Lewis
Bowe
Holyfield/Tyson
Wlad
Lewis
Bowe
Holyfield/Tyson
Wlad
It's not really fair to throw Wlad in there just yet as he's currently in his prime, that being said I think he'd surprise a few of those guys and beat them....Riddick Bowe and Holyfield would have been the best options for him to beat. A Prime Tyson had a hell of a chin and power in both hands and was really quick but Wlad's jab could pose big problems to Iron Mike. Lewis is a guy he tries to emulate and it would be a chess match....Wlad had the better jab and Lewis had the better killer instinct.
I'd say Lewis would come out on top more often than anyone else
Titofan I'm with you on Lewis all & all.He stikes me as One that gets more and more appreciation in hindsight & reflecting on career Imo.....for me anyway.His war with Mercer really made me turn the corner and realize that this man is for real and demands respect.....forget all of the stereo types about Euro Heavys.....he took that non-logic and tossed it in the trashcan.And yeh,he was also jobbed in the 1st Holyfield fight,Terrible call by the judges.
One thing though,We have got to put this Idea that Holyfield was just an oversized Lt.Hvy or Cruiser to bed.True,compared to many in history and even his own Era he was the lighter man......but only in literal #'s.He competed with The best big men of his time and I personally believe at his prime he could have more than held his own with any Heavy in History.No,not beat all of them but belongs right up there.......He was far more than just a big heart.Tremendous counter puncher,anvil Chin,underrated left hook,good sliding foot work and a self belief almost unequaled.
Good points, Spicoli. I have to admit that I tend to slight Holyfield a little bit. Not that I dislike him or haven't enjoyed watching his fights. And I definitely admire his move into the HWs more than I do someone like Toney. One reason being that Holyfield was always in tremendous physical shape, whereas Toney's weight was mostly fat. I've always admired Holyfield's warrior mentality as well. Plus, he's always been a humble person, never arrogant.
But something inside my brain always makes me think of Holyfield in the light-heavyweight sense. Even his victories over Tyson, as amazing as they were, always struck me as kind of "fluke-ish". I can't see even a prime Holyfield ever beating a prime Mike Tyson. Maybe that's why I consider Holyfield a great "over-achiever". 'Cause he's gotten more mileage out of his size and skills than many other fighters would have.
I think you're both right. Holyfield is an over-achiever and was never a truly dominant heavyweight champion (he struggled in his prime against Cooper, Foreman, Holmes, etc.)
On the other hand, I agree with rjj that Holyfield would have beaten Tyson no matter when they fought. Holyfield simply had Tyson's number and always will.
I think Lewis is the man to win it he has beat everyone on the list damn near prime or no prim think Lennox Lewis wins it.
Prime for prime??
1. Mike Tyson - I'm talking about 80's Tyson...... not 90's post prison Tyson. The loss of Cus D'Amato (who was basiclly Tyson's Dad and was without a doubt his mentor) absolutely destroyed "Iron," Mike.
2. Riddick Bowe - Again.... we're talking about fighters when they were at their absolute peak. Riddick Bowe on his "A," game was damn near unbeatable.
3. Wladmir Klitchko - He was very flawed a while back, but Manny polished out those flaws and turned Klitchko into a monster. When you have a guy that big that has been blessed with so many physical attributes, and turn him into one of the most technically sound heavyweights in ages..... then you have an all time great.
4. Lennox Lewis - Another guy that was physically gifted but flawed......... until Manny got to him
5. Evander Holyfield - Great fighter until he moved to heavyweight. Then when he hit heavyweight, he was just a bigger version of Arturo Gatti. Very exciting because his defensive plan was to just let guys punch him in the face, but ultimately..... he won a few big fights at HW but lost to far too many lackluster opponents.
Tyson beats them but may loose to Holyfield and Lewis in the second fight
Lewis may beat Tyson once but would loose to Holyfield at least once
Bowe gets beat by the above butbeats the ones below at least once
Holyfield was inconsistent but would give everyone a hard fight.
Wlad not in the same league
Gotta agree with Lewis at number 1 ICB.
When he was on his game he was maybe the most complete HW who has ever lived. Size, power, skill and speed, with a decent fighting brain. If u were big and slow he'd outbox u, and if u were small and fast he'd feed u the jab all night.
I agree
if your going for consistency then lewis/holyfield will always get the vote. But tyson on his absoloute game was a vicious monster that probably would of had the likes of ali/louis/frazier etc eating canvas.
You cant train to get that kind of power in your shots, its just a natural gift that fighters like tyson/jones jr etc are born with!
one dangerous horrible bloke
Wlad would annihilate the others easily.
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