1959 Ingemar Johansson vs 1973 George Foreman

My knee jerk reaction was Foreman beats him easily. But I watched IJ vs. Machen a few days ago and IJ is fairly mobile and moves a bit like Gregorio Peralta. IJ and Peralta are also about the same weight, but Peralta was mostly a left hand only fighter. IJ uses both hands. I'm not sure about IJ's stamina, but he has the style in the ring to cause GF problems and if the fight goes past 3 or 4 rounds, GF would be getting sloppy and tired. If GF fatigues, IJ's right could put him to sleep.

 

I doubt Lyle would destroy Ingo. Beat him, yes. But I don't envision this Lewis/Golotalike destruction.

 

Ya think Ingo will send flowers to George in the hospital?

 

Michael Dokes didn't stop Weaver, Joey Curtis did. That's why there was a rematch.

And Eddie Machen was stopped once in his first 61 pro fights, and that was against Ingo. And Machen was obliterated like Cooney destroyed Ken Norton. The next guy to do was right at the very end of Machen's career, and that was Frazier, and it took him 10 rounds.

Ingo could punch. He didn't stop Henry Cooper on cuts, he demolished him, too.

George would be too much for Ingo, but I think it would be a good fight. Peralta moved around the ring a lot against a young George and did quite well. And Peralta didn't hit like Johansson.

I could see their fight looking similar to that, but with Ingo's right hand punch added to the mix.

 

Yes. Yes I do.

 

I think Ingos bingo is being sold short. I mean, I don't know how his power stacks up to Lyle's, but Lyle hit hard enough to drop Foreman. Perhaps Ingo had enough in his bingo to knock Foreman down?

 

Good take.

 

Why not?

I think he's being sold short, too.

Also, Ron Lyle hit hard, but he wasn't the best finisher. Basically every name Lyle fought went the distance with him, or beat him. I would pick Johansson to straight up beat Lyle.

Ingo's not going to get exhausted after throwing enough punches to win a round, like Shavers usually did. Earnie would win a round, then put his gloves over his face and just take shots for two or three rounds before he had the energy to punch again.

 

I don't think so, he had enough power to pizz George off I'm sure but that's not the problem. If Patterson could leave Ingo on that mat twitching like a squirrel that had been run over George could paralyze him.

 

Patterson had an underrated punch

 

I agree. It's a good matchup.

 

I can't see anything other than an early victory for George. Too strong.

 

This has the potential to be Tyson-Marvis Frazier level bad, although maybe Ingo would last as long as King Roman. Ingo would have exactly zilch for Kingston Foreman IMO.

 

In this scenario, Johansson would be Tyson and Foreman would be Marvis?