Was it after the Holyfield fights that Bowe started to talk a bit slower and have slurred speech? When do you guys feel was the last fight they were in their primes.

For Holyfield, I guess you can argue that the 2nd Bowe fight in 1993 was the last of his prime. I thought he adapted well though, and improved in other areas to make up for it. Although he didn't have the workrate of his younger days and had slowed down a bit, he got bigger and physically stronger, and fought more controlled. He said he learned from the 3rd Bowe fight to not be so brawl-happy, and he fought in a controlled manner against Tyson.

Bowe was largely up and down after the 2nd Holyfield fight. He had some poor performances, he was drawing a bit of criticism around this time (Donald, Hide, Mathis, etc...) but looked excellent in the Gonzalez fight. He nearly got KO'd in the rubber match with Holyfield, but overall fought well. I guess maybe you can say that was the end of Bowe's prime. The punishment and poor habits were catching up to him, and the beatings from Golota finished him as a top-tier HW.

For Holyfield, I guess you can argue that the 2nd Bowe fight in 1993 was the last of his prime. I thought he adapted well though, and improved in other areas to make up for it. Although he didn't have the workrate of his younger days and had slowed down a bit, he got bigger and physically stronger, and fought more controlled. He said he learned from the 3rd Bowe fight to not be so brawl-happy, and he fought in a controlled manner against Tyson.

Bowe was largely up and down after the 2nd Holyfield fight. He had some poor performances, he was drawing a bit of criticism around this time (Donald, Hide, Mathis, etc...) but looked excellent in the Gonzalez fight. He nearly got KO'd in the rubber match with Holyfield, but overall fought well. I guess maybe you can say that was the end of Bowe's prime. The punishment and poor habits were catching up to him, and the beatings from Golota finished him as a top-tier HW.

yes i go along with this, i think you have it about right

For Holyfield, I guess you can argue that the 2nd Bowe fight in 1993 was the last of his prime. I thought he adapted well though, and improved in other areas to make up for it. Although he didn't have the workrate of his younger days and had slowed down a bit, he got bigger and physically stronger, and fought more controlled. He said he learned from the 3rd Bowe fight to not be so brawl-happy, and he fought in a controlled manner against Tyson.

Bowe was largely up and down after the 2nd Holyfield fight. He had some poor performances, he was drawing a bit of criticism around this time (Donald, Hide, Mathis, etc...) but looked excellent in the Gonzalez fight. He nearly got KO'd in the rubber match with Holyfield, but overall fought well. I guess maybe you can say that was the end of Bowe's prime. The punishment and poor habits were catching up to him, and the beatings from Golota finished him as a top-tier HW.

I agree with this.

For Holyfield, I guess you can argue that the 2nd Bowe fight in 1993 was the last of his prime. I thought he adapted well though, and improved in other areas to make up for it. Although he didn't have the workrate of his younger days and had slowed down a bit, he got bigger and physically stronger, and fought more controlled. He said he learned from the 3rd Bowe fight to not be so brawl-happy, and he fought in a controlled manner against Tyson.

Bowe was largely up and down after the 2nd Holyfield fight. He had some poor performances, he was drawing a bit of criticism around this time (Donald, Hide, Mathis, etc...) but looked excellent in the Gonzalez fight. He nearly got KO'd in the rubber match with Holyfield, but overall fought well. I guess maybe you can say that was the end of Bowe's prime. The punishment and poor habits were catching up to him, and the beatings from Golota finished him as a top-tier HW.

Make it unanimous. This is pretty spot on. Holy really looked born again against Tyson and in Moorer 2 tho.

For Holyfield, I guess you can argue that the 2nd Bowe fight in 1993 was the last of his prime. I thought he adapted well though, and improved in other areas to make up for it. Although he didn't have the workrate of his younger days and had slowed down a bit, he got bigger and physically stronger, and fought more controlled. He said he learned from the 3rd Bowe fight to not be so brawl-happy, and he fought in a controlled manner against Tyson.

Bowe was largely up and down after the 2nd Holyfield fight. He had some poor performances, he was drawing a bit of criticism around this time (Donald, Hide, Mathis, etc...) but looked excellent in the Gonzalez fight. He nearly got KO'd in the rubber match with Holyfield, but overall fought well. I guess maybe you can say that was the end of Bowe's prime. The punishment and poor habits were catching up to him, and the beatings from Golota finished him as a top-tier HW.

Thats pretty much correct.

Irony is that Tyson fans like to make out Tyson was past his best when Holyfield beat him and that we should disregard that fight because Mike was not in his prime, they conveniently forget that Holyfield was 34 at the time and he had been in many wars and looked next to done as a fighter after his fights with Bowe, Moorer.

Thats pretty much correct.

Irony is that Tyson fans like to make out Tyson was past his best when Holyfield beat him and that we should disregard that fight because Mike was not in his prime, they conveniently forget that Holyfield was 34 at the time and he had been in many wars and looked next to done as a fighter after his fights with Bowe, Moorer.

Holyfield and his headbutts destroyed Tyson.

:nonono:

Bowe wasn't the same man after the third Holyfield fight for sure. Already before that he had shown signs of slowing down. Against Hide he had problems in the first three rounds until he started throwing body punches and hurting Hide. Holyfield looked sharp in his comeback fight with Mercer, but then ran out of gas in the Bowe fight. He did look in splendid shape in both Tyson fights and the second Moorer fight. But after that he was clearly not the same man anymore. The Moorer fight was his last great performance imo.

Holyfield and his headbutts destroyed Tyson.

:nonono:

Another excuse eh?

Holyfield and his headbutts destroyed Tyson.

:nonono:
Tyson wasn't a shrinking violet using his elbows through his career.
He just happened to bump into someone better at the dark arts than him is all.

for bowe it was after the olympics,and for hoylfield it was after the foreman fight:boxing:

What kind of delusional tit believes that Mike Tyson was in his prime when he fought Holyfield? Oh that's right the Dynamite Tit,The biggest hypocrite on this board,The man who will argue that Joe Frazier immediately became washed up after the first Ali fight in an atempt to defend his hero's shortcomings against Foreman and Ali in their last two fights

Since when has age ever been a factor to a boxers prime? Perhaps Wilfredo Benitez wasn't washed up when he fought and lost to the likes of Matthew Hilton and Carlos Maria del Valle Herrera,He was only in his late 20's afterall

Just because Holyfield was the one percieved to be washed up doesn't mean that he actually was at the time.Tyson being the heavy favourite that he was at the time just shows you what marketing and the media can do

benitez would beat hilton and herrera easily,benitez did not train properly after he became the world champ at 17,if he would of trained properly under the guidance of a world class trainer, benitez would have been undefeated,he was that talented:boxing:

How did this turn into a Tyson thread