Zaire Ali v Prime Hollyfield

Tough Question and one that will no doubt evoke endless debate.

Anyway, as much as I would like to see a peak Evander prevail against a slipping Ali, I probably have to give the edge to Muhammad. I know that making comparisons by using other fight results is not always the best way to go, but I can't help remembering how a 42 year old Holmes took a peak Holy the distance, and even stole a few rounds from him. This does not necessarily mean that a 1974 Ali would school the real deal, but its not unreasonable to make the assumption that he might have. Muhammad's endurance was still better than most and so was his illusive style that I think may have troubled Holyfield, who struggled with fighters who evaded him rather than go to war at close range...

1974 Ali by a 12 or 15 round decision over a 1990-92 Holy, in what is probably an uneventful and dull match...

 

Good match up. Holyfield would put pressure, but Ali would lay on the ropes & cover up. While every now and then fire off a couple of fast combo's. Simular to the Foreman fight. Holyfield would start to tire and Ali would step it up. Holyfield could be hit and the combinations of Ali would take thier toll about the ninth or tenth. Ali by late round stoppage.

 

Although I have already picked Ali to take this match, I don't think there's anyway Muhammad is stopping a prime Evander...

 

I don't think that Ali would do the rope-a-dope. He never had before Zaire, and there the circumstances and the opponent was perfect for that tactic. But using it against Holyfield under normal conditions would fail.

A well trained and motivated Ali around that time would still dance a lot, and coast for rounds in between. Relying more on holding than standing against the ropes in those rounds.

For me, even this version of Ali is superior to Holyfield in almost every department except punching power and physical strength. The prime version of Holyfield at HW was in the early 90's IMO, and that version was probable quite even with Zaire Ali in terms of power, strength and perhaps also stamina. But Ali beats him when it comes to reach, speed, reflexes and ring generalship. Ali's jab would dominate and that would make it tough for Holyfield. Ali takes a UD in a competitive fight. I just don't see Holyfield having any real edge over him, and he didn't have an awkward style like Norton.

 

Evander has too much Warrior in him. He can be hit. I just think that Ali would land more and more combinations as the fight goes on and Holyfield begins to tire.

 

Good match up and HOlyfield is a very tough match up for this version of ALi.

Holyfield has weaknesses with his defense that Ali exploits and Ali would be able to make Evander miss allot. BUT the workrate and combination punching and relentlessness gives the same problems Frazier brought with better boxing skills

This is more a Frazier-Ali matchup than a Foreman-Ali match up and it would be close so its a 15round back and forth war

 

Ali has always been somewhat susceptible to the left hook, and Holyfield has a great one. Every time George Foreman commentated on an HBO fight that featured Holyfield, he had to mention, relevant or not, how hurtful Holyfield's left liver hook was. Very durable fighters like Mercer, Tyson and Bowe tasted canvas because of it.

Of course Ali brings plenty to the table as well. The lighter (hitting) Holyfield of 1991 that knocked out Douglas was fast, flexible and had a very high punch output. That version of Holyfield has a good shot at beating '74 Ali; i'd call it about 50/50.

Around 1996, Holyfield was a bit older and threw less punches, but also seemed to hit harder and had better self-control. I like him better against punchers, but against a pure boxer like Ali, i'd go with one of his lighter incarnations.

 

I think this is a tremendous fight because Holy would force a fast pace, and Ali would comply...Holy will be busier, and Ali more accurate.

 

Ali would decision him fairly easily ...

 

I like Evander by a close decision against the version of Ali and Ali by close decision in his prime. Just look at the Norton fight, and the fact that Evander is a better jabber than Norton, is faster and has a much better chin. Ali needed space to work his distance and jab, and i see Holyfield with responding with his own jabs and bringing educated volume punching and effective body work. He also had these same kinds of problems with Doug Jones, who kept him off balance and disrupted his footwork for most of the fight and was confusing him by having the ability to block punches while coming forward and Evander has all of these tools and much more. Volume punching is the key to movers.

 

I don't think Holyfield's jab was better than Norton's and I don't think chin will play a big part. Norton had good enough chin to soak up Ali's punches and so would Holyfield, unless he'd gas out.

It's not like Ali had trouble with every good boxer he faced, just look how he handled Ellis. But Norton had an awkward style that was very hard to figure out if you just didn't blast him out there. Young and Holmes could testify to this. Holyfield's style was orthodox and I don't think it would cause Ali that much problems as such. His skill, workrate, ringsmartness and guts would of course make this a tough fight for Ali, though. But he must stick to the gameplan to have a good chance. He could go a bit off the rails at times...

The thing is, what do Holyfield do if Ali wins the battle of the jabs, as I think he would? It would probably be the first time in Holyfield's career that he faces a quicker jab with a longer reach. I think that's the decider.

 

I agree that the chin factor wouldn't come into play, although personally i feel that Evander had the better jab, it came off of everything that he did and worked effectively against every boxer/mover that he faced. You mentioned that Norton had an awkward style, so how would we classify Holfyields? Its rare to see a pressure fighter that is up on his toes, could box and bang and is very good at either one. He also shown in many fights the ability cut off the ring effectively. The Ali that fought Foreman didn't have as good of footspeed that he once had and mainly just did a few things to win the rounds, he would be out worked and especially by the young energetic Holyfield that fought Bert Cooper.

The thing with a volume puncher is that even if they miss punches, they keep throwing and Evander was skillful at that.

:EDIT: I made a mistake in my first post in this thread, i meant to say that Ali would win a close decision in his prime and the version that fought Foreman would lose a close decision.