Ali wasn't destroyed or completely and utterly had his ass kicked. Frazier spent time in hospital after the Ali fight and was never the same again.
His Career is close to top 5. No worse than 6th on career. However the eye test tells me no. Let's face it. He never gets that title shot against Moorer after losing to Morrison if his name wasn't Goerge Foreman. Frazier was also a nice styler matchup for him. I think prime Tyson had more skills and Liston was a better pure boxer. A win over 79-83 Holmes could have convinced me he was top 5.
Foreman did not need holmes absolutely for nothing,holmes was the one who one desperated to included the name of foreman in his resume,the team of holmes was offered to fight foreman in 1976 and they wanted no part of george,under the excuse holmes was not ready at that time.foreman destroyed frazier and peak norton,both men that probably would have beaten him
Foreman is an atg top 5 for sure. It would take a special kind of fighter to beat prime Foreman. That fighter has to be tough as nails as well as speed and stamina. Ali was one of those fighters.
Not rocket science is it. Holmes was a couple of years away from being ready for top competition. Holmes was brought thru beautifully, not rushed and learning the tools of his trade well. In the wash up Foreman had 37 fights to Holmes 27 before challenging for the title, tho he did cram them in there fast.
It is just fantasy,and some idiots still think that foreman did avoid holmes in the 70s,when it could not be more wrong
That's not being said here, they are simply saying that if Foreman did happen to hang about and beat Holmes he would have moved up the list further, probably convinced them of a top 5 status.