What if Douglas didn't get up in round 8 and Tyson fought Holyfield in 1990

I think by that time, the aura of Tyson was already ruined. People saw he wasn't invincible. Being the warrior that Hoyfield was, i think he would've seen this and took the fight to Tyson just as he did in 1996 and won a UD.

 

Holyfield didn't have a huge afro, a mullet, or striped tube socks past his knees, he would've beaten Tyson.

 

Holyfield would ko or easily UD the 1990/1991 version of tyson. He was already not training as hard, neglecting the body, neglecting combinations, thinking he was superman, etc. I know tyson haters love to say he had a long prime, and lewis and holyfield are just too mentally stong for him, etc. but the truth is that he had a very short period where he was actually serious as a fighter, which is not douglas/holyfields fault at all.

 

Depends what kind of shape Tyson made it to the ring in. He didnt have the right team around him or a trainer who could control him, so I doubt we would have seen a focused Mike.

Would have been interesting though, he probably still would have made a better fight of it then he did after prison i think.

 

I'd go for Holyfield.

Tyson by that point was on the road to ruin, especially after he got rid of Rooney and let the leetches and hangers on take over.

 

That's an obvious but good point. You can't ignore the people around him. They mattered. Tyson was a guy who needed guidance. When Rooney left, it was pretty much over. No one but locusts looking to go after his money after that.

 

Who know's, Depends... Mike knew Holyfield was gonna be a huge fight.
(Where as he took the Douglas fight as another knotch before the fight that mattered)

Would have been something tho..

 

Yeah, Tyson was a bit past his prime but still young and mean. Holyfield was perfectly in his prime and was hungrier than anyone in that period. I feel like Tyson would have trained and been more prepared for Evander than he had been for Buster, but Holyfield was never scared of Tyson and I think he would have put that first loss on Tyson's record in one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport. Oh well, he had to settle for blitzing a fat version of Buster and getting Tyson later.

 

I said Tyson. He wouldnt have gone to prison and I think he would have won. Back in 86 when Tyson won the belt and still had Ronney I think he would have had no problem.

 

holyfield all day, any day against tyson. too tough, skilled, and strong-willed for tyson.

 

I pretty much agree with all the above. Tyson was already in a downward spiral. And Holyfield was always going to stand up to the bully in him.

The better question was, how would the fight have gone down in 1988 after the Spinks win. At that point Holy had just had his first heavyweight fight after leaving the cruiserweight division. Rooney hadn't left yet, althought, there were already cracks showing.
What if Holyfield had started to prep for the move to heavy in 1987, a year after the first Qawi fight?

 

Holyfield by stoppage over any version of Tyson.

Tough tough, not just physically, but mentally - for Mike to overcome.

 

Tyson was wild and undisciplined. And when Kevin Rooney left him, his career essentially ended. He needed that tough guy father figure guy to whip his ass into shape. The single greatest financial blunder of Don King's career was pushing Cayton out which forced Rooney to leave. With Rooney around Tyson was unstoppable. Instead, King want to make Tyson comfortable and he surrounded him with a bunch of sycophants. How long did it take for Tyson to lose after Rooney left? Was it one fight or two? I can't remember.

 

It would have taken peak Tyson to beat Holyfield, I figure. The one that fought Douglas already was not peak.