Joe Frazier vs. Evander Holyfield

[TheGreat1]

Frazier pounds him to the body early and then comes on late after holyfield tires from the body attack Frazier put on him Wins buy late rounds TKO(13-15) or buy UD Holy never went father than 12 rounds so we douth know how he would handel the 3 extra rounds

Holy won his fist title in 15 rounds, and in that fight he never tired. And was very strong throughout. I would take Holy over Fraizier buy late KO. It would be a great fight.

[baddest]

wow hard to pick a winner in this fight. Prime frazier won't be getting outworked, and his chin and heart will eat holy's punches. Holyfield I think was a better boxer and quicker and had a good chin as well, but Frazier's left hook was just...wow. I still can't pick so I'll just say frazier.

[Thunder Lips]

Holy won his fist title in 15 rounds, and in that fight he never tired. And was very strong throughout. I would take Holy over Fraizier buy late KO. It would be a great fight.

Not true. Holyfield fought the fight in spurts, took a ton of punishment, and won a close split decision. Holyfield's round on/round off approach even led to a possibly bitter Qwai to accuse him of getting drug boosts after rounds where he seemed dead fatigued. This was at his best weight against an older naturally smaller fighter before he buffed up for heavy and started having even more fatigue and health problems.

Holyfield's questionable stamina at Heavy:

Holyfield struggling to close the show against a very active Bowe in their frist fight:



Holyfield getting outworked by old man Holmes in the last few rounds.




Holyfield giving up late rounds to Bowe in their second meeting:




Illness excuse doubtful, an overly muscular Holyfield punches himself out against Bowe.





Holyfield did finish Tyson and Forman fights strong but they weren't exactly pushing the workrate either. He got slightly outworked by Mercer but was the slightly more effective fighter.

I don't think Holfyield had bad stamina but his workrate wasn't really outstanding for a heavyweight especially in deep water. For this reason I think guys like Frazier, Marciano, and Ali would give him trouble with punch output alone. Norton would give him a tough fight as well. Holyfield won fights with his durability, effective counter punching, and timeful combinations. I think his counter punching would give Frazier problems early before getting overwhelmed and hurt a few times late in route to a decision loss. Against Tyson he proved a strong clincher but Frazier wouldn't stop throwing combos to the body like Mike either and wouldn't let him rest and pick his shots so easily.

[Thread Stealer]

I lean towards Frazier due to his bodywork and activity.

One thing about Holyfield is that I've seen him hurt to the body on a number of occassions. He took them well against Dokes, but Foreman doubled him over a couple of times to the body. Bowe hurt him repeatedly to the body in the first and 3rd fights (maybe the 2nd, I don't remember). Moorer hurt him at the end of a round (4th?) to the body in the first fight. The one time Tyson seemed to hurt Holyfield in their two fights, it was from his patented right hook to the body, right uppercut to the head combo. Tyson post-prison didn't go to the body enough. Lewis hurt him in the 5th round to the body, in the first fight. And finally when Holyfield was 40+, Toney stopped him with a mixture of body and head shots.

Frazier was relentless to the body. Frazier could be hurt early, but I don't see Holyfield taking him out early. I see Frazier winning a war in the trenches and taking a UD or winning via a late stoppage.

[StarshipTrooper]

I would favor Evander by close and i repeat close decision. He had the tools and ability to out hustle and out brawl Frazier. It aslo seems to me that Joe had problems with short distance punchers. Bonevena and Quarry both were able to have their moments becuase of it against Frazier and you could make a case for Frazier lossing the first fight against Bonevena. It would be the fight of the century.

I have to agree with you Southpaw: This fight could easily go either way. I certainly wouldn't want to put money on it but man o man would I want to watch it: Talk about an all-action fight.

Poet

[Brassangel]

I wrote a lengthy fantasy fight about this once. I can't find the link...

Holyfield beat a Tyson who threw about 20 punches a round, one at a time, had 4+ years off, and only 9 rounds of in-ring activity against a few tomato cans. When Tyson actually did a few good things in their two contests (round 5 of fight one, and rounds 3 of fight two, before the bite, which he was flat-out winning (even earning "Tyson! Tyson!" chants from the crowd)), it was because he simply threw combos. This tells me two things:

1. Prime Tyson, the one under Rooney who could throw combos for 10+ rounds, would have mauled Holyfield.

2. Frazier's combinations and high work-rate in the mid-to-late portions of the fight would likely force a stoppage in the 11th or 12 round if Holyfield couldn't put him away early.

Frazier would also be able to slip a lot of punches, opening Holyfield up to the body hook, head hook combo...his bread and butter.

[slicksouthpaw16]

I have to agree with you Southpaw: This fight could easily go either way. I certainly wouldn't want to put money on it but man o man would I want to watch it: Talk about an all-action fight.

Poet

Agreed. This would be one of the best fights of all time. I just imagine it would be like Holyfield/Qawi at a higher level. Both fighters wouldn't have a very long career afterwards becuase it would be such a grueling fight. Two heavyweights with no quit in them.

[CHAVEZ4LIFE]

frazier by ko frazier hits harder is better and it is 15 rounds