Holyfield: 3 fights with Bowe, 3 Different Trainers

First fight: George Benton and Lou Duva
Second fight: Emanuel Steward
Third Fight: Don Turner

I think Holyfield's most disciplined performance came under Steward in the second fight; Holyfield had a tendency to brawl in the first and third fights.

Can anyone add some color around the changes in trainers over the course of this trilogy?

Jimmy

 

Both he and Bowe were on downside for third fight. Holyfield had great opportunity to finish Bowe that night and win the trilogy but he couldn't let his hands go after hurting and flooring Big daddy, I remember Foreman believing something was wrong with him. He basically burned out fast and got caught trying to slug two rounds later.

 

Duva & Benton wanted Holy to retire after the first fight & I think had a falling out.

He didn't want to pay Stewards hefty fee after the Bowe re-match. Bit of a skinflint when it came to paying wages apparently.

So ended up with Turner, who was a good trainer & probably a lot cheaper than Steward.

 

Is the Hepatitis A story true? I think Holyfield claimed he was ill after that loss.

 

Interesting; thanks. Didn't realize his original team wanted him to retire after Bowe I. Guess they were disappointed when he fought for another 15 years or so...

 

Holyfield was always quick with an excuse, but I think in this case something did seem to be wrong. After Bowe rose from the KD Holy only needed to tap him on the shoulder & Bowe would've gone down again, but he couldn't muster the strength to throw any shots at Bowe as he was teetering in the corner.

 

Evander paid Turner a flat fee for the bout. And it wasn't a lot. Pretty much by that point in time, Holyfield was not going to have a taskmaster/guy that believed in lots of sparring in the corner anyway. And Turner himself was out after the Toney bout.

Evander had changed to the minimal sparring/padwork/etc to just getting in condition for the fight. And he simply wasn't going to associate himself with an "or else" type trainer.

Lots of older fighters do the same thing & just draw on their experience while choosing to save $$$ with their corner.

 

He also refused to pay for a cutman in one fight, can't remember which. Very stubborn man, which is why he was such a great fighter.

 

I thought Don Turner was always brought in to work on a fighters defence.

 

shoulda kept stewart

 

he paid his cut man / but the cut man wanted more money in the next fight so holyfield said see ya later don turner can train me and be my cutman

 

Agreed. Bowe seemed like he was on very shaky ground, but Holyfield couldn't finish him off. And it cost Holyfield the fight.

 

Interesting; thanks. Was Turner replaced because he stopped the Toney fight?

 

Stewart was overpriced, big ego. I'd disagree that he was always a tough taskmaster. His hand in Lewis-Rahman 1 is an example of him being anything but.
Yes, he deserves some credit for the 2nd fight, he kept Holyfield together, but it was Holyfield who implemented a strategy that everyone and anyone could have advised.
It wasn't exactly a "new Holyfield", just the smart Holyfield we'd seen before in-between a few reckless performances.


I don't think Holyfield's strategy in the 3rd fight were wrong, he went for broke probably because he knew he'd wilt down the stretch anyway, and, yes, he looked a bit worse for wear. Some say illness, but maybe just age and accumulated punishment over the years.

Don Turner seemed as good as any.

 

Don Turner was with Holy for the Tyson fights........he was on board for a long time.

With out the fan man Holyfield will not get his second wind, Bowe's wife will not collapse Ringside and Holy will go 0-3 against Bowe.

Contrary to popular believe Holyfield was never a conditioning monster at Heavyweight, especially not in roided form, his body could not provide enough oxygen for the added(artificial) muscle mass, he always faded or got winded in the stretch.

In the second fight right when Bowe was coming on and Holyfield started slowing down the fan man interfered ......Futch and Bowe knew that when you pressured Holyfield and not let him breath he would resort to brawling where Bowe would handle him with ease. Bowe even washed up or over weight never gassed and fought three minutes a round, that was always Futch/Bowe recipe to pressure with out getting a breather Holyfield til the end. Worked like a charm two times and would have worked again with out the , now dead, fan man.