Holyfield: Best Offensive Heavyweight?

I think holyfield was the best counter offensive I've ever seen at heavy. However as for the best offensive id say rocky marciano but that's just me.

 

Dempsey?

 

Best Offensive arsenals. Think Louis, Liston, Holmes, Lewis and W Klitschko over Holfyield.

 

Probably Louis overall.

 

I say what I think. All of the fighters I mentioned ( Louis, Liston, Holmes, Lewis and W Klitschko ) had a better offensive arsenal.

Did Holyfield have a better jab or right hand than any of them? That would be no. You could argue all but Holmes had a better left hook.

 

Over Walcott and Toney? You could say Holyfield was good at pretty much everything on offense, but great at nothing. Counterpunching is rare at heavyweight, as you essentially need to set it up with defense and quickly deliver the counter when the other misses or has his feet tangled up. Miss the counter and your in for it.

Today at heavyweight it only works up close, mostly with a short hook. The active heavyweights are so big and strong they prefer to engage at long range as most of them simply lack the chin to fight any other way. In the middle or lower weights, this is not the case, so you will see more counters here.

 

Holmes didn't throw combos ,he controlled the distance and range with his left and tee'd off with his right.Holyfield has a much more varied arsenal. Wlad's game plan was, water eventually softens stone, he didn't usually go on the offensive until his opponents ability to mount an offensive was significantly reduced.
Dempsey,Liston, Foreman,Tyson, had you on a back foot from the get go.

 

Holyfield was great at nothing? I think that's a little extreme

 

Fair enough. I don't like every fighter but I don't lie to myself about them

 

He's up there for sure. With Louis and Tyson, probably.

 

Well, Holyfield out-jabbed Lewis in their rematch, without much sweat. He landed more power shots too (but Lewis showed a chin all of the sudden).

The left hook Holyfield landed on Savarese was one of the best ever, no question (but Savarese showed a chin all of the sudden). He did that when he was, like, 44 yrs old or something.

Holyfield had a good/great right hand. Douglas, Bowe, Tyson, Lewis couldn't disagree.

The footwork was there (especially in his prime). He chased Dokes clear across the ring after a big left-hook to put the "2" on a "1-2", against the ropes. He knocked Bowe halfway across the ring with a left hook and damn near caught him with a right hand right before Bowe hit the canvas.

Holyfield was great and underrated.