George Foreman Circa 1969 V Joe Frazier Circa 1970

Foreman obviously but the fanboy in me was forced to vote for Frazier, I couldn’t help myself!

 

Joe might have a chance under those circumstances

 

A 20 year old with one year's experience against an ATG who was a year away from putting in one of the greatest performances in HW championship boxing history...?

I don't care how the actual fight panned out. I only see one winner here.

 

Frazier lopsided UD. George was too inexperienced

 

Oh I just read it was ‘69 Foreman. Frazier definitely wins here. I thought it was prime for prime. My apologies.

 

I guess it depends on how much stock you put into Foreman’s stylistic/power advantage and the earliest point in his career when that advantage might eclipse Frazier.

1969 is too early experience/development wise and I don’t know that Foreman had quite settled in to his own preferred/optimal style.

However, George did move quickly after turning pro.

His stoppage of Chuvalo in 1970 was more than impressive - by that stage was he perhaps on the cusp, if not already there, in terms of his potential to beat Joe?

Nothing against George, but I personally like a scenario in which Joe doesn’t get stopped/KO’d by Foreman - that means Joe is upright and an upright Joe keeps punching, getting his licks in - so, for this one, Joe wins a UD if he doesn’t actually stop George - and a stoppage is not at all out of the question.

 

This put it way better than I did.

 

Tbh I think Foreman gasses out in this scenario due to Frazier’s relentless body work.

 

That could definitely be on/in the cards. Frightening enough to be fresh and deal with Joe’s relentless pressure, so much more scary if you began to gas badly…as GF was prone to.

 

Style nightmare. It is hard to say Frazier wins, even tipping the scales in such a way pitting peak Frazier against George in his first year pro. But in that first year he knocked out 12 people. I just don't see how Frazier changes the result. It would be one thing if George used "learned pro skills" to beat Frazier, but he pretty much just smashed him. I can't see how Frazier doesn't bob his head straight into an uppercut from Foreman. To me it isn't changing the perspective enough from when they actually fought in 1973 to make it favorable for Frazier, who is one of my all time favorites.

 

No worries.

 

Joe was probably shot for there fight to be honest. He burned bright but not for long. He’d absolutely smash this Foreman like it’d be inhumane to actual have this fight happen.

Second, Foreman hardly wiped out Frazier the second time when he was just in the worst state. The first fight could’ve been caused by a lot a rematch never happened so we don’t know how it would’ve gone down. Truly flukes happen.

 

Frazier was burnt out, out of shape & shop worn against Foreman in 73. He peaked in 71. In 70 he was right in his prime. Foreman would be WAY too green & inexperienced to beat Frazier at this point. He gets outwotked & stopped late. Maybe he goes the distance...

 

Very true. Frazier was burnt out post FOTC. He took a year off to fight 2 fringe contenders before the Foreman fight. The FOTC fight took YEARS off of Frazier & he was never that good again...