Prime Foreman vs Holyfield

Big George. Holyfield warred with bigger men too often to fight the kind of disciplined fight that would give him a shot at winning.

 

The old version of Georgewas so much slower than the prime version and he still gave Holyfieldsome trouble. I go with George in a close war.

 

But young George was also more vulnerable, had more stamina problems and was less calculating than old George. I think it would be a war in which either Foreman stops Holy in the first 5 or will lose a close decision over 12 or be stopped over 15 (TKO of course). The chances that the first one happens is the highest I suppose.

 

Stamina problems would have never been an issue with young Foreman vs Evander Holyfield. Foreman would have destroyed Holyfield with 3 rounds.

 

Holyfield would do ok until he would inevitably,be drawn into a brawl. Foreman by tko inside five rounds.

 

One thing Holyfield was always good at was being an accurate puncher. I think young Foreman was more reckless and less defensive minded due to his cockiness in his power. Holyfield would have his chances for sure, and no way Foreman ko's him in three rounds. Holyfield was never KO'd quickly and fought big punchers.

 

A young Foreman would be too much for Holy.

 

Holyfield outboxes him to a clear UD. The young Foreman is the most overrated fighter in history. The clubbing swings and lack of fundamentals which were exposed by Jimmy Young and Ron Lyle would be preyed upon by a high-level fighter like the peak hw Holyfield.

 

Popkins.

Like the peak Heavyweight Holyfield who struggled a bit against 42 year old grandaddy's Foreman and Holmes?

Holyfield did not look that impressive in his first heavyweight reign.

His defences were Foreman (42), Holmes (42), Cooper (a substitute for a substitute) and a loss to Bowe. He struggled to KO Bert Cooper (despite dropping him in round one) and he hit him with everything but the kitchen sink, but the shakey chinned Cooper managed to stay on his feet but against Foreman and Bowe prior got starched in round 2 twice.

You want to bring up Lyle for Foreman (even though he was no longer champion at that point, while Hoyfield was champ against Cooper and was rocked to his heels).

The Foreman who fought Lyle and Young was not in his peak mentally. The best of Foreman (Frazier and Norton) beats Holyfield (who tired against a old Foreman and Holmes "The peak Heavyweight Holyfield").

 

I'm gonna go against the grain here and say Holyfield via decision. I think he'd be able to take Foreman's best considering Foreman's shots were more clubbing efforts and Evander had a great chin, I think Foreman's power was best delivered from low and I don't see him being able to utilize uppercuts here. Prime Evander is quicker and more skilled, although he might get dragged into a brawl and drop rounds, and had fewer defensive flaws than the Foreman of old.

 

I'm not going against the grain and I'm picking Foreman within the first 5-6 rounds. Should Holyfield manage to get into the later rounds he may be able to pull off a decision, depending on whether or not he was knocked down in the earlier rounds (ie he may have lost a round or two by 10-8's if he was).

But if I were betting on the fight, I'd bet on Foreman.

 

Hard one. What speaks for Holyfield is his combination of mental and physical toughness and skill. But it seems he had few fights at HW where he wasn't drawn into a brawl, and that is very, very dangerous against Big George, who also was very good at chasing his opponent down.

Foreman's weakness is mainly his suspect stamina and defence. A coin toss this one. Perhaps Holy has the edge, since he proved himself more I think.

 

Like the Bowe fights and a KO. Foreman gave him a good one when he was old. In his prime he would win