The best Holyfield vs the best Wlad. Holyfield warred with Lennox Lewis and gave him a tough fight but that wasnt the best Holyfield. Wlad was a little more cautious. But Wlad was good at "fighting big" and making use of his longer reach. How could this go?
Klitschko for me. Holyfield's big assets were his technical skills and all-round ability. But against Wlad his up against a much bigger guy with even better skills where it counted. I've always liked Holy at range, and at range is where Wlad did his best work. Holyfield was simply unlucky to be fighting as a heavy in the body of a cruiser. He had to rely on heart and guts to win, which is not a good strategy when facing bigger men than yourself. If he'd had maybe an extra 20lb and a few more inches in dimension ... different story.
Great fight. Holyfield for me. Wlad hits him often but never quite finds the money punch. Wlad isn't frustrated... More just surprised. Wlad also takes a few butts to the chin but the ref does nothing. So Wlad holds too much. Holyfield gets the close decision. Rumours of an immediate rematch abound.
Holyfield would stop him, no doubt in my mind. Don't see how Wlad can win? Holyfield would counter that jab, use lateral and head movement to offset wlad from setting his right hand and left hook, work the body and the most important- he's much tougher than Wlad and would make him go into a panic mode everytime he attacks him with his great combos. Add to that an iron chin and better stamina than wlad, can't see how could Holy lose this one.
Wlads jab controls the entire fight. Holyfield also forces a k.O on himself . Looking at stats and opposition this is highly against a Holyfieid win when he has struggled with guys over the 220's. Larry Holmes fight is a pretty good indication how this goes except Wlad can hit HARD and not be so easily bullied back bc hes by far physically bigger and stronger which will have him controlling center ring. Wlad by T.K.o stoppage rnd 8.
holy knocks his block clean off inside 6 rounds. they are in different leagues. holyfield became elite whilst still a cruiserweight, something wlad never acheived (being elite i mean obv). He was getting smoked by serial middlemen throughout his career, whehter prime or not.
Holyfield by knockout, he'll get to Wlad sooner or later and Klitschko will hit the canvas for the third time and it's over, round 10
You're always empirically safe speculating on matches that will never happen, but if given an opportunity to really put my money where my mouth is (via time travel or something) I'd be perfectly comfortable betting far more than I could afford to lose that Holyfield wins at least 2 times out of 3.
