The point was whether Foreman was the first super heavyweight and benefited from being the only one. Point destroyed on multiple levels.
You can’t be a great knock out artist without being able to cut off a ring. Ali even stated he didn’t realize how good Foreman was at cutting off the ring. Young Foreman obviously had flaws. But I hate to break it to you 99.9 percent of ATG fighters have flaws. Foreman had stamina issues when he was younger. Pacing problems. Nervous issues. Defensive lapses. But you can say any great heavyweight and we can pick them apart.
Wrong, Irrelevant we have film watch it sometime, Yes they do I’m simply stating that 70s Foreman H2H is overrated he was still a great HW.
What was wrong and irrelevant? Foreman was certainly great at cutting off a ring and great knock out artists have to be good at cutting off a ring...having a hard time understanding what you don’t. You can feel whatever way you want h2h. You would be wrong in this case but to each their own.
If you are so closed minded why do you talk to me? George in the Peralta fight did not cut the ring very well at all- watch it. I am wrong in your eyes yes, In mine no, have you watched Foreman fight? genuinely curios, see even though he had Ali against the ropes what was the point? of course he got him to the ropes yet he still lost they took the fight because they thought Alis legs were gone. Jimmy handled George with relative ease, he turned and moved him around plenty, he even walked George down at one point and stood toe to toe on more then one occasion what a force!
This is a boxing forum where people do talk to each other. I don’t have to speak to you. And no never saw that Foreman guy fight? Should I watch a fight or two?
It hardly was boring when it was all happening though, I don't think? The fight of the century and the rumble were two of the biggest sporting events of all time. Frazier - Foreman 1 was probably the most famous beatdown in boxing in history. And biggest destruction of an undefeated champ. All the champs Frazier, Foreman, Ali were more interesting and had more personality than heavies or any boxers now. Then you have possibly the most famous sporting comeback of Foreman years after he retired. Incidentally Foreman retired essentially because he was crushed from losing his title for fighting the wrong fight. The Young fight was just the nail in the coffin. He was clever in the ring, the performance in Zaire where he let his ego get the better of him is all people remember from Foreman's career. Boxing was massive 50 years ago, today it's no more than a fringe sport, at least in English speaking countries. I'd pick Lyle to KO Joshua and Ali to beat Fury and Foreman to KO Ruiz or Wilder.
It was less of an statement of what James Bonecrusher Smith did to Weaver or Witherspoon for that matter. If the lottery punch hadn´t land on a non-recuperative, glassy chin at the absolute right time (who used to get up anyway), we wouldn´t debate 10 pages plus on that. Since the 5 % outcome happened, one of them becomes a KO-artist, while the other gets mocked for a bout that 95 % of this board never saw (Frazier). I´m pretty sure @NoNeck agrees with me on that.
All Young did against Foreman was survive and clinch for most of the fight. Foreman just completely exhausted himself against a survival artist.
Re-watch the fight if you can stand his style, Jimmy "fought" very well against George regardless of how unappealing it was he did win doubtlessly he even put George against the ropes at times, stunned him on more then one occasion and backed Foreman up multiple time while also handling him on the inside and even in the clinches.
It was a masterful performance, somewhat comparable to the first Holmes/Shavers fight. Jimmy even survived a couple of potentially terrifying Foreman onslaughts.
In order to accept Foreman is so good, powerful ect you have to accept Jimmy Young was better most people want to live in a world where George carried Young or that he was just conserving energy ect ect ect, the reality is it was the worst schooling of his career and he was still in his prime. despite what people will say to elevate "Young" Foreman. It was a lesson Jimmy simply asked questions George could not answer.
So much so, I tend to wonder about the matchmaking there. Foreman's management perhaps should have taken heed to George's past performances against boxers.
