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I think Tyson showed he had an iron chin in this fight, and alot of heart. Tyson was taking alot of heavy shots the entire fight. He gets up from a knockdown in the 6th. He takes a big combo in the 10th and stumbles but doesent go down. Then in the 11th he takes another barrage of power shots and still stays on his feet and the ref stopped it. I think Tyson could have finished the fight, mabe even got a KO win with a big uppercut late. He was still thowing powershots at the beginning of the 11th. But the three years in prison really hurt him the most, his reflexes were gone. And for a smaller heavyweight like Tyson speed,reflexes, and timing shots are very very important. I just wish the fight could of happened in 1991, I think Tyson wins by TKO in the mid rounds or could have even won a close decision. It would have been a better fight than the 1996 match im sure.
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I think it was actually Mike who realized that Holyfield's chin was on another level even to a great contender like Razor Ruddock and not within the same stratosphere as a Seldon or Bruno. He was probably encouraged by Ruddock's willingness to exchange with him frequently knowing he'd gain the upperhand. He wasnt willing to deal with the counterpunching/clinch clinic Holyfield put on him. Perhaps in '91 Holy trades the same with him, but not the 34-yr old battle worn ex-champ. It's important to remember not only Tyson's layoff, but that Holyfield had already been through a trilogy of fights with an elite super-heavyweight much bigger than himself as well as bouts with heart conditions, hepatitus A, etc. Going in, he was a 15-1 underdog and had last been in the ring scoring an unremarkable TKO of Bobby Czyz. I get a kick out of that fight for Czyz's blatantly pro-Tyson commentary. Then again, Tyson was Showtime's feature attraction.
My gut tells me Holyfield loses in equally courageous and admirable fashion as he did to Bowe the first go-round. Usually people fall into the line of thinking that Tyson loses any fantasy match-up in which he doesnt KO his man. Hogwash. He could win a decision just as easily. That aggressive style and lightning quick hands are just as useful for outlanding, hurting and taking rounds as they are for knocking people dead. I cant see Holyfield getting stopped at that point anymore than I can imagine a supremely determined '91 Tyson losing. -
What you guys haven't mentioned were the head-butts. Whether they were intentional or not, they hurt Mike as much as the rust/lack of rounds did...Comment
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Originally posted by Mintcar923 View Post
Yes Holy did throw alot of head butts and some low blows. Both fights Holy hit Tyson with some hard head butts.Comment
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That was something that bothered me. Tyson was never the type to stop and look at a referee for help when things started getting rough. If anything, he usually initiated it making 'good' use of his elbows. He wasnt any angel in the ring, particularly on his late 80s rampage.Comment
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I agree that Mike had a great chin but if anything Holyfield's was even better. Holyfield took some decent shots without being hurt - a big one in the first, a few more in the fifth and sixth. I think tyson was still a little ring rusty coming into this fight, I know he'd had a couple before but they were real short. Holyfield roughed him up. He pulled all the tricks in the book, and really shook tyson up with a couple of headbutts. The old tyson would have responded with a few nicely placed elbows but this tyson just took it.
Tyson was never the same after he dumped rooney - just look at the Tyson that fought Holmes or Spinks - I refuse to believe that version of Mike would lose to Holyfield. But it would have been a cracker of a fight with Holy probably losing in couragous fashion aka the 1st bowe fight. It might be fashionable to say Holy had Tysons's number or whatever but thats bullcrap. The prime Tyson + Rooney combination was a completely different ballgame to post prison Tyson. Yeah, if Tyson hadn't disentigrated Tyson Holy c 1990 could have been the greatest heavyweight title fight since the days of ali. Damn. Holmes was right when he said Tyson would destroy himself.Last edited by Daddy T; 03-08-2012, 04:25 AM.Comment
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Holyfield took some big shots himself, and calmly and masterfully proceeded to neutralize Tyson's offense more and more as the fight went on. Tyson wasn't getting any late stoppage in that fight, he was done as soon as the 10th ended.Comment
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I disagree. Holyfield had dropped off just as much as Tyson when they fought. He was just a better fighter, with an iron chin, superior heart, and the ability to stand up to Tyson and get the better of him, no matter when they fought.Originally posted by House of Stone View PostComment
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Holyfield was well past his prime in 96. People considered him to be "on the way out" and done at the top level.
Tyson, also past his prime, but was considered to be much closer than Holyfield. He was so strong and powerful at that point. Not as technically sound or fast or agile but he was a beast and would have probably beaten most Heavyweight's at that time.
Both showed heart and great chins in that fight. Holyfield was just the better man on the night.
Despite Holyfield beating him convincingly, I would still have LOVED to have seen them fight in 91. Man, that would have been so awesome.
I still lean on Holyfield then too.Comment
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3 grueling fights of standing in and muscling/trading with Riddick Bowe had Holyfield very ready to get in and bully Mike Tyson. Mike got bullied, period. Evander pushed him around, took Mike's best, got pretty rough.....and when Evander did get rough, you saw Mike's inner punk come out. Mike had a history of dirty (intentional) **** himself, but became a WHINER when it happened to him. He did so because he was LOSING to Holyfield, and that's how a frontrunner operates.
That said, I think I'd have picked Tyson in 1991....because I think Evander needed those fights with Bowe to truly grow into being a real heavyweight.Comment
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