Tyson angry after getting owned in sparring.

Mike Tyson flatly refused a Foreman fight, telling Don King in the presence of Hall of Famer Bobby Goodman and other witnesses that he would not fight Foreman

Bobby Goodman has said repeatedly on the record, backed by six other people, and never disputed by Mike Tyson, "****in' Tyson is scared **** less of Foreman and wants no part of him. I was there when Don was trying to make the fight. He was telling Tyson that Foreman represented huge money, plus he was old and slow and would be no problem. Tyson got up and screamed at King saying, 'I'm not fight in' that ****in' animal, if you love the mother****er so much, you fight him!'"

Those writers who belittle Frank Lotizero, who chronicled these events in 1990 are slandering a highly respected, award winning journalist with no proof

Frank Lotierzo is an award winning staff writer for NY Fights. Over the years, his work has appeared in ESPN, The Sweet Science, Boxing Illustrated, Fight Game, Ring, Cox’s Corner, and Boxing Scene. He also works on ESPN radio. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was an amateur boxer based out of Philadelphia and trained by George Benton. He is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Lotierzo in his nearly 40 year career, has never been accused of any wrongdoing in any story. Never. Anyone calling him a hack, or accusing him of fabricating a story is simply slandering an award winning journalist with no proof except fanboy resentment that he reports facts as they are.

Award winning journalist Frank Lotizero broke this story 30 years ago, it has been reprinted six times, never denied by Mike

Frank Lotierzo, on the record for Cox's Corner, said it best 30 years ago: "I haven't a morsel of a doubt that Tyson just doesn't match up with Foreman, and he knows it. Tyson of 1990 was afraid of an old Foreman."

According to highly respected boxing writer and historian Frank Lotierzo, he went to out to eat with Georgie Benton, Lou Duva and Bobby Goodman on June 1, 1990. (all were in Atlantic City for the Holyfield - McDonagh fight) At the time, Goodman was Don King's matchmaker. Lotierzo had known Benton for many years, and through him Duva. He had been introduced to Goodman a couple weeks before Tyson fought Larry Holmes at the Convention Center in Atlantic City in January 1988.

While the group was eating that day in 1990, according to Lotierzo, who has written and spoken about this extensively, and Goodman, who has spoken about it on the record, Benton said, "Bobby, what's up with Foreman and Tyson, how come they're not fighting each other on the 16th? Isn't that the fight that King was trying to make?"

Goodman then said, "Georgie, You'll never believe this but, ****in' Tyson is scared **** less of Foreman and wants no part of him. I was there when Don was trying to make the fight. He was telling Tyson that Foreman represented huge money, plus he was old and slow and would be no problem. Tyson got up and screamed at King saying, 'I'm not fight in' that ****in' animal, if you love the mother****er so much, you fight him!'"

Lotierzo also wrote and has said that all through the lunch Goodman, Duva, Benton, and himself shared stories on the fight game. In addition to what he had already said about Tyson and Foreman, Goodman added later, "oh I remember why else Tyson wanted no parts of Foreman. He said that King had found out from Steve Lott that Tyson and Cus D'Amato used to watch the Frazier-Foreman fight over and over." He went on to say that Tyson loved that fight because he was awed by Foreman's power and Frazier's toughness and how he kept getting up after every knockdown.

Goodman also told the group that Lott told King that Cus sat alongside Tyson saying, "It's suicide against Foreman if you're short and fight a swarming attacking style like Marciano or Frazier." Cus, of course, never dreamed that Foreman could be a possible Tyson opponent so many years later. According to Goodman, Cus said the only fighters who had a chance against Foreman were, tall rangy fighters who could fight him from a distance while moving away from him, and no way any swarmer could beat Foreman by going to him.

Lotierzo has written on the record that he subsequently talked to people who were involved with promoting Foreman, including Ron Weathers who promoted some of Foreman's fights after his coming out of retirement. Weathers told Lotierzo the same story. The fight didn't happen because of Tyson's fear of losing to Big George. Bob Arum also said that he dreamed of making Foreman -Tyson. He said it would be huge money and that Foreman would stop Tyson easier than he did Frazier. Lotierzo also wrote he has heard the same story, of Tyson fearing Foreman from George's brother Roy who was his business manager.

