88' Tyson vs Prime Holmes

Holmes fought until he was 51 and noone else ever KO'd Him

Tyson is the only one to KO him, Holmes was 38 at the time.

 

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This really shows how great a Prime Tyson was

 

Tyson kayo two rounds later than the first time.

 

Holmes.

 

I can't see any version of Holmes having an answer to Tyson's right hand. Holmes lasted 4 rounds with Tyson in what was Tyson's greatest fight in my honest opinion, but he accomplished that by holding on for dear life. When he opened up and actually started fighting to win, Tyson's right hand landed and it was all she wrote.

Holmes keeps his left way too low, against guys that are on an equal level to him and have excellent right hands I'm picking against him. He was able to overcome this technical flaw during his reign due to the fact he was facing vastly overmatched opponents such as Renaldo Snipes and even Earnie Shavers, who didn't have the finishing skills to take advantage. In fact I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Schmeling would of beat Holmes.

 

Larry's mistake against Tyson was in not snapping the jab. I still think Mike would have won that fight. But, we didn't see the real Larry Holmes that night. He looked very slow and very old, even though you could see a glimpse of how he may have beaten Tyson in the old days.

 

Yeah we saw him dance and start snapping the jab in the 4th round, shortly followed by Tyson dropping him multiple times with right hands.

The reason Larry wasn't snapping the jab was that Tyson was looking to counter the jab with his right hand over the top, just like he would of done with any Holmes.

 

Larry looked slow in the first three rounds because his strategy was to play defense for a while to take Mike's edge off.

In the 4th he finally started some offense and what happened? KTFO. It's one of Tyson's most brutal KO's, and that's saying something.

Anyway. I choose prime Tyson over prime Holmes.

 

If tyson trained real hard.............fought like he did trevor berbick.......moving his head and rolling shoulders and throwing 4 punch combos...........then he would knock out a prime larry holmes...............larry holmes struggled in his prime against mike weaver.............mike tyson isnt mike weaver

 

I think that a younger Holmes would have been a bit more durable, and make it out of the 4th round. I think that Holmes would have taken the fight over around the 6th, and win the remaining rounds as long as the fight lasts.

A slightly younger Larry defeats Tyson.

 

When Tyson knocked him down, he didn't counter Larry's jab. Larry didn't even stick out the jab, when he caught him. Tyson landed a left on Holmes when his guard was wide, and then hit him with the right. When Holmes began snapping the jab in the third and fourth rounds, Tyson was looking to land his own left more so than counter over Larry's jabs. Larry had the most success when he snapped the jab and kept dancing. It was when he stopped moving, and stopped snapping that jab, that Tyson caught him.

 

Tyson takes this.
When they did fight in real life Holmes was doing pretty good. He was hitting and holding like one should when in the ring with a prime Tyson. The problem was that he was losing the fight on the score cards. I don't see Holmes using another stragity against Tyson. AS hit and Hold is the best one to use against him. Enless Holmes could stop Tyson and I don't think he could He would lose a decision. What god Holmes knocked out was his ego. Only Ali has a bigger ego than Holmes. If a mature version of Holmes gets over confident in round 4 against Tyson, when dose a younger version of Holmes get over confident? Conventional wisdom says he dose so before round 4.
Tyson t/ko Holmes rd3.

 

Nobody can deal with a prime Tyson.... not even Ali

 

Tough fight for both men...but I've always felt Tyson at his peak could take Holmes.

Larry is a great fighter with perhaps the best jab in h/w history. That said, he was sometimes a bit of a maverick in that he'd trade when it wasn't always in his best interests to do so.
No doubt that his movement (not that he was a great mover, but he could when he wanted to) and jab pose some serious issues for Tyson. He also has the heart and guts to hang tough if he needs to.

But still, for all that, it may not be enough. Tyson's quick enough to catch him and powerful enough to end it if he lands right. If Larry is still around by the 10th, he'd slowly take over, but I'd expect him to be behind on the cards at that point. If the fight is over 12 rounds, I'd favour Tyson...over 15 Holmes could sneak it.
The problem is though, that I' not sure it goes to a decision. Larry won't be in there to survive; he'd be in there to win.

It should be highly competitive; perhaps a Frazier v Ali for the 80's. I'm going for a Tyson stoppage in 8 or 9 rounds, or a points win over 12. Over 15, provided Holmes gets there, he could shade it.