Foreman wouldn't have beaten Tyson in his comeback

I don’t doubt that Foreman wanted Tyson - but I don’t think George would’ve viewed it as easy a victory as many of his fans might’ve thought it would be.

Imo, George had/has a lot of respect for Mike, and he may well have anticipated receiving his fair share of punishment had the fight come off.

Would it be fair to say that George stood to gain a lot more from beating Mike than Mike did from beating George? I would say yes.

I can appreciate Tyson’s dilemma in that regard. The risk of such a fight for Mike somewhat outweighing the potential reward.

IF Mike had been able to see George off in emphatic fashion, I for one, am glad that we were spared such an outcome and the vision of same.

 

I think Tyson would have handled him easily, and wouldn’t have got any credit at all for doing so. It would’ve been dismissed as a win over an old fighter, who many would still pick over him in a prime vs prime H2H matchup.

 

What if he’d run the Holyfield fight plan? What if he grabbed and tied up, leaned, every single time Tyson landed anything? He was far stronger than Holyfield (as shown by their fight) and heavier.

that’s the interesting thought.

Take that away, not happening for George. Tyson was way too durable against single shots to be taken out by someone that slow. But if foreman could wear him down by grabbing him every time he got close! Maybe.

 

IMHO the whole thread boils down to whether 1991 Foreman (Holyfield and Ellis fights) could beat 1991 Tyson (Ruddock fights).
Foreman hasn't knocked out anyone since Moorer, and I really give him a slim chance of beating Tyson on points in 1995-1997.

Or a fight against Tokyo Tyson where I would favor Foreman
In the early 1990s, Foreman masterfully set traps for Cooney.

Overall I think the second Foreman could win.

 

Actually Foreman apparently thought it would be easy. He predicted on live TV a 2nd round KO over Tyson.

I'm not saying that's what would happen, or that Foreman truly believed this deep down (nobody knows but him), but he did say it.

 

Ah, that’s interesting. Thanks. I missed the Big Fella saying that.

 

I can't say I ever found the talk of Tyson being worried about Foreman to be that interesting. I honestly just feel like if they ever had the public mandate that would make the fight, the fight would be made and as soon as Tyson got in there to feel it out, he'd realize, if he genuinely hadn't by then, that he didn't have that much to worry about. The match-up would not have been a stylistic disadvantage for Tyson, because Tyson was not that much like Frazier (something I think he already understood for years) and Foreman was simply never going to be the Frazier Foreman again anyway. The actual nuts and bolts physicality of the fight was never going to be that tough for Mike. He would've bludgeoned George horrifically at this stage of the game. I genuinely believe that. It's actually a disadvantaged place for George, not the other way around.

 

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Thanks brother. I did watch that interview back in the day, now I recall. How good was old, come backing George in IVs? Classic.

 

I always got the impression Foreman was not especially impressed with Tyson, man or fighter. Compare how he talks about Tyson, even when he’s being milder, vs how he talks about someone like Lennox Lewis. It’s night & day.

 

I think Tyson's speed makes the difference,but it's always possible he runs into something big and gets stopped.

 

He almost has contempt for Tyson in terms of how he'd do against him personally and has frequently accused Tyson's camp of "not wanting the fight". A few years ago he even said "they were smart to avoid me because I'm good at dealing with short fighters" or something to that effect.

And yes he does hold Lewis in high regard.

Interestingly, he originally said he wanted nothing to do with Bowe, but later called Bowe out on camera after the Coetzeer fight I believe.

 

The best version of 2nd career George Foreman vs. The best version of 2nd career Mike Tyson. I would expect a late TKO win for Big George.

 

True Mac, speed could make all the difference.

George would have to use everything in his kit bag to nullify Mike’s advantage in that regard - a complete return of the Foreman “shove”, as blatantly used against Frazier, would be at least one “must” tactic that Foreman would need to employ, I would think.

 

Foreman has said different things in regards to the Tyson matchup so it’s hard to always take him seriously. He said in an interview a few years ago that he wanted no part of Tyson, but also has said other times that Tyson and his team avoided him.

Foreman also said in an 01’ Sports Illustrated interview that Lennox wouldn’t last 2 rounds with him in his prime. Then after Lewis beat the shell of Tyson, Foreman said “Lewis is the greatest heavyweight ever”.

I would say the Arum/King feud really was the biggest issue in making the fight. Foreman said back in 90’ that he was offered $5 million for a Tyson fight and turned it down, and said he was scared of signing on the dotted line with Don King.

I would guess that King was demanding options on future fights.