Holyfield V Tyson 1991?

The 1991 Holyfield-Tyson fight, scheduled for November 18, at Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas, but cancelled after Tyson sustained a rib injury, has always been an excellent fantasy match-up.

Here is my reservations on Tyson. During his previous two fights—both against Razor Ruddock—Tyson was straying away from his what made him effective at his best. He wasn’t setting up his offense the way he once did, and his defense was becoming suspect. Instead of feinting and throwing punches in combination, he was loading up and telegraphing his shots. Which was a fault that became even more evident post-prison. And defensively he lacked head moment, with being more flat-footed adding to his woes.

Trainer, Richie Giachetti, hired after Tyson lost to Douglas in February 1990, was giving sound advice throughout Ruddock 2 with none of it being administered by his pupil.

Along the lines of, “Stop looking for the home run, Mike, and don’t load up.”

“Use your jab, Mike, when going in, use your jab. And you gotta throw combinations, you’re throwing one punch at a time.”

This sort of advice was given over both Ruddock fights, with a higher emphasis on it during the rematch. But to no avail.

It seemed to be, whenever Ruddock started to load up with his “smash” hook/uppercut and abandon his jab, Tyson got into the same pattern as his opponent and couldn’t break out of the trend. Tyson was undisciplined and relied on his power to bail him out.

I just can’t see Tyson being good enough to deal with Holyfield in 1991. Yes, while the style of Ruddock had something to do with Tyson being out of sync with the solid fundamentals related to his own particular style, bad habits were creeping into his game long before then. As far back as 1989 in fact. But It just took the Ruddock fights—a total of 18 completed rounds—to magnify them tenfold.

Holyfield TKO, in the late rounds.

 

Forum "experts" dis and Forum "experts" dat...........

Fighting a Boxer who fought a little over a half dozen rounds in five years while sitting in the Can .................Forum "expert" dragon Slayer Holyfield beat that washed up Tyson.....twice......obvious Forum "experts" conclusion , Dragon slayer Holyfield has hos number............inquiring minds want to know why Dragon slayer Holyfield did not have Lewis's, Bowe's. Ruiz's, Moorer's number when he out of 10 fights only won 3 three THREE.....and two out of those four are Palookas.........I guess they did not sit in prison for five years fighting a little over a half dozen rounds in said period while facing Dragon slayer Holyfield.

 

Holy UD. Mike lands some horrific shots, but Holy outlasts him, floors him and just outperforms him.

 

Agree with everything you said but Evander had been in training for months for a meeting with MIKE TYSON. Bert cooper was the one who was expected to take a step UP on short notice.

 

Not quite Magoo. Yes, he was to have been fighting Tyson, but then when Mike couldn't make the dance, Francesco Damiani was the replacement but then he pulled out at very short notice and Bert stepped up. Not an ideal camp. You are 100% correct though that any fight where there is a late replacement affects both fighters, not just the prom queen...

Thanks for this thoughtful contribution, peace and love, Px

 

....because they are not Tyson? For me, and I am not only happy when other disagree, I encourage it as it stimulates conversation and more times than not I learn something, Evander's attributes are a perfect foil for Mike's. I'd say Bowe's were a perfect foil for Evander's. Styles make fights.

Moorer? The guy was in heart failure during the fight. Ruiz? Evander was almost 40. Lewis? Again not a peak Holyfield and he still stayed on his feet for 24 rounds. I'd have loved to have seen a peak Holyfield against a prime Lewis, always thought Evander would have taken this fight but I do go back and forward with this.

For me, Holyfield beats Tyson in 91, or any year. Controversial maybe but for me Tyson's prime was '86-'88. I think the Holmes fight was his last peak performance and yes I'm aware that Spinks comes after that but that was a blow out... His dismantling of Tyrell Biggs is up there with Ali V Williams as an example of a surgical dismantling of a fighter, it was a fearsome display of barely restrained savagery, cat playing with mouse not just because it can, because it wants to.

