16 Years ago today...

[Rocky Balboa]

Holyfield vs Tyson. "FINALLY"

Great performance from Evander. Not to undermine or diminish such a victory, but just how ANYONE felt Tyson would be the fighter he was four years previous, when this fight was originally scheduled, let alone the fighter he was during his peak, is laughable.

Over four years without a fight, three of those years spent in prison - it was impossible for him to be the guy he was in 1991, let alone the guy he was at his best.

Tyson showed proper class & character in this defeat. Mike was never knocked out by shot - it was always the result of severe punishment absorbed. Displayed a great chin on this night. As did Holyfield, who stuck to the game plan.

Had they originally fought in 1991, when Evander was much more susceptible to being drawn into a slugfest, I believe that would have been his undoing. Holyfield was a much more wiser fighter some five years later.

[Seamus]

I think Holyfield would always have Iron Mike's number, because like Duva once said "Evander fights Tyson in his sleep".

[SaadOffTheDeck]

5 years earlier it would have been a more entertaining victory for Holyfield. Funny how Tyson is now the diminished fighter that Evander preyed on when at the time people were fearful for Holyfield's life. He beats Mike any day, any place, any year.

[bobmee]

It wasn't so much that the perception was that Tyson was what he used to be - but that Holyfield was shot. How wrong we were! I was ringside when he fought Michael Moorer the first time and he looked positively sick. Again from ringside at least, the third Bowe fight was scary, he looked so heavy-legged even though he had Bowe almost out before losing. George Foreman was jumping up and down, thinking he might die in there. Great days anyway.

[Jaclem]

..i was watching this fight with friends. tyson came right out and smacked holyfield with a whopper of a punch. instead of folding or holding holy hit him right back with a whopper of his own. right then i said holyfield was going to win the fight. hoots from my friends.....an "i told you so" from me at the end. when holyfield didn't cave physically tyson caved mentally.

[misterpunch]

i agree with the posters argument. later on, tyson won fights - and expected to win fights - by reputation. this was meat and drink to the unphasable evander. but when tyson was in his prime or even on the last step to it, he beats holyfield.

[hhaehre]

Holyfield vs Tyson. "FINALLY"

Great performance from Evander. Not to undermine or diminish such a victory, but just how ANYONE felt Tyson would be the fighter he was four years previous, when this fight was originally scheduled, let alone the fighter he was during his peak, is laughable.

Why is that laughable? At the time Holyfield was considered passed it after poor showings in the third Bowe fight and the Czyz fight while Tyson had looked pretty good in his comeback, especially in his destruction of Bruno. The fight was more a case of Evander proving people wrong than Tyson being a shadow of his old self.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

..i was watching this fight with friends. tyson came right out and smacked holyfield with a whopper of a punch. instead of folding or holding holy hit him right back with a whopper of his own. right then i said holyfield was going to win the fight. hoots from my friends.....an "i told you so" from me at the end. when holyfield didn't cave physically tyson caved mentally.

I picked Evander in 1987 and that's exactly why, he feared nothing and Tyson was always intimidated by him.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

i agree with the posters argument. later on, tyson won fights - and expected to win fights - by reputation. this was meat and drink to the unphasable evander. but when tyson was in his prime or even on the last step to it, he beats holyfield.

When was his prime? Did it end as soon as he fought Douglas?

[scallum]

That was the last fight I got goosebumps for, I wanted Tyson to win but was impressed with Evander

[misterpunch]

past his prime against douglas. his prime was over when his personal troubles began

[SaadOffTheDeck]

It's amazing how there wasn't one person in the universe that noticed his prime ending before the Douglas fight, as soon as he got his ass whipped it was all she wrote. Finished at 24, what a shame.

[misterpunch]

thats around 1988 - the last great performance was against spinks and from then on he was never as good, though still an intimidating presence in the ring (and out).

[misterpunch]

but i agree - much of this is hindsight

[SaadOffTheDeck]

but i agree - much of this is hindsight

It's more like bullshit, hindsight is required to evaluate careers. The difference in Tyson in Tokyo was Douglas.

