Tyson v Holyfield - The Fight Analysis

In-depth analysis of the first fight between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson including interviews with both boxers throughout the fight.

[@carlosesquivel5103]

People say Tyson was past his prime, and to an extent that was true he didn’t look quite the same after he came back from prison. But he seemed pretty much back to prime form (or at least pretty close to it) when he beat Frank Bruno in 96. Plus Holyfield was considered a bit past his prime too at the time. I honestly think that Stylistically Holyfield with the right gameplan is just a hard fight for Tyson.

[@sexydudeuk2172]

not a lot of people know this but holyfield actually spared with tyson before he turned pro. Holyfield says at the end of their session he had tyson in the corner. When Holyfield moved up to heavyweight he had the oppurtunity to fight tyson but tyson wouldnt fight him. Holyfield even said himself "Why wont tyson fight me"? Tyson know how good holyfield was and that he wasnt afraid of him. They were scheduled to fight in 1991 but tyson got arrested.

[@sexydudeuk2172]

@@hal2k19 he still had him in the corner and was scholing him. That shows he had gotten the better of him Also tyson had opportunities to fight holyfield before 1991 but tyson wasn't fighting him. Holyfield started competing as a heavyweight since 1988 tyson had 3 years earlier to fight holyfield why didn't he beforehand? He knew holyfield wasn't afraid of him. Once a fighter was able to get tyson out of his comfort zone, he had no plan b

[@jacobjonm0511]

Holy was a steroid user.

[@jacobjonm0511]

@@sexydudeuk2172 Holy was a steroid user.

[@sexydudeuk2172]

@@jacobjonm0511 no he wasn't. He was never tested positive for them

[@iad77]

One thing... Tyson says "I didn't have a gameplan, I thought I could go in and take him out with one shot".... Or words to that effect. The question being, I can not believe that his trainers didn't have a game plan, they must have? So it follows that what a lot of people thought, tyson didn't respect his trainers, didn't follow instructions and just did what he wanted in the ring... And vs a elite smart crafty fighter like Holyfield, he needed all the planning! Not fighting on the backfoot for one...

[@FiasaPower]

That's exactly how it looked like. Tyson didn't have any major strategy, while Holyfield followed a crafty gameplan till it's most deep details. Tyson was demolishing everybody and almost no one believed in Holyfield, but the fight showed the opposite in such a way that it seemed it was easy for anyone to defeat Tyson. That's the power of the strategy.

[@ContextReallyMatters]

They say Tyson was past his prime but Holyfield was a 7 to 1 under dog. If Mike had won they wouldn't say he beat a past his prime Holyfield. They would just say he beat Holyfield.

[@BOXINGPRIME]

25 / 1 under dog when the fight was first announced too

[@davidbowen6284]

True. An they wouldn't mention that Holyfield had been in wars throughout his career with Mercer, Bowe 3x, Cooper, Stewart, Qawi, Dokes etc

[@jamescarr5789]

The odds are irrelevant. I'd urge you to do just one thing: watch closely the Tyson of, say, 1987 and compare him physically and technically with the 1996 version. As I commented above, anyone with eyes and a working brain will notice a significant decline in both areas. Holyfield may always have beaten him regardless (though I personally doubt this), but Tyson was simply not the same fighter by this stage. It's really not that complicated...

[@TheCharlesJackson]

James Carr you're completely going in circles and this comment was for you. Was Holyfield anywhere near his prime here? Was Lennox Lewis in his prime when he beat Tyson either? C'mon now. And that's a 9 year spread you're talking about. Of course there's gonna be a difference. I could say 64-67 Ali wouldn't have lost to Frazier or any of his 70s/80s opponents like Norton and Holmes. Not the case tho. And how were the odds irrelevant? To accommodate your narrative?

[@davonbenson4361]

David Owen. Lol, exactly.

[@stevebowness9435]

Don't know what happened between Tyson and Rooney but Tyson was never the same once Rooney was gone Holyfield was just the better man at that point in their careers Holyfield roughed him up and in my opinion, demoralised Mike

[@humanbeing2420]

Once Cus D'Amato and Jim Jacobs had died, Don King started working on Tyson and convinced him that Rooney and the rest Tyson's team were taking advantage of him, and that he should be teamed with black people only. And that made sense to Tyson so he fired Rooney.

[@jasonwilson556]

Tyson's biggest mistake against Holyfield was headhunting and not going to the body. This never would've happened with Andy Rooney in his corner.

[@tommynguyen6349]

Andy Rooney, the radio guy? bruh xD

[@tigersendo4531]

Kevin Rooney*

[@almccausland9300]

Yea Kevin Rooney and yea this wouldn’t have happened with Kevin in his corner

[@annetteallen6521]

I bet on Hollyfield to win. I watched an interview with Hollyfield 2 nites before this fight and he made me a believer. He was in a good place, mentally.

[@cmoneytheman]

u would bet on losing cash

[@roneldeleon8704]

They know when it is time to fight IRON MIKE TYSON ...

[@doomguydemonkiller]

Another reason why Mike Tyson lost was because he mocked God. Holyfield, a Christian, represented God and won the fight and after the fight, when Evander was being interviewed, he gave all the credit to God. Note that Holyfield did have Phil 4:13 written on him

[@seetsamolapo5600]

What exactly did Mike say?

[@gwmba1989]

This was an excellent fight. Both fighters were already past their prime but when you compare the quality of their fight to what passes for a heavyweight championship today, there is actually no comparison.

