to muscle around Tyson and be dirty. Nothing would stop that. Plus, Holyfield took Tyson's flurry and and managed to stay on his feet.

Holyfield's attitude and warrior spirit wouldn't allow him to lose. Once he starts pushing Tyson around and countering him with hooks and right hands, I have a feeling Tyson is going to look for a way out again.

 

I don't know. Holyfield looked stronger physically by the time he met Tyson compared to the time he met Bowe. But maybe that's how he would prepare as well against Tyson. Blow up his muscle strength because he knows the best way to get to Tyson is to out-muscle him and push him back. But that did take a toll on his stamina. He got away with it because Tyson himself was **** in that department by that point as well.


It's a tough fight but a lot of Tyson's mental make-up is about who he is being trained by and who he is feeding off. Rooney was a confident guy who made sure Tyson was as well when he entered the ring. Being absolutely prepared with a game-plan and having a trainer/corner that is confident in you and you in him/them is a big boost. Tyson looked like a lost child post-Rooney when in the corner.

As a Pro, Tyson didn't look for a way out until after he came out of prison. It's like he just reverted back as a fighter mentally. Like against McBride, it was noted that Tyson was biting down on his gloves, something he didn't do since his amateur days. That I thought was weird and didn't know that.
Not even the Douglas version, not even the Ruddock version, quit...and those fights were after he left Rooney and didn't have that same training regimen nor was he prepared quite like he used to be. Although I could agree his confidence was torn-apart against Douglas. But again, that has to do with knowing you messed up by not preparing.

Tyson's "flurries" were garbage post-prison. They were barely good post-Rooney/pre-prison.

Tyson hurt Holyfield bad to the body, which he himself said on "Center-Stage" interview, but at that time, just didn't know how to properly follow up anymore. Now given, which Tyson mentioned, Holyfield, when hurt, sucks it up and fights back like a warrior. Tyson said he wished he never hit Holyfield like that because the next thing he knew, he was getting his ass kicked. Something on those lines.

But the thing is, back then, at his peak, when Tyson had you hurt, he tended to keep you hurt. He did let Holyfield off the hook.
Once the body is hurt with Holyfield, which I do think is a must for Tyson to attack since Holyfield's mid-section/waist-line is that of a non-HW fighter and has shown to be vulnerable...then, after the attack to the body you attack the head, then back to the body, and so on. Keep him confused and hurt.

Tyson's jab wasn't as good as it used to bel when he ended up fighting Holyfield. I think that is another weapon that could be a bit more effective compared to say, someone as tall as Tucker or Biggs.

Prime HW Holyfield would be his first fight with Bowe I guess and before that. Yeah, that's one tough S.O.B.
Holyfield was very good at offense. Not so much defense. But that offense and his will to fight was incredible to watch.

Tough fight. Holyfield's "will" to win is greater than Tyson's so maybe that comes into play. But I just don't think Tyson's "will" was as weak as some may say. His comes down to "motivation." Once that was gone, he was lost. But even still, he still took his beatings like a man even when he wasn't prepared.

 

Holyfield himself discussed this in one of his interviews when being questioned about Floyd's unwillingness to get off his game-plan. Instead of giving the fans what they want, Floyd would just do what he does best: stay patient and stick with his game-plan. The crowd, was on mute.
Holyfield said that he did give into the crowd and would fight. That he said cost him some fights.
He respected how Floyd did it.


He certainly could fight and when hurt. But I do wonder had this been Tyson what would have happened. Although, if Holyfield does weather the storm, and fights back with Tyson, and Tyson starts to get hurt, maybe Tyson doesn't come back in the end.
Who knows....
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I always see Holyfield beating mike

 

Tyson stoppage mid to late rounds.

 

Holyfield rips his heart out just like he did in the two times when they actually fought.

 

Holyfield was tough as nails no doubt, but I just cant imagine anyone taking those type of clean shots from a prime Mike Tyson. Alex Stewart reminds me of Hasim Rahman so much. Amazing what Eddie Futch could get out of a mediocre fighter.

