George Foreman Top-5 ATG HW?

I think it's unreasonable to have him outside your top 10.

It is very reasonable to have him in your top 5.

That's how I would frame it.

 

He's pretty close and I certainly wouldn't argue with anyone who has them in their top 5. His lack of title defenses is the one area where I think he falls short.

Top 5 is pretty lofty, but I think he's closer to top 5 than he is to top 10. 5-7 range for me.

 

took far too long away from the game to be considered top five. the top five all have strong cases for quantity and quality.

 

Too long away?

Since when has that ever been a consideration?

Number of fights, would definitely matter, as would the quality of your opposition and who you beat and how you beat them, but being too long away is not a criteria I've ever heard used before. He has 81 fights that's certainly more than most.

 

Louis and Ali are 1 and 2 respectively, anything after that is a matter of opinion. Sure Foreman has done enough to Merit a top 5 spot, as have many other heavyweights.

 

Agreed

 

I have him 4th, he beat a 29 year old ATG in Frazier, beat a prime Moorer at an age he should have been long retired, beat Norton etc. Also won the Olympic title less than 2 years after starting boxing, can you imagine someone who started boxing in 2014 winning gold at Rio.

 

This. Seems spot on to me.

A top 10 list is very subjective on the criteria used to evaluate fighters. But Big George is a solid ATG in almost every department you care to look at.

 

He came in at 8 on my list. There was very little between the 6-8 spots.

 

compared to the extensive careers of the top fivers - Louis ali holmo lennox and perhaps Marciano -they far outstrip his wins, but moreover, if you took a decade out of their careers they'd be moved down possibly out of the top five too - it'd be like ali on just his first stint, Louis with only half an innings and lennox quitting in the 20th century.

 

Probably has the best heavyweight achievement of all time. Still cant believe he was able to win the title at 46 or whatever age he was way out of shape to boot. He makes my top 5 anyway. His record is actually incredible maybe not in terms of names but 81 fights 70 odd wins is pretty incredible.

I d hate to think what prime george would have done to the guys he fought as out of shape old george. Best comeback ever imo. Fell off the face of the earth went away and got old and fat came back and then won the heavyweight title of the world. Still makes me smile thinking about it.

 

Yes sr,great

 

I have him at 7.