What Are Holyfields Chances Against Foreman (Ali Fight)?

I watched the Holyfield/Tyson 1 fight last night and Holyfield was a tank in that fight. I'm not so sure Foreman would be the stronger man in the ring against that version of Holyfield.

 

It’s a steamrolling. Holyfield has nothing to threaten Foreman with.

 

I do think Foreman takes it in nigh all cases, but I do think that Holyfield could possibly come up with a strategy to beat George if they were to fight in Zaire. Though of course, the odds are still against him.

 

I’m usually in the minority when I say that a prime Evander could have beaten George Foreman of the 70s. The usual argument that most people give against this idea is “ Holyfield’s heart was too big for his own good. He’d trade with young George and get killed….” End of argument….

Truth is Foreman had very poor stamina and defense in those days. His resolve was easily weakened when someone didn’t just fold under his pressure. Evander Holyfield was extremely durable. He had stamina to both throw and take punches for a whole evening. He could both box and slug when needed. His heart was undying and he was very strong at 208-210 lbs. I could see him being badly hurt against foreman but lingering around to take over the fight. No guarantees of course but I don’t know I’d favor George

 

Do remember that most people who buy into the idea that Holyfield would simply brawl with Foreman with no success are likely the same people that agree that Quarry would've given George a damn good fight. I do think that guys like these would've given Zaire George a great scrap.

 

He’d always probably beat Foreman, probably a bad match up.

 

Lol, Holyfield fought a complete washed up Tyson who had fought a little over a half dozen rounds in five years vs hand picked palookas, yet this "Tank" clinched and clinched and clinched including head butts and threw the entire Kitchen sink at Tyson and got a standing TKO win in the eleventh hour.................

Holyfield is 1-3 vs Bowe, 0-2 vs Lewis, 1-1 vs Glass cannon Moorer and 1-1-1 vs Huggybear Ruiz who not only lost to one but two former Middleweights.........................yeah I know TYSON TYSON TYSON TYSON.......

Prime Holyfield struggled with old Mummy Foreman, at best he got a wobble out of him .

Zaire Foreman would not be psyched out by Holyfield, it would be a straight fight with no Ali Kumbayee crowd and down goes PEDfield.

 

I couldn’t even give Holyfield a 5% chance, honestly. He is the poster child for the phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

 

Holyfield is NOT Ali. Ali ruined George psychologically. Juicing is Evander’s only hope (Respectfully).

 

I really hate this whole "Ali beat Foreman because he psyched him out" narrative that is constantly being spouted. Yes, Ali did psyche Foreman out, but Ali won because he was the greater fighter -- better at every facet of the game sans power and strength.

As for prime Foreman vs. Holyfield... that's one I really struggle coming up with a definitive answer for. Holyfield certainly has the tools to defeat '70s Foreman, who is very much primitive stylistically, but like others have said, his tendency to brawl will cause him big problems. I really don't know for this one.

 

Holyfield does not have Ali's superhuman reflexes, nor his powerful lightning fast lead right hand that rattled Foreman. Holyfield has an excellent hard right hand that he can throw well in combinations or setting it up with a jab but i am not sure i ever saw Evander firing the kind of fast lead rights that Ali nailed Foreman with.

Is Holyfield fast enough on his feet to keep Foreman off him? No. Ali, at 32 years old, had footspeed equal to any version of Holyfield and Ali himself did not feel he could move quickly enough to evade Foreman so he purposefully went to the ropes.

IMO Foreman will trap Holyfield against the ropes early. Holyfield does not move fast enough to keep Foreman from trapping him. Once Holy is up against the ropes, is he going to lean back, cover up, avoid heavy blows to the head like Ali did, throw in fast flurries and hard rights, and absorb a body beating like Ali did while keeping his hands protecting his chin? I don't think so.

There is always a chance that Foreman punches himself out past 7 rounds but i would bet Foreman to stop him early.

Foreman 80-20 favourite for me. I don't count Holyfield out but remember he was stopped once and was badly hurt vs Bowe in their first fight. Foreman hits harder than Bowe IMO.

 

I favour Foreman but lets be fair - Holyfield was well past his prime vs Lewis. He was 37, had been a pro for 15 years, his wars vs Bowe and others had taken a lot out of him. Meanwhile Lewis was a late bloomer at the peak of his powers. The fact that Holyfield was even remotely competitive vs Lewis despite being past his best and Lewis being at his peak speaks volumes for Holyfield's ability. And Holyfield was washed up vs Ruiz.

 

Imo if you replace Bowe with Foreman for that famous round 10 exchange, Holyfield is ktfo, you cannot assume that Holyfield is going to employ a plan where he lets Foreman T-off on him for 5-6 rounds

 

Both Foreman and Holmes would have defeated Commander in his prime

 

Spot on target