Something I'm noticing about Holyfield's title defenses compared to Bowe and Lewis'

So what? That's professional boxing.

And a week after Holyfield defended against Bean, Lennox Lewis faced Zelkjo Mavrovic, who was similarly unqualified but a mandatory nevertheless.

 

The strangest ranking around that time was probably Golota being put at #1 by the WBC to challenge Lewis in 1997.
Talk about unqualified. Coming off two back-to-back DQ losses.
But that's professional boxing.

 

The main reason Tyson has a lot of wins Holy doesn't is because he was champ in the 80s.

Outside of Bowe,Moorer, Foreman and Tyson Lennox fought better opponents than Holyfield. But Holyfield fought all those guys and Lennox fought only Holy and Tyson. Two different things.

Holmes does not have a case to be included in that group. Holmes was 0-2 against Tyson/Holyfield, Foreman was 1-1. Foreman won 24/27 fights to get his 2 title shots. Holmes won 6/13. Foreman had a higher SOS in these fights. We can debate the merits of Foremans title opponents but even Grimsley was better than most of Holmes non title opponents. IMO dozen more guys with a better case to be included in that group.

As I've explained many times Foreman fought the same amount of top 5 guys as Lennox, Moore and Tyson. Holyfield fought them all. Bowe fought just Holyfield.



But you brought up Holmes ranking as if hes the only worthy title opponent Holyfield fought because he was ranked by ring. If we're talking strictly defenses Holyfield didn't defend a lot because he was inconsistant in big fights but you're still trying to elevate Holmes over Foreman and Moorer when everything bad you can say about them not fighting people is worse with Holmes.

Moorers better than Holyfield though. History won't see it that way because he got Holyfield on the best fight of Holyfields life then retired. Holyfield did not make Moorer. Holyfield shouldn't have gotten a title shot against Tyson and if he doesn't that rematch never even happens.

 

Interesting little fact... Bean had Joe Frazier, Michael Spinks and Butch Lewis in his corner against Holyfield.

 

Never did understand that.
Probably thinking that now was the time to get Golota in the ring with LL before he Loses his marbles totally lol.

 

I rank Moorer above Sanders based on name value and the fact he won multiple world title fights.

If you're on about on a H2H basis that's a different argument.

 

Well to be fair Sanders had a shocking defeat in 1994 that set him back I also can't see Moorer losing to Nate Tubbs.

I believe Sanders was briefly ranked in 1994 but the loss to Nate Tubbs was damaging.

Had Sanders beat Rahman aswell he could've put himself in line for a title shot but he ended up losing and Rahman got his shot at the title.

 

Yes that is true but still Usyk had to fight Dubois the 1st time as he was obligated to do.

And in reality at the time no one believed Dubois was deserving of his shot and I don't believe he was ranked in the top 10 either.

The Dubois win looks better in hindsight but at the time I don't think anyone believed Dubois was deserving of his mandatory position.

I don't have an issue with Holyfield facing his mandatory simply because a unification fight with Lewis was looming so I can understand why Holyfield wouldn't want to drop the belt because he was chasing history.