I think Foreman wanted more money. He was building himself up. He didn't want any bull**** option clauses either. In 1989 and 1990 Holyfield was a much more credible opponent for Tyson, and therefore almost as promotable as Foreman .... so Don King didn't waste his time giving anything better up to Foreman. In 1991, clearly as ironchamp's link tells it, Foreman thought he was getting a rematch with Holyfield for the undisputed title. There's no mystery. Foreman drove a hard bargain. If Tyson had never lost to Douglas, and had got past Holyfield in 1990, the next big super-fight would have been Foreman, who wouldn't have risked losing in the meantime. And it would have been record-breaking money PLUS the undisputed title.
Could be. Wouldn't you say that's what Arum was for? Or did Foreman have his falling out with Arum during this time?
I'm guessing Bob Arum only made matters worse in regards to potential dealings with Don King. King said himself, in early 1990, "no emissary for Foreman can get more for Foreman from me, than Foreman himself can get from me". Tyson apparently made a statement that he wasn't interested in fighting Foreman, after Foreman had destroyed Cooney. But the fight would have happened somehow, if both had kept winning, and for massive money.
I would have liked to have seen Tyson-Foreman anyway. An intriguing match-up. And it would have been a proper fight.
People talk about early 1990s as an exciting heavyweight time. But imagine the 1990s if these matches had been made : Tyson-Foreman Tyson-Bowe Lewis-Bowe Foreman-Bowe Bowe-Ruddock Holyfield-Ruddock etc.