I always thought Mike was a greater fighter prime for prime, but George had the style to beat him even when he was older.
So did Tyson duck Foreman or Foreman rejected many numerous deals Don King offered and actually wanted nothing to do with Don King? I have a feeling it is the later
The FOREMAN who flattened Cooney, took Holyfield the distance in a competitive fight and knocked out Moorer i would pick to defeat Tyson yes. I loved 80's Tyson but the defeat to Douglas and the stuggles with Razor Ruddock proved that Tyson was no longer a threat at world level. Foreman after surviving a torrid opener would push Tyson back and stop him in four or five rounds. I just don't see Tyson having anything to defeat Foreman with, certainly not by 91' and Tyson never once showed the heart to come back from behind, Big George for me.
Prime foreman is all wrong for Tyson, but old foreman? Come on, Tyson would knock him out. Foreman was still dangerous but he was very slow, and was mainly a punching bag to the higher level heavyweights.
This,,Mike was reportedly offered in the neighborhood of 47 to 50 million, and that was almost 30 years ago! Tyson didn't want any of George, for all his failings Tyson was a student of the sport of boxing having access to a vast library of fights. He knew his style, and physical attributes were made for a guy like Foreman. As does any non casual fan.
At the time this was seen as an easy payday for Tyson & I was firmly in that camp. However there are problems even with an older Foreman. He's bigger & physically stronger than Tyson, with a concrete chin, & Tyson can't fight going backwards, never could. I think Big George wins.
Tyson via TKO inside 10. Too much speed, power, volume & aggression. I consider Tyson still in his prime in 91 (he was only still 24 in his last fight before prison). Just look at the Ruddock fights & see how good he still was. Foreman would not be able to cope with that version of Tyson. He struggled with Stewart & Morrison who were good, but still nowhere near the level of even a 91 Tyson (particularly Stewart). Tyson wins virtually every round before the fight is stopped due to Foreman taking too much punishment.
IMHO: It's very easy to over-complicate this 1991 match up. With the styles they both employed in 1991, I'd expect to see Tyson build an early lead on George until George caught him with a good punch. That punch would be the beginning of the end for Mike.
Foreman imo, the uppercut and short right hand would've given Tyson a lot of problems, especially during the time when he didn’t have the best mindset during his fights. Tyson via decision isn’t a bad shout either. Just my 2 cents.