Tyson Fury would beat Evander Holyfield in his prime, according to boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. Jones Jr's bold claim has got people talking in the boxing world.
Holyfield was a force to be reckoned with in his day. He became the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s. Later, he moved up to heavyweight and made history there too. Holyfield was the first boxer to become undisputed champion in both weight classes until Oleksandr Usyk repeated the feat in 2023.
Holyfield knocked out Buster Douglas to become undisputed at heavyweight. He went on to beat big names like Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes. But he also lost to Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe during his career.
Fury, on the other hand, is a two-time world heavyweight champion. He beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to win the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts. In 2020, he grabbed the WBC heavyweight title from Deontay Wilder. Recently, Fury lost his WBC belt to Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed showdown. They're set for a rematch later this month.
Jones Jr shared his thoughts on a hypothetical matchup between prime Holyfield and current Fury with Sports Illustrated.
"Riddick Bowe gave Evander all kinds of problems, and he's not even as tall as Fury so I definitely would go with Tyson Fury on that."
Jones Jr's reasoning? Holyfield's past struggles with taller opponents like Riddick Bowe. Fury stands even taller than Bowe, which Jones Jr thinks would give him the edge.
The boxing world will surely debate this claim. Both fighters have left their mark on the sport. Holyfield dominated throughout the 1990s, while Fury continues to make waves in the current heavyweight scene. Their upcoming fights will add more fuel to these hypothetical matchups that fans love to discuss.
