Been watching the first fight between Oscar Bonavena and Frazier. God, Oscar was a tough old lad, he really had Joe shaken up. Got me musing, what if Oscar had faced the young Foreman in around 1970? Is Oscar too brave for his own good here?
I was about ready to say this is a disastrous match up for Bonavena. Rough housing with prime Foreman would have been a terrible mistake…but in 1970!? Frankly I don’t even give Foreman a slim chance. Bonavena was out of his class.
Bonavena went 15 rounds with Lyle and went distance twice with Frazier. It would be like Foreman vs Chuvalo but longer. TKO in 7th round with Bonavena still standing but beaten in the corner.
Chuvalo Foreman essentially? He takes it though Bonavena puts up a fight. No short man beats Foreman tho.
This was actually considered around '71 I believe, but clearly never came to fruition. One has to take the rose-colored specs off on this one and realize that the Foreman of 70-71 was not the same Foreman who wrecked Frazier in '73. He was a package that was taken along very slowly. And sometimes for good reason. He went a long way on power, without the necessary fundamentals that was being taught to him slowly. But watch his Olympic final win and any of his early contests and one can see his rawness. IMO, if a Bonavena match appeared at that time, I would favor Oscar to bully the bigger man with his - own unique rawness - for a win.
Hi Buddy. As always you make some valid and sensible points, ans whilst I agree with your assertion about the rawness of the young Foreman, I cannot see the smaller Bonavena " bullying " his way through this fight, nothing big George liked more than a shorter fighter moving in on him, it would be grist to his mill, at this stage in his career your best chance to survive, nether mind win, would be to stick and move, it most certainly would not be to advance into his huge and heavy swings, I go along with the Chuvalo scenario, Oscar maybe on his feet, but would be taking too many scything hooks from Foreman, either ref steps in, or Oscars compassionate corner throw in the towel. IMO. Stay safe scartissue, chat soon matey.
Foreman would gas Oscar was hell to get rid of and not the fighter he gets described to be you’d think he was Frazier or Chuvalo he wasn’t that hard working from what I remember lol. Bonavena had this bizarre jerky tempo lunging in, mauling, wrestling - messy always but he’d spend bizarre stretches on the outside doing “stuff”? Waltzing, rolling, trying to counter in all manner of ways he was schizophrenic lol I hate his style. Someone here once described him as a bull rush artist I agree. Anyways GF was someone who only knew how to empty his clip, someone this hard to KO who was strong, dirty and very experienced you’d pass on it as a manger.
Oscar was strong man asf, there's a picture of him lifting the back of the Mercedes S class which is 2 ton car, quite impressive.
https://images.app.goo.gl/XzpeEoT6VkDQEFXL6 Bonavena was a lot stronger than people think, I dont know how many boxer could lift this s class back.