Can Tyson Be Ranked Above Holyfield?

Jeffries
Johnson
Louis
Marciano
Ali
Holmes
Lewis

 

I rate Holy above Lewis...

Anyone here think Tyson should be above Lennox?

 

Neither should be.

 

Lewis has:

-More defences/wins of a major alphabet heavyweight title (16) than Holyfield (10) and Tyson (12).

-More defences/wins of the linear title (10) than Holyfield (5) and Tyson (3) combined.

-A better record against ranked contenders (19-2 with all defeats avenged) than Holyfield (11-10-1, 10-5 if you cut his career off after '99), and than Tyson (A record of 14-6, 13-3 if we cut off at '99)


-Beaten Holyfield 2-0 and Mike Tyson once. Tyson was far past his best, but Lewis at 35 was no spring chicken, either, and let's not forget the odds were about even going into the fight.

So i don't see why either Tyson or Holyfield should rank higher than Lewis.




On the topic: as others stated, it can be justified given Tyson's dominant reign and better record.

I will add one thing though: those saying that Tyson never lost in his prime but Holyfield did, must be kidding themselves. Mikey was 24 and on one of the most impressive winning streaks in boxing history when he got beaten from pillar to post by Douglas, who Holyfield by the way thrashed in 3. Holyfield, when he lost for the first time, was 30. How is that better than being 24 and on your career best winning streak, making 42-1 odds against your opponent? Tyson wasn't at his peak and that's his own fault, but he was in the prime of his life and career.

 

As a heavy or alltime or both...? Do you rate Holy over Lennox I mean..

 

Very good post.

 

Couldnt agree more...well played sir.

 

As a HW. I appreciate Chris's post but number of defences etc... but these are a small part of the picture. I believe Holyfield has enough wins over top competition, more than Lewis when everything is factored in. Resurrected his career many times and watching the 2nd fight I believe that Holy would have won a prime for prime match up. i also believe that Holy would win more fights than lennox if both were amcthed against the top 30 all-time HWs.

BUT I would not argue with someone who had Lewis above him. I think its close. IMO Lewis and Holy are much closer to one another than Tyson is to Holy. Tyson was a great fighter but he is overrated because of his style of fighting, his many quick KOs and because he is so popular.

 

I believe people are selling tyson far short here. h2h i dont see how holyfield beats mike tyson, his style plays right into tysons hands. there 1996 matchup was worthless, tyson was 4 years rusted out of the ring, and was a shell of the fighter he once been when he came back.


sure tyson lost to douglas, but holyfield lost to MICHAEL MOORER who is nowhere near as good as that version of buster douglas.



People have still yet to name a time where holyfield showed consistency and dominance against TOP opposition that comes close to comparing to tysons 1980s title reign.

 

'96 Tyson was not a 'mere shell' - he was still very good. Not late 80's level of very good, but still.

 

I agree. He looked awesome dispatching Bruno and Seldon, and then Holyfield, who no one gave a chance, beats him, and all of a sudden he's a "shell" of his former self.

 

i take tyson above holyfield. in his prime he was a more special fighter, an all time great in my opinion. that he managed to screw it all up does nothing to this fact. holyfield made much ,much more of his more limited talents but if you ask who was the better fighter at their best, its tyson all the way .

 

Tyson became a shell much later. He was still a top fighter before the Holyfield defeats.

Holyfield was a big underdog. I thought it was a bit of a joke fight at the time. Holyfield a lamb to the slaughter to boost Tyson's rep. I could not see how a muscle bound Cruiser was going to have any success whatsoever against Tyson.

Tyson's early career is hugely overrated. A great fighter, no doubt about that but not better than Lewis or Holy...

 

To put the loss against Douglas in perspective:

A 31 year old Ali came in overconfident, a bit undertrained and a bit unfucossed against what turned out to be his possibly toughest opponent and an absolute nightmare for boxers who lacked devastating power. He got his jaw broken early, but still made a fight of it.

Tyson was in a similar state against Douglas, but he was 24, met a guy who really never proved anything either before or after and he didn't get his jaw broken. Still he was outclassed.

 

Holyfield should always be above Holyfield?