If Larry holmes had not lost to spinks in 85 and tyson had been thrown in as a challenger against holmes in September 86 how would it have played out.?
Holmes would have got ktfo read larrys auto after the cooney fight he was in it only for money in 86 larry was past his prime.in his prime tyson would be eating jab sandwiches all nite long.
ktfo holmes, but a lot later, round 13. Or maybe not, maybe it was the ring rope that cut him short that night.
Holmes would still have lost to Tyson albeit putting up a better fight. For the first six rounds it would be quite competitive but after that Larry's legs would go and the writing would be on the wall. Tyson - ko by the 10th.
Tyson would have won. The Holmes of the Spinks rematch was the best he could have been at that stage of his career. And I don't think that version was good enough to defeat Tyson of September 1986.
Yet Tony Tucker , James Tillis , Bone Crusher Smith, and others did right? So you are either saying these guys were better fighters than Holmes or they had a better chin. Larry was past his prime when he did fight Tyson and out of shape.
Styles make fights. Holmes was past prime and ripe for the picking by a nearing his peak Tyson. Holmes had a history of dropping his hands and being hurt by right hands. If Snipes and Shavers could almost stop him in his prime, Tyson could do it in '86.
But was that due to complacency and a lack of concentration? Against Tyson he would be fully switched on at all times imo.
The question should be Holmes 1980 vs Tyson. Larry would have done to Tyson what Buster did. I mean really, Tyson's greatest win was over a 38 year old Larry. Does anyone judge Marciano as great for his win over a 38 year old Louis?
Prime Holmes. The best Holmes as a chance of beating Tyson. Past prime Holmes I don't think so. Holmes drops that jab and Tyson lands that right. TKO round six.
Tyson would have won in 86, but against Prime Holmes I think he would get outpointed in a decent fight. Holmes certainly wouldn't do a Buster Douglas on Tyson imo.
Holmes would have got knocked out by Tyson on that night anyway. Getting caught in the ropes merely delayed the inevitable. Holmes was very silly in taking that fight. Just as misguided as Muhammad Ali was in fighting Larry eight years earlier. In 1986 Holmes was still past it albeit not to the extremes he was in '88. Tyson still wins but it would take him longer to break The former Easton Assassin down. Tyson via tko by the time ten rounds have elapsed.