...as you know these two courageous fighters inevitable would. This is a fifteen-rounder. What do you gents think? I'll try for a quick breakdown... Power: Dempsey Handspeed: Even Footspeed: Dempsey Footwork: Even Versatility: Holyfield Offense: Even Defense: Dempsey Chin: Holyfield Recuperative Ability: Holyfield Endurance: Dempsey Skin: Dempsey Heart: Even On paper, that appears a little lopsided in Dempsey's favour, but there is nothing lopsided about this fight in reality. Several of the categories were close & debatable, including chin, heart, handspeed, & perhaps endurance as well (Dempsey under-rated there), among others. This has great potential to develope into a bruising, crowd-friendly skirmish, IMO. Would Holyfield's lack of Heavyweight punching power hurt him in the fire-fight? Would Dempsey's aggression & low hands be worked against him at close-quarters? Who comes out of this the winner, & why?
I don't see Dempsey being able to overwhelm or bully Evander. Holyfield counters, pushes him back and stops him in around 8 or 9.
I'm not sure who I'd favour. Dempsey could keep up a pretty quick clip over fifteen rounds --- I think his stamina's quite under-rated, & he didn't have the rounds off & lulls Holyfield made routine during his HW career. This is difficult for me to envision --- just one of those fights. I'd be happy with even-money betting.
In a Mythical Matchup we can all go on about how this may be a close fight etc. But if...this fight were to magically occur (with the use of a time machine or something)..we all know that Evander wins this easily.
I cant see a guy Dempsey's size being able to win against a guy Evander's size with the style Dempsey had If Dempsey were a bigger guy by about 30 pounds and still ahd all the same attributes, then Id give him a better chance
Dempsey cannot hurt Holyfield? Dempsey cannot keep pace with him? I cannot see Dempsey struggling with Holyfield's size. One is no bigger than the other, realistically.
what athletic 215 pound heavyweight did Dempsey beat? what 185 pound man pushed a 215 pound Holyfield aorund the ring?
Evander was literally "The real Deal". He was tried and tested. Beat down Tyson, first guy to beat Bowe, beat Mercer, Alex Stewart, Moorer, gave Lennox Lewis hell in the rematch... Little Dempsey with mediocre skills would find himself out of his league in this one.
I don't think the size is anything significant. They are essentially the same man, with one training down for lean conditioning & speed, & the other training up for strength & size. That was suited to their respective eras. There is no legitimate distinction in size between them, though. I'm just trying to envision what you gents think will happen in the ring...does Holyfield knock him out early? Batter him all over the ring? Holyfield didn't dominate many of his opponents, & certainly the ones he did weren't at the level we're talking about.
I disagree that Dempsey's skills were mediocre. His footwork was very sound, in fact. He was always in position to promote his signature punch --- the left hook. He was a well-schooled bodypuncher, & . He did neglect the jab, & I sometimes feel he could've benefitted from a greater emphasis from his seconds on keeping his hands up, but a big punch & a quality killer instinct simply are not good enough to plow through Dempsey's competition (especially pre-title) if you don't know how to be in the right place at the right time between those ropes. Dempsey was deceptively-cunning on the front-foot. I'm not about to put money down on Dempsey in this match (Holyfield, either), but I can't really see Holyfield just walking through him. It isn't as though Dempsey wanted for heart, ala '96 Tyson. Dempsey was a bitterly tough, & tenacious, man. Holyfield would have to win a decision --- he wouldn't beat the fight out of Dempsey (& nor would Dempsey of Holyfield). Interesting sidenote --- there has never been anyone to beat Bowe other than Holyfield on that one bizarre night, so he became in essence the only man to achieve that, not merely the first. I actually thought Bowe won, too.
True. I noted that just as I typed the above but didn't want to edit it. It was a close fight but I'm glad Holyfield won it because IMO..if not for fanman he would have stopped Bowe.
There is a significant difference in size, actually Dempsey was walking aorund at 190 and was a lean 6 feet Holyfield was a heavily muscled 215 at 6'3, most likely using steroids to help him get there... I fail to see how that ISN'T significant The guys Holyfield was in there with were a hell of a lot bigger than Dempsey... Riddick Bowe was 50-60 pounds bigger than Dempsey, same with Lewis Tyson was a good 30-40 pounds bigger that is a LOT of weight and its not Jess Willard weight, skilless, awkwardly erect... it is ATHLETIC, functional weight... these are big men with SKILLS and athleticism like I said, if you wanted to make a Evander at cruiser versus Dempsey fight, then I think its a hell of a good discussion and debate... but the Heavyweight Evander is just far too big (again, USEFUL big) for Dempsey to beat with his aggressive, come-forward style show me a single example of a 185 pound guy with an aggressive, banging style beating a 215-220 pound SKILLED, TOUGH, STRONG fighter ever in the whole history of boxing