[@JohnnyCage333]

7:34 Mike Tyson said it himself. He had no game plan. Thought he could get Holyfield out of there with some big punches. I wish, but he was wrong big time. With Kevin Rooney still in his corner, IRON Mike could have defeated The REAL DEAL Holyfield.🥊🥊

[@KingKong-tz4lx]

I agree man. Tyson under estimated holyfield. Not just that but Tyson had lost a lot of his speed and technique that made him such a great boxer in the late 80's

[@darrellburton492]

Mike could NEVER beat Evander. Holyfield had too many tools. Plus he wasn't afraid of Mike. If they fought 10 times Evander would win 8 out of 10. Maybe even 10 out of 10

[@KingKong-tz4lx]

@@darrellburton492 If Holyfield wasn't afraid. He wouldn't punch, headbutt, hold. Wait till the reff says break it up. Break. Repeat. He's definitely fought more braver fights than his 96 bout with Tyson. I do agree with you though. He had alot of tools. And was an intelligent fighter. Tyson was a fighter. And as someone else has said. Holyfield is a boxer. Tyson couldn't control his emotions most of time. Holyfield even said after the headbutt that when he seen Tyson was mad coming back. He knew it was over for him. And before the headbutt. They were both going back and forth. Tyson was starting to land heavier punches. Especially to the body. Then the headbutt happens. And it goes downhill from there for Tyson. Not bc of the injury. But as holyfield said himself. Tyson was mad. A mad fighter is less dangerous. So I believe pre 80's Tyson was a better fighter and boxer than his 96 self. If the rounds were going back in forth. Even getting stopped to while holyfield was in somewhat trouble bc tysons tape on his gloves came undone. That helped holyfield. N then the punch to the chest/slip, off balance, knock down. That hurt Tyson's pride when he was already angry from the headbutt. Being held almost all night. Now as far as the second fight. Lol I ain't even getting into it. That's ridiculous on Tyson's part

[@ndomedia]

I agree! 👍

[@dannyburch2122]

😆

[@mikem591]

This was the fight of the 90’s.

[@oncar1]

My voice still hasnt recovered from screaming

[@dominicfletcher1231]

Yeah what a massive upset up there with any of them incredible it was a brilliant fight and I'll never forget 😂

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

4:13..."we can do this all night". That RIGHT THERE is the difference between Evander Holyfield vs Tyson and damn near every other heavyweight of the era. Holyfield had NO FEAR of Mike Tyson. None. So the fights would invariably boil down to a battle of wills. And Holyfield had a superior will. His will was INDOMITABLE. You could beat him, but it wouldn't be because you did anything psychological. Look at the impact of his fights on Bowe, who was a shell of himself afterwards and needed low blows to beat Andrew Golota. Bowe won largely because of his size advantages, but he was pushed to the limit all three times. Tyson never once went in to deep waters and survived. Douglas, Holyfield, and Lewis all KO'd him. Only time he was in a long fight where he was behind and had to rally. All three times he was stopped/knocked out.

[@ald1050]

Nonsense. Tyson went to Prison for 3 years whilst Holyfield was boxing at the highest level hence he was more fight fit than Tyson which takes years to build again. Even when Tyson was in prison Holyfield only retained the heavyweight title for 3 bouts. Holyfield was never on Mike Tyson's level. Holyfield is full of headbuts! Tyson was never the same person after prison as he was not allowed to box. Douglas beat Tyson because Tyson did not train for the fight and Douglas avoided a rematch with Tyson because he knew it was a lucky win. Tyson only took that Douglas fight because Holyfield was not ready to fight Tyson even though Holyfield was the mandatory contender at that time. What a coward! Lewis fought a broken Tyson and so did Danny williams. Where where they all when Tyson was at his prime?? Bunch of cowards. Lewis even hid in the amateurs becuase he wanted to avoid an early fight with Tyson in his career and still thought he could beat Tyson when he became professional.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

@@ald1050 always excuses. Its not nonsense. You think Tyson trained hard for Tony Tubbs in Tokyo? How about Carl Williams? No, they were fighters caught up in his mystique. When fighters didn't fear Mike, he always had trouble. Quick Tillis, Douglas, Holyfield, even Botha. It's funny how Ali was away LONGER than Tyson and was older when he was exiled, but managed to beat Frazier 2x, Foreman, Norton 2x, Shavers, Lyle, Bonavena, Quarry, etc. You Tyson nuthuggers are hilarious. None of his losses count huh? Just 50-0 with six "don't counts". Lol grow up.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

@@ald1050 BTW, Holyfield was in the audience in Tokyo. Because King and Tyson took the Douglas fight instead of a Holyfield or Foreman fight. As for Holyfield/Douglas, King and Tyson played themselves trying to act like he got robbed and public sentiment was totally against them. That and Steve Wynn ponies up $$$ to get that fight put on TVKO. HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DUCKING TYSON. Speaking of, why didn't Mike fight Foreman in the interim...instead of Henry Tillman and Alex Stewart? Lewis? Lewis had literally turned pro about 15 months prior. JFC man, youre reaching. Typical Tyson nuthugger.

[@ald1050]

@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 You make some fair points but Tyson's lack of discipline and prison was a factor. Ali was always disciplined. Prison affects people differently. Thats all I will say. However if he still had Kevin Rooney Tyson would have been undefeated.

[@ald1050]

@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 Your comments are not true at all. Holyfield delayed the Tyson fight becuase he stated he was not ready so Tyson fought Douglas and the rest is history. Kind and Tyson's behaviour after the fight was because of the slow count when Douglas got knocked down and the fact that he was not a mandatory contender. I do know that Foreman did not want to fight Tyson. He said that in a later interview.

[@danzemacabre8899]

I have been wrong more than I have ever been right, but this was one time I was right. I did not understand the disrespect towards Holyfield. Even in his losses he was always ready for a fight, i predicted a great fight, and it was, thankfully

[@NHisways]

Holyfield was a fighter that didn't duck fights... too many fighters these days duck tough fights.

[@jackjonson2696]

All it would have to was the old iron mike in there. Even Evander said in an interview he was luck to meet mike when he wasnr as good. Shame Lenox can't admid that about his fight with Mike.

[@bobber0623]

And Tyson said in Chasing Tyson that Holy was "in the top five, maybe top three of all time hw greats

[@bivekroy6686]

Shut up Tyson in his prime never fight top contender he only fight bumbs. He never fight George foreman, moorer, Morrison, Ray mercer while holyfield fight them all. So, stop kissing Tyson Ass

[@jackjonson2696]

@@bivekroy6686 supporting a boxer is not kissing ass u low life. Thats clearly what u want to do to the boxers u support. I said what evander said in an interview sayong he was luck to meet Mike when hr was past his best.

[@jakemcgrath51]

Tyson actually had a decent chin

[@X1.7]

Jake McGrath he had s great chin actually- it had to do with the size of his neck

[@jnightmare0]

His chin was super good

[@balloe3466]

I'm also impressed by the fact he's still able to stand when he's completely rocked at the end of the fight. I can't imagine him having had any coherent thoughts at the end of the fight but somehow he still stood there like a wall.

