What Heavyweights in History would you pick to stop Prime Holyfield?

Norton? :huh
I seriously think Holyfield would kill norton based on hand speed and just skills

 

You didn't kill Norton based on hand speed and skills. Ask Holmes and Ali. Don't see Norton knocking Holyfield out, though. But it would be a war.

 

In his first fight with Bowe, notice how many times Holyfield throws some punches, leans on for a quick breather in the clinch then gets promptly clonked by a right uppercut. It happens a lot.

Second fight, much less often. Holy takes his breathers on the outside, stays in the pocket and gets in-and-out for his attacks.

You'd expect Bowe to be superior at range but whenever Holyfield fought from the outside, in all three fights, he won rounds. Funny how it goes.

 

yeah, but that's just one advantage that holyfield has. Holyfield is also more durable and he has more heart. earnie pretty much got floored by every puncher he faced, while Holyfield isn't a huge puncher, I think he could take norton...

 

No

 

joe louis & joe frazier are all i can say. i have not watched enough of marciano.

Holyfield would outbox even a prime Foreman. he'd outbox and KO an 80's mike tyson. he'd outwork and outpoint lennox lewis. he'd box sonny liston and probably lose.

 

Sonny Liston
George Foreman
Joe Louis
Mike Tyson

 

See Holyfield is exactly the type of fighter Norton would torture ... I happen to think Norton has a great shot at winning a decision ...

 

I think Jake Kilrain might have a good chance, too.

 

I think he'd be most vulnerable to accumulation of punishment from an accurate pressure fighter, rather than big shots or a one-punch KO; and body shots would be needed to wear him down and exhaust him, as he has heart and a tough chin. So Louis, Frazier, and Marciano would be my picks. I also think Ali has a good chance at stopping him, either cuts or shutting one or both eyes, especially if it was a 15 round fight. Holyfield was there to be hit, and Ali would dance rings around him and jab him to death.

Still, I think I"d rather bet on Holyfield lasting the distance against any of them, than bet on a KO.

 

no way.

 

No.

There was a thread on it not too long back and many people picked Holy based on his versatility and Liston's suspect heart.

Liston never proved he could KO (or even beat) a great HW, or even just an elite HW with a reliable chin, so his inclusion in this thread is rather puzzling IMO.

 

Yes.

I haven't had a chance to read every page of this thread, but probably the "best" pick I've seen is Joe Louis.

 

not whips. It'd be a close fight.
But I would favor Holy to win by points, based on his speed and footwork, and over-all conditioning.