Prime Holmes was a very technical fighter and also very athletic. He could take a punch (remember his fights against Ernie Shavers). So I tend to agree with that assessment. But still people will keep on wondering forever what an Ali/Tyson fight would have been like. First, because no matter how great Tyson was in his prime, he didn't face the same opposition Ali faced. But on the other side, if Tyson was pretty similar to another great HW, it wasn't Foreman but Frazier (short with the ability to get low, terrible hooks at close range). And we all know how those Ali/Frazier fights went. Tyson though more powerful and even faster than Frazier but didn't have Frazier's condition. So it would have been a matter of how long the fight would have gone probably.
Joe Frazier was a Great Champion one of my Favorite Fighters, to be fair Joe had Better stamina, Left hook was one of the best ever and Def (IMO) had more heart than Tyson and was as Proud a Champion as any b4 him or after him....Tyson IMO had More Tools than Joe Frazier...Devastating Right hand...Right and Left hook...Devastating.... Body-shots....Devastating....awesome uppercuts, and had Faster hand speed and Foot-speed than Joe, but the Main Difference between the 2 if both in there Primes would be Defense....
Thats what separated IMO Tyson from MOST the great Champions Before and after him....Defense...back in the 1980s when a Challenger actually managed to Hit Tyson.....it was a Big Deal....like when Tucker lifted tyson off both feet with that uppercut from hell...Tyson just smiled @ him and came forward more....Point is it was Very Difficult to actually nail Tyson Hard with more than one Punch in the 1980s Tyson would have IMO No trouble hitting Joe or 99% of the HW Greats Ali included he would of gotten to Ali ALOT faster than Joe with both Foot-speed and Hand-speed and all the other tools just Mentioned..... but again Guys like Joe and Ali had that MENTAL STRENGTH that Tyson didnt have on their level so that MAY HAVE been a factor....Thats why ive always beleived and said Holmes....He had a Very Tight Defense @ his Peak along with the other tools and he also had that old school mental strength....as in he would never quit....or never give up til the absolute end....as in Knocked out Completely.... the last Great HW in my view to have that Mindset was Evander Holyfeild.
