Did Foreman's chin improve with age. Why did Ali drop him but not Holy or Moorer?

This is gold. Comedy gold, that is.

Ali's punch did not travel at 1300 an hour. Becuase it is ridiculous.

 

It's funny, I wondered the same thing. It wasn't simply exhaustion that caused Foreman to drop. Ali hurt Foreman in the final minute of the third round, and again in the fourth round. And yet, Shannon Briggs, widely regarded as the Earnie Shavers of the 1990s, couldn't do a thing with him, even after 12 rounds. Tommy Morrison, also considered a very hard hitter, couldn't hurt him for a full 12 rounds.

I don't know if Foreman's CHIN improved, but his defence certainly did. In his first act, his main means of defence was to hold you for a second, and then push you into his ideal punching range. It wasn't until his second act that he developed an actual defence technique. That combined with his more economical output allowed him to see punches coming better and brace for impact better. And yes, it helped him to get through 12 rounds more easily as well.

The trade-off was that he lost the ability to stop fighters who his younger self could have easily stopped, like Morrison.

 

The size of today's fighters gets blown way out of proportion. During Foreman and Ali's era, the goal was to come in as light as possible. A lot of guys, including Foreman, would dry out before a fight; light was considered right back then. Today, a lot of guys like to come into the ring looking like bodybuilders or strongmen. The fact that the average heavyweight weighs a lot more than the average heavyweight of 30-50 years ago has more to do with the focus being placed on muscle and strength as opposed to speed and stamina. I'm sure George Foreman, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton could have easily fought 15-20 pounds over their prime weights and still been effective. Would they have been more effective? Who knows.
But the actual sizes of people have not increased much in the last 3 or 4 or 5 decades.

 

Which revives the old saying, "The exception which proves the rule." George may very well represent that exception.

Fact is, he was dropped four times during the 1970s, not once during his decade long second career. James Toney also stunned people with his punch resistance as he got older and heavier against the likes of Peter [who everybody expected would blast "Lights Out" into a shattered bulb as soon as the bell rang for their first bout].

 

So why make a thread asking why he got dropped?

Holyfield and Moorer didn't rope-a-dope him in the intense Congolese heat, did they?

Your whole premise is self-defeating.

 

I would agree. He had the better body and probably a chunk more brute power when when he was younger. George learned how to take a punch better, keep his jab up and work behind his right hand. He showed some of this in the Uniondale rematch with Joe. Less wild, winging shots and more laboured focused shots with better guard.

Ali dropped him with a string of punches. You have to consider that he was off-balance when Ali caught him and turned him around from the corner. Add in the fatigue from punching himself out and whatever you want to say about the loose ropes. That is how Ali put him down.

George took some bombs from Holyfield and Moorer but those punches he saw more clearly from those two. Ali's hand speed was a factor too.

 

being a world class puncher means being able to knock out world class fighters. how many world class fighters did morrison knockout?

 

Firstly, power on its own isn't worth two buckets of warm spit.

There are pleanty of fighters with top end power that never get anywhere.

Secondly, it dosn't matter whow strong your era is, if you are loosing to the best fighters in it, and the teir beneath them.

Who did Morrison actualy beat?

If fact when did he ever put a world class fighter down for the count?

He knocked out pleanty of C grade fighters, but when he fought the best he generaly lost, and when he won it was either by decision or technical knockout.

 

Very good point

Foreman facing Holyfield, Moorer, Morrison, Qawi, Stewart and calling out Tyson. All small guys or guys with dodgy chins like Moorer/Morrison.

Funny how names like Lewis, Tucker, Ruddock, Bruno, Bowe, Mcall and Holmes are missing

 

:stirWell, the first six were afraid of him, and he retired for ten years to avoid the last.

 

scared of him? did foreman not drop the belt to skip Tucker?

 

There are three potential conclusions here, which would explain the known facts.

A. Foreman had a better chin in his 40s than in his 20s.
B. The heavyweights in the 90s were not as effective as punchers as you give them credit for being.
C. Foreman made certain changes to his style that alowed him to conserve energy and avoid punishment.

Given that A has never been observed in the entire history of the sport, I would suggest that the answer is a combination of B and C.

 

Ya musta been a gold medalist on your school debating team, j