Tua-Tyson 1996

At this time this could be tough for Tyson. Tua evidently had power and a chin, and Tyson had gone gung-ho looking for the big finishes by this point really. Stylistically as has been said earlier in the thread, Tua offered nothing that would really worry Tyson. I'd edge towards him because he had the speed to beat Tua to the punch. The late 80's version though would of beaten Tua far more convincingly due to the defense, jab and technical skills he had over Tua, funnily enough.

 

Tua sure did have a few things Tyson would have to worry about. 3 big advantages and those are the kinds of things that become bigger factors the longer the fight goes on.


1. he kept his power throughout the fight and had shown the rare ability to be a heavyweight getting the late ko's.

!A. tua was often in close fights or behind and still got the wins late. Very dangerous and most heavyweights are front runners and when they get behind they stay that way.

2. endurance and pace. Legs aren't a factor here. Tua would wing away and moved his hands in there and does anyone really think the Tyson gastank isn't emptied if he bothered to try throwing the same amount of big shots Tua threw against Ike?

3. whiskers. Tua is far better and the Tyson resistance drops the longer the bout goes and the more he absorbs.

 

If they fought in 1996, I'd give it to Tua because he wouldn't back down. Iron Mike wouldn't be the same after the early rounds. Tua carried his punch late in the fight.

 

Interesting fight stylistically. Never really decided on this one. My gut tells me Tyson because he was technically a better fighter, even though he was quite past his best at that point. Tua was rather one dimensional relying on the big left hook, and I don't think he could land a fully loaded one on Tyson. This is a fight that would be fought in the pocket, Tua's work would be smothered as it was against Ibeabuchi. Tyson IMO was more skilled on the inside and carried more knockout power there.

 

holyfield could not KO moorer in their first fight , could not KO lewis , ruiz in 3 fights , vaughn bean , ray mercer , alex stewart , rahman , so he could KO tua
nonetheless ?
tua would have KO'd holyfield the worst he has ever been.
against tua he will not even be able to try to rise at least before 8 if he will regain his senses at all during the count. tua is not Bowe or Toney , he would have really destroyed holyfield , and yes , i saw their sparring , but it was a mere sparring and holyfiled is everyone's hero , probably tua's too.
bigger chance for tua KOing tyson the worst he had ever been.
if a slightly past prime holyfield could take tyson's punches at that time , a prime (or almost prime) tua by that time would have probably walk through tyson's best punches , land his own bomb and KO tyson badly.
a bad match-up for tyson.

 

Tyson had no head movement left in those days, he would have gotten hit taken for granted that Tua would have been scared only to forget the second sentence in his thought to be dropped to the ground, young 80's tyson would have had tua's number but not this one.

 

Doesnt matter. Evander Holyfield dropped pressure fighters with good chins. He was just very good at handleing guys that came forward because he was such an accurate counter puncher and Tua was so predictable with what he was going to throw. Heres some footage of the two sparring for Holys preparation for Tyson.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG7TafdrRsY[/ame]

 

Holyfield would've beat Tua like a red headed step child. He would've landed clean COMBINATIONS on the ponderous Tua and his great chin would've absorbed the ocassional shot from Tua. Tua's face would be a mess and he's be stopped around 10.

 

Tua doesn't have the style or savvy to break down the still faster, more technical '96 Tyson.

Tyson by early stoppage or decision.

 

Tyson still had something in the tank in 96 & possibly 97. I though he won rounds 1 & 3 in the holyfield rematch before well you know. Tyson by late stoppage.

 

a 1996 Holyfield KO's Tua but Ike and Lewis could not?

 

Who did Holyfield in that time period stop apart from past prime Tyson, which says he could stop the granite chinned Tua?

 

Arc sin x

 

Who's Ike? Who'd he beat? I'm sure he's undefeated in prison......................Tua fought like a ***** against Lewis or Lewis would've knocked Tua out. Watch the fight. He pussied out. Styles make fights. Holyfield would be much busier than Lewis and Tua was pretty easy to hit.

 

Tyson`s peek a boo head movement was bad at this stage though.