Does Tyson Ever Beat Holyfield?

Yes. The 87 vintage Tyson beats him.

 

By “ever” are we talking about a plausible fight in the real timeline, so 1991? Or a mythical prime match up with both at their best?

 

You might have a problem though. I mean usually the people that do what you do, tend to not have a lot of stuff going on. And I guess it's true in this case as you just said you were bored.

And I suppose I should stop dscussing boxing on a boxingforum, it was a silly thing to do I guess

 

The 91’ matchup is interesting.

Judging by how often Tyson was neglecting his head movement in the Ruddock fights, I would lean towards Holyfield. Part of me thinks Holyfield would always raise his game for Tyson.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if Tyson had won. While Holyfield was faster and fresher in 91’, he was also physically smaller, and more prone to unnecessary brawling. He later said after fighting Tyson that he learned from the Bowe fights how to be more controlled in his aggression, which he was against Mike. I can see this coming back to haunt him against Tyson.

 

If Holyfield (CW Champion) did the same as Michael Spinks (LHW Champion); challenged HW champion - Mike Tyson would have won by knockout in 1988. IMO Tyson would have won in 1989. After the loss to Douglas Tyson can no longer beat Holyfield.

 

Tyson had been neglecting his head movement for some time by then imo. It was first noticeable to me against Bruno, and more pronounced against Douglas.

 

Holyfield was literally a different person in '96 than he was in 1990. He'd drugged himself up into a human cartoon character, traps that finished below his ears and a neck like an oak tree. Given that Holyfield used his strength to nullify Tyson in clinches in '96, it's not far fetched to think Tyson gets a 205 pound Holyfield out of there in '90-91. Tyson of the Tubbs and Thomas vintage bangs any version of Holyfield
out for me.

 

I think if they had met in June of 1990 as originally scheduled it would have been a 50/50 chance. This is of course assuming that Tyson did NOT lose to Douglas

 

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I think a prime, Kevin Rooney trained 1988 Tyson would have taken out Holy. I might be wrong...

 

In 88-89 when Evander was just beginning as a HW Tyson wins. Also, I think if Tyson fought Holyfield in Nov. 1991 as schduled Tyson would have won. He was coming off two good performances against Razor Ruddock. Holyfield badly struggled with substitute Bert Cooper and was even badly hurt. It is not hard to imagine what would have happened if Tyson was in there instead of Cooper.

 

I always thought it was Holyfield’s fight to lose. I kinda figure so long as he had a game plan and didn’t just slug it out(which he seemed to be formulating a plan for years) he probably would have won. I kinda thought as great as Tyson was he was never a ultra versatile fighter and If holy managed to disrupt his plan he would win.

 

No...Holyfield had NO quit in him...

 

I think the best version of Mike Tyson could probably beat some versions of Evander Holyfield, like the Evander who fought Michael Moorer the first time. Best version of each, I will go with Evander Holyfield.

 

Tyson wins any match up pre prison. By 90-91 when the fight was originally scheduled to take place I see Mike winning a tough but clean decision. Evander was juiced to the gills by 96 and a post prison Tyson, that had yet to fight a stiff test and clearly did not train nor have the stamina of pre prison Mike lasted 11 rounds. The fight was competitive for the first six rounds, and while Tyson was systematically broken down he was still dangerous and in it until the 10th. That was a Holyfield that fought the fight of his life, and was juiced up able to push Mike around that forced Mike to reset over and over. Not to mention using his head. I don’t think a Mike with better stamina and quicker movement against smaller Holyfield loses. Not to say it’s easy, because Holy wanted that fight his whole career. But I think Tyson lasts the whole fight and more explosive punching carry him to a 8-4 type decision.
I know it’s hard to pick someone that lost twice to a fighter and say oh yeah if he was younger he wins. But in this case I’m doing just that- because Holy was clearly on steroids and Mike’s post prison career was a total farce. Doesn’t have one top win. Meanwhile his pre prison career was anything but a farce.