How Would A Young Foreman Have Done In The 1990s?

Let me have 90-91 Tyson what’s the point of leaving out the face of boxing! - Tyson’s shell in the mid-late 90s would be a good tear up though.

 

He would have likely been tops for a while or thereabouts.

 

Nah while Holyfield exists he doesn’t ever get the title, flash in the pan with Lennox at most (Rahman situation) and if he gets to fight Tyson in the early 90s… his fragile heart probably couldn’t take it.

 

Lay down the crack pipe son.

 

Think fights against Holy, Tyson and Bowe would have been great. Had they happened. Bowe didn't take on dangerous opponents if it wasn't something really big in it, and Tyson was also on the path of least resistance after his comeback. As was Foreman his whole career tbf.

 

Foreman was on the path of least resistance his whole career? You must mean in his comeback. Foreman took on anyone and everyone once he got to the bigtime in the 70's. That's the Foreman being pitched here. His second defense was against Norton who was fresh off back to back fights against Ali then he went straight to Ali. He fought the next three highest rated heavyweights directly below himself. After a 15 month break he went straight to Lyle who was top 5 then immediately to a Frazier rematch. He then had three easy matches but all three were within 5 months and then onto Jimmy Young who was top 4. Foreman racked up heaps of top opponents after he won the title.

 

That's a great question. I have a lot of respect for the highly skilled spoilers Chris Byrd and Jimmy Young. I think Byrd could give Foreman some significant problems, but prime Foreman (pre-Ali) would eventually catch up with him. Also, upon further thought I would add Liston to the list of fighters that Foreman might not be a clear favorite.

 

Oh ow that really hurts

 

Prime Foreman isn’t being tripped up against 91 Holyfield. He KOs Evander by the mid rounds and picks up the title.

 

He would do like he did in the early 70 s , knock everybody out.

 

Yes, that was a bit unfair of me. I would say his road to the title in the '70's was quite protected (all respect for taking on Chuvalo in his second year as a pro, but beyond that it was a bit lacking), but, yeah, Norton, Ali, Lyle and Young in just a bit over three years, more than one of those spent in inactivity, can't be knocked.

 

Capn Cuckoo break it down for us

 

He didn't even manage a decade of that.

 

He'd have a bunch of hype coming up and disappoint. He apparently couldn't perform well outside the US (or maybe he just wasn't that good), so he probably wouldn't show up in top form if he got the call for Tokyo. If he had to fight Ruddock twice in 91, they'd be wars that might stunt his career and he might even lose one. It would be even worse if he got 91 Tyson and he probably gets the same treatment as Ruddock but never sees a decision. He'd lose to Holyfield and prime Bowe because they would outlast him. Lennox would line him up.

He'd do best with careful matchmaking, such as going after Douglas, Moorer, Golota, Morrison, Seldon, and Bruno. He'd have a decent chance against Tua, but that might not go his way.

Old Foreman would duck him like the plague too, so that's off the table.

And for all the talk of steroids, there was also crack, so he might end up like Lionel Butler.