Haye v Klitschko - First prime big heavyweight fight since when?

A lot of people have said that this fight is the biggest one at heavyweight since Tyson v Lewis

They are probably right but in all honesty though Lewis had seen better days and Tyson was completely shot. Most people with reasonable boxing knowledge knew Lewis was gonna walk it. It was only the fact that they (apparently) hated each other and Tysons erratic behaviour that made the fight so big. Neither was in their prime. This fight is different as in my opinion both are in their prime

So my question is...When was the last big heavyweight fight when both fighters were in their prime?

Even when I look back into the 90s I cant think of anything on this scale of not being able to pick a winner


Regards

Steffan

Last since Lewis vs Vatali IMO

Kev is making a fair enough point with Lewis-Vitali, but the Ukranian wasn't a name then, and I think it's fair to say that Lewis had seen better days, or at the very least that night wasn't in the kind of shape befitting the world Heavyweight champion.

In terms of a genuinely hyped, huge fight, in which it's hard to call a winner beforehand and both men were in or around their primes, we'd have to go back to Lewis-Holyfield in 1999. If you weren't convinced that Holyfield was anywhere near his best at that time, maybe we need to travel all the way back to 1993 for Bowe-Holyfield II.

Haye vs Harrison?

Holyfield-Lewis.....

Prime Holy bashed out twice by Bowe, lost to Moorer and considered finished against Tyson...

Sounds prime to me...

Holmes-Cooney.......was a superfight with both in their primes!!!!

Cooney wasn't that good but the fight was huge.

Last one really that was a superfight!!!

This fight doesn't feel anywhere near as big as Lewis vs Tyson. It is in significance but it's gone under the radar.

huw wrote:Haye vs Harrison?

Think Skelton Sprott 2 was bigger. However in the real world would probably have to go for Lewis Holyfield 1. Holy was near as prime for me as his subsequent results have proven. Tyson was shot against Lewis and Vitali was still very much a work in progress and did not enjoy anywhere near the status he has earned since then.

Because Tyson was a huge name and a superstar of or near Ali proportions....

Tyson transcended the sport like no one else in modern times..

Hence this fight won't be anywhere as big...

Brit vs European robot doesn't make for huge superfight..

Needs an American name to become a bonafide superfight.

Holy = prime.....go figure!!

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Holyfield-Lewis.....

Prime Holy bashed out twice by Bowe, lost to Moorer and considered finished against Tyson...

Sounds prime to me...

Truss, you seem to have forgotten to mention that Holyfield actually WON those fights against Tyson, though. That, and also that he'd avenged the Moorer defeat in style only eighteen months before fighting Lewis. Holyfield's form between 1996 and 1998 (in short, leading up to Lewis I) had been every bit as good - if not better - as his form between 1990 and 1992, his first title reign.

He did but Tyson was a one dimensional poor reflection of the guy who used to be king...Three years in a pen did for him...

Good wins for Holy but he was creamed by Bowe twice..............

on the slide for me...but I respect your opinion..

rowley wrote:

huw wrote:Haye vs Harrison?

However in the real world would probably have to go for Lewis Holyfield 1. Holy was near as prime for me as his subsequent results have proven.

Sorry Rowley but Holyfield's results post Lewis have been woeful. If anything, I think it indicates that Holyfield was totally past his prime.

Bowe vs Holy was the last time a HW encounter nearly made me mess myself.

Closely followed by Tyson vs Lewis.

This feels the biggest HW fight since then, but not on the same messy scale.

J.Benson II wrote:

rowley wrote:

huw wrote:Haye vs Harrison?

However in the real world would probably have to go for Lewis Holyfield 1. Holy was near as prime for me as his subsequent results have proven.

Sorry Rowley but Holyfield's results post Lewis have been woeful. If anything, I think it indicates that Holyfield was totally past his prime.

On closer inspection of his record would have to concede you're not far wrong mate, it is not as good as my memory suggested. Still think he had a little left in the tank against Lennox and his form going in was not too shabby but claiming his record after was anything other than patchy is indeed a stretch

Gone from prime to a little left in the tank......

Does that mean... the great Wilde-inian Rowley is retracting his Lewis-Holy superfight post???

Wait till the Marquis of Queensbury hears of this!!

It's a sign of character being able to admit you were wrong Truss, thought someone with as much class as yourself would know this.

