would this have changed anything? would Frazier have bullied Foreman in 1969, thus changing the dynamic? or would George have been too much for Joe even in sparring?
Don't know, it may have changed the dynamic. Always felt that if Joe was up to par, that George may have had some problems.
I would like to think so since Frazier is one of my all time favs, but he himself stated he could never beat George.
It's hard to make a serious case for Foreman in '69. Frazier was in his prime, and Foreman had just entered the professional ranks that year.
Early or late 69 makes a big difference? Foreman was developing rapidly at this time. We know the styles were shockingly in Foreman’s favor so by end of 69 he could have given Frazier some trouble but Joe would have been too savvy for him. It could have been at a first Bonavena level trouble.
Anything could happen in an alternate history. Maybe in that case Frazier would lose the FOTC. What then?
The space-time continuum is a delicate thing. You change one little thing and the ripples can alter the course of the future. Here’s a trailer to a good documentary that illustrates the concept. This content is protected
Surely Foreman would be a tough and interesting prospect in the ring. Though I am pretty sure he couldn't handle Frazier in 1969 (okay, it's just sparring anyway). Joe was more or less at his peak in 1969, and Foreman was just 20 and still pretty green. In 1973, Foreman was more or less at his peak, while Frazier was already past it and I think he was surprised by Foreman. But anyway, not that I think it would change much even if he had been more aware... But let's not forget how green Foreman was as a boxer during his amateur career, where he won the Olympic Games by sheer stamina and strength, and also in the beginning of his pro career. You just need to watch some of his early pro fights to notice that he was a mauler, a brawler, pretty clumsy, and not really coordinated. He developed a lot until Jamaica 1973.