Why did Foreman take the loss to Jimmy Young so hard?

Foreman's aura of invincibility was stripped from him by Ali. Like a lot of power punchers through out boxing history once that " aura" or confidence was taken from him, he wasn't the same.
His trainers and managers saw it. That's why the five different boxers in one night fight fiasco came to be. To try and build his confidence up again, ironically it may have hurt him more than helped.
Lyle and Young fought a very different and much less confident version of Foreman than what Norton and Frazier faced.
Spirituality aside. It was Foreman's lack of focus and confidence that was the reason for his loss to Young in my opinion. It took him 10 yrs to regain that confidence.
Also, learning to be himself and stop trying to emulate Sonny Liston also helped him.

 

Maybe because Shavers kicked the crap out of Young? Just throwing that out there.

 

Take that version of Foreman and transplant Foreman II’s brain into his skull, and he demolishes Young.

 

Probably just avoids fighting him tbf.

 

Or has Bob Arum bribe him to take a dive.

 

I wouldn't be so sure of that...

 

A lot of people don't know this but for years within the boxing community, Michael Moorer was rumoured to be JIMMY YOUNG'S SON. When George's son George heard that Young had beaten Michael up when he was twelve, if I have this right, he called Young and told him he would avenge his son by beating his son's father. Then, twenty years later, George realised his son was not going to be that good, so he came back himself, a different George Foreman, and beat Moorer himself. Now, you know how nonsensical boxing rumours and gossip often are. But I like tp think most anything like this is at least partially based on one solitary grain of truth. In this instance, it is true that George's son was named George. So, we know some of this story can be corroborated.

 

Where there is smoke, there is always fire. I’m totally on board with your smoke.

 

Perhaps just me, but I wouldn’t want extreme climate conditions to be the defining feature for the outcome of any fight.

And, factoring body size, style and accents, extreme conditions do not effect fighters equally.

As to Foreman, the puffiness in his face even before first bell seemed to become more noticeable from and including the fight in Zaire.

Puffiness can be a fair sign of dehydration - the body trying to retain the fluids it still has left.

 

He became a Christian and walked away unrtil he needed to raise money for his church. And a few extra coins for his Jack in the Box, Burger King, McDonalds, Wendys, Red Robin, Culvers, Whataburger, KFC, Popeyes, Church's, Bush's, Taco Bell, Bojangle's, Big Boy, Applebee's, Denny's, Baskin Robbins or Pizza Hut forays.

 

So, he likely would have defeated Ali in a rematch but he still retired? Hmnn...

 

Lol. A possibility for sure.

 

While I do agree with your post, still Jimmy Young could have ended up in the same condition. An athlete is always supposed to train his body for the unknown, while Young got his body used to the climate, George Foreman was running around scowling for the cameras, appearing in front of the cameras instead of getting his body used to the climate of Puerto Rico, his own fault. Ray Robinson is another story that is a valid point, however Sugar Ray always was in good shape for his bouts, the heat was intense that night in Yankee Stadium in 1952, even the referee collapsed. Foreman was running around pretending to be another Sonny Liston, we saw how Liston's lack of training cost him, let promoting of fights be left up to promoters, not the fighters, there was only one Muhammad Ali to do that.

 

That’s what I meant by give the ‘77 Foreman the brain (i.e., the maturity, the better ring savvy, the ability to plan and pace and adjust) of Foreman II and you got something fearsome to behold.

 

Jimmy Young also beat Muhammed Ali but was robbed on the score cards.