Evander Holyfield 'Was A Much Better Boxer' Than Mike Tyson, Ex-Opponent Says

KEY POINTS

Former IBO champion Brian Nielsen said Mike Tyson headbutted him multiple times during their 2001 bout in Denmark
This opened a cut on his eyelid, which he blames for his failure to defeat Tyson at the time
The 55-year-old also said Evander Holyfield was a much better boxer than Tyson

Brian Nielsen believes Evander Holyfield is a better boxer than Mike Tyson based on his experience fighting both legendary fighters during his active years.

Among the most notable boxers Nielsen has crossed paths with were Tony Tubbs, James “Bonecrusher” Smith, Peter McNeeley, Larry Holmes and Tim Witherspoon. But just before he called it a career, Nielsen also shared the ring with Holyfield.

Having fought both Tyson and Holyfield in pro matches, Nielsen can make a concrete comparison between the two legendary heavyweights. Based on the 55-year-old’s assessment, Holyfield was a “much better boxer” than Tyson.

“Tyson was one of the biggest heavyweights ever but Holyfield is a better fighter,” Nielsen said in a recent exclusive interview with Sky Sports. “He was a much better boxer and also had a good punch. I went 10 rounds with Holyfield.”

Nielsen also talked about his 2001 bout with Tyson at Copenhagen, Denmark.

Between 2000 and 2001, Tyson had already lost three times and was also bound to lose to Lennox Lewis. During the same period of time, heavyweight contender Nielsen had an opportunity to take advantage of a seemingly deteriorating “Iron Mike” but was unsuccessful.

However, the former IBO heavyweight titleholder claimed that Tyson’s fists weren’t the real cause of his defeat. Nielsen said that multiple headbutts opened up a nasty cut on his eyelid, and this cut was the reason he failed to stop Tyson during their heavyweight collision.

"Tyson hit me four times with headbutts," Nielsen said "You saw my eye? He headbutted me. If I didn't have the scar on my eye, I would have beaten him. I'm sure of that."

Despite not being able to obliterate Tyson inside the ring, Nielsen remains proud of his accomplishments in the sport. He was a 1992 Olympic bronze medalist and managed to build an impressive winning record against established names in the pros.

Meanwhile, Holyfield shares Nielsen's opinion when it comes to his and Tyson's levels. “The Real Deal” addressed the comparisons in July, saying, “He [Tyson] can do everything good and he had the punching power that he knocked all the people out. I didn’t have that kind of power but I was a skillful boxer.”