1988 Tyson vs 1972 Foreman....

Tyson in this case is a wrecking ball and Foreman is the brick wall. Sooner or later that wrecking ball is going to break through and cause a variety of damage.

Tyson ain't Frazier. Tyson ain't Lyle. Tyson ain't a 32 year old Ali.

Foreman ain't Berbick. Foreman ain't Ruddock. Foreman ain't a 34 year old Holyfield.

Foreman would be facing someone who was the most lethal offensive threat next to Joe Louis in heavyweight history. Tyson would be facing someone with the most lethal one punch power in history. Foreman may have the stylistic advantage but Tyson had the better qualities and attributes.

At this point Foreman hadn't experienced anything at the world level and Tyson was at the height of his powers.

Tyson KO 5

 

Tyson, as well, hadn't experienced anything like a '72 Foreman.

 

Both hit hard. I look for the '72 Foreman to go to Tyson's body early to set the tone of who is the boss in the ring. (Foreman hit Frazier a body shot early in Round One and Frazier never recovered)

 

Or, it could be that they both blow their wads in the first five rounds and spend the rest of the fight hugging each other

 

Buster Douglas beat a prime Tyson, Mike was still young and had never had a hard fight before that that I can think of. I don't go with al the BS excuses people make for Mike here, fact is Douglas was at his best, had all the right motivation........ for once in his life he trained with a fire in his heart and a deep desire to make his dad proud who he lost just before the fight, why would he have feared Tyson when he was brought up by such a hard father as Buster had ?....... nope if Tyson had sacked his best people and gone in with that dog Don King it's his fault for being stupid, not saying he was at his best but he should have been... you can't blame lazyness in training on anyone but Tyson, even if he was at his very best Douglas could have taken him as he was a perfect antidote to everything Tyson had, the only great fighter he ever beat was a way past it and old Holmes. George Foreman is an absolute NIGHTMARE for Mike, Tyson is not big enough to beat Foreman same as Joe Frazier wasn't big enough. Foreman knew exactly how to take short guys apart.... Foreman wins by KO round 4

 

Joe Jeanette could have beat Tyson, I do not agree with this above but to each his own I guess

 

Some say Tyson is more polished, so be it, he had a great mentor, he had quick hands and lots of power, I don't think he is near as strong as George and I think george hits a lot harder. Tyson did not have a glass jaw but still it was far from great, it was just reasonable but it cannot stand one of George's uppercuts, one of those ends the fight immediately, there is a lot more power there than Buster Douglas landed. I don't think Tyson for all his power hit as hard as Lyle, his power is closer to Frazier's, slightly more than Joe I guess. It certainly is possible that Mike will rock Foreman but he has a lot to contend with. George also has a better chin and he is titanic in size compared to Tyson. George can knock Tyson out without the uppercut, in fact a good glancing blow to the temple could do it. Foreman will land some huge shots on the arms making Mike's arm a mess and it will affect his punching, George will land everywhere and almost all at once and his pole like jab is gonna be a real problem. Mike is a great ducker and weaver like Frazier, it proved useless didn't it, Joe ducked and copped punches in the face, he weaves and George simply pounded the closest target and all of these punches hurt and pushed Frazier around the place, this happens to Tyson too and Tyson now way ever in his career matches the sheer desire and willpower Joe Frazier had, he wilts quickly in this fight and admits in between rounds he just doesn't want to be there anymore and he may just quit before George blasts him senseless. I think other heavyweights beat Tyson too. A Sam McVey is one who has the sort of offence to break tyson's will, he may have hit harder than Foreman to be honest, only seen a tiny bit of footage of McVey, indeed one bit I saw there was just a single left hook and this dude is slammed to the canvas so fast its incredible. If that McVey lands on Tyson it's goodnight too. A more intriguing matchup is Rocky Marciano, a fight that could go either way with the proviso that Mike can win only within 5 rounds, if Rocky is still there by round six Mike will fall and with Marciano's awesome chin, stamina and brute power Mike will be saying by round 8... get me outta here.

 

physicly he was in his Prime yes (but not in this fight), psyche he was defenitiv not in his best form. His privat life at this time was desaster and no one of us would have fight aut this point. Its easy to say he was young, also he must been in his prime. But you must regard his living conditions at this time. No Rooney in his corner, personal trouble with Givens and others, court proceedings, heavy car accident month before, not trained very hard, he underrate Buster, no headmovment, no counterpunching, no combinations, he want kO Buster with one Punch, etc, etc...

Most was simply Tyson´s fault but he was at this night not in his best condition. No way.

 

BS

those problems he had outside the ring weren't isolate to the douglas fight

 

first of all , 1972 foreman was not prime foreman, you use the very best version of tyson against a green foreman, still i go with george by ko

 

the dumbest comment on the thread

 

I believe Foreman would have won. Foreman was a beast, a different animal to the men Tyson was used to fighting.
Not many men would beat that version of Foreman.

 

we will never know how this Fight would end, but for shure it would be a awesome Fight. A slugfest where both fighter must take heavy, heavy punches.

 

foreman has all the tools to stop Tyson, but I am not sure Tyson had ALL the tools to stop foreman.

 

I agree with your first point but disagree with your second, take the Lyle fight but consider it as Tyson instead. Look at the speed and combo skill of Tyson compared to Lyle. Don't forget that although Foreman was taller he wasn't that much heavier than Tyson in 72. Look at how Lyle was able to land on Forman hurting him badly and then consider how FAST Tyson was at taking a guy out when he was hurt even a little.