Zaire, who else could have beat Foreman that night ?

Louis sharpness of punch would give him a shot. Equally,if not more, probable that George blasts Joe out.

 

I think because he would have a man coming right to him who didn't utilize the jab that well with little headmovement or defense. Joe Louis handspeed to get off first and get off second. Foreman would catch clean shots from Joe Louis where I do believe Joe could avoid Big George`s shots better.

Not doubting Foreman`s power or overall strength I just think its a terrible matchup for him. Don't think Joe is going to crouch into those massive uppercuts. He is going to beat Foreman to the punch.

 

James Toney

 

Same guy who had no concept of defense or pacing.

 

Yes,but he did n't find those attributes necessary until he came upon the force of nature that was Muhammad Ali in Zaire.


Consensually,George's sheer brute force and monstrous punching power would have seen him through against most other champions before or since.

 

I think more than a handful of the 80's crop beats Foreman's ass.

 

No he hasn't.

Every time he sounds like he's denying it, he comes right back and says it's true.

Here's an example:

Interview 2006:

In his 2007 book, he comes right back with the claim he was drugged.

 

Foreman would have flattened all of the 80's heavies. Also, Jimmy Young would have been stopped.

 

Chris Byrd :happy:happy:happy
























:blood

 

He was already KO'ed in 2 by Foreman

[yt]spMJcTdyJHM[/yt]

4:53

 

Good point. Same fate as Smokin' Joe

 

I think a number of fantasy opponents could have done it that night. George looked slow (especially in comparison to his challenger). He hadn't been extended any distance since Peralta II, three and a half years earlier, and was increasingly inactive while Ali stayed busy with regular 12 rounders. The manner in which the GOAT knocked him out was unexpectedly sensational and unique, but Foreman had also regressed since Peralta II.

He's admitted freely to purposely avoiding Jerry Quarry, and I do think the much quicker JQ of 1973 replicates the Thad Spencer template to stop Zaire Foreman late with confidence. Speed, stamina and skill could intimidate and surprise Jerry, but not strength and power. (Mac Foster, Earnie Shavers and Ron Lyle could attest to that, and so could the physically powerful Chuvalo, who was being completely taken to school until the bizarre and controversial sudden end.) Foreman had nothing Jerry hadn't already dealt with successfully in competition, and it's commonly known that Quarry handled him pretty well in early sparring sessions. George's chances of intimidating him would have been zilch.

Historically, I'm going to come out of left field, and add Max Baer to some other names already mentioned. He showed he could retreat quickly with consistency against the similarly sized Carnera. Yes, George would cut the ring off on Max consistently, but then he'd find himself confronted by the Baer family power.

Both had tremendous chins and punch resistance, but Max had 20 round stamina to boot (in the extreme midday July desert heat of Nevada, twice on-camera), and he would be no more predictable than Ali was in the jungle. The Larruper laughed through some huge thudding bombs from Galento. (This was in an era of six ounce gloves.) He was far better than Foreman on defense, much more active in protecting himself. The one time George was on the receiving end of shots anything like that during this stage of his career, the significantly older Ron Lyle had him in very serious trouble. Foreman was too wide open, too slow, and too endurance challenged against Ali to survive Max Baer at his best and most focused.

George would have an insurmountable lead on points if this was to last any distance (Max conceded all the rounds he spent racing in retreat from Carnera), but when Baer chose to unload late, Foreman would be too fatigued to withstand as necessary to reach the final bell, his own power and punch resistance having diminished too much for him to get through it.

 

Interesting take. Not hating it.

Quarry could fight and he did beat some good punchers.

 

Almost anyone, Foreman foguht liek ****, claimed he was drugged. I don't hink he was drugged, but just intimidated by crowd and conditions. By start of round 5 he was sucking for air, he was throwing arm punches and did not have ****.

 

Because Ali had totally befuddled him. Not many others could have done that.