What was your prediction prior to the first Holyfield tyson match?

[BennyST]

Will he handle returned pressure or not! Will he handle getting punched back with ill intentions? These were the questions that the people who knew what he was all about had ever since he got by the trial horses he faced early as a pro! I wanted him to succeed and might have if he stayed with the techniques he was taught but he didn't and resorted into big mistakes that someone like Evander would capitilize on! ........and he did!! Fans thought he was a machine that couldn't break but the people who saw him as a kid and watched and trained and helped knew there was answers to questions coming! Ray.

So, are you saying you knew what was going to happen with Holyfield winning or that you too thought Tyson was going to win? I think everyone knew that Tyson still had questions looming about him after Douglas and prison. No secret there.

[Mintcar923]

I couldn't get over how winded he was in the later stages of the first fight with his mouth wide open and all. He wasn't like that at any point in his first career even with Douglas. Was it the inactivity, all the holding, or the lack of the right kind of training?

[Bigdaddy_Vh]

I picked mike to win by ud or late ko. Figured holy would be competitive but gas in the later rounds

[Emon723]

I was really expecting Tyson winning by KO from 4-6 rounds, based on his two previous fights, and Bowe stopping Holyfield in 8th a year before.

Upon watching, Tyson hurt Holyfield in the 5th, I thought its gonna be true, but when Tyson went down in round six, I knew it would really be a miracle for Iron Mike to turn the fight in his favor, I was already favoring a UD for the real deal.

[joseph5620]

I wrongly though mike would win even though I knew his defence was not a at the same level as pre spinks fight. I thought he simply would overpower evander.
How wrong I was.

I thought Tyson would win but Holyfield had an eerie confidence that gave me the feeling that it could be tough. But no way did I think Holyfield would win. I thought he was done. Not too long before this fight there was even speculation that Holyfield might have some sort of heart condition.

[Sugarj]

I couldn't get over how winded he was in the later stages of the first fight with his mouth wide open and all. He wasn't like that at any point in his first career even with Douglas. Was it the inactivity, all the holding, or the lack of the right kind of training?

Probably a combination of the three, plus overconfidence and the expectation of an easy match.

I believe Mike was in shape (his weight, body fat and muscle tone were right on the money.....he certainly looked the part!), he was just not in the sort of 12 round shape that he was in, in his prime. He might have managed 12 rounds quite well against lesser foes, but Holyfield's clinching, leaning, headbutting.....not to mention solid punching certainly tired him out.

In the Douglas fight Mike's punch output was rather lower than for Holyfield. Mike undoubtably did start fast against Holyfield and threw quite alot over the first 5 rounds. To be honest Mike never stopped trying against Holyfield, he took his beating like a man and was very gracious in defeat (this time!).

[SBleeder]

I couldn't get over how winded he was in the later stages of the first fight with his mouth wide open and all. He wasn't like that at any point in his first career even with Douglas. Was it the inactivity, all the holding, or the lack of the right kind of training?

It's because he was fighting someone with a pulse, which was unusual for any version of Tyson.

[Mintcar923]

I thought Tyson would win but Holyfield had an eerie confidence that gave me the feeling that it could be tough. But no way did I think Holyfield would win. I thought he was done. Not too long before this fight there was even speculation that Holyfield might have some sort of heart condition.

I recall saying how worried Holy looked in the early stages of his ring walk. My Mom had even agreed with me. But, somehow he turned it in his favor because he fought like the hammers of Hell!

[Anthony342]

I wrongly though mike would win even though I knew his defence was not a at the same level as pre spinks fight. I thought he simply would overpower evander.
How wrong I was.

I thought Holyfield would win a unanimous decision. How wrong I was as well, as he destroyed Mike and stopped him late.

It's like SBleeder said, Tyson at times struggled against opponents with a pulse, guys that could stand up to his power and back him up, like Douglas did. That's why I thought Holyfield would win. Despite looking pretty bad against Bowe and Czyz, Holyfield was a bad style matchup for Tyson IMO. Even in his prime, I still don't think Tyson wins, but it's a much closer fight.

[Daddy T]

I thought Holyfield would win

sure you did