Mike Tyson takes the title to prison, an alternative heavyweight history.

No one would consider anyone else champion until Tyson returned from prison. Just like people didn't consider Frazier as champion until Ali returned and they fought each other.

 

I think Evander Holyfield would have taken the Lineal Belt from Mike Tyson sometime (soon) after Tyson left Prison. I believe Mike would have defended against Holyfield because the money would have been huge and Tyson's people would likely have thought that Mike would probably beat Evander. It probably would have been previewed as a win - win for Tyson and Company.

 

Interesting idea.

Well, we can start with who the alphabet orgs ranked when Tyson was sent to prison.

Who picks up those vacant belts will play a big role in how the Tyson "prison years" play out.

Mike Tyson was the number one contender in the WBC, WBA and IBF ratings at the start of 1992. The undefeated Holyfield would've been in that spot if he'd never got a shot at Douglas and wasn't the champ in 1992.

In January 1992, the actual WBA ratings were:
1. Tyson (so let's put Holyfield there)
2. Pierre Coetzer
3. Lennox Lewis
4. George Foreman
5. Riddick Bowe
6. Razor Ruddock
7. Tim Witherspoon
8. Michael Moorer
9. Bert Cooper
10. Phil Jackson

In January 1992, the actual WBC ratings were:
1. Tyson (so let's put Holyfield there)
2. Riddick Bowe
3. Razor Ruddock
4. Lennox Lewis
5. Michael Moorer
6. George Foreman
7. Tony Tucker
8. Tim Witherspoon
9. Phil Jackson
10. Bert Cooper

In March 1992, when Tyson was in jail, the IBF ratings were
Champ: Holyfield (so let's make him the #1 contender)
1. Holyfield
(And the actual IBF #1 thru #9 contenders were the following)
2. George Foreman
3. Pierre Coetzer
4. Riddick Bowe
5. Lennox Lewis
6. Razor Ruddock
7. Michael Moorer
8. Tim Witherspoon
9. Larry Holmes (who just beat Mercer)
10. Ray Mercer

So, who fights for the vacant belts - WBC, WBA and IBF?

That depends on which belt everyone's top contender Holyfield decides to go after. He's the key to all the matchups.

If Evander goes after the WBC strap, it looks like Holyfield-Bowe in early 1992. I doubt Holyfield goes after the vacant IBF belt and Foreman in a rematch of their 1991 fight, as I don't know if people would've wanted to see that again. If Evander took the easy route and the WBA belt, #1 Holyfield could've fought #2 Coetzer for that vacant strap.

Pierre Coetzer likely would've gotten a vacant WBA or IBF shot against someone (Holyfield or Lewis).

If Evander goes after the WBA or IBF straps, the vacant WBC title matchup is #2 Bowe vs. #3 Ruddock.

So, in spring of 1992, we could've gotten ...

Scenario 1:
WBA #1 Holyfield vs. WBA #2 Coetzer for the vacant WBA belt
WBC #2 Bowe vs. WBC #3 Ruddock for the vacant WBC belt
IBF #1 Foreman vs. IBF #3 Lewis for the vacant IBF belt

Or Scenario 2:
WBC #1 Holyfield vs. WBC #2 Bowe for the vacant WBC belt (a matchup we did get later in 1992)
WBA #2 Coetzer vs. WBA #3 Lewis for the vacant WBA belt
IBF #2 Foreman vs. IBF #6 Ruddock for the vacant IBF belt

Or Scenario 3:
IBF #1 Holyfield vs. IBF #2 Foreman in a rematch for the vacant IBF belt (a matchup I feel was least likely)
WBC #2 Bowe vs. WBC #3 Ruddock for the vacant WBC belt
WBA #2 Coetzer vs. WBA #3 Lewis for the vacant WBA belt

I feel scenario #1 or #2 is most likely. I just don't see Holyfield agreeing to a rematch with Foreman in 1992. He caught a lot of flack for fighting him the first time.

But I'd lean toward Scenario #2. Evander wanted one of the young guys. Not Pierre Coetzer or Foreman (again).

So he'd have gone after a vacant WBC fight with Bowe and we would've seen:

Bowe-Holyfield 1 for the vacant WBC belt (about six months earlier than they did fight)
Lewis demolishing Pierre Coetzer for the vacant WBA belt.
And Foreman and Ruddock battling it out for the vacant IBF strap. (That's a toss-up.)