People seem to be unanimous that peak Holmes beats peak Holyfield - is this the case?

Although I would heavily favor a peak Holmes to outbox Evander to a wide decision, what you're saying is very reasonable.

I always look back on Holmes vs Holyfield in 1992 and take it with a grain of salt. Neither man looked like they were fighting to the fullest of their abilties that night and at times, even looked they were screwing around. Holmes was avoiding battle while Holyfield had little interest in persuing him. That said, if we took the Holmes who beat Cooney vs the Holyfield who went in super hungry for the title against James Douglas, I suppose anything could have happened.

At the end of the day however, I think Holy would have always struggled with technicians, and while I can't see Holmes stopping the real deal, I can certainly picture him taking the scorecards by a long shot.

 

I would pick Holyfield to win five rounds out of a twelve rounder and maybe six or seven in a fifteen right fight against Holmes.

Prime for prime, Holmes wins by UD but not a wide or one-sided victory as some have said.

 

Holyfield was a pumped up cruiserweight upto and including the first Bowe fight.
I think a later bigger and more powerful version of Holyfield might well have stopped the post-Spinks Holmes.

 

Holyfield was more devasting BEFORE his later matches with Bowe, Lewis, Tyson, etc...

 

I just watched this fight, had never seen it before. I think I saw enough from old Holmes to make me think in his prime years he'd beat Holy over 15.

 

Hmmm....maybe his composite punching and workrate suffered ,than in his earlier days,but he had better one-shot power and was a little more durable .

I wonder what the punch stats for Holyfield's career are. :think

 

EVERYTHING Holyfield did Holmes did better Holy is close in combinations thats it.

Holmes is to good and to tough a fighter to not be the clear favorite over Holy.

 

I guess I'm in the minority here. If I had to bet, I would bet on Evander Holyfield against Larry Holmes (in their primes). A close decision win for "The Real Deal" would be likely, in my opinion. In a best of 7 series, I would expect Evander to win at least 4 times.

 

Really? Another Holmes vote here. Holyfield was indeed a tough opponent but if you look at Holmes 78-82 he was incredible. That jab would have been hell for Holyfield to try to mount an attack and the right cross and uppercut were vicious. Holyfield is more of a pressure fighter beating opponents down over the course of the fight. He stands somewhat square and doesn't have the best footwork. (Did anyone see him on Dancing with the Stars? lol) Holmes had excellent stamina, chin, movement and probably the best jab ever. While I really do like Evander...........

In my opinion Holmes UD or late TKO.

 

I very much favor Larry on his best night.

Holyfield doesn't have the Tyson/Shavers like power to blast Holmes out early.

His great stamina and work rate isn't going to run Holmes ragged down the stretch. Holmes was a true 15 round fighter.

Holmes himself was very capable at being dirty when he needed to be.

The movement, the jab, the uppercut... I'd favor Holmes about 7 or 7.5 out of 10 I think. Just not a great match-up for Holyfield.

 

yeah i also think holmes beats holyfield,he'd be sticking him with that jab all nite.

 

now why would you bring up the lennox fight and acknowledge it as a draw? this kills your credibility. jus sayin.

 

I disagree somewhat. Holyfield was clearly a better combination punches than Holmes, and he had a better left hook as well. Holyfield's combinations were beautiful; short, crisp, and punches as straight as arrows.