Who are some of the most honest boxers in history? For example, who’s been honest in evaluating his career, opponents, opponents’ skills and power, historical standing, or the people he did business with and his own role in various situations? Boxers, humans, are notorious for spinning stories to make them look better. They’re notorious for complaining that they were wronged, rightly or, um, wrongly. But who told it straight?
George Foreman did not start out as an honest fighter (I prefer realistic to honest) Because Foreman had the ten year gap in his career he was able to come up with a very realistic outlook on his 1968 to 1977 fights. He continued that way throughout the rest of his fighting days.
Franki Randall, when asked if Chavez had hurt him after their first bout, said "every time he hit me." Call it the euphoric glow of victory that can sometimes manifest itself in effusive praise for an opponent, but I think he was being realistic.
George Foreman as soon as he won the title from Smoking Joe Frazier in Jan 1973, chose to play the role of a Villain in the boxing ring and out. He walked around Sullen, much like his idol Charles Sonny Liston did before him. The only thing he did not emulate Liston was hanging out with the underworld figures. But George did walk around with very vicious dogs which frightened the press, and were meant to.
I've read -- and gotten the impression myself -- that Foreman in his second career remained somewhat unreliable. It's just that the way he slanted his accounts changed, becoming more humble and self-effacing.
By the way, this is a very good thread topic. In boxing history, it would really help in evaluating sources to find the most reliable witnesses / narrators.
The trouble is you cannot take the word of everybody, there might be for example a prejudice of certain fighters from a supposedly reliable witness who might turn out to be not so reliable.
lol @ George Foreman being honest. To this day, he still makes up new excuses for why he lost to Ali. First it was being drugged. Then it was Ali paying off the refs. Then it was Dundee loosening the ropes before the fight. He still can't come to grips with the fact that Ali straight up humiliated in Zaire.
Denial is an obstacle for normal mental health, believing ones lies leads to denial. Acceptance helps break down that barrier.
Actually I read an interview with him where he's rather up-front about Ali "drugged ne with that right hand, " and how he was "just too smart for me then." I think it was Hauser's book.
Some of us guys do not spend all day on the computer to investigate, and how do you know who is honest?