Evander Holyfield Vs Iron Mike

Neither man was at their absolute best.

Tyson had won his last 8 fights, 6 by KO (the McNeeley fight ended in the 1st round by DQ but had the makings of a 1st round KO win for Tyson), and was 4-0 (3) since his return. He had picked up the WBC and WBA HW World Title belts (vacated the WBC belt) and was 2-0 (2) in HW World title fights since his return. In these 8 fights-
KO1 Tillman
KO1 Stewart
KO7 Ruddock
W12 Ruddock

WDQ1 McNeeley
KO3 Mathis
KO3 Bruno WBC belt
KO1 Seldon WBA belt

Tyson at have been incarcerated but he was never away from boxing. He was thinking comeback the entire time and stayed in shape. He already had a contract before he was released.

During this same time period Holyfield went 9-3 (4) overall and 5-2 (2) in HW World title fights. He had retired in 1994 with no intentions of coming back. He did return in 1995 though (as did Tyson) and was 2-1 (1) since his return. In these 12 fights-
KO4 McDonagh
KO3 Douglas Lineal Title
W12 Foreman
KO7 Cooper
W12 Holmes
L12 Bowe
W12 Stewart
W12 Bowe Lineal Title
L12 Moorer

W10 Mercer
LKOby8 Bowe
KO5 Czyz

Holyfield opened as a 25-1 underdog but by fight time the odds were 6-1 in Tyson's favor. Holyfield was seen as an easy opponent because he had not looked very impressive since his win over Bowe 3 years prior... 2-2 (1) since the win over Bowe and had even suffered a KO loss to Bowe since then.

Prime vs. Prime? I still take Holyfield.

 

If any fighter had the attitude to cheat Tyson would be at the top of the list, he almost certainly took PED's throughout his career.

 

I wish he was here too, I'd spit is ****ysis straight back at him.

1. Strategic/technique reasons:

All this talk of Holyfield being easy to drag into a war.... Evander showed against Foreman that he could fight a smart disciplined fight against a dangerous and big puncher early on in his heavyweight career. He was a clever fighter throughout his career who studied his opponents and always had a game plan. Seeing how easily he walked through Tyson's shots in 96 going toe to toe with Tyson would see Mike come off second best anyway, Tyson couldn't handle combinations being fired back at him.

The man makes a point about Richie Giachetti training Tyson in 91 but forgets he also trained Tyson for the Holyfield rematch and we all know how that fight was going to turn out. Tyson thought he'd better turn cannibal rather than receive an ass kicking yet again. Holyfield was vulnerable to a body attack? Which bouts show Holyfield was poor at taking body shots? In fact Holyfield hurt Tyson to the body in their first fight and even dropped him with a perfectly placed body shot. Tyson even admitted in his book that he was hurt badly to the body against Tillis thus admitting his own vulnerability.

2. Physical reasons.

Young Holyfield was a completely better fighting specimen than the 96 version full stop. Much faster, better combination puncher, bigger puncher, more stamina and much lighter on the feet. Any proof the 96 version was more durable? I'm sure he was KTFO two fights prior to Tyson against Bowe, a feat Rid**** couldn't achieve against a younger, much smaller Holyfield in 92. Now we come onto the headbutt excuse. Go watch the first Tyson fight, It was Mike charging in head first that caused the cut yet poor Tyson came off second best. A little cut horrified Mike and it you could see it completely drained the fight out of him, moments later he was put on his backside by Evander... And now we come onto stamina. If you guys really believe Tyson took Holyfield lightly and didn't train then that says it all. Mike knew all along that Evander was an amazing fighter, go check all the tapes. Mike does nothing but compliment Evander, to say he didn't train is complete utter Bollox.

3. Mental reasons.

Another load of garbage, where's the evidence Holyfield was mentally stronger than the 91 version..... None at all.
Tyson was mentally strong in their first fight in 96, he took his beating like a man but it didn't change anything, he still got a.... Beating. It was Holyfield's fists that beat him not any mental fragilities.

4. Experience reasons:

Now this is a matter of opinions, which fighter was in a better state come 96. Tyson had that period of inactivity in prison but it can be argued that it saved him from some losses and beatings. Whilst Tyson was in prison Holyfield was having career shortening wars with fighters like Rid**** Bowe and co. The fact is both fighters would have been better in 91.

