Prime for prime. Gazelle Punch’s idea, really. Here’re two guys I struggle mightily to evaluate both historically on achievements, & in hypothetical head-to-head. Holyfield was a drug cheat for a good chunk of his Heavyweight career. Klitschko was impressively talented & had size to boot, but he was very vulnerable too, both mentally & physically. I really don’t know who would win, honestly.
I slightly lean towards Holyfield to outwork him. Holyfield past his prime stood toe to toe with Lennox Lewis.
What is prime Holyfield? The cruiser that first moved up to heavyweight and lost big to Bowe and was taken the distance by the over 40 club of Foreman and Holmes. Or the steroid using Holyfield that was wildly inconsistent losing and looking horrible in Bowe 3, Moorer and looking like a zombie vs Czyz. Prime Wlad went on a huge win streak and dominated every second of that streak. Holyfield struggled even at his best with big heavies, I have to make him the underdog. Now pre prime Wlad could gas out with Holyfields chin and work rate but not prime for prime
Same situation with Ali - Wlads going to keep dropping the hammer on them from miles away. Evander was always being popped with jabs or trying to fall in behind his shots to get inside (head butt lol) where Wlad will shut him down. If EH tries working in an out it’ll just leave too much space between them it’s a lot of work to get in and the right hand is a great deterrent. I think Wlad is arguably the most concussive puncher of all time I wonder how EH will react to Wlads hook if he forces it out of the Ukrainian.
Evander Holyfield worked like a mule his nickname was a fact have a bit of respect. Everyone was on juice PLEASE it was the 80s-90s near no testing at the peak of usage. All your beloved fighters are likely on PEDs far back the 60s any edge in a business where you can die.
I didn’t bash him - just pointing out that when he started using - the exact day is unknown but it’s clear he added lot of muscle between Bowe 1 and 2 - his cardio became unpredictable. Some fights he looked truly awful, Moorer 1, Czyz, or near death when he had a win in his face - Bowe 3. Yet he looked great for Tyson. By Lewis fights he badly hot and cold. I would say the most consistent Holy was very early 90s but that Holy is too small to trouble peak Wlad.
I'll take Wlad. I feel that Holy was at his best when he fought technically and dismantled guys - but Wlad is a huge guy that likes a technical fight too. And unfortunately most of the cool things Holy does are going to be neutralized by Wlad's outrageous jab and footwork. Holyfield could try turn it into a brawl but Wlad would shut that down fast with a clinch or with his own massive power. The wild card here is Holyfield's masterful dirty fighting. Wlad's love of clinching is going to be somewhat balanced out by Holyfield's "accidental" headbutts which he's going to be feeding Wlad every time they clinch. If clinching and headbutts are minimized then it is Klitschko's fight to lose.