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

@@balloe3466 his chin was underrated watch his fight with ruddock smith douglas and tucker

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

@Terrence Anton agreed lewis even broke his hand punching tyson

[@cjcj2940]

I wish not just for this fight, but for all boxing holding was/is penalized often and harshley.

[@anthonygolez2311]

Mike Tyson's corner sucked, they should have made the proper adjustments, I believe mike was set up to lose.

[@DrDemented9885]

He was a knockout artist and he fought a boxer. This is what happens

[@Bubs0271]

Holyfield - the greatest champion Tyson - the greatest fighter Everybody won that night cuz the two best collided. That doesnt happen anymore.

[@nchellcatbadboy3625]

The worse thing about this fight was having bobby c as a commentator 😅 he was a tyson fanboy, very unprofessional

[@midknightfalconfan]

This one was an entertaining fight. Too bad the 2nd fight really bites. Har har har

[@mikem591]

Mike actually fought a great fight and fought like a champion. Was an underrated performance. Holyfield was just better.

[@Significant7rapsongs]

Holyfeild cheated the head butts, and low blows. What more can i say?

[@scottdean9259]

You can say"I'm a crying excuse maker."

[@jc6229]

I do think Tyson was past his prime here. If you look at him in punch out, he was unstoppable then. Mike Tyson from punch out would beat Holyfield all day. Little Mac would be a different story.

[@JohnCena-cv8zz]

I think Holyfield just had Tyson’s number

[@cmoneytheman]

u think right with this mike yea but the 80s Mike no holy fought different

[@theblackmamba8686]

@@cmoneytheman that's not fair because Holyfield wasn't even a heavyweight in the 80s

[@cmoneytheman]

@@theblackmamba8686 well then it makes no sense to say that weird quote of holy had his number cause even in the 2nd match holy had trouble in 3rd round the semi real mike shows up which means that holy when he first became hw he would probably lose to the real mike They say it to thats the old tyson holy was having a hard time he became hesitant and was unsure if he could land as easy as he was earlier

[@OtomoTenzi]

@@cmoneytheman NOW we're talkin'!

[@briobrio6047]

I would love to see cus damato reaction to this if he where alive And I wonder what he would have told mike ...

[@BabyTua]

use the left hook, mike

[@JohnnyCage333]

Work the body Mike! Chop him down!🥊🥊

[@paulmcgahan6726]

Be careful Mike this ones full of steroids..

[@morrielarsen]

12:55 note the intentional spearing/head butt, the only intentional butt in the two fights, is coming from Mike. Mike was a dirty fighter, he often lead with his head and elbows. RIP Mitch Halpern and Ferdie Pacheco

[@therealwewin]

@scarface 38 where the footage tho? Post it already Mike's boy

[@Driv3ItLikeUStoleIt]

I still believe if Tyson moved fast after he rocked him the first punch he could have won

[@masonlerner9342]

and?

[@Dfg159]

Exactly, a prime Tyson was different than the Tyson of that fight

[@masonlerner9342]

alessio bugemi Holyfield is four years older than Tyson, started his professional earlier than Tyson after being on the Olympic team in 1984 (Tyson didn’t make the team) and had been in far more wars than Tyson at this point. Find a new excuse.

[@Dfg159]

@@masonlerner9342 cmon you can't say I'm not right, just watch the fight when he was under kevin Rooney and the fights where he was without Kevin and you can clearly see that Tyson was not the same, he lose the speed, the footwork, the ability to dodge ecc... I dont say that a prime Tyson is unbeatable but even a blind can see the difference of skill, Tyson under kevin Rooney was a better fighter stop

[@Dfg159]

@@masonlerner9342 every boxer have different peak, the holified of that match was at his peak, Tyson 10 years ago of that match was at his peak, Tyson wasn't the same for personal problem and because he fire Rooney, while holified was more disciplinate and get better and better in every match

[@danrichardson1969]

people said look how small he was back in the day really? I never had steroid, have u? every body get bigger, tell me I am wrong?

[@Ar1AnX1x]

Tyson could have cut holyfield in half by bodyshots, but didn't cuz no gameplan yolo cocaine Mike Tyson

[@alvalankerofficial]

Where the hell did you find this??

[@annekentjakobsen]

From round 5 Holyfield started to headbutt and trow lowblows.

[@SuperPhilly5]

bullshit HOLYFIELD OWNED TYSON THE WHOLE FIGHT DUMBASS

[@theinformationbomber7102]

@@SuperPhilly5 naah all he owned was head butts and steroids

[@rileymod2523]

Is Don King necessary. Not a fan of him.

[@dailleztj]

Holyfield hits after the bell in every fight...for a bible thumping christian holyfield was a super dirty fighter between the headbutts, hitting after the bell and punching in the clinch

[@xazar2020]

Dont compare headbutt with tyson..

[@milanbelovukovic8252]

U ovoj borbi je Tajson odavno prosao svoj vrhunac a Holifild je na svom vrhuncu ovde i to je cinjenica!!! Da su se sreli ranije, Majk bi ga razbio ko beba zvecku!!! Srbija

[@dannyburch2122]

Tyson Overrated Holyfeild Warrior.

[@arthurmorgan4890]

MAN!!! I LOVE HOLYFIELD BECAUSE HE USES STEROID AND HE IS VERY GOOD AT HEADBUTTING PEOPLE AND HE IS ALSO A GOOD ELBOW STRIKER.

[@scottdean9259]

And you're a cry baby...... The dude got beat up twice by Holy

[@mohammadwajdi8315]

Holyfield fights nasty i don't like watching him

[@theblackmamba8686]

Tyson is even nastier

[@R.Williamss]

Tyson actually knocked out Buster Douglas in the eighth round and it was a 13 count so Tyson actually one that but if Tyson brought his A game like in this fight he would have knocked out Buster Douglas in the first to second round; buster Douglas is a bum..

[@dannyburch2122]

Tresfaye Williams dude what are you smoking 🚬

[@child3549]

I love Tyson but it looked like buster was waiting for 8 so we will never know what would happen if it was a proper count but no one can argue that Tyson was in his prime when he fought buster

[@annekentjakobsen]

Low blows and head butts , thats why holyfield won.

