Why is Mike Tyson ranked above Holyfield?

Would Holyfield have even fought at heavyweight without peds? He may have beat Tyson in a bench press contest but Tyson was also in crazy shape post prison

Holyfield was the runner up/breaking even for best inside game of the 90's, not disputing Bowe's lack of defense or inclination to brawl, and Holyfield had great defense, but Bowe did get 2/3 from him

 

I would say post prison, sure. Tyson's 80's run was a chain of fights where you can pinpoint his improvements from the previous fight. From Tillis to Green you can see his inside game improve. Rooney had him ironing out those weaknesses.

Tyson's KO of Tubbs was set up from inside work. If Bowe was a danger on the inside I'm sure Tyson would counter Bowe to death.

Point being, Tyson could work the inside when he needed to.

 

Does anybody have the details on what he said his reasons were for dropping the belts?

 

There's noting like the Evan Fields-thing about Tyson, no, but I would be careful with saying someone active in th '80s and 90's - when steroids were everywhere but there was little testing in boxing (and we know that Tyson could get around the testing that existed) - never took PEDs.

 

Funny I was just watching the first Holyfield Moorer fight and it was so bizarre what was going on w Evander ...

 

Holyfield Holyfield Holyfield.....

His entire rep is build on beating a washed up Tyson who was inactive for close to five years and fought less than a dozrn rounds in that time frame................only on this Forum fighters get "bettter" after a long jail sentence and are still in their "prime" after a long prison stint.....

But the cream of the crop is the Poster claiming Holmes was better at 42 than 38.......

 

Malfunctioing PED cycle cured not by the Mayo Clinic but a Faith Healer................

 

Benny Hill...or is it Hinn??

 

He was ripped and couldn't keep his arms up. Lee Haney would be proud.

 

I feel the same, I haven't seen many lists that place Mike higher.

Mike never beat a competitor the level of prime Bowe or post-prison Mike. Holy was just as past it as Mike had been when he fought Lewis, and Holy comported himself more than well.

 

I think Tucker 87 might have been someone like that. In addition, his style did not suit Tyson.

 

That's an interesting idea! I don't rank Tucker that high, but all respect.

 

Bowe's best win outside of Holyfield and getting beaten half to death by Golota is probably a win over Larry Donald, a narrow win over Tubbs, or a knockout of Bruce Seldon.

 

It's worth thinking that if Holyfield had won against Bowe in the first fight as he did in the second, no one would have said that he had won against someone great. He would win against an established amateur, someone like Biggs. Bowe's most valuable victory before Holy was the controversial defeat by points of the old and broken Tony Tubbs, the same one who is said to be one of the bums easily defeated by Tyson

 

But he looked good, even against an old, been through too many wars Holyfield. Bowe projected youth (you know what that means in boxing.. that aura).. he could have fought five more rounds.

Old Holyfield might have KOed him though in the 14th. Bowe came along at just the right time.