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Originally Posted by 60'sfan
In my opinion, Holyfield was only the fourth best fighter of the 80's-90's.
1. Prime Tyson
2. Prime Bowe
3. Prime Lewis
4. Prime Holyfield
For Pete's sake, a prime Holy lost to Michael Moorer.
Holy was a good fighter, but he would have lost to many great fighters of the past, such as Johnson, Dempsey, Tunney, Louis, Marciano, Ali, Frazier, Liston, Foreman and Holmes.
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Well first off, anyone who watched the first Holyfield Vs Moorer fight would know Holy was not himself that night - (strangely winded very early on) - and secondly Holyfield did not lose that fight (in reality) - It was a screw up on the judges card (Roth I think) it which this judge openly admitted the next day his score card was wrong. He ruled the 2nd round knock-down scored by Holyfield 10-9 (instead of the correct 10-8) Which the other two judges scored it (and which he said he meant to score it).
With a correct 10-8 score that fight is a Draw (and we all know what happened in the rematch. Holyfield TKO Moorer quite easily).
As for Holyfiled not being the best of the 80's and 90's that is simply silly. He most certainly was! - He is the only common denominator between all the best fighters of that era (he fought them all!) - The rest never fought each other! (and an way over the hill Tyson Vs Lennox doesn't count).
The fact is Tyson was still near the top of his game Vs Holyfiled in 96 (people like to romance the past and act like Tyson had lost so much....BS...He was fighting very well going into his fights with Holyfield......that cannont be said sevearl years later by the time he fought Lennox).
A prime Holyfield beats Tyson, Bowe and Lennox more often than not - (and if you want to discuss losing....well a very prime Lennox lost to Mercer! and Oliver McCall....)
Additionally, a past his prime Holyfield (which anyone being intellectualy honest would have to admit....Holyfield was past his prime in both Lennox fights)...but even a past his prime Holyfield beat Lennox in the 2nd fight!! (those who were AT the fight all say Holyfiled won....it was like 20 of the 22 ringside scorers had Holyfiled winning).
In fact even up here in Michigan Emanual Stewert is on record saying he thinks Holyfield could (should) have got the nod in the second fight (that says it all) - The second fight was a make-up for the first fight.
As for Holyfield ratings...I'd agree his power should be an 8 -
But he is definitely the best HW of his era and definitely an all time top-5 to top-10 - (and that is how history will judge him).
His staying on and continuing to fight is hurting his current aura....but that won't effect his long term standing....
People need to be willing to be intellectually honest when judging fighters and not simply judge by how much they liked them or not - and if one does that....there is no doubt Holyfield was the better fighter over Lennox and Tyson. (Tyson was made to order for Holyfield....always was..always will be... and while Lennox's size and style would have always caused Holy problems...and younger / prime Holyfield could have kept to much pressure on Lennox over a course of a fight.....and that is just the facts).