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Holyfield vs Qawi I: the start of a legendary warrior
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 07:00
by elmersalsa
I saw the fight last nigt on ESPN and I could not believe the terrific pace that both fighters gave. Each one received some serious shots that another cruseirweight would have gone down to the floor.
It was only Holyfield's 12th fight. I think that this is the fight that made him a true warrior, win or lose. What a fight!
This guy Holyfield is the man with the biggest heart since the days of Joe Frazier in the heavyweight division. A COMPLETE FIGHTER that could adapt to any opponent's style. He could slug it out, had tremendous grit and determination, heart, stamina, courage, good jab, could fight well in the inside, had excellent punching combinations, had speed and had UNDERRATED punching power.
This is one of the 50 greatest fighters of all time....One of the very best that I have seen in the last 30 years.
But what a fighter and what a fight.

Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 07:01
by elmersalsa
And let us not forget that he had a great chin and great hard working training habits.
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 09:02
by mrbassie
.....and a moustache
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 10:59
by Flump
Great fight indeed, must be the greatest Cruiserweight title fight ever. Shame the rematch disappointed but Qawi was pretty much done by then and Holyfield was improving rapidly.
Re: Holyfield vs Qawi I: the start of a legendary warrior
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 11:15
by granberry
elmersalsa wrote:I saw the fight last nigt on ESPN and I could not believe the terrific pace that both fighters gave. Each one received some serious shots that another cruseirweight would have gone down to the floor.
It was only Holyfield's 12th fight. I think that this is the fight that made him a true warrior, win or lose. What a fight!
This guy Holyfield is the man with the biggest heart since the days of Joe Frazier in the heavyweight division. A COMPLETE FIGHTER that could adapt to any opponent's style. He could slug it out, had tremendous grit and determination, heart, stamina, courage, good jab, could fight well in the inside, had excellent punching combinations, had speed and had UNDERRATED punching power.
This is one of the 50 greatest fighters of all time....One of the very best that I have seen in the last 30 years.
But what a fighter and what a fight.

Except that Braxton was fat by then.
And you left out that Billygoat Holyfield was the foulest fighter who ever fought in any division.
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 12:24
by DaveV17
edit
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 17:54
by Robinson
The thing about Qawi is for a man who started relatively late and who was so short for his weight, especially HW when he moved up. He managed to do so well. He was such an active, aggressive guy who had a nice hammer of a right hand.
Holyfield in this fight and in subsequent ones, perhaps up until Holmes...was such an active, combination-volume puncher.
It seems around 1991-92 and more so there after he began to load up and look for head shots and power shots. Almost disbanding the style that made him such a capable 'small' HW.
I enjoy watching this fight, the rematch shows just how much Holyfield advanced and how far Qawi had stagnated.
Kym
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 18:59
by Goodnight, Irene
No endurance problems for Holyfield in his Cruiser days.
Posted: 25 Feb 2008, 19:11
by I Feel Fine
Goodnight, Irene wrote:No endurance problems for Holyfield in his Cruiser days.
Holyfield did take rounds off in this fight.
As for the points about Qawi; while he was older and fatter, Holyfield was so young an inexperienced. He was only fighting his twelfth pro fight.