BoxRec

SKILL WISE.

Watc a prime holyfield, he had everything a fighter could want, slightly leaky defence but granite chin and punches in bunches, 8 punch cominations and fight all 12/15 rounds at pace.

Is he the best pure boxer at heavyweight ever?

If not who?

Better natural boxers. Louis, Ali, Holmes.

I loved watching Holyfield when I was younger. 'Evan Fields' has left many questions though...

This topic should be moved over to Boxers Of The Past.

And the answer is: No.

Crease wrote:This topic should be moved over to Boxers Of The Past.

And the answer is: No.

Holyfiels is a current boxer.

Although I haven't seen a lot of them myself from what I've read Ezzard Charles and Gene Tunney were very skilled fighters.

I rate Holyfield as quite possibly the best ever.
Sure he would have lost to some of the other greats ...but i think he would have beaten more of them than any other champion.
He could - and would - stand on the toes of the biggest and baddest heavies.

Matt W wrote:Although I haven't seen a lot of them myself from what I've read Ezzard Charles and Gene Tunney were very skilled fighters.

Ezzard Charles was indeed very special ....shame he never had the oppurtunity to show his stuff while campaigning in his natural weight class.
Not too sure on Tunney ..

ali,holmes,frazier,foreman,louis,johnson,tyson,lewis,bowe(evidently)marciano,haye,toney

but if you add the roids he is level with most

cant get more skilled than Ali surely

i loved holyfield though back in the day , balls of steel

The best cruiserweight without question. He's a top 10 all-time heavyweight, but by no means the most skilled.

"has there ever been a better heavyweight" - Yes

"Best skilled heavy ever - is he?" - No!

Crease wrote:This topic should be moved over to Boxers Of The Past.

And the answer is: No.

this man is a quality poster lets keep him in british and irish, botp is the asshole of the body that is boxrec due to the dubious quality of posters u get there.

Back to topic, yep holyfield had ferocious 15 round stamina, speed and combos, footwork, chin and heart, a incredible self beleif, but apart from his defence his power was also sporadic....early on he couldnt floor a top hw for love or money, later on he floored tyson,bowe,mercer and moorer and made lewis very wary of his power....

I do think mk 2 foreman had more of the total package as well as obviously ali, frazier,liston and holmes.....

Mk 2 foreman had incredible power and stamina, his defence was unorthodox and solid, heart and the same incredible will to win. Speed was a weakness but boy could he put his punches in bunches.....

Best all rounder, had it all.

Not even worth talking about in fact.

No one had his skill set.

I would love for someone to try though.

Jon Saxon wrote:Best all rounder, had it all.

Not even worth talking about in fact.

No one had his skill set.

I would love for someone to try though.

THE MESSIAH wrote:

Crease wrote:This topic should be moved over to Boxers Of The Past.

And the answer is: No.

Holyfiels is a current boxer.

Spot on Messiah

hurlock wrote:ali,holmes,frazier,foreman,louis,johnson,tyson,lewis,bowe(evidently)marciano,haye,toney

but if you add the roids he is level with most

HAYE? Foreman? Frazier? Tyson?

The question is skill set. YOu honestly think HAYE has better skills than Holyfield?

keithmoonhangover wrote:Better natural boxers. Louis, Ali, Holmes.

NO.

Louis was chinny and slow of foot,
Ali did not have an all round skill set no body punching etc etc..
Holmes slow of foot could not throw a hook of the jab.

C'mon any of you experts BRING IT!

Jon Saxon wrote:

keithmoonhangover wrote:Better natural boxers. Louis, Ali, Holmes.

NO.

Louis was chinny and slow of foot,
Ali did not have an all round skill set no body punching etc etc..
Holmes slow of foot could not throw a hook of the jab.

C'mon any of you experts BRING IT!

I would counter by saying that Holyfield wasn't as accurate as Ali, Louis and Holmes.

He also didn't have as good a jab as them.

He also had a lot less power than Louis.

Londonirish wrote:

THE MESSIAH wrote:

Crease wrote:This topic should be moved over to Boxers Of The Past.

And the answer is: No.

Holyfiels is a current boxer.

Spot on Messiah

hurlock wrote:ali,holmes,frazier,foreman,louis,johnson,tyson,lewis,bowe(evidently)marciano,haye,toney

but if you add the roids he is level with most

Where do I start?
Ali? no body punching
Marciano...jeez
Holmes: slow afoot not hood of the jab
Foreman? = mummy


Hold on... are we talking skill set here? if so then Im not even going to bother pointing out anything more because its not even open to debate.

Gazmac81 wrote:cant get more skilled than Ali surely

i loved holyfield though back in the day , balls of steel

Ali did not have a good body punching skills of even a great inside game, (other than pulling peoples heads down which was very good)so no mate Holyfield is the beter all rounder.

PRIME HOLYFIELD.

THE MOST SKILLED HEAVYWEIGHT OF ALL TIME.

Jon Saxon wrote:

Gazmac81 wrote:cant get more skilled than Ali surely

i loved holyfield though back in the day , balls of steel

Ali did not have a good body punching skills of even a great inside game, (other than pulling peoples heads down which was very good)so no mate Holyfield is the beter all rounder.

Where was Holyfield's inside fighting against Riddick Bowe?

keithmoonhangover wrote:

Jon Saxon wrote:

keithmoonhangover wrote:Better natural boxers. Louis, Ali, Holmes.

NO.

Louis was chinny and slow of foot,
Ali did not have an all round skill set no body punching etc etc..
Holmes slow of foot could not throw a hook of the jab.

C'mon any of you experts BRING IT!

I would counter by saying that Holyfield wasn't as accurate as Ali, Louis and Holmes.

He also didn't have as good a jab as them.

He also had a lot less power than Louis.

A good a jab if not better, the reason? he threw 3 types, staight jab (which even outjabed Bowe & Lewis at times and also a good 'up jab', HOWEVER Holy's double jab was the stuff of legend! he gave people with good jabs fits, for long periods he outjabbed Bowe who's jab (who's IMO) was the equal of Alis and Holmes (as in straigh jab from a big man).

Accurate?? ffs go back and look at Holys career, mate you are dead wrong here.
Go back and look at the combo the finished Tyson in the 1st fight, Tysons head was like a magnet to Holy's fists, sure Ali finishing Foreman was great but look at this from 6.01 secs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb_IenOmK20

Is there a better HW COMBO finish at the highest level than this?

Methinks not!