Any basis for George Foreman's power being overrated?

that's the problem he did not

 

No, I don't think so.

 

This is something a lot of boxing and UFC fans don't understand. They think of punching power and chins in terms of pure video game logic and ignore the psychology behind things, not to mention technique and ring awareness.

A wise coach once told me the reason I lost to his fighter: that I was going full throttle, full power immediately from the start, and this spooked his fighter who immediately made adjustments fighting on the outside keeping me out of his range and setting up counters to discourage me from getting close.

 

I was at the National Golden Gloves in Chattanooga the year a guy named Deontay Wilder, with all of like 12 or 15 amateur fights under his belt, won it.

He was fighting the Detroit or Cleveland GG champ (I forget which), who had like 100 fights and had come up from youth ranks and grown into a heavy (201 pound division, not super heavy). Wilder was gangly and unpolished.

For about a minute, the Detroit/Cleveland guy boxed smooth and had his way. Then Wilder caught him with a glancing right and he took an 8-count with rubbery legs. For the rest of that round and the next two (3-round fight in amateurs), all he did was try to stay as far away as possible — there was no thought of ‘can I find a way to steal this round,’ it was ‘good lord please don’t let him catch me again, and please don’t let him catch me flush.’

Wilder won and his bout in the finals against the NYGG champ was about the same, except the guy played ‘avoid a fight at all costs’ from the first bell and never really got clipped.

Both of those guys would probably tell you that Wilder hit harder than they wanted any part of — they would probably also tell you (I’m guessing) that at some point someone in their amateur career probably hit them harder (especially the NYGG champ) because they made damned sure that Wilder wasn’t going to hit them even if it meant losing a decision — wasn’t worth the risk.

Like if a big dog tries to bite me and fails, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he doesn’t succeed … so some chihuahua might actually bite me harder, haha.

 

This is why I laugh when people get confused in "best I faced" interviews. All they look at is the stat sheet: height, weight, KO%, record, etc etc ignoring all context wondering why fighter A didn't KO fighter B.

Try actually WATCHING the fight...!

As you said, sometimes a guy does everything he can to survive shamelessly running/clinching every chance they can. Others may have exceptional defensive skills slipping and rolling with punches or using a superb guard. Sometimes the puncher blew his load going for the KO or was sloppy and not a good finisher. There's all kinds of reasons a KO doesn't happen and it doesn't automatically mean the fighter's power was a myth or that the opponent was simply an iron chinned beast.

 

Not really. Hit Holyfield harder than Bowe, Lewis, Tyson, Cooper, Mercer...Tua (though that was sparring).

Ali said only Shavers hit him harder. Think of what that entails.

 

Ali was unimpressed till he swapped up his story, visually on film a lot of guys have ate punches from him, he had to beat them down… if you’re calling him the hardest puncher ever? yes that’s to far he’s quite small - but a very, very good puncher at his weight? I wouldn’t argue it, Holyfield said he hit him with the hardest single shot but said he wasn’t sure if he hit any harder then Tyson. Liston, Louis, Tyson, Foreman Morrison, Shavers etc they’re all varying degrees 99… 99.2 or 99.6 it doesn’t matter.

 

One possible basis is Savarese and Grimsley going 12 with Foreman but getting stopped in seconds by Tyson and Thunder. Ditto Stewart but he at least made in a minute or so with Tyson.

 

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Yeah let’s compare a 33 year old and 24 year old Tyson with a 48 year old and a 43 year old Foreman.

 

Power is the last thing to go, except when we're making excuses for Foreman.

 

And this is the right answer.

 

Dude’s been back TWO days and is already starting his bull**** up again.

 

In case you missed basic education and can't tell from the wording in the sentence, it still goes, especially when you are 40+

But of course, we can also entertain your delusions and praise Jake Paul for having a better chin than Trevor Berbick.