World boxing history challenge Week 12 - Evander Holyfield under 200

[davie]

Evander Holyfield is this weeks challenge but I'll avoid his heavyweight career and focus on the sub-200lb version.

It's quite remarkable that this guy unified the division, won 3 separate titles from 3 separate champions and beat all the top names to clear out this division by his 18th fight

I've seen the Qawi fight and so have most of you, so I was in two minds whether to lead with it, but you can't not put the best cruiserweight bout of all time in there. It's a good old 15 round SD so it gives me one to score. But I really wanted to see the fights I haven't watched yet like the Carlos De Leon fight and the unification with Parkley, so i'll stick a few in the supplementary fights.
What about Tillman? Ocasio? are they worth a look?

Anyway, here's Holyfield vs Qawi part 1....Enjoy

https://youtu.be/BpQNh1WeH2A

[davie]

Previous weeks bouts
Week 1 - Leonard/Hearns.- http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=207995
Week 2 - Olivarez/Castillo 1 - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=208158
Week 3 - Emile Griffith vs Nino Benvenuti - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=208339
Week 4 - Salvador Sanchez vs Danny Lopez - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=208467
Week 5 - Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=208651
Week 6 - Henry Armstrong - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=208877
Week 7 - Carlos Monzon - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=209080
Week 8 - Legends of light fly weight -
http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=209294
Week 9 - Basillio/Gavilan - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=209579
Week 10 - Jimmy Young - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=209738
Week 11 - Ricardo Lopez - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=209945

Main thread - http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... e#p4571725

[SaadOffTheDeck]

They're all worth a look, he was a wrecking machine. The first qawi fight is the only truly competitive fight he had until dokes.

[davie]

I think this was regarded as no1 vs no2 in the division at the time for the undisputed crown and Carlos still ranks as one of the best 200lb fighters, so this should be worth a watch

https://youtu.be/e3KUfA-ppgM

Don't know much about Ricky Parkley, but this is a unification and Holyfield stops him in 3, so it should be fairly enjoyable

https://youtu.be/M5R0nFwSv2U

[davie]

They're all worth a look, he was a wrecking machine. The first qawi fight is the only truly competitive fight he had until dokes.

OK you talked me into it

https://youtu.be/okVLa_g-35s

https://youtu.be/hC5V02qgqAc

https://youtu.be/wFsWeQOLwI4

[Counter-puncher]

For the fights of the 80s for me it's Holyfield-Qawi Arguello-Pryor and Hearns-Leonard. Maybe another couple but those are the three.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Agreed on the first two, hagler/Leonard wouldn't be in my top 50. Saad/yaquu 2 was my #1. Edit: lol, thought that said hagler. Thank God.

[Counter-puncher]

Agreed on the first two, hagler/Leonard wouldn't be in my top 50. Saad/yaquu 2 was my #1. Edit: lol, thought that said hagler. Thank God.

Bro I'm disappointed you thought I said that I thought we were like partial mates or something

[Counter-puncher]

[Counter-puncher]

Also, Evander at Cruiser, ranks alongside, like, Duran at lightweight as the most terrifying opponent I could think of at a particular weight that I'm pretty sure was almost unbeatable and insanely good and terrifying at that weight. Even Leonard at welter or Hagler at middle don't scare me that badly.

[Counter-puncher]

Not even Hearns before you mention him bro

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Agreed on the first two, hagler/Leonard wouldn't be in my top 50. Saad/yaquu 2 was my #1. Edit: lol, thought that said hagler. Thank God.

Bro I'm disappointed you thought I said that I thought we were like partial mates or something

We're mates enough I didn't call you a moron.

[Counter-puncher]

Glad for you that you didn't make a fool of yourself liken that then bro

Seriously though, Duran at lightweight Holyfield at cruiser, who else is quite that intimidating?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Not even Hearns before you mention him bro

I know, you mention god in a thread about Jesus and I fornicate it all up. My apologies. Little known fact. Hearns won that fight the last time I watched it. Put my failing eyes to better use than I did here.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Glad for you that you didn't make a fool of yourself liken that then bro

Seriously though, Duran at lightweight Holyfield at cruiser, who else is quite that intimidating?

Tommy at 54 was pretty freightning. Galaxy looked like a piece of steel. But I'm good with the top 2.

[Counter-puncher]

Not even Hearns before you mention him bro

I know, you mention god in a thread about Jesus and I eff it all up. My apologies.

Little known fact. Hearns won that fight the last time I watched it. Put my failing eyes to better use than I did here.

I lol'd at that

Which fight?

[Counter-puncher]

With Hearns, if i hit him with my best shot i might wobble his legs or knock him down or out. Hit Duran and Holyfield like that, at best they are picking themselves off the canvas and coming at me like a rabid dog, at worst they're just sneering at me. Fucken terrifying men.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Not even Hearns before you mention him bro

I know, you mention god in a thread about Jesus and I eff it all up. My apologies.

Little known fact. Hearns won that fight the last time I watched it. Put my failing eyes to better use than I did here.

I lol'd at that

Which fight?

Hearns/Leonard 1

[SaadOffTheDeck]

With Hearns, if i hit him with my best shot i might wobble his legs or knock him down or out. Hit Duran and Holyfield like that, at best they are picking themselves off the canvas and coming at me like a rabid dog, at worst they're just sneering at me. Fucken terrifying men.

True, that being said, the guys that beat hearns(past the fluke ankle with Grant) all hit the er for more than a minute.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Barkley took an inhuman beating to land that homerun.

[handsofstone]

The 1st Qawi fight was epic, maybe THE last great 15 rounder ever, Holyfield had clearly improved by the time the rematch came around though and dealt with Qawi swiftly

[Ambling Alp II]

The first Qawi fight It was a phenomenal fight. Holyfield did improve a little by the second one and Qawi declined.

[davie]

Watched the Carlos de leon video.

Good fight with Evander looking like a real force. Didn't realise it only had 4 rounds though, I'll have to go find the rest of the fight

[davie]

Watched Qawi 2, Parkley and Tillman

All good performances, Holyfield looked a destructive force in each of them

How Tillman made it beyond the early rounds is a mystery and looked hurt and wobbled throughout, a brave performance to make it as far as he did

How highly do we think we would rank Holyfield if he remained at Cruiserweight his entire career??

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Not nearly as high. He literally cleaned out the division in a handful of fights.