Lot’s of praise to Big George but next to none for Holmes who I feel gave Holyfield the much better fight. Thoughts ?
I gotta watch the Holmes fight again. I just remember thinking at the time I watched it live what a number a prime Holmes would have done to Holy.
Definitely Holmes. I’ve heard people say they had Holmes up on the cards and Holmes nicked it. Prime Holmes is big trouble for Evander.
Holyfield underestimated Holmes... Holyfield couldn't stop working and really tried hurting Foreman bc he didn't stop coming forward... Holmes played counter puncher on the ropes so it let Holyfield pick shots more against him. No argument it's Foreman who also rocked Holyfield !
Foreman did more damage and the fight was more physically demanding for Holy. Holmes won more rounds and presented a tougher tactical/strategic challenge imo
Holmes did better for me. Was surprised watching it, how much Holmes still able to show, and thought to myself: "Lucky Holy that this guy wasn´t ten years younger."
Holmes was there to steal the fight. Rather than fight it. He busted Evander up at times but he knew his limitations. He knew he could not sustain anything anymore, he could only con Evander so much, only mess him around so much without getting tired enough to drop the rounds. So yes, he was trickier than George without really doing any better. Evander hurt Larry quite badly for one moment and it was really only survival experience that saw Larry out to the bell. Foreman was more limited in a way but still so darn strong that just walking in and soaking stuff up was almost as draining for Evander than the licking he was putting on George. Foreman took a real straight forward beating but he was always a threat -and in his way troubled Evander just as much as Larry. He may have hurt Evander a couple of times but he nearly went a few times too.
Larry would have been stopped if he hadn't cut Evander. Holyfield would have stepped on the gaspedal a lot more the 2nd half of the fight and Larry was not going to keep up. Think if that bad cut had happened against George with 6 rounds to go. And Evander tried coasting and protecting that cut. What happens then?
Larry won four and George won maybe two .. George took much more punishment .. I love Evander but Larry clearly showed that in his rime he would have diced him up .. Old George is a tough one .. not sure ..
Can’t argue with that. When Larry opened up it was like man vs boy. He was just too darn old to sustain anything. Larry had no problem finding the room and getting the time either. Evander would have been a brave sitting duck against Larry in 1981. He would be stopped on his feet like Marvis and Snipes.
