Prime Larry Holmes vs Prime Mike Tyson

I don't think boxing and moving against Tyson is a great decision to be honest. Tyson counters jabs etc with full on combos. BUT, when we're talking about boxing with the jab, Holmes is on the highest tier, so that's a hard call in itself. One thing that must be considered though is that Holmes is a proven warrior, and has a huge heart without debate. I pick Tyson on paper, from a stylistic perspective. But in reality i don't know. Tyson tentatively for me.

 

I think the size of Holmes always plays a factor in this fight. Holmes would always be outgunned, and people underestimate the speed of Tyson in his prime. He was very good at getting close to big mobile fighters, and I dont think Holmes would ever be strong enough to shut Tyson down over the course of a long fight, although I think it goes the distance either way.

 

We must remember that when Holmes fought Tyson, yes it was arguably past his optimum peak, but he came back YEARS later to face evander holyfield as a real old man, and took the then champ holyfield the complete distance. This also included wins in the mid to late 90's against fighters like Ray Mercer!

but years before this, mike not only beat larry, but brutally sent larry into bolivion lmao
i think a prime larry would have given mike some trouble, but mike isnt like an earnie shavers, who caught larry, despite being a wild slugger......

mike's speed, accuracy, abiilty to cut off the ring, and movement, would have been hell for larry......

and this is primarily because it takes more than just a left jab (despite holmes having one of the best left jabs ever), to defeat a peak tyson.....it would take excellent movement.....and brilliant use of both the jab in conjunction with the right hand to keep mike off balance...and i feel that the only man who could have done this....was Muhammad Ali, not Larry Holmes

Mike every time in this fight

 

The reason they got to hurt him was because Larry was being very dominant and did stupid things (such as throwing a right uppercut from the outside with his lefthand down as Shavers was loaded up for the right).

 

Larry by UD

If Mitch Green can fight full rounds with Tyson, then prime Holmes can do the same and win.

 

During the progress of their actual match, the commentators were mentioning the obvious rust which was clearly hindering Larry's performance. Holmes was not rusty for Mercer and Holyfield, and by then had adapted the Foreman template to adjust his own style to accommodate advancing age and weight. While the Holmes of Mercer and Holyfield clearly would not have beaten Tyson, he would have done far better than the dormant and inactive version Mike stopped in January 1988. The Holmes of 1992 and 1993 might have had a good chance of lasting the distance with Tyson, just as Ruddock did in his rematch with Mike. (And the 1997 Holmes of Nielson may have had a real good shot at going the limit with the diminished post prime Tyson of Holyfield I & II.)

A provocative suggestion to be sure, but it keeps getting conveniently swept under the rung just how rusty, inactive and under prepared Holmes was for Tyson in 1988. Larry was there strictly for the big payoff then, when Don King came knocking on his door offering an unearned three million dollar payoff. (Hell, I would have taken that deal!)

Holmes had five fights in 1991, including a pair of ten round decision wins before upsetting Mercer in February 1992. He was older, but much smarter, sharper, and better prepared as well. The McCall of 1995 would have also wiped out the Holmes of 1988.

 

It's true that Holmes was obviously more over the hill in 1992,when he fought Holyfiled,than he was for his 1988 go with Tyson,but too much gets made of this. When Holmes fought Tyson,he was coming in cold after a near two year lay off. Against Holyfield,he'd had the Ray Mercer fight behind him,as well as a few tune ups. Larry may have been four years older,and fatter but he was sharper for the latter fight.

 

Holmes was totally stupid for taking the Tyson fight,under the circumstances that he did. He needed a tune up or two. It's not like he desperately needed the money.

 

Yeah. Tyson was trained for those types of situations. Cus taught him how to fight Larry. Tyson would capitalize on these mistakes and then finish him. Brutally. Larry's habit of dropping his left was another one that Tyson would exploit if he got inside.

Matter of fact, Larry made a bad miscalculation in their actual bout. Tyson stepped in with a jab. Larry blocked the jab, but did not see Mike's right hand coming. Tyson punched in combinations. After Tyson dropped Larry with that first right hand, it was the beginning of the end.

On that note, can you imagine how scared Larry must have been when his arm got caught in the ropes before he was KO'd? He drew his arm back to launch an uppercut, but it got tangled in the ropes, and he was frozen in place, no way to avoid Tyson's finishing right hand. He talked about this on Ringside: Mike Tyson.

 

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Styles make fights. Tyson is a bad matchup for him, imo.

 

Holmes sucked ass , according to some of his fights i watched.
Spinks sucked ass too , at least at HW , and was a LHW , but still was on Holmes' H2H level.
Tyson would have always demolished both of them prime to prime.
Tucker and Smith may suck too on their worse performances , but were still bigger than Holmes and at least Smith hit harder. Weird how Holmes achieved his resume with his poor style.

 

Agree with you 100%!

 

Larry was great,and I used to think Larry by decision, but now I think Tyson by KO. Larry in his prime was 212 around there, and Mike near 215-216. so the size advantage for Larry was height and reach, but Mike would fight his usual fight of getting inside and working the body until the punch landed upstairs. Buster Douglas was I think near 230 when he fought Mike. I just think the punch Mike landed on Larry, lands when Larry is in his prime and Mike would have his number. Tyson KO8 Holmes.