Big fights that would've been different if both were prime

Tyson holmes would be the same

 

Evander Holyfield vs. Larry Holmes: Holmes wins a hard fought decision. Holyfield had a tendency to fight to the level of opposition at HW, and he'd raise his game for Holmes. But Holmes would be a little too much here with his overall skillset and savvy. Holmes was also more vulnerable to the right hand, while Holyfield was most dangerous with his left hook. Just to add, I was impressed by the way a 42 year old Holmes fought off the ropes against Holyfield and landed some good shots. He had a lot of craft and ring smarts.

Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman: Another case where I don't think Evander has quite enough. Holyfield was so brawl happy and it would hurt him against such a vicious puncher in Foreman. Holyfield could conceivably fight a more tactical bout, use his speed and movement, in and out, double jabs, which were some of the tactics he employed in the Rid**** Bowe rematch. But it'd be hard as Foreman himself had a ramrod jab that could disrupt his rhythm. As Holyfield got older, he became more disciplined and controlled with his aggression. He said he learned from the stoppage loss to Bowe to fight more controlled, and you saw this in the Mike Tyson fight as he was more tactical, holding a lot, picking his spots when to brawl. But Holyfield would be in for a tall order here when clinching the remarkably strong Foreman.

Roy Jones vs. Joe Calzaghe: Jones was so fast, sharp, and had very good power at 168. He'd lower Calzaghe's workrate with his clean counters and win a clear UD.

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Julio Cesar Chavez: this is a good matchup, but I lean towards prime Chavez to win this, especially at 135.

Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes: It would not be easy but Ali would prevail by a decision, with the straight right hand being a key weapon. While not as technically sound, Ali was just better overall.

Pernell Whitaker vs. Felix Trinidad: I'm not actually overly confident with this, but I still lean towards Whitaker. Whitaker was a smaller guy, being one of the greatest lightweights ever, but not the same at 147. Trinidad would have about 5 inches in height and 3 inches in wingspan. It's a stretch to say that Whitaker was "vulnerable" to any punch, however if you were to say that he was susceptible to any punch from an orthodox fighter, I'd say the straight right hand. Trinidad had a good, long, and powerful straight right, which dropped Pea when they did fight in 1999. However, a 1993-94 Whitaker was certainly better than the Whitaker who fought Tito. Whitaker started really slipping in 1996, somewhat quickly, as I suspect the drug addiction took a toll on him.

The advantages above are why I think Tito is competitive with a 1993-94 Whitaker, but that version of Whitaker was considerably sharper and also had better legs then. Whitaker basically took it right to Tito, a curious game plan. The angles that a younger Whitaker would give Trinidad would confuse and frustrate him. Trinidad had trouble with the right type of movement, and it's tough to find better movers than Whitaker. Whitaker not only used the ring very well when he fought on the backfoot and moved laterally, but could just take small steps here and there to the side, give weird angles, and make himself a smaller target. Tito drops a competitive decision here.

 

Marciano Louis would see a victory for the bomber were they both in their respective primes

 

Tyson would lose every round and be KO'd by 10 or sooner.

 

Roberto Duran vs. Hector Camacho: Camacho was an insanely gifted boxer, it's a shame he wasted so much talent on the fast life, but even in his prime, he loses to Duran. During his prime, Duran was a nearly perfect fighter.

Camacho would give Duran problems early on with his speed and movement, but Duran would get to him. Duran would start getting to him with more consistency, and Camacho would go into a defensive shell. Camacho ends the night looking busted up and losing a clear decision.

Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Terry Norris: Like Duran in his prime, Leonard was a nearly perfect fighter from 1979-82. One of the best I've ever seen. Leonard would stop Norris at some point in the fight. Leonard had underrated power, particularly in his left hook, and the chinny Norris would not be able to take it. Nor would he be able to survive once Leonard went into finishing mode.

George Foreman vs. Tommy Morrison: If Morrison tries to employ the same tactics he did in their 1993 fight, he would find Foreman continually cutting off the ring on him. He could use less movement, maybe even trade with Foreman and hope his quicker hands and own formidable power does it for him, but chances are against him. Foreman has a big edge in chin. Tommy gets stopped.

 

Joe Louis vs Rocky Marciano
Mike Tyson vs Lennox Lewis
George Foreman vs Evander Holyfield and Tommy Morrison
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Terry Norris and Hector Camacho
Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao
Roy Jones vs Joe Calzaghe
Nigel Benn vs Steve Collins

 

Ali vs Berbick
Ali vs Holmes
Ali vs Spinks I
Foreman vs Holyfield
Foreman vs Morrison
Foreman vs Briggs
Holmes vs McCall
Holmes vs Neilsen
Holmes vs Spinks (both were blatant robberies anyways)
Holmes vs Tyson
Holyfield vs Nikolai Valuev
Holyfield vs Sultan Ibragimov
Holyfield vs Larry Donald
Holyfield vs Toney
Holyfield vs Byrd
Holyfield vs Ruiz
Holyfield vs Lewis
Holyfield vs Moorer
Liston vs Marin
Louis vs Marciano
There's a lot more but I'll have to look

 

:deal

 

I don't think Lewis/Holyfield would be that much different.

 

I think Holyfield would come out the victor.

 

Great post

 

Ali-Frazier (1971)

 

:deal

 

I think a closer to prime Leonard would have beaten Terry Norris.