Foreman does not retire in 1977.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Charlietf, Mar 17, 2020.


  1. Charlietf

    Charlietf Well-Known Member Full Member

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    besides of the Holmes vs Foreman debate who would stop his streak of wins in the period 1978-1985.

    I see him destroying this list of guys.

    Cooney
    Norton
    Cobb
    Occasio
    Shavers
    Berbick
    Tate
    Weaver
    Spoon
    Smith
    Tubbs had a good style against Foreman but not the chin to survive
    Dokes the same
    Coetzee
    Rivalta
    Snipes
    Evangelista
    Page
    Michael Spinks is a good one but i don't know if he would be able to survive all the fight
    Jimmy young in the very late 70s and 80s was finished and i can't see him doing what he did in 1977 again
     
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  2. CANNONBALL

    CANNONBALL Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Foreman wins quickly (inside 4) vs - Cooney, Norton, Cobb, Ocasio, Shavers, Berbick, Weaver and Evangalista

    Foreman wins mid rounds (4-8) vs - Tate,Tubbs, Dokes, Coetzee, Ribalta, Young and Spinks

    Foreman late stoppage/decision vs - Smith. Could see Bonecrusher being negative and gunshy and ultimately getting stopped around the 9th

    - Witherspoon is perhaps the best of this bunch and would be competative and has enough skills
    and toughness to last the course
    - Snipes fiddles his way thru the early rounds but is winning nothing when stopped in 7
    - Page had skills and toughness but gets hammered
     
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  3. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Had George not retired in early 1977, he'd have likely been the top challenger for Ken Norton in '78 when Norton outpointed Young and was later awarded the WBC belt that spring.

    Foreman's loss to Jimmy Young gets blown way out of proportion because George retired afterward. Had he continued fighting, it would be put in its proper persective. Foreman was hospitalized for severe dehyrdration after the bout. He was hallucinating in his locker room moments after the fight. Hall of Famers like Barry McGuigan got dehydrated and lost to lesser fighters like Stevie Cruz. It happens. But people around here blow Young's abilities all out of proportion based on that "win."

    Foreman destroys Norton again in '78. If Ali had decided to rematch George in 78 or 79, maybe in a unification, George beats the older Ali, too.

    Maybe Larry (if he never fought Norton) pulls the upset over George. But he's the only one I see really giving George any trouble for years. Foreman would've likely skated thru the early 80s. There wasn't anyone around who would've been picked as a sure favorite to knock him off.

    That said, George might have an off night here or there. So maybe someone unexpected slips in.

    Or maybe we'd be talking about a Foreman-Holmes trilogy.

    Or he may have remained unbeaten until Mike Tyson showed up on the scene when George was 37.

    But, other than a guy here or there, there wasn't much that would've stopped him. It wasn't like there was a wave of young fighters coming up in the late 70s, early 80s who all would've dominated George had he continued on. He was only 28 when he called it quits.
     
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  4. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    If George had not retired in 1977, following the March 17 1977 loss to Jimmy Young, I see him taking on Earnie Shavers, in a Battle Of The Bruisers, Both fighters score knockdowns, but I see George the winner by KO 6, sightly better stamina. Then I see a rematch against Ali on Sept 29 1977, in Madison Square Garden, Ali retains by a TKO 12.
     
  5. Charlietf

    Charlietf Well-Known Member Full Member

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    The version of Ali who fought shavers in 1977 was a zombie. Only the Ali fanboys want to believe that Ali would beat Foreman at that time. It would not happen. Ali was,static, old,weak with brain damage
     
  6. cleglue1

    cleglue1 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Ali takes too much damage from Foreman in 1977, something is bound to go wrong during that fight. Busted ear drum or something of that nature.
     
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  7. The Long Count

    The Long Count Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Foreman’s invincibility was gone he had lost twice to the best boxers he fought and went life and death with Lyle. He isn’t steamrolling the opposition he would def lose again. To whom I’m not sure but when you pick up some losses more will follow.
     
  8. Charlietf

    Charlietf Well-Known Member Full Member

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    It is the moment, we can welcome to the trolls lol
     
  9. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    You may be right of his neurological state at that particular time but bottom line, Ali won and withstood Shavers best without getting knocked down. Sure I am a fan of Muhammad Ali, but it seems to me, you are a die hard fan of WBC World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury. Different Strokes for Different Folks. Everyone has the right to be a fan of any athlete that they choose.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2020
  10. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Page actually may have beaten the post-Zaire/pre-comeback George, same with Pinklon Thomas. The other guys would lose, but I doubt Witherspoon, Berbick, Weaver, Ribalta go down without a fight. Especially Witherspoon, who might have even knocked him down (he definitely had a really good right hand, Weaver too).
     
  11. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    George Foreman continuing post 1977 and beating all of the above mentioned names is plausible in theory and he might well have. But there is more involved then just what appears on the surface..

    Foreman left boxing for a reason late the late seventies. His focus was gone and so was much of his confidence. He took the next ten years off to take up being a minister, perhaps indicating that he needed to find himself in some way... upon deciding to return to the ring he was grossly overweight and now in his late 30’s... he needed a new plan and a reinvention... he needed to pace himself, improve his defense, clinch when needed and approach the game with a whole different attitude and persona....

    Would he have needed this had he never retired to begin with ? Perhaps in the beginning. But I’m thinking that by about 1983-1984 something would have had to change as he would have now been 35 ish years old. Tim Witherspoon. Greg Page and Michael Spinks would have been very tough fights in the mid eighties had he not.
     
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  12. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Great post, but I have to respectfully disagree about Spinks. I don't think Spinks would make it past the third round against Foreman, he just couldn't take a flush shot from him (and eventually he would get hit). Spinks had a free ticket as a heavyweight against a three-years-past-it Larry Holmes and a woefully drug-addled Cooney. He never beat anybody young and hot in that division, when he did fight someone like that he got his head torn off. Foreman hit harder.
     
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  13. Charlietf

    Charlietf Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Ribalta ,berbick and weaver? Give me a break.
    Thomas had the box but i don't know if he had the footwork enough. Spoon was too much aggressive to survive against george
     
  14. Charlietf

    Charlietf Well-Known Member Full Member

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    A die hard Tyson Fury fight? I mentioned him maybe 3 times on this forum. So if i am being honest and say that h2h the guy is hard for everybody then i am a fanatic?. Yes you have right to be a fan of any athlete of course, but it is a little ridiculous when you listen Ali fanboys picking him to beat Foreman in the very late 70s close to the 80s. Ali would have struggled to beat Foreman even in 1976. Yes Ali made magic in 1974 when he stopped an undefeated beast in his prime but this happened once. 1974 end of history Ali . the people talk like if Ali would have beaten Foreman every time they ever fought in the real line of the time. It is a joke.
     
  15. GoldenHulk

    GoldenHulk Boxing Addict Full Member

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    CombatesdeBoxeo welcome back mi amigo I missed you!:)