Let's take the Foreman of 91 who faced Holyfield and put him in the ring with the Holyfield that beat Tyson in 96. Did Holyfield at that point in his career have the legs and handspeed to get in and out and land combinations on Foreman like he did in their bout, I highly doubt it. Would that extra bulk benefit his single shot punching power and would it be enough to hurt Foreman, no matter how bulky Evander would be he would be the weaker man in there. I think Foreman would win by late stoppage or points.
Yes, I agree Foreman would probably win. Points or late stoppage seems right. 1996 Holyfield was relatively immobile and had a vastly reduced work-rate.
I see foreman rumbling through the defence of Holyfield and catching him time after time. It's not a one sided match by any means, holyfield will fire back at time s and catch him coming in. But George, with that cross Armed defence is doing the more damage. Foreman will getting some massive shots off as the fight wears on, and somewhere in the last few rounds holyfield will be caught by a huge upper cut that will see him dropped on all four s. He'll get up but in no fit state to carry on.
It would be a much closer fight with Evander having to surrender more rounds. I think Evander edges a decision, possibly split.
I'll go 96 Holy based on the logic that 3 years down the line in November '99 he gave Lennox Lewis all he could handle. A 34 year old Lennox Lewis who was motivated and in the middle of a good run of form beats a 42 year old Foreman hands down for me and if Evander survives Lewis' best shots, he takes George's. I'm basing my opinion purely on that logic. Don't ask me how the fight pans out but in 91 George was only a year away from being the man who got severely beaten up, if not beaten, by Alex Stewart. Evander in 1996 was being hailed by The Ring as the 3rd best heavyweight ever. Of course, George was not actually as bad as he looked vs Stewart and Evander had not done enough to merit that rating. Even so, all things being equal, a guy who is being talked up by sensible writers (Nigel Collins) as being the third best ever does not lose to a guy who within a year would get a severe beating from a game but strictly second tier heavyweight. No disrespect intended to anyone, least of all Alex Stewart.
