If Mike Tyson would have beat Buster Douglas

This is how I see it.
Holyfield only gained the quality and experience to take on Tyson through his fights with Bowe.
Of course, Roidfield has gained a few pounds in the meantime.
Mike Tyson in 1991 is a different beast than Mike Tyson in 1996.
In 1991, Tyson would have beaten Holyfield.

 

Don't agree Holyfield went on his best run of form beating Tyson, Moorer, back to back.

Holyfield had juiced/bulked up in 1996 and was alot physically stronger than he was in 1990.

Holyfield was also wiser at this stage in his career rather than the 1990 Holyfield who was constantly having wars.

 

When Holy was bullying Mike in '96, he was about 10 lbs heavier than when he was fighting in '91, it wasn't just the mental edge Holyfield gained at that time. A 208 lbs Holyfield vs a 218 lbs Mike would look very different.

 

Light heavyweight Holyfield punched heavyweight Tyson around the ring in the '84 Olympic tryouts.

He always knew he would beat Tyson.

Strangely, Lennox Lewis had the same thing going on. Everybody else was scared stiff of Tyson, but Lewis and Holyfield couldn't wait to get to him.

Joeywill is right on. Holyfield (maybe Lennox, too) always stops Tyson.

 

Holyfields a bad matchup for Tyson but Tyson backing into a decision here like he did with Tucker is a strong possibility. Tyson might never have been able to knock Holyfield out but he could have beaten him at his very best. Holyfield from Moorer II is unbeatable for Tyson but that was the fight of Holys life. Holyfield would have beaten Lennox that night too.

Unlike the notion of Tyson being washed in 1990 Tyson going to prison and losing those 5 years is a real excuse. I'm not saying I totally buy it I'm saying I'm not going to dismiss it.

 

According to observers of these fights, Tyson dominated over Lewis in 1984 even though he was a junior HW and Lewis was already a senior SHW and a Canadian representative at the Olympics. Tyson was blocked by Henry Tillmann and Tyrell Biggs in the higher weight class. He hasn't been able to beat them yet, not Tillmam, not Biggs, maybe not Holyfield either. But there is an interview with Tom Patt about the Lewis-Tyson sparring and it seems that of the four, Lewis was Tyson's easiest rival at that time.

 

2 nil anytime..Holy had his number. Usyk has Fury's, it happens

 

Amateur boxing is its own sport from pro boxing. Mike would have been barely 18 facing a 22 year old Holyfield there.

I can't see pre-prison Mike being in jeopardy against a fighter significantly smaller than him. He lost to a Buster Douglas who was 231 lbs.

 

Mike and Usyk are both two of the hardest to rate heavyweights, the two hardest in fact.
I think if you take Mike on his best night vs Holy on his best, Mike probably beats him.
A pre prison Mike is a different animal to a later 90’s Mike, he lost a vital part of his ability, like Ali did in his war years.

 

I also agree Holyfield is way underrated , at his best he cleans up the modern day division like Usyk has.

 

While Lennox is older than Tyson Lennox was also still a teen. Tyson is a prodigy who won the belt at 20 and was closer to the "finished product". While he could have debuted earlier Lennox did not debut as a pro until 1989.

In many walks of life the prodigy does not stay ahead their whole life. They simply reached their ceiling faster.