[@EyeMixMusic]

You're a moron. Tyson didn't take a single hard low blow in the whole match, and the hardest clash of heads came from TYSON charging in, not Holyfield. Holyfield won because he was mentally tougher and had a better gameplan. If you have nothing intelligent to say about this fight, probably best you stay quiet.

[@EyeMixMusic]

Jesus, was that even English?

[@pawgcountry5463]

Mike slipped on the knocked down..

[@pawgcountry5463]

Yeah enhanced..

[@pawgcountry5463]

Matt Barber Mike was the bigger Heavyweight

[@WinnerTaker]

yeah he still lost tho.

[@auzzielosborne1336]

Mike showed alot of class in this documentary..He will always be great!!

[@FiasaPower]

Mike took his beating as a man.

[@chrisbennett606]

Terrible corner should never of got rid of Rooney

[@JohnnyCage333]

chris bennett 👍a different story and Tyson himself, if Rooney was there, still with Mike...

[@muhammadfaheem3267]

Corner was saying him to work the body but tyson was not doing that

[@flexibleatheist]

With or without Rooney, Tyson was going to be what he became, regardless. Tyson had lost all respect for Rooney anyway, going as far as saying Rooney was a failed fighter who had been living off of him.

[@bobber0623]

Actually a good corner telling him to go to the body. A corner is not bad if the fighter doesnt listen to them.

[@jasonwilson556]

Leaving Rooney was the worst decision Mike ever made.

[@leem2828]

You have to be a hater to have ANYTHING negative to say about either of these two guys in the ring. You can say what you want about Mike outside of the ring, you can say Holyfield was fake....All personal opinions, but IN the ring?? These two guys were what MADE heavyweight boxing one of the most watched sports in the 1990's. Tyson was quite possibly the most skilled heavyweight to EVER step foot in a ring and Holyfield had a chin made of SOLID STEELE and a machine when it came to endurance. I personally was more of a fan of Holyfield bc of the fact that he really made 1000 times more of his career than anyone predicted. The guy fought in the ring like I strive to live my life. "When you get hit, dont back down, fire back." And Tyson was IMO a good dude that simply snapped. His legacy as a boxer is in tact, but what bothers me is that people look at Mike as the ferocious danger to society when all he really wanted was to have people like Cus in his life to say "Hey man i love ya and I got your back." These two guys are GLOBAL ICONS and should be respected as two guys that MADE heavyweight boxing.

[@bakgammon]

Chris Salim tyson lost hia discipline by 88 and no longer w Rooney

[@skip741x3]

So true brother!!

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

@@bakgammon how?

[@VickieKissesBlueVampire]

Would have been awesome fights between these Two ...if Evander would stop pushing his head into Mikes neck...stand up straight & Box

[@sonnythebigbearliston8442]

Ali and frazier made hw boxing

[@HostileLemons]

I never understood why people underestimated holyfield in the Tyson fights....the man fought Bowe 3 times at that point.

[@MichaelWorthy25]

You better preach. #Facts

[@leocormeum3595]

He looked bad leading up to this fight though they thought he was shot

[@mayukhdey1670]

The way he fought after his term in prison against an intelligent boxer like Evander is just unbeleivable...he would have been a force to reckin for his entire career had he not had those bad patches in his life...

[@ald1050]

Tyson would have gone unbeaten his whole career if it was not for prison.

[@HopyHop1]

@@ald1050 He lost to Buster Douglass before he went to prison.

[@ald1050]

@@HopyHop1 Yes I forgot to add he did not train for that fight and got rid of trainer Kevin Rooney.

[@amosdraak3536]

And also the ref counted too long and didn’t count Douglass as KO’d (the famous 14 second count)

[@redearthpaul178]

Holyfield would have beat him in 1991, when they were scheduled to fight originally. He s a far better boxer, far tougher, fought better opposition and not scared of Tyson in the least.

[@aiyahuntacheimumbi236]

"I don't even remember feeling those shots, just hearing'em. Boom, boom, boom!" - Mike Tyson Most relatable Boxing quote for anyone who's ever sparred 😂

[@Tourist-Q]

Punches to the head in boxing don't really hurt, they shake up the brain.

[@FrelGhermai]

"After mike landed the body shot uppercut and it did not work he lost confidence."- Evander Holyfield

[@chiefredshirt5785]

You're right about that. Once Tyson hits you with his right hook/uppercut combo you're finished and in round 5 he did just that to Holyfield but Evander was still standing not only that he punched back afterwards.

[@GregoryShtevensh]

I'm not saying Tyson would have won, but I still wish he had Cus and the peekaboo training

[@MrSupermario21]

holyfield defo wouldnt of won mike was disciplined had number combinations the time he never had rooney he lost and that was to douglas

[@learn2fly605]

bottom line is Mike was out boxed and lost his nerve to fight as soon as things weren't going his way!

[@stephenmcpherson3139]

Man Holyfield took some of the hardest Tyson shots ever. He just kept on pushing him back. Respect. And all the people that want to say Holyfield headbutted look at the 7 th round headbutt by Tyson.... How did Evander make it out of the first round. That first right hand would have stopped anybody!!!! And that combo that Tyson gave him in the 5TH Body shot , body shot upper cut and Evander just took them. You could see Mikes reaction....He knew he was never going to beat this guy. And when when people say Evander was on roids well then I guess Mike must have been too. At that height and that weight Mike was on something. I think Mike just didn't have the heart and never respected Evander. History shows he only took this fight because they thought Evander was washed up....ummmmm Bad Judgement Don King and management....McNeilly, Mathis, Seldon and Bruno doesn't equal 1 Evander the "Real Deal" Holyfield :)

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

Nobody thought he was washed up

[@georgegreig8054]

@@vlLEGTxSQUADX Everyone thought he was washed up and possibly get badly hurt.

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

@@georgegreig8054 cause the 3rd bowe fight when he got sick

[@georgegreig8054]

@@vlLEGTxSQUADX That had a lot to do with it.

[@FiasaPower]

Many thought he was washed up, that's true. But I knew he wasn't and bet on him twice for the win. Holyfield wasn't just tough as nails, he was smart and a much better all around boxer than Tyson. He had all the tools to win.

