Prime George Foreman would be dwarfed by today's heavies

You’re gonna get a lot of “natural 230lbs” and “Bone structure” talk. Yes he’d be small imagine him next to Samuel Peters.

 

Maybe. He'd still put them all of them (those that would take the fight) to sleep. Every. Last . One.

 

George would be an absolute Lilliputian among todays lot.

I’d be surprised if they even noticed him or his tiny little voice going “squeak, squeak, squeak” during pre fight instructions.

I have it on good authority that George was only a mere 6 1/2 lbs at birth - how tiny is that? These guys would crush him underfoot.

Disclaimer: Foreman’s birth weight has been completely fabricated for the sake of humour - well, intended humour at least.

 

Couldn't put tiny Jimmy Young to sleep.

 

Jimmy wasn’t so tiny but I will say, The Mighty James Young was good at putting others to sleep, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

 

Tale of the tape

Anthony Joshua
Reach 82'
Neck 18"*
Waist 36"
Chest 47"
Thigh 27"
Bicep 19"*
Calf 16.5"
Ankle 9.8"

George Foreman 70's
Reach 78.5"
Neck 17.5"
Waist 34"
Chest 45.5"
Thigh 25"
Bicep 16"
Calf 17"
Ankle 10"

In terms of sheer bulk, the only advantage Joshua has is bicep size. This isn't surprising considering he's a dedicated weight lifter and Foreman didn't lift weights at all in the 70's. The numbers are pretty close otherwise and Foreman actually has the advantage in 2 categories.

Looking at the measurements, nothing suggests Foreman would be too small if he competed today. He certainly wouldn't be drying out or starving himself down to 220. If he lifted weights and had a a less strict diet, getting to 230+ would literally be a piece of cake.

*Note: I saw some sites listing Joshua's neck and biceps both at 16", but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that this may have been before he fully developed

 

Did @Journeyman92 hack you

 

You know everyone who is a little… is just a tentacle on the far reaching Eldritch being known as @janitor - @Revolver @cross_trainer @Mark Anthony @NoNeck believe it or not @klompton2 , @Perry @HOUDINI @Dubblechin @Boxed Ears endless more - even YOU

 

Why couldn't he just fight at cruiserweight

 

Couldn't or didn't that night? I vote for the latter. Are you one of these guys that places great value on a zero?

 

Yes he more than likely would drop most of em anyway.

 

Aah the old ‘if he wins it’s proof’, but if he loses ‘it’s a bad night and doesn’t count’ angle. Maybe, who knows? But what many of us are aware of is that that Jiggery-pokery Jimmy was always going to be a bad night for George, and this wasn’t being wise after the event, Just like the majority of the Boxing News staff predicted Ali would beat George, 4 months before the ‘Schooling in San Juan’, they also stated the following (when it was mooted that if Ali keeps ducking a rematch, George would either fight Larry Middleton or Jimmy Young in Feb/March 1977):

“If George Foreman ever takes a match with Jimmy Young it could be a big mistake. Foreman is a tremendous puncher and probably the strongest heavyweight around today, but Young moves in and out, clutches and grabs, and Big George gets awful frustrated early. He could have a very hard time catching a Young with a solid shot…It could be a bad match for Foreman now or anytime”.

Joltin’ Jimmy Young. R.I.P.

 

This is more of a ramble.

I've met some heavyweight champions in person before - George Foreman, Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall, Lamon Brewster, Lennox Lewis, Henry Akinwande, Roy Jones (if you want to count him), Bermane Stiverne, Bruce Seldon, Buster Douglas - and any number of one-time heavyweight contenders - Andrew Golota, David Tua, Derrick Jefferson, Fres Oquendo, Dannell Nicholson, Calvin Brock, Larry Donald, Monte Barrett, Mariusz Wach, Tomasz Adamek, Audley Harrison, Axel Shulz ... and others. Anyway, you get the point. I met a mix of them.

And the only one who entered a room and you went, "Jesus, that guy could beat everyone in the whole world," ... he just had that size and presence, was Lennox Lewis.

Lewis looked friendly on television. In person, when he was fighting, you didn't want to screw around with him. He was a beast. A huge beast.

(On the flips side, Roy Jones was ridiculously small. Even his head. It was just tiny. Very small head.)

But, in person, George (during his HBO commentary days - when he was pretty filled out) didn't look like "Big" George in person. He seemed about the same size as every other heavyweight you'd come across - like Rahman and all those guys.

But Lewis was massive. Tall. Really long arms. Very intimidating. I totally understand how he beat everyone he faced. And having also met the two guys who beat him (McCall and Rahman) ... it's a miracle they both beat him once. And, if McCall and Rahman had ever fought, I'd have gone with McCall.

But, back to the topic, yeah, in person, George wasn't necessarily big at all compared to the heavyweights from the 90s and early 2000s. And he's much smaller than a lot of guys now.

Anyway, carry on.