WAS Holyfield a GREAT heavyweight

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Or was he a great Cruiserweight with a respectable Heavyweight record?

[beerjelly]

He WAS great.
He IS pretty damn good.

[BIG H]

Or was he a great Cruiserweight with a respectable Heavyweight record?

He does have flaws on his record, but he also has great successes. He was crap against Cooper, Holmes, Moorer, Foreman, Stewart, & Lewis. But was awesome in the first 2 Bowe fights and the 1st Tyson fight. I would still call him a great - but not a top tenner

[DaxxKahn]

Evander looked good and bad depended on which version showed up....As a cruiserweight he was beyond good.....He would have owned that division until he was good and ready to let the title go....Evander will not go down as a top 10 heavyweight but will be an all time pound for pound fighter in the top 25

[DarkDestroyer]

He was the greatest CW ever and a very good HW champion but not a great one

[VictorCharlie]

is this a serious question? Of course he was a great HW

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Yeah, its a question thats popped up a few times on this forum. Never fully resolved though.

Its just that he's Heavyweight record (pre 2000 if you like) is kinda patchy.

Can you be great yet not particularly dominant and Inconsistant?

[DarkDestroyer]

No

[ICB]

Or was he a great Cruiserweight with a respectable Heavyweight record?

He does have flaws on his record, but he also has great successes. He was crap against Cooper, Holmes, Moorer, Foreman, Stewart, & Lewis. But was awesome in the first 2 Bowe fights and the 1st Tyson fight. I would still call him a great - but not a top tenner

I wouldn't say he looked crap in Cooper or Stewart fights he fought well in both times just he got caught because Holyfield isn't exactly hardest guy to hit he is only man to beat Bowe he beat Tyson and thats where his big success and hw comes right there beating Tyson and he gave Lewis the best hw of 90s 2 of his toughest fights when he was past his prime he is great hw just for his excitement and his wins but i doubt he is top 10.

[Puerto Rican Punch]

Great champion, and one of the greatest!!! I am a big fan of this warrior.... A Warrior with a big heart are some of the adjectives that describes Holyfield. I really admire Holyfied.

[Bomp]

He's a great. Don't personally see what's patchy about his record pre 2000. He lost a trilogy to Bowe, fighting with illness in the finale but still giving him all he could handle. Avenged his defeat to Moorer convincingly. Beat Tyson twice, probably the best version of Tyson that was ever beaten. Got a dodgy draw against Lewis in the first fight, but was much better in the rematch, I watched it recently and that's the fight which should have been draw.

In the second best era of boxing (90's) he was second only to Lewis, He's certainly top ten of all time for me.

[VictorCharlie]

I scored the second Lewis fight a win for Evander but never the less he often didn't look good in some wins due to styles. Evander looked good against fighters that came forward and who wanted to mix it up, but not so much against guys who were more defensive minded.

[JT Rock]

Of course Evander is one of Greatest Heavies ever, and the Greatest Cruiser of all time.... 

You cant say guys like Tunney, Sullivan were great and say Evander isint... Evander is a legend

Not to mention he isint even finished, HE COULD CONCEIVABLY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT AGE 45

[ElTerribleMorales]

IMO Holyfield won the first fight against Moorer, and even if it says he lost on his record, he gave him hell and also gave him hell while having heart problems, then came back and completely whooped him in the rematch, and i disagree with the Foreman statement, i thought that that fight was classic, it was a very hard fought fight between two fighters that were prepared to put it on the line and well the put on a great fight

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Of course Evander is one of Greatest Heavies ever, and the Greatest Cruiser of all time....

You cant say guys like Tunney, Sullivan were great and say Evander isint... Evander is a legend

Not to mention he isint even finished, HE COULD CONCEIVABLY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT AGE 45

Okay well its safe to assume that he won't

Can i ask, were exactly do you also have Tunney & Sullivan placed in your top10?

If you have one of course