[@QueensKnight1]

No head movement, and just trying to load up with 1 ko shot..no bueno mike

[@therealwewin]

@trillcity922ify yeah clearly holyfield forced Mike's head into his at 13:27 idiot lol

[@michaellowery6201]

Holyfield's strategy honestly reminds me a lot of the one Fury used in the second Wilder fight where he pushed forward and bullied the bully and it caught em off guard

[@sheldoncooper0]

that's exactly what fury did. I noticed that too. Fury rushed in so that Wilder couldn't punch him since Fury was plastered against him, much like how Holyfield rushed in to be close to Mike and so he couldn't punch him since he was hugging non-step... I wouldn't say it is bullying since when they rushed forward they just held and leaned. and tired the other guy out.

[@sexydudeuk2172]

@@sheldoncooper0 Tyson can thank Luis Ortiz for that. He studied that fight and he found wilder wasnt as explosive fighting backwards

[@CajunBoyJake]

Who’s really headbutting at 13:25??

[@compound00]

Tyson

[@georgegreig8054]

Love Holyfield reaction. Felt nothing. No complaint.

[@scottdean9259]

Exactly

[@allenmalicay730]

The peakaboo wasn't there anymore completely. It had become a stationary square-legged position. It went from excellent to worst. But even if the peakaboo was there, still the outcome is unpredictable. They're two of the best.

[@FiasaPower]

Peekaboo demands too much from your body and reflexes, and as age and muscle stiffness increase you're no longer able to perform it properly. That's what happened to Tyson. He was very well conditioned at 30, but quite a bit of his reflexes had already gone.

[@aurelienmvg651]

8:40 That left hook from Tyson😮

[@daniellozan350]

Shows how holyfield had a garnite chin and hard head....

[@holliswilliams8426]

@@daniellozan350 if you watch it in slow motion Holyfield sees it coming and is able to roll with it to reduce the impact, secrets of boxing

[@adamlees4496]

What all the Tyson haters miss is Mike's humility in defeat.he gave holyfield all the credit and made no excuses.

[@ninjamaster7724]

Just like he should have because he got beaten by a better fighter.Wouldn't expect anything less.

[@Tuthijjh]

@@ninjamaster7724 he hugged him the entire fight and headbutt him whenever it was actually boxing he got dicked down

[@ninjamaster7724]

@@Tuthijjh dicked down?Is that why Tyson lost?

[@Tuthijjh]

@@ninjamaster7724 I was joking but Holyfield won the first fight Tyson had control of the 2nd until he needed a snack

[@ninjamaster7724]

@@Tuthijjh lol 👍

[@wslbmg]

Tysons footwork was zombie like, especially after the knockdown.

[@dominicfletcher1231]

Yes of course he's a very fast footwork and get it positioning for a punch on the inside

[@djdeustch1788]

Hear hear. The footwork and head move especially are much slower than the Rooney time.

[@joselozada24]

Holyfield fought a brilliant fight! A gameplan to perfection!

[@mr_d_bones8009]

Of what head butting you sound dumb

[@flipflop4396]

@@mr_d_bones8009 Which headbutting, watched fight milion of times didnt see any deliberate headbutts...are we gonna ignore Tyson 2 3 punches after the bell...Get over it Tyson got schooled 😎

[@flipflop4396]

@John Dough Thats typical Tyson fanboy comment without any evidence, Holyfield beat shit out of him...deal with it 😎

[@jervisCjacobs]

John Dough so you honestly believe that at 13:27 that’s a headbutt by holyfield? I’m not saying holyfield didn’t headbutt but that specific one looks like Tyson headbutt holyfield. Holyfield is just tougher IMO.

[@therealwewin]

@@jervisCjacobs Mike is ramming his head into holyfield clearly lol

[@nadarajantinagaran757]

Honestly hollyfield just amazing in this he really beat Mike tyson...I just wonder if they two get to early 6 or 7 years early to fight's ..what could happen ?? A 22 years Mike tyson with Kevin rooney and teddy atlas and a 26 year old hollyfield.. What could happen ?? I don't think so hollyfield can beat Mike tyson..?? Even Ali lost to frazier..#1 fight.. The one who beat Mike tyson was james " buster douglas"..yes.!! In that fight buster douglas was awesome..that night no one's could beat buster douglas.. But if there were a rematch iam pretty sure it would be early knockout for Mike tyson..bcoz in a rematchike tyson would probably will go for 1 -2 rounds immediately..he can't let buster douglas to fight longer..

[@HamzaKhan-px4ii]

Holyfield had bouts with bowe prior to Tyson. Why do some people say Tyson was past prime... What abt holyfield?? He is older than Tyson. Holyfield beats Tyson prime or not.

[@whowouldwininafight3152]

No excuses from Tyson...took the defeat like a champion.

[@atifking8731]

@ANUSH SLAVEIKOV yes... Holyfield obviously kept headhunting him, which threw him off his game...

[@fiucik1]

Unlike his fans...

[@therealwewin]

Clearly at 13:27 Mike is shoving his head into holyfield lol

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

If only his nuthugger fans would too.

[@holliswilliams8426]

tyson threw tonnes of headbutts

[@davidbowen6284]

Holyfield was a great great fighter. He didn't do anything spectacular he was just a good all round fighter. He was an excellent boxer, had good movement when he used it, good combination puncher, could fight inside, counter punch, had a great chin, decent speed, a great engine, an a unshakeable belief an will. Holyfield impressed me most when he beat Qawi, a grizzled vet after about 10/15 fights was it? Qawi was a tough SOB aswell. He was a good champion, an green Holyfield had to endure a 15 round war, but he did it, an for me it was kind of a marker of how special an talented he was.

[@wayneo1269]

You're on the money the Quawi fights alerted me to Holyfields true warrior talent,I became a fan after both fights.

[@massimomax3215]

Mr Steroid headbutt elbowstriker.. yes a great fighter

[@jamesgunz944]

Massimo Max, If it was just head butts and steroids then everyone would be a 4 or 5 time World Heavyweight Champion who busted up Mike Tyson twice... Unfortunately it's not that simple or that easy. I personally know boxers who have used Steroids for years, who failed to turn pro, and are still living on Welfare cheques!!

