All time Heavyweight tourney #4 Larry Holmes vs #13 ike ibeabuchi

[JasonBoxing]

Prime Holmes vs the Ike who beat Chris Byrd and David Tua. Who takes it?
(The rankings are based on my opinion of H2H Heavyweights, not based on their ATG rankings or resumes)

[Elroy1]

The first in the series of serious fights to contemplate.

My analysis here is partly objective and partly speculation.

From the get go, against the grain of what many would consider "common sense" Holmes is a special case of boxer whom fought more decent opponents when he was older and in some constellations performed better when he was older. What he lost in speed and athleticism, he somewhat compensated for in weight and experience.

You can point to the fact that Holmes never lost up until Spinks. But 2 things are evident. He struggled badly with some questionable opponents. And he never fought what would have in Ike's time been considered a dangerous opponent. And he was twice busted by Spinks and then finished by Tyson.

I personally think Holmes would find any of these early versions of Holmes and knock them out.

I think Ike would beat the Holmes that lost to Spinks and Tyson but that version was a bit stronger so I think he may have survived them.

Strangely, the version I am unsure about Ike on, is the Holmes that beat MErcer. I think the older Holmes was better equipped to have dealt with the heavier, slower fighters than the younger version.

Since I rate Mercer of comparable quality to Byrd and Tua, I find it difficult to make a clear distinguishmnet here.

Overall I give it to the mighty and crazy Ike.

[beez721]

The first in the series of serious fights to contemplate.

My analysis here is partly objective and partly speculation.

From the get go, against the grain of what many would consider "common sense" Holmes is a special case of boxer whom fought more decent opponents when he was older and in some constellations performed better when he was older. What he lost in speed and athleticism, he somewhat compensated for in weight and experience.

You can point to the fact that Holmes never lost up until Spinks. But 2 things are evident. He struggled badly with some questionable opponents. And he never fought what would have in Ike's time been considered a dangerous opponent. And he was twice busted by Spinks and then finished by Tyson.

I personally think Holmes would find any of these early versions of Holmes and knock them out.

I think Ike would beat the Holmes that lost to Spinks and Tyson but that version was a bit stronger so I think he may have survived them.

Strangely, the version I am unsure about Ike on, is the Holmes that beat MErcer. I think the older Holmes was better equipped to have dealt with the heavier, slower fighters than the younger version.

Since I rate Mercer of comparable quality to Byrd and Tua, I find it difficult to make a clear distinguishmnet here.

Overall I give it to the mighty and crazy Ike.

ike was a physical specimen but so overrated its laughable. I thought his fight with the one dimensional tua should have been a draw and feather fisted byrd was giving him problems until he got caught with a bomb of an uppercut against the ropes. ike had tremendous strength and stamina but he could be out boxed. I think lennox and vitali would have done a paint job on him. wlad im not so sure of. ike was a beast but he was also very beatable

[beez721]

Prime Holmes vs the Ike who beat Chris Byrd and David Tua. Who takes it?
(The rankings are based on my opinion of H2H Heavyweights, not based on their ATG rankings or resumes)

holmes would have boxed him to a ud win. ike was powerful but he lacked the foot speed and finesse to trouble a larry holmes

[daggum]

ikebuchi has been in prison for the last 20 years and vitali was a free man and professional boxer and still ike has the better resume

[Elroy1]

ike was a physical specimen but so overrated its laughable. I thought his fight with the one dimensional tua should have been a draw and feather fisted byrd was giving him problems until he got caught with a bomb of an uppercut against the ropes. ike had tremendous strength and stamina but he could be out boxed. I think lennox and vitali would have done a paint job on him. wlad im not so sure of. ike was a beast but he was also very beatable

Yeah you could be right there too.

That's why I was hesitant to pick him because I didn't see all that much skill in him either.

But then again I have to consider that Holmes unbeaten streak whilst younger was riddled with struggles against opponents I'm more sure that Ike would beat up. Especially Spinks, he would cream Spinks I think.

This was actually a tough decision for me to call tbh and can't really say much strongly about it.

It would have been a good fight though.

[Elroy1]

ikebuchi has been in prison for the last 20 years and vitali was a free man and professional boxer and still ike has the better resume

Don't be ****ing ******!

[beez721]

ikebuchi has been in prison for the last 20 years and vitali was a free man and professional boxer and still ike has the better resume

come on dude. the byrd loss was an obvious fluke and besides tua ike beat nobody else of significance

[daggum]

come on dude. the byrd loss was an obvious fluke and besides tua ike beat nobody else of significance

tua and byrd are both better than any win vitali has though. i mean vitali has more C level fighters for sure but that doesn't mean very much in my opinion.

[Elroy1]

tua and byrd are both better than any win vitali has though. i mean vitali has more C level fighters for sure but that doesn't mean very much in my opinion.

Vitali Klitschko has the 3rd best resume of all time at HW imo after Wladimir and Lennox.

Holyfield and Tyson come runner up 4 and 5.

Vitali Klitschko has faced the heftiest opponents on record of all time.
Every single one of his opponents since he became ranked was either a former, current or future world champion, an unbeaten or nearly unbeaten opponent.

Byrd and Tua were good opponents but to claim they are better than everyone of these guys in ridiculous!

Almost every single one of Vitali's opponents are "potentially" better than Byrd, Tua, or Ike himself! Analysing which ones are or aren't would require a project in itself.

I don't think there is any doubt that if Ike met Vitali, he'd have had his brains punched out and he'd know all about who the ****ing "president" was.

Besides. VK already beat a comparable opponent to Tua in Peter. And he realistically did beat Byrd.