It sounds like bullsh!t to me. Since when have boxers turned down millions of dollars because they didn't want to get in the ring with someone from the same neighbourhood ? Truth is, Bowe's manager wanted nothing to do with Don King. Also, Tyson went to jail when Bowe was still up-and-coming. When Tyson got out, King had his own agenda and list of soft-touch fighters lined up for Mike. Within a year Bowe was finished anyway. The fight was never seriously pursued because both fighters (esp. Bowe) self-destructed, faded away, quite suddenly. These are the facts. We don't need brain-damaged Bowe to give us his version of the story, or Tyson. There's no mystery.
The former cruiserweight remark regarding Holyfield is a very bad remark. Holyfield has always been considerably bigger than Byrd. Byrd fought Kostya Tszyu in the amateurs and was a former cruiserweight himself as a pro. Never more than a beefed lightheavyweight and not even one of the biggest there. You want to take credit off Byrd's win over Holyfield? it is fine. Holyfield was old and shot against him. But Byrd was the smaller man then too. Byrd's era was about as difficult as Bowe's. And if Bowe's era had a bit more quality in it and I doubt it, Byrd's era had a bigger average size to compensate for it. Past prime Holyfield was among the very best of Bowe's era, and an even more past his prime Tony Tubbs managed to last against Bowe. Holyfield did not beat Holmes, a draw could have suited it better. Ray Mercer was given fits by ancient versions of Holmes, Ferguson, Witherspoon, Mark Wills and Marion Wilson. Ruddock was given fits by a yet even worse Mike Weaver and almost got KOd by an ancient James Smith. That was Bowe's era. Sure it was the 2nd best? b/c if it was, then the 1980s has to be the 1st. Truthfully the 1970s are about the 4th most difficult.
Had Tyson got past Holyfield and Bowe past Golota, do you think they would have been on a collision course? Even after the Golota/Holyfield fights, they could have had a crossroads type of fight in '97-98. And why didnt we see Holyfield vs Golota in '98ish?
I can't answer your question about Holyfield vs Golata. But yes, I think that if Bowe had soundly survived Golata and beaten him legitimately while Tyson triumphed over Evander, then Tyson vs Bowe could have been a very real possibility.