Prime George Foreman vs Prime Wlad Klitchsko

Not even Lewis would want to try control Foreman with the clinch tactic. He's too dangerous and too powerful to be contained inside the hit-box.

Wlads strategy of jab , hold , bear hug and octopus grab is probably the worst approach to take to Foreman , especially for a guy like Wlad who has both a fragile chin and mental state.

Just picture all that groping he did against Povektin.. Its too much contact inside Foreman's blast range. Wlad would obvious melt like he did against Brewster.

 

Me neither. And, despite all of the **** taking regarding his crude style and ‘mummy’ movement, everything Foreman did, up to and including Ali, he did with focussed purpose; he was just a really effective fighter.

Even post-Ali Foreman carried that original menace.

 

I try not to picture Wlad/Povetkin: the most nauseating of heavyweight title fights.

 

Yes youre right but the "Stewards cure" was at the beginning.

 

This is a fight that after it ends people will say see I told you so.

On one hand there is no way Foreman who did very poorly vs. good jabbers ( Ali, Young, and Lyle ) could handle Wlads jab, cross, speed and movement. He'd look very small next to Wlad, and his gas tank and ring IQ were weak points.

On the other hand Foreman's power could take Wlad out at any time...yet he was outboxed easy by Young and floored, and floored and hurt by Lyle, showing the limitation on his chin and defense in both fights. Ali jab and clinching took Foreman out of the game.

So who wins? Wlad probably jabs, and clinches his way out of the early rounds, taking out Foreman later. Wlad's clinching skills are as good or better than Alis, and his footwork and stamina for the later rounds is severely underrated. You harldy ever saw Wald on the ropes or in a corner.

Foreman has an interesting place in history and frankly is a little overrated because of it. Ali beat him, it's his best win so obviously, Ali fans are going to think the world of Foreman, even though the film shows Foreman looked pretty bad in that fight. If this was Foreman's only filmed fight, people would say he didn't hit THAT hard and wasn't THAT good. And Fraizer fans because Foreman bounced him out so quickly think Foreman does the same to others. Yeah, small swarming types, for sure, but not many boxer movers types who fight smart, and can hit. Foreman himself doesn't think he'd win here, calling Wlad and Lennox the best ever. While I think Foreman could win, super heavyweights with skills are the different weight class and animal and Foreman never fought any of them.

 

Fury or mike ?

 

I'm asking who were all these elite heavies Wladmir defended his belts against?

He lost to fury and fury is good but he only has 2 decent wins so we can't really call him elite or a hall of famer until he retires or we at least see more out of him.

 

Wladmir crumbled under pressure from Brewster and Peter who were 6'2 and didn't have half of Foreman's power, skill, or aggression. The size issue wouldn't be an issue at all.

Wlad has the tools, I just don't think he has the mental fortitude to bet confidently on him. You say foreman is weak to technical fighters with good jabs who can clinch, but its also true wlad is weak to relentless sluggers. Foreman also had a powerful jab in case you forgot.

 

Agreed. Foreman is of a very similar stamp to Sanders, who didn't appear to be disadvantaged by size, when facing Wlad.

 

Foreman was a force of nature at that time. Uncommon power, mean, physcopath with gloves on. He was one of the best finishers outside of Peter North.
Wlad? He would be intimidated from the outset. That wont bode well for him. Foreman would smell that a mile away. Manny would remind Wlad to clinch every chance he gets. That might work but he will not find it easy to control George.
I see Foreman clubbing Wlad to the canvas in 3 or 4. It would be hard to watch.

 

Good post.

Just a few points:

Saying that Foreman would have looked very small next to him is an exaggeration.

You'd have to ponder what sort of mindset Wlad would have been in for the fight. Those early losses really had a huge psychological affect on how he fought.

Would he have had the confidence that guys like Lyle and Ali had, in order to fight to his full capabilities?

I'm not sure.

I think that George would have intimidated him.

I think Wlad would have fought very cautiously.

 

Great post.

 

People tend to forget that Wlad was a monster puncher with either hand .. this is a very tough fight to pick ..

 

Wlad was 245. Foreman 217-220. Wlad was 6'6". Foreman about 6'3". Wlad also had the edge in reach. There is a noticeable size and weight difference. Wlad had trouble with fast handed guys, Foreman was not fast.