After Larry comes of age he always beats Foreman in my opinion, no matter which version of Foreman we're talking about. He is wrong for Foreman in too many ways to count. Holmes of '74 is probably not ready for that step though, and could be taken into deep water by George and drowned there.
Pre-Ali Foreman was pretty good at cutting off the ring - i don't know if Larry was that good of a dancer to box circles around Foreman.
Holmes did have that great jab though, the way Foreman came forward he would of been eating it. I go along with consensus that 74 was too early for Holmes but both at their respective primes I would go for Larry.
Yes he was very good at cutting off the ring but that version of Ali was a sitting duck. I think Larry and both Ali at their respective best would give Foreman all kinds of problems with their footwork and jabs. Foreman just wasnt quick enough.
I'd hardly say that Ali was a sitting duck ! He'd lost a bit of his sixties speed,but he still had 85% of it,at that point in time.
I think that Foreman was good at cutting off the ring if he wasn't against a fast opponent who could shock him. Otherwise, he had a tendency to plod forward and do nothing, which is what got him into trouble in round 1 against Ali (he was eating right-hands in an almost comical fashion) and against Jimmy Young. Foreman has a puncher's chance (though given Holmes's survival skills, chin and recovery powers, that's a slim chance) but I pick a great boxer vs. a great puncher.
I dont know if it was Ali's decision to sit there and get pounded on or the fact that he couldnt move as well anymore over the course. Its not speed of hand but footwork over the course of a long fight. Either way I dont think Holmes would have fought that way especially as a youngster and would have given George a difficult time in the center of the ring.
Holmes getting caught with the right is completely over blown. Twice he was knocked down because he was winning so easily he got sloppy ... once Shavers hoit him with his best shot flush ... as hard as he ever hit anyone and Holmes got up and chopped him to pieces. ..... Snipes was a big guy and a very good puncher and the same thing happened. Other than that he was near perfect for eight years ... it's like saying Ali was always hit with left hooks ... Banks dropped him, Cooper dropped him, Frazier dropped him, ect ...you fight you get hit .. that's the game ..
I feel that Foreman would have destroyed any other heavyweight that night. Ali's underestimated strength (he was actually one of the strongest fighters in history), toughness and ability to elude and roll with george's punches enabled him to survive and win. Holme's, while tough and defensively sound, did not possess the same abilty to slip or roll with punches. As we know, all foreman really needed was a punch or 2 once he had his man hurt.