david Tua vs G.Foreman(young or old) who wins

It seems like everyone wishes to evaluate Foreman at his best moments and Tua at his worst. The truth remains that the big scary Foreman had many moments of vulnerability in his career. Let's begin with his march up the rankings in which he was one of the most coddled prospects of his era. Pre-championship fight, his best opponents were an aging Chuvalo and Perralta, a small guy whose reputation is based on draws with Bonavena and giving the green Foreman some struggles. If Tua steps in any of these first 30 fights or so, he has a damn good chance of winning. Then we have Foreman's first brief reign at the top. However, something inside him (probably mental) gets broken with Ali and he's suddenly vulnerable to b-level fighters like Lyle and the featherfisted Young. Tua would have an excellent chance of taking Foreman during that post-Ali, pre-first retirement era. During his second incarnation, Foreman looked very good against an entirely used up Cooney, decent against an inconsistent Holyfield and then pretty bad against the decidedly unwhelming Alex Stewart and revitalized Morrison. Obviously the window is still open at this point for a prime Tua to catch a win. Then, he catches lightning in a bottle against chinny Moorer and that's essentially it. He gets a gift against Schulz, refuses a rematch, and goes out with Savarese (a fight I had closer than the judges) and Briggs.

All in all, I see four large windows of opportunity, based on Foreman's performances, where a motivated, prepared Tua- not the blubbery, stationary version of the Lewis fight- could take a victory.

 

Tua has an under rated defense. He slipped and shoulder rolled very well, combined with his great chin.

However, I just have an image of Foreman winging his brutal shots all over the body of The Tuaman. That's where he's vulnerable.

 

Tua's got a chin fo sho. But Foreman's bombs could smash it to pieces. Tua's only chance to win this would be a brilliant glove-guard and quick counterpunching if possible, as Tua's agility is quite horrible. If Tua could land some decent bombs then it's nighty night for Foreman.

 

Why?

Seriously, Foreman's mythical power is overrated.

 

The 73-74 Foreman beats the **** outta ANY version of Tua, and forces the ref to stop it in about 6-7 rounds.

The early 90's Foreman jabs Tua to death, and wins a UD.

 

:think

 

Stupidity is staggering, isnt it?

Last week some clown said that Riddick Bowe hit just as hard as a young Foreman.

 

Someone respond to this **** rather than recite your Paul Bunyan tales of a 215 pound George Foreman being impossible to beat, though he fell asleep under the pittypat punches of Jimmy Young or any of the other monstrosities called fights that he got away with.

 

Frazier did not get a chance to land and Frazier was more of a wear you down type of puncher. Lyle was the best puncher Foreman faced and Lyle was really not a class A puncher and true Lyle had him down 2 times and I dont think anyone could argue if they stopped in favor of Lyle. Foreman was indeed overated with his victorys over Norton and Frazier...Ali and Young had him down (they did it their way) but a good puncher may have gotten to George earlier, Lyle almost did.

 

Foreman's resume far outshines Tua's. Foreman got his big shot against Frazier and bounced him off the canvas. Foreman got his shot in his comeback and knocked out Moorer (8 years prior to Tua knocking out the inconsistent headcase that was Moorer).

Tua had an important fight against blownup Chris Byrd and was out of shape and gassed badly. Tua got his biggest shot against Lennox Lewis, and frankly, pussied out. Foreman showed 10 times more heart and character taking a pounding from Holyfield.

Young Foreman blew out guys who came to him. Norton could be seen as a 70's version (albeit miles more accomplished) than Ibeabuchi. Ibeabuchi was like Tony Ayala, unfulfilled potential. I guess losing a close decision to a good prospect was one of Tua's best efforts in my opinion. Foreman blowing out Norton trumps that by miles in my opinion.

I personally don't see much question in this. What would you have us do? OK, maybe a flu ridden Foreman loses to Tua at his best. Which Tua would that be? The one who stopped the vaunted John Ruiz?

Tua and Jimmy Young are completely different stylistically. A young Foreman had problems with boxers like Ali and Young. What does that have to do with Tua?

So, based on resume, I see no evidence that Tua beats young or old Foreman. But if you want to overthink things and turn a largely unaccomplished fighter into a legend, I guess we should presume Tua straps on a set of nuts and walks through Foreman's powerful jab, and big right hand and stops him. Of course he had the opportunity to at least try that against Lewis but basically pussied out. Sorry, to each his own, but for me, Tua stopping Foreman is a preposterous reach and I don't think he had the tools to win a decision.

 

p.s. Ron Lyle was a better fighter with loads more heart than Tua. I don't by the correlation that Tua can stop Foreman because Lyle had Foreman down. Lyle was just better than Tua. I guess Tua should've stopped Lewis because McCall and Rahman did. What happened?

 

Ike was not merely a "good prospect."

Combined with the huge win over the unbeaten Tua, he also had the KO win over Chris Byrd. Byrd, love or hate him, is a top 5 HW of the decade. The fact that Ike knocked him out shows that Ike is at the very least a very, very capable fighter.
Tua-Ibeabuchi helps both guys legacy, in my book.

 

Rahman, Ruiz, Maskaev are all good fighters that Tua beat. Lyle's top three wins are no better than these, certainly not by much.

Combined with this, I feel super, super confident in picking Tua over Lyle. As should anyone who is actually familiar with both of their careers, and don't just repeat what everyone else says by saying Lyle is a behemoth that only ever struggled with the very elite guys, and that Tua is an unmotivated bum (true to an extent later on, but certainly not pre Ibeabuchi)

 

Ibeabuchi beat Byrd (who he outweighed by 36 pounds) and Tua. Period. He won't be making the Hall of Fame. Unfilled potential. Good prospect in my book. He didn't have the character to complete his career. Tua and Ibeabuchi, two guys who lacked the intagibles to achieve greatness. But I guess it's fun to project greatness on them. Have fun, I've made my point.

 

:good

Foreman has the much superior resume. I mean, Tua is getting way too much benefit in this thread and in other classic matches. He's just not that great of a calibre of fighter. Frankly, his resume is underwhelming, and Foreman has much superior resume and stylistically has the better matchup here. I don't see how you can bet on Tua, unless you plan on Tua being in his ATG shape as such in that Ike fight and fighting in Puerto Rico or doing a rope a dope to drain Foreman. Otherwise, he just loses. Simple as that. Heart, intangibles, strength, punch, jab, and reach all go to Foreman.