Instead of the fight going 4 rounds, it goes 8 rounds with still a KO by Tyson. Just a brutal or even worse.
:cool:
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Instead of the fight going 4 rounds, it goes 8 rounds with still a KO by Tyson. Just a brutal or even worse.
:cool:
I'd like to think Tyson may have had his number regardless.
But realistic: How does Tony Tucker, Mitch Green & James Tillis have the skills/clinching ability to take a young Tyson the distance but not a prime Holmes?
Rarely do I see a difference in prime vs prime scenarios much differently when the execution and result were as decisive as this one. Also the time and retained individual skill gap wasn't extreme, taking into account what Holmes went on to do. If that makes sense :cwm13:
I'd probably go Tyson UD. I think Holmes would have gone the distance and won a handful of rounds. Holmes was nearly 40 when he fought Tyson and he was carrying a spare tire around his waist and an extra 10-15lbs above his prime weight. I think a 30 year old, 210lb Holmes is much more effective in keeping Mike on the outside and tying him up on the inside, but I don't think he wins the fight.
IMO prime Mike is poison for guys like Holmes and Ali, as great as they were. Mike's style keeps guys like that on the defensive and surviving Mike's offence often means giving away rounds. For my money you need a guy who is long and has the muscle and punching power to back it up. Buster Douglas was a fit 230 when he whipped Tyson.
James Tillis came to survive. Tucker ran the entire fight. Mitch Green had an awesome chin. But, as someone else mentioned, Holmes came to win and really was never truly "chinned" in his entire career outside of Witherspoon and Shavers and another guy, the shot that he was more dazed than he was hurt as the shot had little to no good steam on it.
How did Larry stand up after the Shavers shot was amazing. But, that was Shavers only good shot. As you could see, Mike had the capacity to hit him with ATOMIC BOMBS all night long. And for an old Holmes, there was only so much of that he could have taken when Tyson smelled blood.
And Tyson was a much better puncher than those guys.
Larry Holmes, a very serious man, without doubt.
I could see Holmes get knocked down, dog it out until the end and maybe get a decision with his piston jab and durable chin but I could see Tyson KO him in 8.
Holmes was a greater heavyweight champion however.
yes Mike Tyson would definitely knock Larry Holmes down at least once maybe even two or three times if he for a prime Larry Holmes. But I also think like Master has said that Larry Holmes was fast enough and nimble enough and had a great Jab to make the necessary adjustments and probably knock Mike Tyson out by about the ninth round. If Buster Douglas could do it then Larry Holmes in his prime could certainly do it a little bit earlier
It has all the makings for a classic.
Holmes' chin and heart can't be questioned, they were both battle tested many times.
He had an "ok" chin... but clearly it was tested all but twice in a real serious way, one in which he weathered the storm vs. Shavers and the other he was clubbed to near death vs. Tyson.
The other knockdowns and rocks weren't that much of a punch to stop anyone: Witherspoon wasn't a top finisher, neither was Weaver or Snipes. He just got clipped like everyone else does from time to time.
But, I do give him an "ok" chin with respect to the Shavers fight. But an "ok" chin was what it was.
You know who I considered having a GREAT chin- Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, James Toney, Randall Tex Cobb, David Tua and Vitali Klitschko. Those guys took not just one shot, BUT MULTIPLE BOMBS and kept coming at ya. Holmes was just "ok"...
He had a good chin. He wasn't Chuvalo or Lamotta, but it was a solid chin. Can't fault him on it, he fought for nearly 30 years and fought some crazy bombers, and was only stopped once by a prime Mike Tyson in his first fight back after a 2 year layoff.
He was fighting guys like Holyfield, Mercer, and McCall well into his 40s and he wasn't getting stopped. The guy could take a serious punch, and more importantly he had the heart to get up and survive when he did get hurt.
Holmes's boxing skills and defence saved him. That and a jab. This is why he has most of his brain cells in tact after the fight game.
One thing Holmes does not get enough credit for is his defence. How many times did you see people score against him at will EXCEPT for Tyson? Not even Evander. And I felt that Evander fight should have been a draw.
I think Holyfield did beat Holmes but the McCall fight was closer.
Prime Holmes beats Holyfield with ease.