[@dannyburch2122]

David Owen I agree Holy said it was one of his toughest fights...of course can't forget the Bowe wars.

[@tanakinskywalker7089]

Most fighters who headbutt and elbow people while they’re on roids end up being good fighters. But they become great after they start kneeing people also. He’s a fraud and a hypocrite

[@flipflop4396]

Mikes gameplan was horrible...im still wondering how in world was Jay Bright kept in his corner....Mike in whole fight threw 2 bodyshots...whole time he was aiming for head.. I would say this....Holyfield came darn well prepared, with a good gameplan.

[@ninjaturtlemaster24]

I agree. I also dont like it when people accuse holyfield of headbutting. It just shows people are not realising how great of a warrior he was in out thinking and out fighting tyson and not realising that tyson had a poor gameplan as you said. Tyson was a great fighter but people need to also know that he was beat fair and square. No excuses

[@JonNobleNobelOne]

Holyfield was a cheater. Tyson was winning the first fight thru the first 6 rounds, in round 5 he had Holyfield wobbling. That's when all holyfields non-sense started, he didn't cut tyson with a punch, but with a head butt, enough said.

[@wslbmg]

Houman Madani only time holyfield was rocked was from a body punch in 5, Tyson was a one punch at a time headhunter after prison.

[@terancemiller4639]

he should of stayed consistent wih body shots. rooney whould of emphsized that. he had much success with body shot upper cut combo. holyfield had no answer for that

[@atifking8731]

@@terancemiller4639 I think mike got frustrated from the headbutts and it threw him off

[@dakeda2024]

Holyfield rocked Mike's world .worldwide rep.holyfield one of the greatest..got thebest name to .real deal holyfield. Cant get no better.

[@abidkhan8865]

Holyfield was a master at headbutting and juiced to the brim and deserved getting bit in my opinion. Tyson and holyfield are on the brink of a trilogy where all misconceptions will be ironed out

[@dakeda2024]

@@abidkhan8865 trilogy would be nice.def possible.

[@k1dn1ce76]

Crazy how Tyson stayed conscious after taking that heavy clean shot to the temple!

[@Narration___Nation]

And many headbutts

[@jamesgunz944]

You can take all the steroids in the world, and head butt all you want... But if you can't fight, have no discipline, quit when the going gets tough, lack a warrior spirit and don't have an extremely high boxing IQ, coupled with an irrepressible will, and unshakeable faith, then you will never accomplish what Holyfield did in his career. From where he has come from, that is nothing short of a miracle!

[@mr_d_bones8009]

Thank you for commenting that

[@bobber0623]

They were not headbutts they were clashes of heads. No one gets away with intentional headbutts. Intentional headbutts are the most obvious things in the world. They are many ways like Tyson's way in the seventh but mostly you see the head go back then forward like golato bowe, Also you can go down then up. The point is they are very obvious and refs dont let them go. There is an amazing lack of knowledge on the part of tyson fans, who pretty much apart from Tyson are not boxing fans, about the difference between a clash of heads, unintentional headbutts and intentional headbutts. I have watched the two fights over and over and the only intentional headbutt in the two fights was Tyson intentionally headbutting Holy in the seventh round of the first fight

[@chinchecker464]

James Gunz they say Holyfield took steroids

[@Ryno9906]

James Gunz well put James👍

[@Gamevet]

@@bobber0623 Head butting is a big part of Holyfield's game. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGncXpeIrpqBha8 Still, the punches that Tyson landed in the early rounds would have knocked out most boxers, but not a boxer that was roided up. www.quora.com/What-advantage-do-steroids-give-a-boxer-over-their-opponent

[@whiskeyshots7378]

Pretty good fight, accidental headbutts aside, it was frustrating to watch Tyson land with a couple good shots then he would just stop and look like he was waiting for Holyfield to fall. 80's Tyson would have had another 4-5 punches and perhaps have Holyfield on the canvas.

[@ald1050]

The headbuts were never accidental. Holyfield trained with a tyre around his punchbag so he can practice moving his head forward as a fighter closes the gap once he is hit. This is technically illegal as it causes certain headbuts especially for a fighter like Mike Tyson using his Peak-a boo method to fight. The same headbut happened with Lennox Lewis but Lewis was a taller fighter so hardly happened. Holyfield is a technical cheat to be honest but boxing's rules can be funny at times.

[@stavros693000]

If only Tyson had his head on straight and kept the D'Amato team....its hard to see him loosing....especially if Cus lived for another 5 years.....but mike got mixed up with Don King and his pro-black bullshit and mike was young and impressionable and fell for Kings shit, firing the "white" D'Amato team that Cus hand picked for Tyson....and mike thought that he didnt have to train seriously , cause he bought into the hype that he was "invincible"!....big mistake.....and sad, considering the level of talent that was wasted.....Still a top 10 ATG but if he kept winning for 4 more years he would be considered the GOAT alongside Ali...and would have avoided prison if he stayed with his original team and kept away from that piece of shit king!....cant wait for the film bio to come out....the biggest rise and fall of any athlete in history!

[@iad77]

Yeah, tyson mentally quit boxing after the Spinks fight in 88....he admits that after 90 he was checked out. The return from prison and being surrounded by yes men and hangers on did nothing to help him, yes he showed flashes of the old tyson, but not the prime tyson, he was still too easy to hit, wasn't working behind the jab, always singing for the fences with one big shot instead of fast combinations.... I think it's sad because he still had the tools up to the Holyfield fights... After that he had a suspension which took another 2 years nearly and he got slower and slower, heavier and heavier, even less technical and more one punch fighter, then even worse a 1 round fighter....

[@Flipson456]

At the stare down Holyfield didn't even blink. You can see Tyson blinking.

[@briharrisWarhmmer40kfan]

I love Mike so much he's an incredible human being and his life story to where he is now is just incredible and unbelievable, realest person of celebrity on this planet no doubt

[@lofaygang5822]

Well pre prison tyson could somewhat fight going backwards but post prison tyson wasnt as athletic or physically strong imo or had the killer mindset agiasnt berbick he was getting pushed backwards as well amd tyson hit him with some shots off the backfoot and he dropped douglas while on the backfoot and he was able to land shots on ruddock ona back foot ans agaisnt smith but smith grabbed him and partially blocked them like holyfeild did i wish tyson didnt get arrested and we couldve seen him at his peak

[@johnbartholomew1837]

After fighting Riddick 3 times I never understood why people underestimated hollyfield.. If Tyson would of stayed with his original trainer Kevin Rooney I think that he would of been undefeated

[@josephrobinson5452]

Tyson said he was going win the next fight but Holyfield won again.

