I gotta go with Holyfield to win a very hard fought close decision but it would be a brutal fight. IMO Tua at this time was at his best and would've given any heavyweight a very tough test and could've possibly beaten any heavyweight on a given night. Not only was he a devastating puncher his work rate was very good. I'd expect Holyfield to use his jab well, land the more crisp combinations, clinch and hold Tua when necessary much like he did to Tyson and put together some good relies to steal close rounds. I think Tua would be in there the whole time giving Holyfield hell and would make the fight very close, likely hurting Holyfield a couple times, it wouldn't surprise me to see Tua dominate some of the mid to late rounds but Holyfield to rally down the final stretch.
Evander would turn him all night and go on for a decision win. He'd get tagged and hurt by a lefthook early, and that would be it for Tua. He wouldn't be in position to land it again. And after about 7 rounds, it'd be David plodding and having less and less of a window of opportunity to win. It'd help a ton of Tua threw straight rights to the body like Smokin Joe did. The body work could pay dividends but he just didn't set things up for himself. And Evander isn't a guy to go out easy anyway.
Holy didn't need too much encouragement to go to war, but my bet is that after doing that early and Tua having some success with the left hook, Holy would adjust and let the skills pay the bills. Tua was extremely dangerous if you stayed in his wheelhouse, but Holyfield usually spent at least a little time in his opponents best spot to demoralize them when they realized that Evander could still take it. If Tua can't get rid of him (and with Holyfield's chin, that seems more likely than not), how does he react? Holyfield can adjust and win, I'm not sold Tua would have it in him to have an effective counter strategy. Would be an exciting fight, though.
Holyfield in 96, was still in his prime, no way he loses to Tua.. If little Chris Byrd easily outboxed Tua, Holy who is even bigger and more forceful, would do it better...
I like that---adjust and let the skills pay the bills. And that is exactly how it would play out. 1 guy adjusts and the other doesn't. And Tua wearing the shoes of a puncher with success early but having to adpat and create new openings for himself because the opponent changed things up. And Tua needs about 2 quantum leaps in footwork for an opponent like this as well.
Holyfield gives up some rounds but would spoil and box a confused Tua all night behind a steady jab and hard combinations. Evander also hurts and maybe even drops Tua with a well timed left hook not unlike Mercer, and we won't have to hear about how invincible Tua is on ESB years later.
Tua is severely overrated his 2 best kos are Moorer and Ruiz the rest of his opposition is the who's who of toilet cleaners/cab drivers of the 90's There is a video of Holy sparring with Tua in 96 for the Tyson fight. Holyfield beats Tua everyday of the week
Yes he is. And not exactly the best we've seen of Moorer and Ruiz at that. He was behind on the cards in the first Rahman fight and the stoppage was bull. He also really lost the second Rahman fight, very easy to score. Evander would have bullied Tua into submission. The Terminator would go into his shell as soon as Evander started ripping combinations into him.
He probably knew Evander better than most since they sparred together quite often. Of course, the reverse applies as well. I don't see Holyfield having too much of a problem against Tua really. I think he could also brawl inside some and get away with it, if he had to.
you should see.my response for the Tyson vs Tua thread. Ill copy paste it. It pretty covers my comparison of the 2
Yeah :roll: just as he did when the much larger, harder hitting Ibeabuchi hit him with everything he had over 12 rounds setting the record for most punches thrown in a 12 round heavyweight bout.