The story was confirmed on the record by six people, and reprinted 6 times in 30 years without anyone, including Mike, disputing a syllable

Lotierzo confirmed the facts of this story with those present that day, Goodman, Benton, and Lou Duva, Roy Weathers, Roy Foreman, Don King, and Bob Arum

Not one person, including Mike Tyson, have disputed one fact in 30 years, while the story has been reprinted six times, and featured on ESPN.

For people who claim this is only "hearsay," a journalist's sources, undisputed by 4 people who were there, including Mike Tyson, for 28 years, that claim is absurd. They simply do not want to believe Tyson didn’t want the fight. (Mike himself doesn't deny it!)

The original story, well sourced, and undisputed, is reprinted on the Sweet Science, online here:

Why We Never Saw Foreman-Tyson

George also discusses Mike not wanting to fight him here:

Foreman: We Had Serious Talks, Mike Tyson Didn't Want To Fight

Frank Lotierzo, on the record for Cox's Corner, said it best 30 years ago: "I haven't a morsel of a doubt that Tyson just doesn't match up with Foreman, and he knows it. If Tyson of 1990 was afraid of an old Foreman, think how petrified he would of been of a prime Foreman, the one who stared down both Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali in 1973 and 1974."

The claims George said he was afraid of Tyson don’t mention that those statements were made 30 years later, with George in his lovable Grandpa mode

George has made various statements through the years, and the claims he said he was afraid of Tyson, blah, blah, blah, are based solely off a recent interview (available - of course - on you-tube) in which George did his usual self effacing Grandpa schick, which he perfected to sell products he advertises.

George also said recently he hid under his bed watching Deontay Wilder fight.

Anyone who believes either should immediately be forced to go buy 14 Foreman grills.

A better grasp on what Foreman really thinks is what he said close to the events in question, in his autobiography By George, where he said “I never feared any man on earth. If I said I did, its because you are supposed to say those things.”

Foreman made extremely clear at the time, as he said, “Mike would have had to come to me, just like Joe Frazier, and that would be that.”

Just like Cus told Mike back in the late 70’s…

Only in a never was reality would Tyson have taken a Foreman fight!

Mike Tyson, a student of the fight game, watched films of Foreman, and was convinced he was just too strong, and would have overwhelmed the much smaller man. Now given that Foreman was 45 after Moorer, and much slower than in 1990, Mike might have been able to avoid his blows and survive - but I still doubt it.

Mike has a 71 inch reach, 8 1/2 inches shorter than Foreman’s. He would have to come to him, as Cus warned him not to do, and would have been hit on the way in.

Goodnight Mike…

 

Do you really expect me to read that? Post something shorter.

 

I did not expect anything by Tyson fan who do not want to face true facts!
Shorter?Goodman then said, "Georgie, You'll never believe this but, ****in' Tyson is scared **** less of Foreman and wants no part of him. I was there when Don was trying to make the fight. He was telling Tyson that Foreman represented huge money, plus he was old and slow and would be no problem. Tyson got up and screamed at King saying, 'I'm not fight in' that ****in' animal, if you love the mother****er so much, you fight him!'"
Goodman also told the group that Lott told King that Cus sat alongside Tyson saying, "It's suicide against Foreman if you're short and fight a swarming attacking style like Marciano or Frazier." Cus, of course, never dreamed that Foreman could be a possible Tyson opponent so many years later. According to Goodman, Cus said the only fighters who had a chance against Foreman were, tall rangy fighters who could fight him from a distance while moving away from him, and no way any swarmer could beat Foreman by going to him.

 

After Foreman lost to Roidyfield in april 1991, Don King offered him $20 million to face Tyson. Foreman and his promoter Bob Arum, refused, saying they wanted a rematch with Roidyfield.
Soon after Tyson beat Ruddock for the second time (in July 1991), the Roidyfield - Tyson fight was made to the dismay of Foreman and Bob Arum.
Immediately after Roidyfield and Tyson signed an agreement for November 1991, Foreman and Bob Arum filed a $100 million breach of contract suit against Roidyfield.