 

Tyson by mid round Knockout. Evander's passion to brawl would be his downfall here.

 

You kind of sound like

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[SIZE=-1]KD -- I always felt that Tyson was a small heavyweight and he was often misunderstood and under-rated in terms of the level of genuine skill that he brought into the ring.

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-- That’s right. A lot of people did not understand what they were watching when they saw Mike Tyson. He was not some slugger as such.

KD -- He was not a super-power in terms of his physical strength

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-- Oh no. One thing about Mike Tyson that I don’t think a lot of people understand because of, let’s say his psychological-social problems, a lot of people think he’s some kind of stupid brute. He’s not. He happens to be, as far as I can see-- and I don’t know the man but I have had a couple of conversations with him-- an intelligent young man. He’s probably one of the most intelligent fighters, certainly in terms of boxing, that we’ve seen. His emulation of the Jack Dempsey’s style. His knowledge of boxing history is considerable, by the way, and when you listen to him, this is not a stupid man. He’s a very misunderstood boxer, and people also do not understand that his skills eroded after a certain period. People will say Ah he was never anything,. They start to question him all the way back. No. He peaked when he knocked out Michael Spinks in the first round. But beginning about a year after that he really started to go down hill.

KD -- That was a period when he had separated from Rooney, his remaining D’Amato trainer, and he no longer had a real trainer who understood his style.

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-- Right. Tyson was a fighter who needed a certain edge. He needed to be on edge. And when he lost that he lost a tremendous amount. He still has too much power and over-all ability for ninety or ninety-five percent of all the fighters out there. There’s no question about that.

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. At his peak he would have been a terrific fight even for the peak Muhammad Ali.
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Prime for prime, I'm talking about the late 80's Tyson who fought Spinks, Tucker, Biggs, Mitch Green, Tony Tubbs etc, would finish Holyfield where Bert Cooper failed to do so.

 

Tyson was great, but I was never that sold on him in the first place.

I mean, back in the day, '86 to '88 vintage Tyson, I thought he was being a bit overrated.
And I always figured Holyfield was being a bit underrated in his first few years as a heavyweight.

So, for me, stuff like what Herb Goldman says about a prime Tyson doesn't really work. Sure, I appreciate how good Tyson was more so than ever, but Holyfield's one of the guys who's prime brilliance increases at a similar rate with every passing year too.

I dont see Tyson beating Holyfield.
People can say, "but Holyfield loved to brawl too much" all day, it makes no difference. Holyfield was a smart fighter too and there's absolutely no doubt in my mind than in his mind he always viewed MIKE TYSON as different to the others, and he would have fought accordingly.
Besides that, sure he would open up on Tyson and dig in and stand his ground at times, but only after having suitable opportunity or having Tyson suitably hurt - and I think Tyson would come off worse.

Tyson had all those skills and ability that Goldman mentions, he was no dumb slugger, but he was a little bit one-geared.

Holyfield is the better and more proven fighter, in my opinion.

 

Tyson by KO.

 

i think tyson knocks out holyfield 6th round at the lastest

 

Yes Holyfield rose his game in the trenches, but he was raising it against inferior fighters with exception to Bowe, who beat him up. He simply couldnt afford to make the mistakes he was making fight after fight against a prime Mike Tyson.
Tyson was argueably the best finisher in heavyweight history. If Tyson hurt Holyfield like many other fighters had, there would be no rally, no fighting back, only Holyfield on his back being counted out.

 

Yet .... others were hurt by a prime Tyson and did get back into the fights. Thomas was beaten from pillar to post in round 1 but came back into the fight until the 6th.
Jose Ribalta was decked early and lasted until the 10th. And both those guys were fighting back against Tyson, not just trying to survive.

It's pure fantasy and a discredit to Holyfield to assume he just has to make a mistake or get hurt once and Tyson would finish him.
And you ignore the flipside : Holyfield would hit Tyson, would hurt Tyson, and he's equally as relentless when he has his man hit.