Tyson Vs. Bonavena. Could Oscar Win?

In the lower weights there it would be a factor, but at 200 lbs + there is a limit, don´t forget that too much muscles (Tyson) also slow you down, and against a hard and pysically strong fighter with a good chin like Bonavena it would be more a disadvantage than an advantage...

 

I do not think A 215/220lbs Tyson would of benefitted by losing muscle mass in his prime... Bonavena would be at the disadvantage in that his face first offence would be against a slightly bigger man with more power than Bonvena ever did face. In return Tyson would of never of met such a relentless fighter.

 

Agreed. Btw, I also favour Tyson, I just meant with my childish smilie, that 15 lbs of muscles isn´t really such a big advantage for a HW IMO like it sounded in your post...

 

:roll: :roll:

NOT BEING AFRAID OF TYSON DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU WILL BEAT HIM.

Holyfield beat Tyson because he boxed and clinchedd to disrupt Tysons Rythm as did Douglas .

To beat 80sTyson you have to box and clinch at the right moments to disrupt him.

Just being able to take his punch and not be afraid does not mean that you will beat him.

 

Tyson by UD. Bonavena would have been too tough for Tyson to take out, but the fact that Patterson was also a D'Amato protege offers an important clue to what the outcome of Tyson/Bonavena would likely be.

 

If Frans Botha could trouble Tyson, then Oscar Bonavena would have given him problems for sure. He was, as noted, a very strong man, and had a awkwardly clever style as opposed to just a walk-in slugger style like George Chuvalo, who, I don't think would do very well against Tyson. Bonavena did very well against Frazier and was never near going down against him in 25 combined rounds of battle. Whether he would beat him or not is doubtful, but he would make Tyson look bad and would probably hurt Mike and I think he would go the distance against him.

 

The Botha fight was in the late 90s against a Tyson who was only looking for the big punch.

A Bonavena at his best vs a Tyson at his best would look like the Ruddock fights.

Bonavena lasts the distance but he gets a beating while doing so.

 

Interesting matchup to say the least. Oscar would be the toughest fighter Mike ever faced and one of the strongest as well. Witht that being said I still like a prime Tyson by KO anywhere between 5 and 10 rounds. Too much speed and power, more than Frazier had and certainly more than Ali had when Oscar fought him. 12 or 15 rounds would'nt matter since this one would'nt go the distance anyway. Oscar might give Mike some anxious moments early but it would'nt last. Mike would'nt have to chase Oscar and in close Mike's hands were much faster and carried more power and that would be the deciding factor.

 

But Oscar was no Holyfield. Standing up to Tyson was just part 1. You had to OUTBOX and OUTMANEUVER him. Even Razor Ruddock stood up to Tyson - he tried to put some hurt on Iron Mike after absorbing some tough shots. Ruddock lacked the boxing skills or the ring smarts of Holyfield & Douglas. That's what set these guys apart. Could Oscar have a boxing plan like Holyfield and SKILLFULLY execute it? I don't think so. Oscar was a sloppy BRUTE - not a tactician. Unless your're George Foreman - brute strength isn't the way to beat Tyson - it is tact like the way less physically talented men in Douglas & Holy did. Oscar takes a beating and loses decison.

 

Oscar gets beat down, either losing via KO (at any point in the fight) or a lopsided UD if he lasts the distance.

15 rounds, 12 rounds, it won't matter...this is a terrible styles disadvantage for Bonavena.

Alot of "durable" guys got knocked the **** out ASAP by Iron Mike.

 

I think Oscar would get KO'd in eight rounds. Tyson punches were faster and sharper than Frazier's and that would be the difference. Remember it's sharp punches like those of Ali and Jimmy Ellis that dropped Bonavena, not the thudding raw power shots of Frazier, even though Frazier hits harder than both Ali and Ellis. Tyson would have the power and the sharpness, so I say Bonavena would be taken out in the mid rounds.:bbb

 

This is Tyson-Nielsen all over again, albeit slightly more competitve.