Holyfield: Best Offensive Heavyweight?

Holyfield was a brilliant offensive heavyweight, and he lacked but one attribute.

He did not have the power of a Dempsey, Louis, or Tyson!

 

I love Holyfield, but it's a no from me. I think his hand speed and power are both super underrated, along with his technical skills, but he wasn't as devastating as others. Guys like Louis, Liston, Tyson and Foreman were clearly more lethal on offence. Skillwise, only Louis was.

 

Holyfield was better counter-puncher than Walcott.

 

No, but he was a great combo thrower.

 

Which heavyweight(s) had a better left hook than Holyfield? Surely you have some ideas.

This content is protected

Here's a very, very small sample at 5:13 and 5:16 of that video. Would you say that left hook doesn't measure up to.. whomever?

 

Joe Louis
Sonny Liston
Anthony Joshua
Lennox Lewis
Prime George Foreman
Power, combinations, counters, speed, technique, how you set up your attacks and knowing when to use these attributes and combine them well is what determines your offensive capabilities

 

Holyfield was a great fighter but he wasn’t the best offensive threat ever. Had good speed and combos and decent power. But he didn’t have the best stamina and having only decent power kind of hurts u in the greatest offense ever.

 

Yes, Tyson had greater power, for example. But I've come around by now.. Holyfield would have KO'd him in 1990 sooner than he did in '96, I believe. I think Tyson power would have pushed Holyfield chin to show a vast array of punches, Louis like, ending up in a 4/6 round KO loss for Iron Mike.

Offense is only about power? Holyfield has beat people more powerful than him. Look at that vs. Savarese video I just posted. He tower powered over old man Holyfield (until Holyfield landed a right hand at 1:38 of that video).

 

Damn, I almost forgot: so, again, which heavyweights had a better left hook than Holyfield? I'd bet you could name the heavyweight with the best jab. Or the heavyweight with the best chin.

 

Loved Evander Holyfield. Always came to fight with heart and guts. Always in good shape and YES, he was a very sound offensive fighter. But my number one vote goes to Joe Louis for offense

 

I feel the same way. Evander I love more, but Joe was the fighting machine.

 

Personally, I'll go with J.Louis, M Tyson, in that order. Though E.Holyfield is probably #3.
I've said many times though there's fighters that were faster of hand and feet. Fighters more powerful, hit harder no heavyweight in history had the complete offensive firepower of J.Louis .
Louis's technique was damn near perfect, his hand speed is top 8-9 heavyweights in history. His power explosive, his accuracy damn near pinpoint.
The key difference though is how much distance it took for J.Louis to Ko a opponent, his punches seldom traveled much more than a foot or two. Very little wind up, or exaggerated dips of his shoulders a clever opponent could pick up on and prepare for. ( Though yes he did earlier in his career have the habit of dropping his jab after using it. But that was a defensive liability. )
His ability to counter was also in the best 10 heavyweights in history, his ability to properly read the distance, and creative combo punches always seemed instantaneous and never seemed programed, as I saw alot with Tyson
He was the best and most complete heavyweight in history offensively in my opinion.

 

This content is protected

Sensational.

 

He was absolutely amazing. A man who’s very name should be synonymous with the word “boxing”