Who takes it? Evander was on a roll from 96 until 99, but Ike was no Mike Tyson or Michael Moorer that Evander could push around. Ike had a good jab, good skills and stamina. How does this one play out?
Reality: 1996 Tyson brings more to the table than Ike, we aren't even sure if Ike brings more than Ray Mercer or even Rahman. Ike only takes what Holyfield gives him. When Evander gets winded and lets off the gas, Ike will steal some rounds with his busy but not very effective jab like he did against Tua, but Evander will clinch and headbutt whenever he tries to go off on the inside. In contrast, Evander will effectively counter and sporadically score with combinations to take most of the rounds and win a tough decision. ESB: The invincible Ike crushes Evander! :good
Evander starts by boxing on his toes against Ike and trying to move, but Ike eventually forces him to start trading. From there, it's a brutal slugfest that ends in the 10th round by way of a TKO victory for "The President." He just had too much size, power, chin, and stamina for Holyfield to avoid him or get the better of him during exchanges. And Holyfield was prone to trading with his opponents in many of his fights, and against somebody he couldn't push back or discourage, that would cost him dearly. However, expect Holyfield to blame his disappointing loss on contracting some kind of ailment in the post-fight interview.
I am going with Evander by a decision win.. But I say that with no real conviction as he was past his prime by the late 90's and Ike was still a question mark, but already fronting some very good wins.
Holyfield didn't look good in a lot of his fights after Bowe III. His performance was really spotty after the Tyson fight imo, and the only reason he looked good against Tyson was because the 1996 Tyson wasn't hungry anymore and was an unfocused, one-dimensional head hunter who always tried to get a single knockout shot and didn't bob and weave or slip any more. Tyson's way of getting in on opponents after he lost Rooney was pretty much trying to walk through their punches. He was a vastly diminished fighter from that point on. On top of that, Holyfield was physically stronger than Tyson, and was able to push him back and outwrestle/headbutt him in clinches to frustrate him. And without any of his original team around who knew how to work with him psychologically, Tyson was indeed quickly discouraged in his fight with Holyfield. Ike is a vastly different proposition to the 1996 Tyson. He wouldn't get discouraged. He was a whole hell of a lot bigger and physically stronger than Holyfield was, and he proved he was able to cut off the ring and force people to trade with him, which he did against even the slick Byrd. Not only is Holyfield nowhere close to as evasive or slippery as Byrd, but temperamentally Holyfield liked to mix it up more, which he did against Bowe (and it cost him twice). He would be able to get Holyfield on the ropes and land big punches on him if Holyfield tried to box. If Holyfield decided to trade, he would be dealing with a guy who was bigger, stronger, hit harder, and threw more punches. If Tua could nail Ike cleanly repeatedly in their fight and not discourage him, there is no way Holyfield could make Ike lay off of him. Fighting in the center of the ring would inevitably favor Ike. Holyfield was great in his prime, no doubt, but his prime was the early 90s. During the late 90s phase of his career, he would be outgunned against Ike. He didn't have the same spring in his legs to execute a boxing-heavy, constantly-moving game plan to stay away from Ike that he would need to get a decision by the late 90s. The early 90s Holyfield did, though, and will not get KO'd but still has a very tough fight that could go either way against Ike.
Ike was good but in the end I feel him lost to tua and his only really impressive win was against byrd. he had skills but the best evander of the time beats the best Ike
"1996 Tyson wasn't hungry anymore and was an unfocused, one-dimensional head hunter who always tried to get a single knockout shot and didn't bob and weave or slip any more. " Even at this stage, Tyson was still one of the most accomplished, dangerous, and effective pressure fighters to ever lace them up. He does things in the first five rounds of the Holyfield I fight that Ike couldn't even dream of executing. "Ike is a vastly different proposition to the 1996 Tyson. He wouldn't get discouraged. He was a whole hell of a lot bigger and physically stronger than Holyfield was" Rahman was as big as Ike and was one of the most physically powerful men to ever step into the ring. Evander had no problem bullying him in the clinch. Because like Rahman, Ike really didn't demonstrate a boxing brain to go with that brute power. "and he proved he was able to cut off the ring and force people to trade with him, which he did against even the slick Byrd. Not only is Holyfield nowhere close to as evasive or slippery as Byrd," Against Byrd, Ike actually did a poorman Tyson as instructed by his corner to throw the same hook/uppercut combo over and over again. Byrd clowned him until he got caught cocky on the ropes. Byrd couldn't infight and never was one to clinch when he can duck and weave..oh ****..ran right into that uppercut finally. "If Holyfield decided to trade" Holyfield refrained from trading against Tyson and Lewis at this stage of his career. I dont' see why Ike would tempt him. Ike is really closer to Mercer than Tyson anyway. Banking on his durability, pressing behind a busy jab and looking to slug. You need a brain to beat 97 Evander.
evander is so much better than tua in every way..........even in 97.....i disagree i think holy would actually stop ike:thumbsup
Ibeabuchi is the most overrated heavyweight in history in my opinion. He had great potential and a great war with Tua. He may have done this, he may have done that. The fact is he shouldn't even be compared to Holyfield who would have set him up with traps, frustrated him, and in my opinion either would have stopped him or made him quit late.
Exactly. Nice to see there are others who recognize how ridiculously overrated Ibeabuchi is. He fought a bunch of the usual suspects and then had exactly two fights against live bodies, one of which (Tua) he arguably lost. He shouldn't even be mentioned with the greats. Based on what he actually did, rather than absurd speculation, he gets beat by ANY of them.
Seriously? Ike went 12 action packed hard rounds with Tua. He then blew out the elusive Chris Byrd. Evander couldnt punch hard enough to keep Ike off of him long enough. Evander starts breaking down by mid fight just like he did against Tyson only Tyson had nothing left in the tank either. Ike stops Evander within 10.