 

Holyfields strategy against Tyson revolved around physical domination...he executed a flawless gameplan but it was ugly as hell..he tried to beat Tyson from the outside, counterpunch him coming in and did a lot of clinching, pushing and shoving every time he got inside...in 91 Evander would be sharper but he would lack the 15 pounds of lean muscle mass that were so beneficial to him in 96..he wouldn't be able to physically outmuscle Tyson, his punches wouldn't be as powerful and his body would be far more vulnerable. An early 90s match-up ends with a Tyson UD or KO.

 

Tyson was 30, and Holyfield was 34, just saying.

 

So basically Tyson says he wishes he'd taken PEDs?

That to me implies, that he didn't.

The evidence against Holy is a lot more clearer.

 

Typical tactic of a cheat, the man used a whizzer for crying out loud. Almost certainly a drugs cheat just like most top boxers of their era.

 

But 91 Holyfield would be throwing a hell of a lot more combinations and would be getting off first... Was Holyfield bullied physically by the much larger Bowe in 92. Tyson was always **** poor in clinches, Holyfield would have always been boss.

 

And Holyfield had been in lots of wars in that period and had just been KTFO two fights earlier against Bowe.

 

Holyfield weighed 210 against Cooper in 1991.
He weighed 215 against Tyson in 1996.
That's 5 pounds, not 15.

 

Holyfield weighed 210 pounds vs. Pinklon Thomas in 1988 and 212 pounds vs. Alex Stewart in 1989. In 1996 he weighed 215 pounds vs. Mike Tyson. He weighed 217 pounds vs. Riddlck Bowe in 1993, their second fight.

 

What evidence? I'm not talking about the Evan Fields situation, I'm talking about from 1988-1997. What evidence? As for Tyson he has said a lot of crazy things. Remember this?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pPmTEFwyrZo

 

Good post. While I'm not 100% certain who would win in a prime for prime match up between them, Tyson is all too often viewed as being the ONLY one who was past it. I can remember the build up prior to that match and how most people feared for Holy's health and rightfully so. He had a myriad of health issues over the years, some not so good performances and was actually less active in the 12 months leading up to the first Tyson bout than Mike was. Not to mention being four years old .

 

The Bowe trilogy took a lot out of Holyfield. He'd actually had his fair share of tough fights before facing Bowe the first time, but after those 3 fights he was well done in. That's the reason Tyson/Don King even agreed to fight him, probably.

 

Let me add to this, like most athletes American anyway (being as I'm not in touch with the athletes playing sports not played regularly here)
Baseball and Football, the two biggest sports over here was FULL of "enhancement" let's call it lol.

Maybe Tyson did maybe he didn't. It makes no difference really prime for prime I'll take Holyfield all day long. Yes both were beyond the best days of their careers when they fought like many others have already stated.. In my eyes that makes the playing field about even. Couple that with the fact that the "Pre" fight consensus was that Tyson was going to destroy the shot Holyfield. I have a magazine somewhere I'll dig it out, I believe it's a Ring but I'm not positive and they literally picked Tyson KO1!! If memory serves they said it'd be Hagler - Hearns until Tyson put him away. They also said had they fought in 91 they'd of picked Tyson in 7. Had Tyson steamrolled Holyfield like everyone thought then they'd of said "this is how it'd of always been" because Tyson always gets a pass!!

Not Holy though he DOMINATED Tyson in the 1st fight and was going to do so even more in fight 2 before the bite, yet many still can't believe what they saw and it's just easier to say well Tyson was shot. Though he wasn't beforehand. It's puzzling.

If they fought in 91 Or 96 or whenever Holyfield wins it would look different but he wins that much I'm sure of. The Holyfield who fought Foreman may have been at the peak of his powers though his best performance for me might be the 2nd Bowe fight he fought just about perfect against a yes heavier but very very good Bowe! I'm of the opinion that Bowe was actually damaged from the 3 wars with Evander. That coupled with his lifestyle and bad training habits. Still the Bowe Holyfield beat in '93 I'd still favor over anyone around at the time other than Evander.

At the end of the day Holyfield had Tysons number. He had what you needed to beat Tyson which is why he did.