Best Win for Holyfield at HW - Bowe II or Tyson I?

Bowe II

 

Tyson I.

 

Well, the Tyson win was comprehensive and uncontroversial, while I am one of those who believe Bowe DID pull out the draw in the 2nd Holy match.

I believe that the Tyson win has had an enormous impact on Holyfields legacy. Before that fight his HW reign was considered to have been promising but ultimately short-lived, and he was actually considered to be spent prior to Tyson given the circumstances of the 3rd Bowe fight and the Moorer loss. It is unquestionable that he got battered over the course of the Bowe trilogy.

I think the Tyson win is a little overrated as I believe Tyson had slipped so much by then, but I know I am in the minority with this belief.

One thing that concerns me with Holyfields legacy is that the 2nd Bowe fight (a key victory for him) was in the balance going into the 12th but it was Bowe who had what it took to win the final round. The fight was very, very close, and casts serious doubt in my mind as to how Holyfield goes H2H with TOP10 prime ATGs.

I usually pick him to be a brave loser, whose physical attributes dont quite match up to his courage and determination.

 

The way he beat Tyson in a manner that he shouldnt theoreticaly have been able to do makes that the more remarkable win to my mind.

He practicaly out Tysoned him.

 

I really find it difficult to pick between the two.

In athletic terms, I would hold up Holyfield '93 as his peak version.
He still had his youthful speed and stamina, but training with Steward bulked up his punching power and varied his tactics. He could throw in combinations but also work the jab and get in and out well.

Holyfield in '96 could not fight for such sustained periods, and was not as quick. On the other hand, he was more experienced and ring smart, adapting his style to fight in more controlled bursts of effort.

And no doubt at all that the Tyson fight was, above all others, the single biggest boon for his career.

 

The frist fight with Tyson was Holyfield's best win.

I felt that Holyfield barely edged Bowe in the second fight, and the fan man incident gave a full 17-minute break in the action. This allowed an often-gassed Holyfield time to completely re-fuel.

 

Tyson II! He was more dominant against Tyson!

 

Sorry Tyson I!

 

I agree with you. Holyfield beat a very good and very capable Riddick Bowe who was at the top of his game. I don't really buy into the B.S about Bowe being out of shape and too heavy for his rematch with Holyfield. I mean, Bowe, as he proved later in his career, fought well in the 240-pound range. And, when Bowe trained down to 235 for his rematch with Golota, he looked frail and sickly. Bowe was just a big guy and 246-pounds on a guy who is 6'5" is no big deal. And Holyfield was about 10-pounds heavier for the rematch as well. Bowe had the size and the reach to make things much more difficult for Holyfield than Tyson did, and Holyfield won a close fight. That fight was impressive.

 

Tyson 1. Without that win, Holyfield would not be considered an ATG.