Caracas Foreman Versus MGM Grand Holyfield*

One thing-

I don't know who was more frozen stiff, Norton vs. Foreman or Spinks vs. Tyson.

 

Definitely Spinks against Tyson. Norton actually did very well in the first round.

 

I agree though I’d also add I don’t think his confidence, particularly against punchers was ever the same after getting knocked out by Foreman. I think it was a very big factor in his losses to Shavers and Cooney that I don’t ever see discussed.

 

Accurate assessment.

Holyfield does pretty well against George until he inevitably gets sucked into a brawl,and then the writing on the wall shows a Foreman victory within six rounds.

 

Despite a better version of Holyfield struggling a bit against an older Foreman, I would still pick him to win here hesitantly. By this point Holyfield's chin had been cracked and he'd been stopped by Bowe, so there's a good chance Foreman draws him into a brawl, lands something big and puts him down for the count. But as we saw in the Tyson fight he was still tremendously durable and skilled. I think he survives the early fight though takes tremendous punishment and is hurt multiple times, but pushes through to wear down Foreman and tire him by forcing a higher pace fight than he'd like. He doesn't have a hard time landing to the head and body of Big George and eventually counters him to death, stopping the tired Foreman between the 10th and final round.

 

Foreman lights him up inside 4 rounds

 

Holy's my 4th favorite fighter ever (after Liston, Frazier, and Patterson) but he was to damn brave for his own good.
And for those saying, “If Holy were disciplined enough to avoid engaging in firefights…”—he demonstrated throughout his career that he simply wasn’t. Even in the rematch w Bowe, he made the fight much harder than it needed to be because he couldn’t resist the urge to stand and trade.

And even if we create the magical scenario where Holy is somehow given the discipline to avoid firefights, Foreman will almost certainly forces him into a situation where he has no choice but to brawl

 

Holyfield by this time had bulked up and was actually a smarter fighter IMO than the one who fought old Foreman although he was less energetic by this time aswell.

Holyfield went on a run of some of his best performances of his career during this time vs Tyson 1, Moorer 2.

The Holyfield of those fights would be a very hard nut for Foreman to crack IMO.

And if Young was able to neutralise Foreman's inside game then maybe Holyfield could do the same aswell like he did vs Tyson.

I don't think Holyfield would get lured into a brawl at this stage in his career I think he'd smartened up by this time IMO.

 

Richard Dunn!!

 

Np one is coming in and blowing out Evabder with pure power .. he was too tough and took too good a shot .. I see him stopping that Foreman who was devastating based on stylistic match up and the chin of his opponent ... Evander is not freezing like Norton, no way .. oddly I think that Norton might beat that Holyfield .. all styles ..