My thoughts on Holyfield win over Tyson

In the amateurs, Holyfield was a LHW and Tyson was a heavyweight/ super heavyweight.

 

Holyfield vs Roy Jones Jr at cruiserweight would be an exciting fight

 

It's little known that Tyson lost to Biggs in the amateurs for the Olympic trials for the SHW spot. Biggs won a decision. Cus D'Amato moved Tyson down to heavyweight to try to get him on the team in that weight class, but he lost to Tilman. The reason he battered Biggs in the pro's was because, unlike Tilman, Biggs couldn't be a good sport and wanted to rub his win in Tyson 's face and going to the Olympics meant a lot to Tyson and he didn't forget that when they got to the pro's.

Personally, I think that Tyson won the fight against Tilman, but Tyson said in his autobiography that the judges didn't get along with Cus D'Amato and basically gave Tilman the decision as a way of getting back at Cus. Cus D'Amato tried to appeal the decision, but the decision stood.

 

I've always classed Tyson in the modern super heavyweight era of heavyweights, despite his size. I just think he fits better in that era then the era of cruiserweight size heavyweights. In fact, the only man from that era who i think would have the closest thing to a realistic chance of beating a young Mike Tyson would be Joe Louis and even then, it's still questionable as much as I love Louis.

Fighters like Holmes, Ali, Foreman or Frazier could fit into both era's. For instance, I could see where a 195 lbs Quarry might have beaten Foreman, but also see how Foreman might have beaten Wlad Klitchsko but I think Quarry would have little chance vs a modern super heavyweight champion like Wlad Klitchsko.

But anyway, if I had to bet on the Tyson who fought Holmes vs the Holyfield who fought Foreman, I'd pick Tyson to win.

 

The better question is "who could intimidate Evander Holyfield?".

 

I always felt that the 1993-1996 version of Holyfield would have been the best version of Holyfield to take on a prime Mike Tyson. More experienced and physically stronger and a harder hitter than his younger, smaller version.

 

I'd pick an 80's Mike Tyson to beat Holyfield more often than not. By 1990, I'd say that Holyfield is probably the favorite, but it's his fight to lose. Tyson was supposed to fight Holyfield after Douglas.
Assuming that uppercut put Douglas away for a 10 count, that fight probably would have lit a fire under Tyson's butt and he'd have trained hard for Holyfield. He comes in at 217 lbs and Holyfield at 205 lbs. Holyfield wins a decision if he boxes, but if he tried to brawl as he did in those days, I think Tyson would have stopped him.