What if Holyfield hadn't moved up?

[Russell]

What if he'd floated between lower weight classes throughout his career?

Would he have remained undefeated for a long peroid of time? His entire career?

Would there be anyone to make him as great as he'd become later?

Would he have more success not fighting guys that outweighed him by 20 plus pounds, or less?

Thoughts, opinions?

[DamonD]

It would've been practically impossible for him to do so...the real money was at HW, and the media pressure & cash offers for him to move up would got bigger and bigger until there would've been no way he could pass it up.

Considering how well he did at HW, it's probably a given that he could've dominated at Cruiser for many years.

[janitor]

It is likley that he would have been forced to move up simply because he would have been unable to make weight.

[Russell]

Hurm.

I don't know. If the steroid allegations are true the man definitely could of lingered at lower weights for a while.

Not saying he should of, or that it would even be smart to of done so... Just sayin'.

[Titan1]

He would've been king of the cruisers for a long time.

[achillesthegreat]

He's already the best cruiser ever so that pretty much sums it up. There was nothing left to do.

[ThinBlack]

He would've retired as the undefeated Cruiserweight King.

[Hands of Iron]

We wouldnt have the numerous classics he had a hand in generating (for my money: Bowe I & II, Dokes, Cooper, Tyson I, Foreman).

And Tyson would probably have a greater legacy at Heavyweight.

[Guyfawkes]

Tyson's career look a hell of a lot better, that's for sure

[exocet76]

I don't think he had much choice as there just wasn't the competition or the pay days at Cruiser. We would have missed some classics if he had not gone to heavy weight.

[ironchamp]

It is likley that he would have been forced to move up simply because he would have been unable to make weight.

Agreed. I think that probably would be more of a factor than media pressure or super fights.


To answer the question, I suppose his first loss would have always been north of 190.

[MAG1965]

no way he could have stayed at cruiserweight all those years. Maybe Hearns would have moved up in 1988 and fought him or Spinks moved down. Nothing was for Evander at cruiserweight. Nothing ever is much there.

[Hands of Iron]

no way he could have stayed at cruiserweight all those years. Maybe Hearns would have moved up in 1988 and fought him or Spinks moved down. Nothing was for Evander at cruiserweight. Nothing ever is much there.

He accomplished all he needed to in beating Qawi (x2) and DeLeon in addition to a handful of others rated at 190lbs (Parker, Tillman, Ocasio).

Holyfield was rated right underneath Spinks and Tyson at Heavyweight. That was before he'd even had a single fight above 190. Similar to Hearns being the No. 1 middlweight challenger before ever fighting at the weight. Pretty incredible.

[Azzer85]

Tyson careers would would have been much better post prison

but who wins the title off Douglas?

[Stevie G]

It is likley that he would have been forced to move up simply because he would have been unable to make weight.
And he'd have run out of credible cruisers to fight.

[zadfrak]

Actually, Evander may have held onto the cruiser title for 12 years or more before losing. The Nate Miller type guys weren't going to beat him and then you had Cole and Gomez having nice cruiser runs. I think Evander has a Joe Louis run at cruiser before dropping a close decision to the southpaw JC Gomez. And then winning the rematch. I don't think any of the lh would have been stepping up to fight him either and would not have had much success with that workrate/toughness/conditioning of Commander Vander at cruiser.

[Kalasinn]

Maybe Holy could only manage to make the 190lb limit for another couple of years, then he retires still the Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion, with probably 6 or 9 unified title defenses for 2 or 3 years following the De Leon fight.

The most important implication of Holy not moving up, is Douglas would absolutely have to give Tyson a rematch. Who else is going to get him purse like $28mill for a title defense? Nobody, except Tyson. Anyway, Mike still is hooked up with Giachetti rather than Patterson (Dung King's choice), then blasts out Tillman & Stewart to get his confidence back, as before. But instead of facing Razor Ruddock, the physically & mentally supremely conditioned Mighty Mike faces Douglas in the rematch he always wanted. Ripping brutal bodyshots to Buster's body, he takes away his legs, en-route to a mid-round stoppage (if Douglas is in-shape) or an early one (if he's not). The explosiveness, extra activity level, & willingness to go to the body will be the difference here. Buster wouldn't be a facing a listless & lethargic lump, who throws a pathetic 19 punches a round, all loaded-up with a long-fuse for the head.

[Ren]

if he'd stayed, his undefeated 25 defence record in cruiser would be unbroken for maybe 150 years or more.

[MMJoe]

would have dominated at cruiser until Toney beat him senseless.