THat's why I'm staggered to see you do it..

Sir. badgerhands wrote:Bowe vs Holy was the last time a HW encounter nearly made me mess myself.

Closely followed by Tyson vs Lewis.

This feels the biggest HW fight since then, but not on the same messy scale.

With hindsight Bowe v Holyfield fits the description, but going into their first fight it wasn't seen as that big a deal.

I'm really struggling to think of the genuine top heavys in their prime fighting eachother. Didn't really happen in the 90's, or the 80's for that matter.

Jukebox Timebomb wrote:

Sir. badgerhands wrote:Bowe vs Holy was the last time a HW encounter nearly made me mess myself.

Closely followed by Tyson vs Lewis.

This feels the biggest HW fight since then, but not on the same messy scale.

With hindsight Bowe v Holyfield fits the description, but going into their first fight it wasn't seen as that big a deal.

I'm really struggling to think of the genuine top heavys in their prime fighting eachother. Didn't really happen in the 90's, or the 80's for that matter.

I was more talking from a personal perspective.

If you truly want to go back to a HW title fight where both fighters were in their prime you're probabley looking Ali vs Frazier I.

Sir. badgerhands wrote:

Jukebox Timebomb wrote:

Sir. badgerhands wrote:Bowe vs Holy was the last time a HW encounter nearly made me mess myself.

Closely followed by Tyson vs Lewis.

This feels the biggest HW fight since then, but not on the same messy scale.

With hindsight Bowe v Holyfield fits the description, but going into their first fight it wasn't seen as that big a deal.

I'm really struggling to think of the genuine top heavys in their prime fighting eachother. Didn't really happen in the 90's, or the 80's for that matter.

I was more talking from a personal perspective.

If you truly want to go back to a HW title fight where both fighters were in their prime you're probabley looking Ali vs Frazier I.

3 years layoff. He had put on weight and only had about 2 warm up fights

Who says Ali was in his prime...

What in your opinion is the last HW encounter with both fighters in their prime then Steffan?

Foremans destruction of Frazier maybe

But lets not forget how big Tyson v Spinks was at the time

Sir. badgerhands wrote:What in your opinion is the last HW encounter with both fighters in their prime then Steffan?

I'd say Vitali v Arreola. Neither will improve on their respective performances

Steffan wrote:Foremans destruction of Frazier maybe

But lets not forget how big Tyson v Spinks was at the time

Foreman Frazier a (very) good shout.

oxring wrote:

Steffan wrote:Foremans destruction of Frazier maybe

But lets not forget how big Tyson v Spinks was at the time

Foreman Frazier a (very) good shout.

Bowe vs Holyfield???

Steffan wrote:Foremans destruction of Frazier maybe

But lets not forget how big Tyson v Spinks was at the time

I remember Tyson vs Spinks being massive and a fair few thought Spinks would give Tyson a decent fight.

Good shout on Foreman Frazier.

Reading all this has darkened my mood seeing how poor the HW division has been as of late.
Especially when having to go back 20, 30 or even 40 years for a 50/50 fight with both fighters in their prime.

Thing is with Tyson v Spinks is that at the time many though Tyson hadn't yet reached his prime and that Spinks wasn't a HW.

rubbish.......Tyson was regarded as the unstoppable force and Spinks was considered wrongly to have the matador skills to match him....

Hence the huge superfight it was...

I recall folks thinking that Spinks would have the boxing smarts and skills to give Tyson a real test.

Of course it didn't end up like that, but some thought he had a shout.

You miss the point. Yes the fight was huge, yes Tyson had looked unstopable against the relatively poor opposition he'd faced, but he was seen as a 21 year old kid who still hadn't reached his peak.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He did but Tyson was a one dimensional poor reflection of the guy who used to be king...Three years in a pen did for him...

Good wins for Holy but he was creamed by Bowe twice..............

on the slide for me...but I respect your opinion..

Hindsights a wonderful thing eh Truss, but the truth that tyson was always one dimensional, and though he was definately less scientific upon his release from prison, he was even more aggress and fought in a true rage - look at both of his fights with Bruno and you will see what I mean. In the lead up to the first holyfield fight he was seen as a massive favourite, and hewas being touted as pretty much unbeatable. Ali was obviously not the fighter that he was before his enforced break, but I don't really believe that you can say the same about Tyson.