Larry Holmes (52 years old ) V Mike Tyson (54 years old) 10 ROUNDS

Mismatch.

 

Tyson by KO he still looks freakishly fast, and is in good shape. He also carried Roy Jones, and never attempted to hurt him, only going to the body.

So I don't think that exhibition sparring session, has any weight on how Tyson would do if he's fighting at 100 percent. Actually trying to hurt someone.

 

I wish we knew what Tyson could still do. Unfortunately, we don't, because Roy Jones was too scared to do anything other than clinch.

But since we don't know what Tyson could do, and we do know what Holmes could do, I'll pick Holmes. He could still fight well, he was mobile, he had no issues with stamina, he still had all of his old reflexes and techniques. His jab still looked sharp, still had that great 1-2, still blatantly stiff arming and never getting called on it by the ref, etc.

That fight was almost comical for how well Larry fought compared to how old and out of shape he looked. He looked like your crazy uncle at the BBQ who starts talking about chemtrails and lizard people after his 5th beer, but damn if he didn't fight like Larry Holmes.

I love that fight.

 

A match with the Shark that Tyson assaulted as the referee, Lol.

 

Jones wouldn't even spar with him. That fight passed me off.

 

No.

Holmes ends it much sooner.

 

Yeah it was a farce, I don't know why I expected any different. Like jwasn't expecting Hagler/Hearns, But I was expecting more than that just because it's the two GOATs.

But Tyson had too much respect for Jones, and the two old boys agreed to a draw.

 

I expected it to be a sparring session where they weren't trying to hurt each other, but were otherwise actually fighting. To Mike's credit, that's what he was trying to do, but Jones just wasn't having it. Why take the fight.

 

Down to brass tacks.

I am not taking anything away from Tyson's performance against Jones.

It was very impressive given the known variables.

However he had noun fought a serious boxer in many years, and neither had Jones.

It was what it was.

The Larry Holmes that beat Butterbean, was basically an active fighter.

Now I don't rate Butterbean very highly, but despite his appetence, we still have to take him seriously as a fighter.

He beat Lou Savarese, who beat James Douglas, and derailed a Tyson Douglas rematch in 1998.

 

Did you see Jones doing roadwork before the “fight”? He can barely even jog now because his knees are completely stuffed. The few times he let his hands go he landed on Tyson but let’s be real. It was a sparring session to earn some old pugs a bit of superannuation money without anyone getting hurt. I don’t understand why anyone couldn’t see that or would want to see two old men do anything other than that. Boxing self sabotage’s itself enough without seeing two old men cause damage to themselves to placate the nostalgists bloodlust.

 

Not a damn chance.

 

Wlad used a stiff arm a lot. Ali used it in the Thrilla.