When should Holyfield have retired?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by safc1990, Jun 12, 2009.


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  1. safc1990

    safc1990 Goodbye Bolo :( Full Member

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    I personally feel after he got stopped by Toney, if not sooner.
     
    safc1990, Jun 12, 2009
    safc1990, Jun 12, 2009
    #1
  2. KOTF

    KOTF Bingooo Full Member

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    Ruiz I, Lewis II
     
    KOTF, Jun 12, 2009
    KOTF, Jun 12, 2009
    #2
  3. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    When he lost to Lewis and began struggling with the likes of John Ruiz.
     
    TheGreatA, Jun 12, 2009
    TheGreatA, Jun 12, 2009
    #3
  4. PbP Bacon

    PbP Bacon ALL TIME FAT Full Member

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    After Ruiz I

    Holy was 37-38 by then and showing his age. Time to go home and be a family man
     
    PbP Bacon, Jun 12, 2009
    PbP Bacon, Jun 12, 2009
    #4
  5. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    I agree with everyone who says that the first Ruiz fight would have been a good time to retire. He was 37 years of age, and had just sealed the claim to being the division's only 4 or 5 time titlist. His record was also a respectable 36-4-1 or somewhere thereabouts. No way did he need to go through a 3 fight trilogy with Ruiz, which frankly was probably even more painful for the fans than it was for the two of them. And needless to say, there was nothing to gain from him fighting Larry Donald, Chris Byrd, James Toney, etc......

    Incidentally, retiring after the Tyson fights wouldn't have been a bad choice either.
     
    mr. magoo, Jun 12, 2009
    mr. magoo, Jun 12, 2009
    #5
  6. janitor

    janitor VIP Member

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    The Ramhan win looks prety on boxrec.
     
    janitor, Jun 12, 2009
    janitor, Jun 12, 2009
    #6
  7. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Agreed, especially considering that he basically beat the same version of Rahman who defeated both Lennox Lewis and Corrie Sanders not long prior, as well as drew in a controversial match against David Tua imediately following. A decent win for an aging ex-champion.
     
    mr. magoo, Jun 12, 2009
    mr. magoo, Jun 12, 2009
    #7
  8. Dempsey1238

    Dempsey1238 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Than the robbery vs Vauev, In this era, 50 plus year old Holyfiled has a shot to being a 5 time heavyweight champ.

    Hell I pretty sure George Foreman is looking at this and thinking of returning to the fray.
     
    Dempsey1238, Jun 12, 2009
    Dempsey1238, Jun 12, 2009
    #8
  9. lefthook31

    lefthook31 Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    After the Lewis fights.
     
    lefthook31, Jun 12, 2009
    lefthook31, Jun 12, 2009
    #9
  10. Xplosive

    Xplosive Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    After the Lewis rematch.
     
    Xplosive, Jun 12, 2009
    Xplosive, Jun 12, 2009
    #10
  11. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

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    Yep! He should have retired after the Lewis rematch, IMO.

    And after his lackluster performance with Ruiz, he definitely should have called it quits.

    The fact remains, because of his connections, Holyfield got four undeserved title shots. The first bout with Ruiz should never have been for a title. He also was not really deserving of bouts with Byrd, Ibragimov, or Valuev.

    I like Holyfield, and do not believe the post-Lewis portion of his career will damage his legacy, but he is certainly not helping his cause by sticking around this long.

    He was once a tremendous fighter, but those days are long gone.
     
    Rumsfeld, Jun 12, 2009
    Rumsfeld, Jun 12, 2009
    #11
  12. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

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    Nah, that would have been too early. I respect the fact that he would eventually get revenge against Moorer and go on to attempt to reunify with Lewis.

    The Vaughn Bean fight was the one where he started noticeably slowing down, IMO.
     
    Rumsfeld, Jun 12, 2009
    Rumsfeld, Jun 12, 2009
    #12
  13. SteveO

    SteveO MSW Full Member

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    Some people were saying he should have after Bowe knocked him out.
     
    SteveO, Jun 12, 2009
    SteveO, Jun 12, 2009
    #13
  14. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

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    Who would have thought that one year after that fight, Bowe would twice get battered by Golota and Holyfield would go on to beat Tyson.

    This is what's great about boxing.
     
    Rumsfeld, Jun 12, 2009
    Rumsfeld, Jun 12, 2009
    #14
  15. SteveO

    SteveO MSW Full Member

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    Hell yes it is.

    It's a great sport with peaks and valleys and surprises like none other.
     
    SteveO, Jun 12, 2009
    SteveO, Jun 12, 2009
    #15
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