We had Rocky, now George Foreman in your top 10!!!!!!

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by JohnThomas1, Dec 5, 2017.

  1. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Where does George fit into your top 10 Heavies ever? From memory i have him 6-8 depending on my mood.
     
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  2. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Me too!
     
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  3. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    George`s career being so unique is tough to gauge. Certainly top 10 all things considered. He had spectacular wins and he was a spectacular performer. His reign was short but he lost his title to another all time great. 6-8 sound about right. Boxing can be somewhat like Tennis in that it matters how you win as well as how many.
     
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  4. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Tennis and boxing has many parallels in general I think. Bottom half of the Top10 sounds about right for him, 7 maybe?
     
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  5. unitas

    unitas Boxing Addict Full Member

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    ranking Foreman isnt easy. in his first Career, he was very good.......but not really great. sure, he beat frazier and Norton. but both of them were tailormade for him.
    then he lost to ali in a rather pathetic manner......followed by that loss to Jimmy Young. so going by his first Career, he was a front runner (like Donald Curry) who shone very brightly but way to briefly. not the mark of greatness.

    then there is his second Career: basically him fighting D-Level guys only......before stepping up and fighting A-Level guys like Holyfield and Moorer.
    he only ever fought one contender.........losing by UD to Tommy morrison. so he was basically alternating fighting exhebitions, getting his Name out there.........and then he was gifted two title shots.
    but amazingly........he won on his second attempt.
    so in a nutshell: in his second Career, he has ONE win over an A-Level Opponent. sure, it´s amazing he was 45. a great STORY! but ONE win doesnt make you an ATG imo.

    so all in all, you have two careers......both on their own, not material for an ATG. but put them together......add the fact he was 45 when he beat Moorer.........okay, he´s in the top ten. but certainly not a must!

    on the other Hand: were he to fight ANY other heavyweight in history, there arent alot of People i´d pick to beat him!! and even the one´s i´d pick to beat him.......i wouldnt put any Money on it!

    but thats the difference between historic Rankings and head to head competition.
     
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  6. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Now do Frazier!
     
  7. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Really?
     
  8. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Like has already been said,, Foreman is tough to rate, maybe even more so than Marciano. For example, I consider Frazier to be greater than Foreman but head to head Foreman crushed him. And at the time he beat Moorer it seemed more like a reflection of a declining sport than a reflection of Foreman's greatness, but he has to be given some credit for it. My top 10 heavyweights changes from week to week. So now it's:
    1. Ali
    2. Louis
    3. Johnson
    4. Holmes
    5. Dempsey
    6. Marciano
    7. Frazier
    8. Foreman
    9. Charles
    10. Holyfield

    Foreman at 8 seems about right though.
     
  9. unitas

    unitas Boxing Addict Full Member

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    i believe so. he didnt lose because he was knocked unconcious. he lost because he exhausted himself by throwing amateurish punches without any semblance of a game plan except ko ali with one Punch. not really the way a Champion should lose imo.