[@robbiehoskins2468]

This fight means so much to me because I honestly told anyone who would listen for years leading up to it that Holyfield would beat Tyson. Everyone thought I was nuts, and I even got laughed at. Later on, seeing some of those folks was so rewarding.

[@FiasaPower]

I bet on Holyfield twice for the win. I knew he was a much better all around boxer and his style itself was just too much for Tyson to handle. Holy was kinda a counterpick.

[@nocturnalwolf7559]

he was dirty tho. headbutting mike for 2 fights. you can continue to tell you that so you can sleep better at night but i know deep down you know whats up

[@jefformsby5604]

@@nocturnalwolf7559Mikey was just hungry. Couldn’t find any children to eat so an ear sounded like a great snack.

[@goodnightmunchie]

​@@nocturnalwolf7559black African fellas always fight dirty 🧐🚬

[@thenotsofinerthings7842]

Holyfield cheated the entirety of both fights. Headbutts, lowblows and the headbutt to lowblow combo. He was a dirty mf. Tyson had everything against him. Don King, paid off refs, and cheating inside the ring. 🖕

[@leosam6824]

Evander Holyfield. the reallll deallllll bowling ball head

[@E80-t6e]

I watched this fight live and 100 times since, and after I watched this and all of the angles, I think that head butt that cut Mikes eye was on purpose Mike lead with his head not his hands.

[@manuginobilisbaldspot424]

So...Tyson, who came forward and dove in on his opponents, gets a clash of heads from a guy who didn't back up against him...but it was also intentional by the guy standing his ground? YOU KNOW HOW DUMB THAT SOUNDS!?!?

[@Narration___Nation]

@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 bro ur even dumber. Ho.y field headbutted first which frustreted Tyson making him focus on headbutts more than punches giving Holyfield an advantage

[@adamlees4496]

Tyson was not the tyson of his early reign here.its clear.its obvious.no excuses because Holyfield was magnificent that night but Tyson only had the blast out mindset at this stage where in his early championship days he could do 12 for fun.prison,abusing his body,terrible cornermen,lack of tactics.they are all seen as excuses but really they're genuine reasons.early in his career none of these things were prevalent which lead to performances we've never seen the like of before.

[@davidfreeman7455]

Still love Mike Tyson no matter what people say

[@roberthorton6619]

The key was to keep fighting throw punches and don't be scaried

[@roberthorton6619]

My motto is if u can beat a man once u can beat him again what about Lewis he destroyed Tyson and beat holy does that make him the greatest of that time also Tyson lost to Danny Williams from overseas why u not mentioning them duhh

[@yvenersaintcyr8861]

HOLYFIELD was the better Man and Fighter:: point blank period!.. Mike fought alot of fighters that was scared of him... The Warrior: The Real Deal "Evander Holyfield".. A man of God fears No Man!

[@Subagyo-in7ez]

999999999988

[@MisterVolts]

@@yvenersaintcyr8861 coming from a true keyboard Warrior who has never stepped into a ring. EVERY fighter is scared before a fight, even against a "tomato can", because if said fighter lets his guard down for even a moment he will get knocked the fuk out. SMH

[@shambam34]

Mike was a bully once someone stands up to him eats his shots and delivers them back !!! He folds Holyfield would of beat in 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, and eventually did in 97 he's tougher and has a tremendous chin and heart !!! Ppl make excuses for Mike but holyffield was SUPERIOR

[@thebritishbushmanjamesjohn9720]

fair play to mike his chin was underated took absolute bombs off evander at end of round 11 and stayed on his feet and even seemed to have his legs under him walking back to corner..his legs were massive and if not for those he would have gone down

[@mywifesexualpartner984]

Was just dragged into a debate online that "Prime" Mike Tyson would "KO Evander and Lewis in 1" These Mike Tyson fanboy casuals were ADAMENT that Mike KO's them both in 1, I also had a similar debate a few days ago that "Prime" Mike Tyson probably wouldn't "KO Tyson Fury in 1", and I've had the same debate about Usyk also. These idiots truly belive that "Prime Mike Tyson" KO's anybody in 1. Tyrell Biggs can go 7 rounds with "Prime Mike Tyson" but Lewis, Holyfield, Fury and Usyk can't make it out of the first round. Bone crusher Smith, 12 rounds, tucker, 12 rounds, pinklon Thomas, 6 rounds. Lewis, Holyfield, Fury and Usyk? 1 round job for prime Mike! And they TRULY belive this. Name a more deluded, ignorant, casual fanbase

[@OtomoTenzi]

Yes, all those idiots out there who would have you BELIEVE that Bruce Lee can beat a prime Mike Tyson? 🤔

[@ryanr20091]

the jordan fan base is worse

[@jimnewcombe7584]

Interesting documentary. I'm guessing there isn't a similar analysis for the second fight? (I know that one was curtailed by tactics which may not lend themselves to reasoned analysis)

[@luckmanali187]

Im sorry but this was no were near fight of the decade mike was finished he had bit of power no head movement NO COMBINATIONS AT ALL 1 punch at a time and the main thing no intrest besides the money real deal was near the end of hes carrera had heart problems bin threw wars with bowe

[@gabrielM1111]

Alot of people made big $$$ that night with the underdog

[@OtomoTenzi]

I could understand that Buster Douglas was an underdog, but certainly NOT Holyfield... He was still the CHAMP in '96.

