Holyfield vs Usyk @ Heavyweight

I'm trying hard not to be a prisoner of the moment but Holyfield would struggle to win this. This is the case not only because of how good Usyk is but also because of Holyfield's heavyweight record. The fact is that with the exception of winning one of three from Riddick Bowe all of the biggest wins on Evander's ledger were against fighters who were either past their prime or well past their prime. Foreman, Holmes and Tyson were past their best by quite a bit when Holyfield beat them.

Holyfield was a warrior and I admire him but he was never at Usyk's level as a heavyweight. I can't see Holyfield getting stopped so I will go with Usyk by decision.

 

I know exactly how you feel. I have had so many arguments about Uysk over the last five years or so it's like people just don't want to acknowledge that there is anything good or special in the world anymore.

I will never count out Holyfield. The man was a warrior and I will always admire him but I would put my money on Uysk. He is just simply that good not too mention Evander himself said just last week that Uysk would be a very difficult figjt for him. Evander did not fair well with Southpaws. Moorer, Byrd and Sultan all got wins over him but he clearly wasn't at his best in any of those fights.

 

Draw

 

Usyk heavyweight record = decisions with against Chisora & AJ x2
1 past prime gatekeeper punch bag plodder type
& 1 mental fragile no gas tank manufactured fighter paper ' unified champion ' ' [build on washed up & nobody contender. destroyed . exposed. & quit against fat no reach Mexican in at his peak]

critics Real Deal Holyfield heavyweight record is fair. yes. if we compare for ATG lists & history. yes he might come short. yes is fair

but Usyk record heavyweight not even on this radar.
yes looks good but his wins do not well compare . nowhere near.

 

It’s Holyfield. That’s the answer.

 

Holyfield W UD.

Tough fight, but not one I think Usyk would win over the distance.

Usyk would have much less of a static target to look good against. His movement could be matched, albeit more conservatively, by Holyfield's own brand of dynamism.

Ultimately, Usyk would be comprehensively out-landed by someone like Holyfield; a guy who is fast, knows what a counterpunch is and can actually throw combinations.

I wouldn't rule out a stoppage win for Holyfield, either.

 

Holyfield with steroids, favor him.
Holyfield clean-let's assume when he was up to 208 lbs., all upper body, he was clean: close, maybe still Holyfield.
Because nobody is getting starched with this matchup, likely with either, & Holyfield may land even more.

But Usyk would target his lean body-Evander likely would so the same.

 

The irony of this thread is that Holyfield was somewhat **** on by the public in kind of the same way Uysk us now. A lot of folks still looked at Tyson as the champ during Evanders first reign even though Tyson lost to Douglas and was in prison. No matter who Evander beat he was simply just a guy to a lot of people. He would win a 12 round decision over a guy lthat Tyson blew out in a round and folks would just yawn. He fought wars with Riddick Bowe and people still wouldn't give him credit. It took beating Tyson for the general public to finally acknowledge what knowledgeable figt fans already knew. Holyfield was an ATG.

Uysk seems to be in the same position that Holyfield was even though he won everything he could possibly win as an amateur while going 335-14. Even though he completely unified an outstanding CW division by beating everyone in their own country. And now we are at the point where he has all but one of the belts at heavyweight and he us still not getting credit. There are literally folks on this forum that don't even watch boxing anymore and haven't even seen him fight for God's sake.

 

If Holyfield fought the way He fought in first fight against Moorer, Usyk would outbox him - but I think that Holyfield at his very best would be able to outwork Usyk, probably targeting the body.
I mean outwork in terms of effective punches to be clear. Punch stats on Usyk are a bit scewed as probably bigger half of his punches are just throw-off shots not meant to land, but to create openings and keep his opponent occupied.

Great fight though.

 

Holyfield was a little bit different cruiser. When he went to heavyweight, he was ALWAYS throwing hard, hard body shots. The better to slow down Usyk.

 

Prime Holyfield by UD or Late TKO.

Because i believe that almost all indicators favor him. Strength and power wise, he dominates Usyk.

Evander stood toe to toe with probably every heavyweight he ever stepped into the ring with (except for quite possibly the strongest fighter, fighter, not just heavyweight, of history George Foreman), including fighters that were no slouch in the "strength" department like Bowe, Lewis and Tyson. Usyk, on the other hand, got pushed around by unranked Chisora and has shown no signs of having real heavyweight power.
I also believe that evander had a better chin, since he fought and beat more heavyweight big punchers and managed to withstand their power.

Speed, size and foundamentals wise, i think it's even or close to even, which means neither fighter would really have the upper hand fighting on the outside, so holy, who always relished a war, would rumble inside and would beat usyk down, thanks to his strength, power and chin advantages.

 

Holy lands harder punches but Usyk lands far more consistently and finds his way to a UD. I doubt Usyk could knock Holyfield, Holy could knock Usyk down but not keep him there. Both are warriors, and there is no quit in Holy, but I can't see him TKO, KO, or Outpointing Usyk without a miracle or HGH or better yet both.

This is a pretty awesome fantasy match up though, one that I think would make a great trilogy but at the end of the day I'd bet on Usyk every time.

 

"FASTEST FEET
Chris Byrd: The people that I fought.. nobody ran because I was a smaller guy. Let’s give it to Chris Byrd; he got around and that’s how he won."

-- Evander Holyfield

https://www.ringtv.com/article/best-faced-evander-holyfield/


It's an interesting wrinkle. If Usyk is fighting a mobile fight rather than trying to outslug Evander, that's a fight strategy Holyfield didn't face that often.