I'm a massive Tyson fan and I actually think he is underrated by many. I have him higher on my ATG and H2H lists than many, but I genuinely think Evander was his kryptonite.

Thanks for your thoughtful post, peace and love, Px

 

Tyson would be in optimum shape and comes in hungry to regain the title.

A lot of posters feel '96 Holyfield may have been best equipped to fight any version of Tyson. The dirty strategy he employed and the physical strength he had at the time allowed him to put on his clinch/counterpunch clinic. Not to mention trainer Tommy Brooks unleashing a couple sparring partners like David Tua and Gary Bell to emulate Tyson's style/Peek-a-Boo.

The early 90's incarnation had relentless stamina, surreal heart and recuperative powers. Evander also had blazing hand speed and could box, move and counter effectively. Despite this, he was always willing to go punch for punch with some guys he had no business doing so considering his lack of power and it got him in trouble. Heck it even deliberately cost him his title against Bowe.

1991 Holyfield whom Tyson would've fought was only around 207 lbs and I just can not see him landing the more significant shots that a 230+ lb Ruddock couldn't even make Mike budge with. Tyson's demeanor around this time period feels quite dangerous, and he was as dirty and unshakable as ever imo. His defense was pretty much a thing of the past, but his speed of hand and foot, ability to put together combinations (though less often) and willingness to attack the body were still very much intact at an elite level.

I respect Holyfield's heart and chin too much to predict he gets stopped outright, but I see Mike battering the hell out of him, matching him to the punch - and when they get there, they're hurting a lot more than Holyfield's - and getting a few 10-8 rounds from the early onslaught under his belt, maybe even a knockdown or two. Holyfield inevitably starts surging as Mike's work rate slows, but it's not enough and he takes a clear, brutal UD in one of the better fights of all-time.

A peak Tyson against any Holyfield stops him in the mid-rounds. Way too much going for him and coming at Evander for him to deal with.

 

Great post. I agree with everything, but unfortunately I can't put it into words as well as you.

 

Agree 100% Tyson was vulnerable at this point in his career--still formidable but not at the level he was 3 years earlier. I think Holyfield could pull it off and gut out a very close UD in a tough battle. This would have been a great fight--one of those "pay top dollar to see live" bouts!!

 

Good morning Fergy. Holyfield still pulls it out in '91 as Mike had already commenced his downhill journey and Holyfield was probably at his best as a heavyweight around that time. The best version of Tyson (1988) however stops the best ever Evander.

 

Go look at the Bobby Czyz fight that took place in his most recent bout before Tyson I … obviously Evander could raise his game for a guy like Tyson and shake off a bad performance.

Tyson was playing rock-em-sock-em robots with Donovan Ruddock in 1991 — ‘you hit me, I hit you’ — so I don’t know that this version of Mike is any better suited to beat a warrior like Holyfield.

 

Realistically, the eye test for me has it. His shoulders, traps, chest, back and arms all got a lot thicker and I felt he became a lot sturdier in close. Against Foreman and Bowe he struggled with their physicality (for obvious reasons but still). Holyfield looked much more physically equal with Lennox, who realistically was a hell of an athlete and strong heavyweight. Either way I agree that the difference among the years is overstated in ability and perhaps even in size and muscle as well. I'd say overall that Holyfield is my favorite fighter accounting for greatness and fight quality.

1991
https://www.thefightcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/1-george-vs-evander-7777777.jpg

1997
https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-co...b1_holyfield-pain1-062997_181167-12.jpg?w=980

 

Holyfield, for the fact that he would back Tyson up, beat him to the punch and completely throw him off his game.

 

Holy himself said that the only one who outmuscled him was Foreman.and I believe him. I don't rhink he was outmuscled even at only 205 against Bowe, it was those tight uppercuts from Bowe that was the problem. He managed to land them without having to push Holy off.