70s Foreman an average puncher. Same pressure, same style but no terrifying KO power. Opponents don't fear him . They stand their ground more and counter. How does this change things for Big George?
He wouldn't fight the same if that were the case. Great fighters play to their assets. If he didn't have the earth tilting power, he wouldn't have played to it. His best chance then would have been to be an out boxer and use his jab and timing.,
Foreman without power is like Indian food without the burn. He's have been destroyed, because Foreman simply wasn't a very good boxer from a technical point of view. A boxer must have at least a bit of pop if he is going to stand his ground. Otherwise he better be fast, elusive and have something to make up for the no power like great stamina and workrate. You know who was a technically good boxer with no power? This guy, and it didn't go well for him at the high levels: This content is protected
This is one of the rare cases i will agree with you. Foreman did have a good jab and he was adept at blocking left hooks so he had some technical prowess. He also had tremendous punching variation, and even without great power, having a wide arsenal of punches will keep the opponent guessing. Plus, he had an excellent chin. But yes, he wouldn't have a fraction of the success that he had without opponents fearing his power. Unless he developed an outboxing style, which i don't think he would be good at. He would be a sort of borderline top 10 guy.
I think the 90s prove he would have done better then one would have thought. Bugnery sorta career. I don't think Foremans record would be much worse the outcomes themselves would just be a lot more messy. For the most part he wouldn't lose to guys he beat or doesn't have to. Norton would probably beat him. But other then Ali, Jimmy Young and Norton later on Holmes whose going to be getting wins over point fighter George Foreman?
Ideas for similar threads What if Roy Jones Jr was slow What if Mayweather couldn't slip punches What if Vitali was only 5'5 What if Larry Holmes never learned to jab What if Henry Armstrong had poor stamina
He still had some good skills plus heart/chin. It wouldnt be like taking David Tuas power away. Probably a top 10ish guy depending on the year...not a guy we would still be talking about much though.
In the 70s Foreman actually had no power or at least he didn't have the KO power. Most of his finish victories came as TKO. Even the tomato cans he fought managed to get up on their feet after 3-4-5 knockdowns.
