Tunney vs Young Foreman

Tunney would start off very well,but once Foreman begins to cut the ring off succesfully,the writing would be on the wall. Foreman by the seventh.

 

Tunney too fast, too mobile and too smart for George. Foreman too easy a target for Gene to hit. Ali had to take a rest now and then at age 32, despite his superb conditioning. We never saw Tunney need to do this, right to the time he retired at 30. A diminished Dempsey did momentarily catch him in Chicago, but Jack was still faster than George ever was. Foreman's face was susceptible to swelling, and Gene would leave it looking grotesque.

George was not a great finisher against opponents with quality survival skills like Ali and Young. We saw what Tunney did following the Long Count, and what Foreman failed to do after stunning Young early in round seven.

Martin Burke was the 1919 AAU heavyweight champion who handed Fulton his first decision defeat in October 1922, and over the championship distance at that. In August 1921, Gene beat Burke over ten. He went into Burke's New Orleans in February 1924 to take another decision over the championship distance . Something is made of the fact Tunney's heaviest opponent and only one over 200 pounds was the 5'10-1/2" Heeney. Much less note is taken of Gene's mastery of the lanky Burke in two bouts. Tunney was skilled enough to cope with a taller man possessing greater reach. It's not as if he was wholly dependent on height and reach advantages, any more than Loughran was. (And yes, if Tommy could do it to Max Baer, he could do it to George.)

Speed was necessary to have a chance at competing with Gene, and even speed wasn't enough at times, as Carp discovered. Foreman's speed deficit here makes all the difference. He's not catching Tunney early, and not coming from behind to win.

 

Think Gregorio Peralta and how well he did against a young George Foreman. So Tunney, better than Senor Peralta, has a chance. But only against a young Foreman.

Foreman, at his best, would be a highly risky proposition for Gene.

 

I don't know how it would end, but if I were managing Foreman then this is one fight I would steer well clear of.

 

Gene was still improving when he retired, after 86 bouts. He'd won a number of times over the championship distance, and had amassed around 600 competitive rounds total. At 192 pounds, he'd also lumberjacked himself into somebody perfectly capable of inflicting hurt on a durable opponent like Tommy Gibbons or Dempsey.

Peralta had a comparable number of matches under his belt when he gave George hell the first time, despite being nearly five years older than Tunney was when he finished with Heeney.

Before the Young defeat, George had less than 150 rounds of mainly early round action under his belt, including his disastrous African safari. There's a massive experience gulf between the Foreman of San Juan and peak 1928 Tunney.

Young Foreman went beyond round five seven times, including the losses in Kinshasa and San Juan. Peralta I was the final decision win of his first career. Could he catch Gene enough to stop him early? He halted Scrap Iron on a cut eye in round seven, and had that dubious round ten stoppage in the Peralta rematch. However, his power seemed to subside whenever an opponent could manage to take him past five rounds, until he finally managed to momentarily stun Young in PR. Would you really bet the rent that George gets him out within five or seven? Tunney was a dude who got his kicks from making opponents miss. With telegraph operator Foreman, he'd have a field day.

 

Tunney by a country mile.

 

Only in your dream worldatsch

 

Any big man can be outpointed. Unless they can box and hurt you like Lewis. Tunney late or Foreman early. Close but I would pick Tunney

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqMi97-U7VI[/ame]

www.youtube.com/eslubin

 

Well said L. Gene Tunney was in my eyes as good a boxer as Ali without the glitz. Half of Ali's movements were not really effective. Mostly showmanship.
While Tunney was all business,moving around with a stabbing jab,and sharp
right crosses. Gene could do this for 15 rounds. Didn't need the rope-a-dope
to conserve energy. Tunney at 1985-98 was a strong well conditioned fighter with a razor sharp mind, able to think on his feet...

 

Addendum- Tunney at 195-98 pounds...

 

Foreman TOO BIG TOO STRONG for lightheavyweight tunney, FOREMAN WOULD HIT WITH BIG LONG HEAVY JAB UNTIL THE FACE OF TUNNEY WAS SALSA, UNLESS YOU THINK THIS YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE BOXING. tunney was not ali, ALI WAS BIG, STRONG AND HAD INCREDIBLE CHIN, FOREMAN KO INSIDE 6 ROUNDS, NO FIGHTER NOT 200 POUNDS WOULD BEAT THE BIG GEORGE.

 

Peralta was under 200 pounds and in his mid 30s when he took Foreman ten rounds twice. The 28 year old Goyo who upset reigning LHW Champion Pastrano over ten non-title rounds in Miami during 1963 may well have succeeded in upsetting the Foreman of 1970 as well.

Big long heavy jab also too slow and would take too long to connect successfully on Gene's face. Again, young George would be at dreadful disadvantages in speed and experience. He could try teeing off on Tunney's body, but Dempsey also went downstairs to no avail. Gene also actively guarded his body.

 

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Tunney is sweet for 5 or 6 rds, but then slows cuz of Foreman's size and power, thus, Tunney fails in his mission and get TKO'd by round 9.... Foreman is green and crude, but too damn strong and powerful for Tunney....

FOREMAN!:bbb:bbb

MR.BILL:hat