I’m positive Holyfield would’ve beaten Tyson in 91

I've always said this. Holyfield would win everytime. His work rate, paired with his skill and toughness would've been too much for Tyson. Holy UD or more likely TKO late rounds.

 

91 Tyson was also quicker with a higher work rate. It's hard to say, but Bert Cooper had Holyfield in trouble, so it's not far fetched to say that the more skilled and arguably harder hitting Tyson could have done the same. That's not saying that Tyson WOULD have done it, but it's a strong possibility. From what I remember, the night he fought Foreman, he should have fought Tyson. Holyfield was 208 pounds in that fight and he may not have been able to tie Tyson up and walk him back like he did when he had 10 extra pounds of muscle on him. Plus, Holyfield still hadn't experienced the Bowe loss, so he may have been content with trying to outslug Tyson, in 1996, he fought extremely strategically. I say, it depends on how Holyfield would have fought Tyson and to an extent, how much muscle he packs on. If he went toe to toe with 91 Tyson instead of utilizing the brilliant gameplan he did in 96, I see Tyson perhaps stopping him. Or at least winning a decision.

On the other hand, let's say he fought Tyson and lost because he tried to punch it out with Tyson. He may not have lost to Bowe because assuming he fights Bowe after Tyson, he may have learned his limitations at slugging it out with the big men with big HW power. So he would have always boxed against Bowe rather than go for the punch out.

 

Or where professional fighters gain big fight experience, that make them better.

 

I doubt Cooper hit harder than Tyson. But if he did, that doesn't necessarily make him better. In reality Cooper is a poor man's Tyson. I understand he was a replacement for a replacement which didn't give Holyfield time to prepare for Cooper, but then Cooper didn't have much time to prepare for Holyfield either.

Tyson wouldn't have taken Holyfield lightly in 1991. And he begged King to get him that title shot, more precisely demanding King give him Holyfield or he'd leave King for dead.

Both men would be facing their greatest opponent with both men having experience in championship fights. However, Tyson was far more accomplished at that weight than Holyfield at that time and a far more fluid and dangerous man than the 1996 post prison version.

 

I think it would have been an outstanding fight in 1991. I can’t be positive on who would have won nor in what fashion however

 

That's debatable whether Holyfield accomplished more. Holyfield WISHES he could do what Tyson did in the 80's. You know everything that Tyson did in the 80's...actually happened! Imagine that. It's not a myth. It's not overhyped. He did the things that people remembered him doing and was classified as one of the best.

Tyson's record at heavyweight: 50-6 with 2 no contests
Holyfield's record at heavyweight: 26-10-2 with 1 no contest

 

I think Holy would have beaten Mike anytime in the 90s, but I hesitate when it comes to prime Mike vs. even 1991 (peak) Holyfield.

I think the guy who knocked the **** out of Spinks would have done one heck of a lot better against even prime Holyfield. Though Mike didn't have the jab of prime Bowe, he had shockingly good hand speed to go with his power (and I'd put both Bowe and Mike about even as far as punching weight goes, or thereabouts). And I'm pretty certain Mike had it all day on Bowe in terms of defense. So I don't think Holy could have survived a heyday Mike.

Post-Rooney Mike would have been in trouble with Holy though imo.

 

Tyson was likely not on steroids.
We have been through this numerous times here. Tyson was big as a poor 13 year old before boxing.
There are so many exposes of him, yet zero evidence he ever took PEDs.
He never had any implausibly rapid gain of muscle, nor health problems typically linked with PEDs.
Many folks like Ali get much bigger when very young. Tyson did not even do that.

Anybody *could* be using anything. That does not mean it is fair or rational to conclude they dd.

 

Any post 85, pre 90 version of Tyson destroys ANY version of Holy, roided or clean.

 

A more civil response than your username might suggest likely, lol!
Many things could stop huys from juicing. Some would not think they would benefit from it, or it could detract from performance.
They knew less about it then, & it was only recently that boxers routinely bulked up with weights.
Tyson might have understood that the amount of muscle he had already was a lot, & more would just slow him down & hurt his endurance.
Also it is not giving bovers their due top insist that none would have ethical reservations, all would want to cheat there way up.
There are health concerns too.

But your last line references by allusion something I already mentioned.
Yes, anyone could have used PEDs.
But it is not any valid evidence, let alone making a convincing case, to say that anyone *could* do anything.
Whether wife beating or alcoholism or serial killing, the fact that you or I hypothethically could do any or all, is not even suggestive that we likely did any of them.

 

This is an excellent analyses.