Evander Holyfield - How Strong?

Holyfield's one of the strongest ever.

TV announcers used to always get it wrong, IMO, when they talked about Bowe or Dokes being "the stronger man" against Holyfield.
Holyfield was often stronger than his bigger opponents, but he was lighter, so if they were as strong has him (or almost as strong as him) they could theoretically hold the advantage in physically pushing him back. Still, few ever demonstrated any advantage whatsoever.

Holyfield was ridiculously strong, in ways applied in a boxing match.

 

Holyfield regularly bench pressed 360 lbs for 10 repetitions during training, and I'm sure 400 lbs. would have been possible if he dropped the reps a bit.
Ironically, Ben Johnson bench pressed the same amount.

Thing is though, much of Holyfield's strength was manufactured strength, as opposed to say Tyson's which was more natural.

PS-I think you mean Joe Louis lifted Carnera, and not Baer, off his feet?

 

He was not a cruiserweight when he outmuscled Tyson or other heavyweights.

 

I think I'd rather have natural strength than manufactured strength. There's just something so artificial and hollow about having to lift a pile of iron to get big and strong. But I do it myself, so not much else I can say. I'm only 5'9 1/2" and about 185lbs, so I wasn't born with a lot of natural strength. But I've always admired and been in awe of people who never lifted a weight in their life but were very strong. Did Tyson lift weights regularly during his first run as champion? I don't think he did. But he was naturally strong. Holyfield would have to be near a weight room at all times to maintain his strength. Tyson could live on a desert island somewhere and spend his days strolling the beach and be strong no matter what!

 

It doesn't really matter whether it is natural strength or "built" strength.

It only matters whether it can be applied and demonstrated in the ring, against an opponent.

Holyfield was superior to Tyson in this regard, methinks.

Sure, Tyson might have been a 200 pound freak at 13 years old, when Holyfield was 17 years old and still only 150 pound or so. But that means nothing in the business end of things, in the man's world. It has no bearing on things.

 

holyfields is strong,but not strongest of all time.i'd say george chuvalo was stronger then holyfield when he fought.btw at 70 years old chuvalo bench presses 430 lbs at 70 years old

 

430? wow.....I'd love to see that.

I'm only 33 and I struggle to bench 245.......damn genetics!

 

George Chuvalo.
I cant think of a fighter who was stronger.
But he used to lift weights as a boy too. It's rarely JUST genetics that makes these guys strong. It's genetics AND hard work.

 

when i find that source i'll let you know,i was a big chuvalo fan still follow what hes up to.i know he doesn't spar or work out in the ring anymore just weight lifts,he dropped from about 300 to about 275 lbs as well

 

Look at it this way - you have 37 years left to get to where Chuvalo is.

In fact, if my calculations are right, you only have to increase your bench press by 5 pounds each year and at 70 you'll be benching 430 !

Think positive, and keeping lifting.
:good

 

I know Ken Norton is supposed to be heavy into weight lifting and is supposedly pretty strong. Norton said he never lifted weights during his boxing career - just calisthenics and plyometric type stuff - and he feels that if he had lifted weights he would have been a better fighter. Norton said that in an interview in a boxing magazine from way back. In the same interview, Norton remarked that Earnie Shavers regularly lifted weights.