Frazier was great but never had any weapons to hurt Foreman with. Look at both fights. Frazier could still throw a killer left hook in 1973 and 1976. Yet he only landed a dozen or so left hooks on Foreman, and none of them did anything. Foreman partially blocked or avoided many of Frazier's hooks. Frazier could never hurt Foreman with a straight right, or a right uppercut, or keep him away with a powerful jab. How can Frazier keep Foreman away? Foreman cut the ring better than most and only a prime Ali/Holmes type could have any chance of staying away. Frazier, with his short arms, has no chance to out slick him. And he has no weapons to hurt him with. Fraziers only major weapon is his left hook and that is neutralized by Foreman. Mismatch, unfortunately always a mismatch.
I think Frazier makes an exciting fight out of it. I do think Foreman would prevail by stoppage. It may go 5 or 6. Joe was quicker and sharper in 71. He would hit Foreman more and have some moments. At the end of the day same result.
How ya doing RMiI? I recall the footage of Frazier stepping up to Ali & initiating a wrestling match after so many provocations, you are referring to something else? People forget that Joe Frazier went to bat for Ali at the highest levels, with Nixon, to help him get his license back.' And loane him money when Ali was hard up! But was repaid by mockery & public cruelty that necessitated police protection for his children.
Precisely. A prime Joe would make more of a contest out of it than he did in their two real fights but he still gets hit too much and too hard by George. Foreman by middle rounds tko.
This content is protected There was more skill and science behind what Big George was doing against Joe. This video is interesting.
I do respect your post but George had a very glaring weakness, a lack of stamina. He appeared staggering all by himself when traveling into the later rounds. As I mentioned before, Smoking Joe had not suffered the punishment at the hands of a very ring rusty Muhammad Ali yet, (18 rounds in 43 months). Personally George Foreman was untested in 1971, but by 1973 Frazier had suffered much damage in his win over a rusted Ali, Joe won fair and square. Frazier was relegated to fighting the likes of Terry Daniels and Ron Stander in 1972. Judging by the physical beating Joe took from Ali, I did bet and won $ 20.00 on George. Big George had to knock out his adversaries early in order to win. By the later rounds his gas tank was running on fumes.
Hi Richard. Oh yes,George was totally reliant on his raw power enabling him to bomb his man out in the early to middle phase of the fight,and the first Muhammad Ali fight took a lot out of Frazier - more than it did Ali,in my opinion. A swarmer type such as Joe,though,would never be able to capitalise on that.
Good points, but being that Joe DID have plenty of stamina, to me he would have been quite capable of capitalizing on it. Frazier's FOTC defense is bizarrely underrated, and people get fooled by him getting hit so much...by one of the fastest heavyweights who ever lived (even ring rusty). I believe Frazier would be able to smoke out George until he tired in the middle rounds, TKO him in 8 at the latest.
I think it is a much different fight. Foreman did exactly what was required for him to win that fight so early in his career and it worked just right. So Hats off to Foreman. George probably wasn’t ready .. but he did it anyway. What a roll of the dice! Against a prime Joe, Foreman would be getting hit right back in this fight…this was the pinpoint version of the Ali fight and though George was bigger, brave and proved later he could take an excellent punch, the 1971 Frazier is a better fighter than Foreman was regarded in 1973. It is possible 1973 George is still too rough and physical for any version of Joe Frazier…but is he going to manhandle Frazier before Joe can hit him on the chin a good few times? The effect of this neutralises that particular edge considerably. The range and timing Frazier had catching a much faster Ali was incomparable against a slower Foreman. Could George afford not to pace himself correctly if he can’t take Joe out before 2 rounds against the best version of Frazier? Probably not. The 1971 Frazier was a different animal. It just is not as simple as saying George is always wrong for Joe. If that were the case Frazier never would have been betting favourite over George and Ali should never have stood a chance of beating George Foreman.
Chok - you've whined for years that Foreman never ever deserved to get that title shot against Frazier because he had never beaten anyone/done enough to deserve it. This was comical in itself as Foreman actually monstered him in one of the most impressive wins in history........................................never mind the likes of Scott Frank, Evangelista, Rodriguez, Baez and more than a thousand others getting easy peasy title shots throughout the course of boxing history. Now you want to flip that on it's head and say Frazier would not have been betting favorite over George if he was always wrong for Joe? Can you not see your own contradiction? Why would Foreman have been favorite when you said he'd never done enough to even warrant a title shot? By your same words how could we know Foreman was always wrong for Joe when we didn't have much of a clue of exactly what Foreman brought to table? We sure know what he brought to the table against a Frazier now. Old or not Frazier and Futch completely changed his style and tried to wait Foreman out in the rematch (Frazier having to sit back and not be Smokin', really?) and in particular avoid the uppercuts. This was a complete unequivocal admittance that Joe's usual game stood no chance whatsoever of working against Foreman. Please explain to me the paradox of how Foreman should have been favorite in his first bout with Frazier when you yourself said he didn't even deserve a title shot?
No, styles make fights, Foreman struggled with slick outboxers, not fighters that come sttaight at him. Also they did not know that Foreman would implement those kinds of tactics against Frazier and didn't know thats they would work, they also underestimated Foremans physical strength. Thats why Frazier was the betting favorite
