When Did Evander Holyfield's Prime End?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Based on the recent "Best win' threads.. This could be interesting.

Jokes welcome.

He had a long career and still managed wins after his prime did end..

[Tuan_Jim]

The Vaughn Bean fight showed evidence of decline in Holyfield -- but it isn't even an option.

The Bean and Mavrovic fights created a demand in the press to put the fight together asap, as both men looked to be falling off.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The Vaughn Bean fight showed evidence of decline in Holyfield -- but it isn't even an option.

The Bean and Mavrovic fights created a demand in the press to put the fight together asap, as both men looked to be falling off.

So you pick 1997, it was afte Tyson bit his ear..

[Tuan_Jim]

The Vaughn Bean fight showed evidence of decline in Holyfield -- but it isn't even an option.

The Bean and Mavrovic fights created a demand in the press to put the fight together asap, as both men looked to be falling off.

So you pick 1997, it was afte Tyson bit his ear..

No because he looked at the peak of his powers in the rematch with Moorer

[DrDuke]

He had a gradual decline. He had never been the same after the 1st Bowe bout (as well as Bowe). Although he had still been good until the Lewis dilogy and including it. He became significantly past prime after the 2nd Lewis fight.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

He looked spent after bowe, resurged somehow (haha) and had his last great performance in the lewis rematch

Then he the clear decline started

Id say he went from atg heavy til bowe 3
To great heavy to lewis 2
To top 10 during the ruiz thrillogy
To done vs Larry donald

[gilgamesh]

If he wasn't prime he was still close to it all the way up until the Lewis fights.

[Ruthless-RKO]

If he wasn't prime he was still close to it all the way up until the Lewis fights.

Ok the decline.

At what point was he shot? Or was he ever shot?

[gilgamesh]

If he wasn't prime he was still close to it all the way up until the Lewis fights.

Ok the decline.

At what point was he shot? Or was he ever shot?

He still had reasonably good performances even as an old man. So I don't know if I'd ever say he was "shot", but he was well past his best by 2003 when Byrd outboxed him easily, and then the next year he was stopped by James Toney and shut out by Larry Donald.

He still managed good performances here and there, but they were smarter with the way they matched him toward the end. He kinda was always able to hang with guys that weren't particularly mobile, but after Lewis he never could deal with slick boxers anymore.

[elmersalsa]

He did not had it anymore after the Vaughn Bean fight in 1998. He slipped a lot by then.

[DrDuke]

If he wasn't prime he was still close to it all the way up until the Lewis fights.

Ok the decline.

At what point was he shot? Or was he ever shot?

He was shot after Rahman. That was a sorta last hurrah for him. His following performances were woeful, except the Savarese bout. Also, he deserved a win against Valuev, but still it wasn't a good performance, just Valuev's one was worse. So, after Rahman he was basically done.

[Ruthless-RKO]

He was only 30-31 when he fought Moorer.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

He was only 30-31 when he fought Moorer.

Ring age matters

Look how many championship rounds he already had at that point plus his long amateur career

He was able to keep going due to hgh for another decade but his reflexes were declining

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Around moorer he had also juiced himself to a heart condition which explains a string of lethargic performances

Hit ditched the anabolic rods for better stuff which helped him for a while too

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

He was 1-1-1 against ruiz but he deserved 3 wins

He legit knocked out ruiz on a body shot Cortez ruled low incorrectly in the 2nd fight and he easily won the 3rd only to be screwed on the cards

But he was clearly diminished against ruiz.

[Ruthless-RKO]

He was 1-1-1 against ruiz but he deserved 3 wins

He legit knocked out ruiz on a body shot Cortez ruled low incorrectly in the 2nd fight and he easily won the 3rd only to be screwed on the cards

But he was clearly diminished against ruiz.

Boxing politics. They were looking to the future. It was after this RJJ moved up wasn’t it?

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Yeah; after roy beat ruiz roy was set to fight holyfield

At the same time james toney was to fight bhop

Holyfield didnt want business with king anymore so he refused. Bhop torpedoed his fight with toney over some money issue with king (i suspected he did this against toney and roy because he knew he couldn't beat them)

So toney ended with holyfield and roy eventually moved back down

[gilgamesh]

Yeah; after roy beat ruiz roy was set to fight holyfield

At the same time james toney was to fight bhop

Holyfield didnt want business with king anymore so he refused. Bhop torpedoed his fight with toney over some money issue with king (i suspected he did this against toney and roy because he knew he couldn't beat them)

So toney ended with holyfield and roy eventually moved back down

Toney vs Hopkins around 2003 or 2004 would've been very very interesting.

[Ambling Alp II]

After the 2nd Bowe fight. He never fought at that level again.

[Cojimar 1946]

Maybe after Tyson 2

[Onetimeonly]

Maybe after Tyson 2

[Onetimeonly]

After the 2nd Bowe fight. He never fought at that level again.

[Cojimar 1946]

The second Bowe fight seems like an odd choice given Bowe came in fat and out of shape. Not only that many people feel Holyfield lost the fight. Is a win over a guy who wasn't in good shape that many dispute really some great achievement on Holyfield's part?

In the third fight Bowe came in lighter and then proceeded to beat Holyfield like he did in the first fight.

[DrDuke]

The second Bowe fight seems like an odd choice given Bowe came in fat and out of shape. Not only that many people feel Holyfield lost the fight. Is a win over a guy who wasn't in good shape that many dispute really some great achievement on Holyfield's part?

In the third fight Bowe came in lighter and then proceeded to beat Holyfield like he did in the first fight.

Good point on the second fight. Both were already not the same. Holyfield was in a better shape than Bowe though.

However, the third fight was quite even and I even had Holyfield up prior to the KO. The fight had some shifts and Holyfield was edging, when he got reckless and caught.

[pound per pound]

He was 1-1-1 against ruiz but he deserved 3 wins

He legit knocked out ruiz on a body shot Cortez ruled low incorrectly in the 2nd fight and he easily won the 3rd only to be screwed on the cards

But he was clearly diminished against ruiz.

What? Ruiz won the first fight. Holyfield has way too many excuses. His best days were probably gone by the Ruiz fights, but he still lost the first Ruiz fight,