Foreman might have been a horrific matchup for Frazier, but Tyson was not exactly a pressure fighter like Frazier, but more of a counter puncher, at least in his prime. Given that Roidyfield and Morrison beat Foreman, Tyson had more than a good enough chance of doing the same.

 

Yeah, he's saying that he won't fight ''that animal'' but he wanted to fight a silverback gorilla so he offered a zookeeper 10k.

 

Another myth!That is myth as many myths about him!
Like story about him and Lennox which was myth where he was beaten in sparing!
Foreman believes Tyson's original trainer, Cus D'Amato warned him with stories of Foreman's power from when Big George was blasting out guys like Joe Frazier.

"There were a couple of times, serious negotiations were going on with the Mike Tyson fight. Mike Tyson just didn’t want to fight me. Not to say he couldn’t have beaten me. I mean, this guy could punch. The bigger they are the harder they’d fall as far as Mike Tyson was concerned," Foreman told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.

"I guess that I have a feeling, his first original trainer and manager, Cus D’Amato, must have told him about George Foreman’s punching power as though I would never comeback. So sometimes when you come back and a guy remembers those stories, he says to himself, ‘Look, leave that guy alone’. But I don’t think I would have been that much problems to him. I had a good left jab and I’d always do better when guys come to me, but Tyson was pretty smart with his footwork and hand speed. That would have been a tough fight for me. "

 

Stop twisting facts. Lennox himself said that in the first few sparring sessions, Tyson roughed him up. Then he adapted and evened the situation.

 

Bro it's not a myth that Tyson beat Lennox Lewis in sparring.

 

Stop bullshiting and your twistin and viewing of facts in favor of Tyson!
Lennox said it was hard in the beggining and that Mike was slightly better but that he owned him after 2 days sparing and Cus warned Mike!
Just like Holyfield beat Tyson in sparing!

 

Why doesn't he want to show the tapes tho?

 

Stop bullshiting and your twistin and viewing of facts in favor of Tyson!
Lennox said it was hard in the beggining and that Mike was slightly better but that he owned him after 2 days sparing and Cus warned Mike!
Just like Holyfield beat Tyson in sparing!

 

Oops accidentally deleted a part of my response but Tyson did beat Lewis in the first sparring match but then Lewis got used to his style and adapted to it and made it more even.

 

OOps you faced facts as ducking Foreman!
Tyson did not beat Lewis bu showed better skills in sparing!After only 2 sparings Lewis adapted and guess what he beat Tyson so bad that Cus warned him that he would face him in the future!
What about Holyfield beating Tyson in sparing 1984 it was also proven?

 

Stop bullshitting. Tyson roughed up Lennox in the beginning, then Lewis adapted and could match him. There was no such thing as "he beat Tyson so bad", stop writing garbage. Nobody gets beat bad in sparring sessions like these, it's for practice purposes, so they don't risk getting injured. Tyson simply started more aggressive and rough which shook Lewis cause he wasn't used to it. Then Lewis adapted and fired back, there was nothing more.
And Tyson was just a kid when he spared Holyfield. Plus, yet again, they didn't go all out, it's just sparring.

 

You are the one who here bull**** too much!Tyson tried his best best and Lewis had hard time first two times!
After that according to all who witnessed Tyson got beaten!After few sparing Lewis started to dominate him like never did before!Cus saw that and said to Tyson to be careful because he would face Tyson some day!Yeah right nobody gets beaten but Tyson got beaten by few of them!
"And Tyson was just a kid when he spared Holyfield. Plus, yet again, they didn't go all out, it's just sparring"
Another excuses by stupid Tyson fan!He was not kid he was very good and experienced and prepared for Olympics and he was enough experienced to fight at Jr Olympics!So that excuse I put down!
Second thing what about weight difference?Holyfield was not even 185 and Tyson was 200 pounder!So it was LHW against HW!
They had same experience,Tyson was not a kid and even was bigger and outweighed Holy by atleast 15lb!
So LHW beat HW!Holyfield had more rights to use excuse because they called him to spar with winner of Golden gloves and Jr Olympics who was bigger than him and even then Holyfield beat him!
I put you down and I will put you like every other Tyson boy with excuses!
So I proved he ducked Foreman and he was beaten so wanna do this yourself anymore because I had all the time to put you down?