[Bobbyptsd]

thats around 1988 - the last great performance was against spinks and from then on he was never as good, though still an intimidating presence in the ring (and out).

I'm not sure if you're referring to the same thing in both posts, but Tyson/Douglas was in 1990

He'd still go on to beat guys like Ruddock and Bruno. I don't think he was done at all when he faced Holyfield. As was pointed out, Evander was able to take what he could throw at him and come roaring back with his own. I think that broke Tyson, of course even more clearly in the second fight.

He was probably always broken in some way, insofar as mental strength, Holyfield just exposed it more. I'm not saying it was easy to do, but he had what it took. Physically? I don't think he was close to really being done, until well after the fights with Evander.

He was a front runner, a terrifying front runner at his best, yes, but that doesn't change the fact that when he lost the upper hand, things went downhill quickly for him. That doesn't mean he was "shot" as soon as it happened, that was just his pattern.

[misterpunch]

not bullshit at all - tysons psyche was under major pressure from outside the ring...media bombast was astonishing "the baddest man on the planet" and then all that robin givens stuff. i reckon tyson believed it most of all. subsequently he thought his reputation would take care of opponents and for a while it did, but douglas wasnt phased - result..a lesser tyson was revealed and, although his reputation still carried weight he never got his true mojo back.

[observer1]

Tyson is a Unique Case.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it is obvious now that Tyson was a train-wreck waiting to happen. It's astonishing how he even managed a serious come back post-prison imo.

Just found some amazing statistics..

He was 41-1 before Prison. (Broke all the records)

9(2) - 5 after prison over the course of 10 years.

Go Figure..

Personally, had this fight taken place when it was supposed to (Circa 1990) - Tyson wins.

Ironically, i think it would have been the catalyst to sort out Tyson's career, but as it was, we all know what Tyson was about then. Waste his money, Spend most of the time in court, turn up for a fight and collect a paycheck. Rinse, Repeat.

[orbtastic]

Wow, seems like only a few years ago. I remember staying up to watch it and speaking to a friend on the phone just after and he didn't believe me.

There was a Holyfield interview the other month in Ring mag where he says he was ridiculously nervous before their first fight and couldn't sleep and spent a lot of time reading the bible.

I think either Kimball or Katz was the lone voice who picked Holyfield to win but the writing was on the wall the moment Holyfield took that first punch without going down.

Huge, huge upset.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

He was clearly diminished after prison, Holyfield was too by then. The contention that Mike's prime ended the second Douglas started snapping jabs in his face is what is preposterous.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

not bullshit at all - tysons psyche was under major pressure from outside the ring...media bombast was astonishing "the baddest man on the planet" and then all that robin givens stuff. i reckon tyson believed it most of all. subsequently he thought his reputation would take care of opponents and for a while it did, but douglas wasnt phased - result..a lesser tyson was revealed and, although his reputation still carried weight he never got his true mojo back.

Yup, bullshit.

[misterpunch]

some people just dont wanna get it

[misterpunch]

he was past his prime long before then - not shot - just past his prime

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Whatever helps you sleep at night, he was smack dab in the middle of his prime and he lost. I know that's tough to swallow for his fans, it happens to almost every fighter. Sorry kid.

[Rocky Balboa]

Holyfield vs Tyson. "FINALLY"

Great performance from Evander. Not to undermine or diminish such a victory, but just how ANYONE felt Tyson would be the fighter he was four years previous, when this fight was originally scheduled, let alone the fighter he was during his peak, is laughable.

Why is that laughable? At the time Holyfield was considered passed it after poor showings in the third Bowe fight and the Czyz fight while Tyson had looked pretty good in his comeback, especially in his destruction of Bruno. The fight was more a case of Evander proving people wrong than Tyson being a shadow of his old self.

It's laughable because the man had been inactive for four years, thereof them spent in a prison cell, meaning during three years he didn't even lace up a pair of gloves, let alone do anything else remotely to do with Boxing. He was never going to be the fighter he was before he went to jail, let alone the one who tore through the division at his peak.