Is Holyfield an example of how PED's really did take a fighter to the next level?

I'm not saying he didn't juice, but it's like people discount the fact that Holyfield had the lifting and dietary discipline of an actual bodybuilder. He would have put on a good bit of lean mass over the years from that.

 

Holyfield was ATG before moving up to HW, so I don't think so.

 

Two potential responses, and one counter-response:

1) We don't know whether Holyfield was using PEDs before that.

2) Cruiserweight was still a pretty young division when he nudged out Qawi for it.

3) On the other hand, regulations were so lax on PEDs in Holyfield's time (and they may not have even been illegal at the beginning) that who knows what his opponents were on, either. Maybe the PED issue hurts him less than one might expect.

 

Yes. It helped him in important fights such as Tyson, Mercer, Bowe, and Dokes.

 

Yes, at the age of 28 he was fighting in his prime at 190 pounds, 15 pounds heavier than when he turned pro. Then with the help of Evan Fields he gained 20 pounds of obvious muscle mass and fought at heavyweight. A sure sign of steroids is getting bigger, faster and stronger when you are already a professionally trained athlete for years. Manny Pacquaio is another prime example. He moved up, got beat by Eric Morales and said and I quote" Morales was just too big" This small fighter later fought at 154. A team mate of Barry Bonds when he played in Pittsburgh was asked if Bonds took steroids and he replied, " of course he did! you don't go from being a professional athlete in your prime at 29, 30 years old weighting 190-195 pounds then go to 230 and gain 2 hat sizes without the roids. Much less go from hitting 30-35 homeruns to 73 in your waning years as a player.
Without the steroids I'd say Evander would have naturally topped out in fighting condition at 200 pounds with far less strength, and without that strength he wouldn't have been nearly as successful

 

I agree .. it helped that he had an exceptional chin that I don't believe PEDs help so that plus his will were innate .. that said , little doubt he used them big time and it certainly helped big time as well ..

 

The biggest thing that helped him 'out muscle' Tyson was Tyson himself. He had developed the habit of standing straight up and walking in with his shoulders square. That was the determining factor in the development of the fight plan for the first fight.

 

Yes, post-prison Tyson had lost the script on how a diminutive heavy needs to fight.

In regards the Holy and the juice, it sure didn't help him the first time around with Moorer.

 

Holyfield is/was an elite athlete with genetics better than probably 99% of the population. He could definitely with training time and effort put on a bunch of muscle.

But Holyfield in my opinion put on too much lean muscle in too short of a time to not have been suspected of being aided by anything (Steroids, HGH, other PEDs of the time). Its not like these were beginner gains either. The exploding trap muscles, hair loss, heart issues, rapid lean muscle gain with no fat gain....all of these are indicators (not absolute proof) that he was on something or somethings

Did it take him to the "next level"? Well he won multiple titles at two different weight classes and was competitive in boxing for a very long time, without them maybe he stays at cruiser or even light heavy.

 

Steroids don’t give you the skills he had. I’d venture to say he could’ve beaten a lot of the guys he did at 200lbs.

 

Just letting you know that photo is shopped.

 

It gives you power and strength, he'd have never beaten Bowe without them.

 

Maybe. I doubt it, but it’s possible.

 

All respect, I'm not sure he ever beat Bowe, though of course that second fight was indeed very close.