[@compound00]

Bottom line, Holyfields head was stationary while Mikes Head was in motion for two of these Unintentional Headbutts. How can a stationary head cause the butt? It cant. Tyson caused most of the butts himself. Regardless, 3 Unintentional Headbutts didnt cause Tyson to lose. The Hundreds of punches that Evander landed on Mike Tyson is what caused him to lose. Tyson came into this fight thinking Evander was a shot fighter and that he could intimidate him, bully him and walk through him. He forgot Holyfield battled it out for 3 fights with Big Daddy Bowe and Big George Foreman. Evander was an awesome technician and wasnt gonna be pushed around by noone. Mike learned that night. All this talk about Holyfield being a dirty fighter is pure B.S. If wanna see a dirty fighter, then look no further than Tyson for fore-arming people, trying to break their arms, pushing the referee and trying to sever the ears off of another man head with his teeth. Its all nonsense. Holyfield was the better fighter and he beat the hell out of Tyson in fight 1 and started beating the hell out of Tyson in fight 2. Tyson cant beat Evander ever. He just can't. He bit Evander to get the fight stopped cause he knew he couldn't win and wasnt gonna win. He absolutely wanted out. To Tyson's surprise, they didnt stop it after first bite and Mike was pissed he had to take more punches from Evander. He thought to himself well they absolutely have to stop this match if I Foul again so he did. He bit Evander on the other ear. Anything to get out of that fight. Now Mike did alot better in that 3rd round of fight too. In fact, he gave it all he had. Problem is, it didnt do shit to Evander. Not even a dent. Holyfield was just getting ready to respond and Tyson knew it. Its at that moment that Tyson said " Get me the hell out of here. Fighting Holyfield is like fighting MEGATRON" . They never fought again mainly in part because Tyson didnt want to. In fact he himself knew he couldn't beat Evander because he admitted it.

[@dominicfletcher8940]

Yeah I'm sure your right ma friend,Mikes power shot's bounced of Evaders chin,except the first RIGHT HAND LEAD,AND THE UPPER CUTS AN BODY AND A VERY HARD UPPERCUT TO HOLYFEILDS HEAD.IF THEY'D ONLY MET IN NOVEMBER 1991 WOW I'M SURE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER,THEY'D BOTH BE,5 YEAR'S YOUNGER MUCH MORE IN THEIR PRIME,MAN IF ONLY

[@camthespaceman6920]

Stop trying to condone the very clear headbutt from holyfield, he did it in this fight and in a couple other fights, Mike would have still lost yes, but ultimately the headbutt is what led to his anger and biting his ear, yall niggaz reach for anything

[@camthespaceman6920]

If he wanted out of this fight so bad he wouldn't have took the second fight, yall dumb as hell

[@jaydebeer7251]

The head butt that made mike scream was definitely accidental. Mike went in head first ! Plain to see...

[@jaydebeer7251]

He got beat fair and square! Two fighters both past their prime! Holyfield was the better fighter

[@danedgar1539]

Headbutt, lowblow then you hear the commentator say "holyfield closing this round like a champ" see a pattern here? No? Ok watch ANY of evanders fights and watch his reaction immediately after being hurt

[@midknightfalconfan]

13:25

[@danthaman03]

That commentator Bob Sheridan is great guy. I met him at Melbourne airport a few years ago and we spoke about this fight.

[@blazewarTV]

Best commentator of all time

[@waynoroberts1686]

Holyfeild never ducked anyone, the real deal

[@sandersben7239]

Dude is a Bradbury

[@mohammedalialbalushi7190]

Holyfield , held mike, pushed him back with both arms, and butted him, plus hit him low......that Body shot from mike really hurt Holyfield, damn if the Tyson who fought Razor ruddock showed up that night....it would be game over for holyfield.

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

Agreed

[@midknightfalconfan]

Wrong. Watch 13:25 Holyfield could beat prime Tyson. So could Lennox Lewis, so could prime Riddick Bowe. And especially George Foreman. Tyson was scared to fight George cuz George feasted on smaller swarming fighters like Tyson.

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

@@midknightfalconfan tyson wasnt scared of no foreman😂😂 foreman turned down a 5million dollar offer from don king juss cause holyfeild beat a post prison tyson doesnt mean hed to it to the tyson who beat ruddock to a pulp or beat stewart like a baby lewis it could go either way but i feel tyson could overwhlem him cause he had his speed holyfeild would get stopped by rd 5-6 cause he would trade and get out speeded and out powerd and he wouldn't win by tryna outbox tyson tyson would make him fight note that lewis hits harder than foreman

[@midknightfalconfan]

@@vlLEGTxSQUADX You just proved you don't know s*** about boxing. Lewis hit harder than Foreman? LOL Also, yes Tyson was SCARED for Foreman. Watch this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZ2wg4Segapoeq8

[@midknightfalconfan]

Also Holyfield said that Foreman hit him harder than ANYBODY. Harder than Lewis, Tyson, Bowe, Holmes, Mercer, Ruis, and every other good fighter that Holyfield fought. Most people that actually know boxing know that Foreman was probably the 2nd hardest hitting heavyweight in the history of boxing after Earnie Shavers. He had an unbelievable KO ratio and could knock people out with jabs and glancing blows.

[@TatraScrambler]

Wait so Mike actually retracted from his position that Holy was headbutting him intentionally? In that slo-mo part it actually looks like Tyson headbutted Holyfield, if anything. So the ear bite was actually unfounded?

[@theblackmamba8686]

Exactly bro Tyson was the one headbutting Holyfield. It’s plain to see

[@lonewolf3828]

He was not the same fighter after jail. Mentally he was gone! He could have won the fight with Rooney! His whole camp was crap! Also I believe Holyfield was on roids, but that is a what I think! Tyson the best to me!

[@theblackmamba8686]

Mike was on roids a teenager and roids doesn't give you skills heart and ring smarts

[@N.B-Bay8thSports]

Mitch Halpern RIP Sad Story

[@mlee7290]

Mike had minimal head movement, no reacting to the jab, no cutting off the ring and his footwork was mediocre. He still had some peek a boo conditioning but he lost his agility and speed and telegraphed all his punches. The poor training, appalling corner and mental decline after jail allowed Holyfield to pick Tyson apart that night. Holyfield stayed in the old school boxing stance consistently, kept his foot in the outside, pushed off forward with his rear foot backing Tyson up, gave him angles, counter punches and predicted all his movements. Kept the jab consistent, kept the straight right hand behind him and circled around him in the solid old school boxing stance. And that’s all she wrote that night.

[@vlLEGTxSQUADX]

8:40 i felt that punch😬

[@marcopernicemusic]

holyfield was uncorrect and protected by judges, end of the story

[@mdumiseninsibande3071]

That is a joke...