Foreman vs Ibeabuchi?

Best day Foreman beat Joe Frazier. Enough said.

 

No I don't think so. Frazier was not of 1968-71 circa when George dismantled him but Joe was still another level ahead of either Byrd or Tua. Ingo Johansson beat better guys. Imagine ingo was forced into retirement after his first Patterson win!

I liked Ike. He looked like he had nice moves and pace for a big guy but it was over before it begun. Nobody knew who he was before the Tua fight. He never stood out before then, just another muscle man with a groomed record. Even the Tua fight was just a meeting of prospects. We saw a lot more of Micheal Grant and where that led to. Sometimes it's the not knowing that elevates people like ibeabuchi and Tony Ayala.

 

Im not sure trading with someone like a prime Foreman would be a good idea.

Tua was a small plodder, Foreman was a whole different proposition altogether,.however that said, the one guy crazy enough to duke it out with Foreman would be Ike

 

I think Foreman....again, Young Foreman, either the version who stopped Chuvalo, or the conqueror of Frazier and Norton would have overwhelmed Ike as well. Best days of both men...Foreman tko 4 Ibeabuchi.

 

Who did Ayala beat on the level of Byrd and Tua?

 

Nobody. but the years he was away he got hyped just as much as ike.

 

And Ike is very different. Ike had a jab, and could hit from long range. His chin was A+ as he took the best Tua had, and he had the stamina to fight hard for 12 rounds. Frazier had no jab, a shaky chin vs punchers, and needed to stand close to Foreman to hit him.

While Ike's wasn't around the game for long, he proved he could track down a defensive minded boxer with a good chin and take him our or go toe to toe with a slugger.( Bryd and Tua )

While Foreman's resume is much better, I like Ike to win in the later rounds.

 

Tua was in his best shape for Ike. Foreman's lack of stamina and defense would cost him if he doesn't take Ike out early.

 

Foremans stamina only really came into question in one fight and that was against Ali where Foreman simply got tired of punching Ali and was mentally and physically exhausted, all he needed was an excuse to fall and Ali gave it to him.

I cant think of too many, or any other heavyweights who could implement that game plan that Ali did and get away with it.

If your in Foremans firing range, your in trouble. Although Ike was able to track down the elusive Byrd, Ike primarily was a boxer puncher and not an elusive technician. Hed be there to hit, and that's all the opportunity Foreman needs

 

Ike had a jab in the Tua fight but not one that really stood out in any other fight anymore than a host of other muscle man type prospects. It wasn't a Larry Holmes jab or even a buster Douglas jab. He was not keeping Tua away with it. In fact entertainment wise it was better he did not in the Tua fight. I thought Roy Tiger Williams had a better jab against Larry Holmes. Nobody cares about that.

Did he? The action was of a fast technical pace. Entertaining stuff granted, but not an occasion where either man really sat down and timed their best full blooded shots.

A wonderful fight all the same but even though both men could undoubtedly hit do you think either guy would say that was the hardest they ever bit a man? They were taking their openings as they came. These were young fighters adjusting to an opponent of the same level so they were not going full blooded, I don't think they gave the other the chance to. Not that it was caution, it was frantic and just a level adjustment. I'm glad it was. It was a good learning experience for both.

In one fight. In one fight he proved this bellow elite level. This was young guys.

Frazier had lost the ability to land on the way in by the time he fought Foreman. He had lost one range of his game by then. That's quite a dimension for a swarmer to lose. The man who could time Ali at any distance (in fight one) had to walk right up to Ron Stander before letting shots go.

At his best Frazier had a better weapon than a jab. It was a lead power shot he could double up at any range as a jab. But he had a jab too. You should look for it.

so did George Chuvalo when he knocked out Doug Jones. It's not like Byrd was #1 at the time. At that time Byrd was just another prospect albeit one who went on to be pretty decent at top level. Ingo Johansson knocking out Eddie Machen us a much better example and more impressive.

Toe to toe in a sence yes but this was not a Foreman v Lyle type shoot out. Sometimes you get two punchers who go the distance with each other. They might hit each other with everything but its not with everything they've got. Tua vs Ibeabuchi is but one case. Witherspoon vs Mercer is another.

Well young Foreman had his faults with stamina I will give you that. But it took an Ali to expose this. And Jimmy Young to an extent. Both guys were exceptionally well experienced when they exposed this. Ike as we know simply showed promise. By comparison Ike was far too short on world level experience to go out on a limb for in a match like this.

 

Not so. Foreman was gassed vs Lyle after 5 rounds. Lyle floored and hurt Foreman. I think Ike hit just as hard as Lyle.

Foreman collapsed in his dressing room after the Young fight, which was only 12 rounds. He was tired.

In another fight his cornerman Sandy Saddler told him he had one round left to go, when he had two and Foreman was angry with him.