Something I'm noticing about Holyfield's title defenses compared to Bowe and Lewis'

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by NoNeck, Jul 29, 2025.


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  1. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Lewis gained normal weight for a big guy advancing into his thirties and had normal body fat.

    Tyson wasn’t exactly building a legacy when he was cheating on drug tests and showing up to fights looking bloated w crappy cardio.

    Mayweather didn’t gain much weight. He entered the ring for 130 fights at around 140 and entered the ring for 154 fights at around 150. Floyd is the guy who made Olympic drug testing the norm.

    Holy’s PED use is an extension of his “by any means” mentality. Nobody else perfected the headbutt+low blow two piece.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2025 at 12:09 PM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:40 AM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:40 AM
    #91
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  2. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    That was after Lewis totally exposed him.
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:42 AM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:42 AM
    #92
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  3. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Wheres the competitive incentive to smoke weed in the music industry ? Thats recreational. I have no doubt the number of top level fighter taking illegal substances in training have surpassed the amount of clean honest people, I just don't trust them with how many actually pop while masking agents are a thing. It's just assumption but I don't trust them anymore
     
    MarkusFlorez99, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:47 AM
    MarkusFlorez99, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:47 AM
    #93
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  4. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    That's irrelevant he was a mandatory just like Bean was.

    That means he was obligated to defend his belt against his mandatory.

    This has been explained to you multiple times in the thread.
     
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:48 AM
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 10:48 AM
    #94
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  5. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Vitali stepped up his opposition starting with Lewis and not before, as I mentioned.

    Moorer would be a mid level win for Vitali post Lewis and Samders would probably knock him out quicker than Tua did.
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:07 AM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:07 AM
    #95
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  6. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    It’s a PED for creating music.
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:07 AM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:07 AM
    #96
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  7. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Interestingly, Usyk has the best six fight winning streak in the history of the heavyweight division because he refuses to play by those sorts of rules.
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:10 AM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:10 AM
    #97
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  8. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Did you miss the part where Usyk was forced to defend against Dubois who was his mandatory ?

    So yes Usyk has to play by those rules.
     
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:23 AM
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:23 AM
    #98
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  9. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Dubois is a quality B level guy, like Moorer was. Don’t ever mistake him for a Vaughn Bean or Bert Cooper.
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:40 AM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 11:40 AM
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  10. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Apparently you didn't read anything that's been said so let me explain again.

    It's been explained to you 4 times now Bean and Cooper were substitutes.

    You just said Usyk doesn't play by those rules when he was obligated like Holyfield was to defend against his mandatory the samething you're criticising Holyfield for.

    The quality of what you think Dubois is or isn't a
    at is irrelevant. The point is Usyk was obligated to defend his belt against his mandatory Dubois just like Holyfield was.

    I hope that's clear now.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2025 at 12:14 PM
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:00 PM
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:00 PM
    #100
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  11. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    1. Were Cooper and Bean substitutes for guys who had recently been exposed?
    2. Did you lie by pretending like Bean was a mandatory, when he was not?
    3. Why did Dubois end up with a belt?
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:14 PM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:14 PM
    #101
  12. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Bean was number 1 ranked IBF mandatory challenger......

    What part of "obligated to defend vs your mandatory" do you not understand ?

    It's like I'm talking to a brickwall.
     
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM
    #102
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  13. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Bean wasn’t a mandatory. Nor was Cooper.
     
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM
    NoNeck, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM
    #103
  14. KO_King

    KO_King Horizontal Heavyweight Full Member

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    Just my opinion... while I like and respect Holyfield, I've always found him a little overrated as a HW. He had some great individual wins, but no consistency or dominance. For every brilliant performance there were sub par showings and head scratching losses.
    I once heard him described as an 'occasional great ' which I thought summed him up perfectly
     
    KO_King, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:50 PM
    KO_King, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:50 PM
    #104
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  15. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    "Akinwande was diagnosed with hepatitis B and the bout was postponed and eventually cancelled. Instead, Holyfield moved on to face another mandatory challenger Vaughn Bean, who was the IBF's number one contender."
     
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:52 PM
    Dynamicpuncher, Jul 31, 2025 at 12:52 PM
    #105
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