George notably struggled with more mobile fighters, can everyone’s favourite thong-donning prancer win?
I don't think so. Corbett helds his hands low and he was shorter than Foreman. Foreman is bound to nail him at some point over 12 rounds. Foreman had long arms and could mix up straight punches with wide looping shots. Corbett does not have the height and reach to stay away like a young Ali could. That means Foreman will land either a wide looping shot or use the threat of the wide looping punches to land straight ones. Once Foreman lands, its all over. You can't use a low guard vs Foreman. Even Ali held his hands unusually high vs George. I know this is old Foreman but even old George wasn't as slow as made out. He was quick enough to keep up with Holyfield. Corbett wins 3-4 rounds but then gets caught by a big left hook and Foreman batters him to a stoppage. Foreman tko 6.
Corbett a Pioneer in boxing who could probably with the right modern diet, training etc even make Middle Weight/Super Middleweight. George KO1. Hope they won’t need a stretcher for this one.
Too bloody small. Foreman had a good jab by that time and being a mover is all good and well if the other guy is loading up his shots, but old Foreman could jab all night. He still had decent timing and I don't think Corbett could eat too many of those and stay effective. He's still got to land his own punches to win and he'd get tagged too.
In a previous post on this forum, the following is how Fitz described Corbett: "Corbett did not work well at all....There was not a clean punch in this fight. When Corbett tried a hook, instead of having his arm crooked properly he would have it out at full length and swing in. There was no steam in those blows." Not even counting the fact that Corbett would be in there wearing a miniature version of one of those things that Sumo wrestlers wear, and throwing straight-arm hooks, this is an absolute comical mismatch IMO in which Corbett doesn't win a round. Not seeing anything in that film of the Fitz fight that would lead me to believe that Corbett would have any chance at all against George, even with the lateral movement that could potentially trouble him. Corbett at best maybe mirrors what Adilson Rodrigues did against Foreman. If the Fitz fight is anywhere near the best version of Corbett, I'm not certain he cracks the top 50 in the 90's, much less beats George. There didn't appear to be much there at all.
In my view, Foreman, in pure power, was the hardest hitting boxer in the history of the sport. Gentleman Jim Corbett does not get past even the 1990's punching power of Big George Foreman. In spite of Jim's stylistic advantages, George Foreman over James J. Corbett by stoppage.
Fitzsimmons was a friend to all, a funny and joking man. He only hated one man: Corbett. I wouldn't put too much weight on his words about Corbett. During their fight, Gentleman Jim knocked Fitzsimmons down and won most of the rounds. Was he really as bad as Fitz said? He could win or lose to Foreman, but he had technical skills.
