Holmes shared his thoughts during an interview with Sky Sports Boxing. The two fighters actually met in the ring in 1988, when Tyson was 21 and the undisputed champion. Holmes, then 38 and a former champion, lost by a fourth-round stoppage.
When asked if Tyson could have survived in Holmes' prime era of the 70s and early 80s, Holmes gave a firm "No."
Holmes pointed to George Foreman as an example of a fighter who would have given Tyson trouble. He said:
"George Foreman. Two seconds. He hit too hard. Anybody come at George Foreman… You gotta box George like Ali did, like I would do. You can't stay there with George Foreman and take no punches. George will take your head off. Bang, bang, wap, wap. It'll be like the kitchen sink he hits you with … He would hurt you, ruin you. Big guy, but he had no speed."
Holmes emphasized Foreman's powerful punches and ability to hurt opponents. He suggested the best strategy against Foreman would be to box like Muhammad Ali did, avoiding staying in range of Foreman's devastating blows.
Foreman's career spanned decades. He debuted in 1969 and first retired in 1977. Ten years later, he made a comeback with the goal of becoming world heavyweight champion again. A fight with Tyson never happened, mainly due to Tyson's shock loss to James 'Buster' Douglas.
Foreman achieved his goal at 45, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion by beating Michael Moorer. His final record included 76 wins (68 by knockout) and just 5 losses. Foreman scored notable victories over fighters like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, and Gerry Cooney.
Holmes' comments offer an interesting perspective on hypothetical matchups between heavyweights from different eras, sparking debate among boxing fans about how these legendary fighters might have fared against each other in their primes.