prime for prime. Two big dudes who can crack and were middle of the road contenders but who never quite reached the top. What do you think ?
Joe Louis had a high regard for Simon. We think of their fights as being two one sided beatings, but Louis said that Simon gave him one of his toughest fights! He said that Simon was hurting him with everything that he hit him with, and that he was shocked by how much punishment Simon could take. I suspect that Simon never quite realised his full potential. I also suspect that he was a class above Savarese!
Savarese was a big very tough guy,he used to fight street fights and collect money on the side when he was plumber. If hes good enough to give ANY foreman a challenge hes more than good enough for someone like Simon. Simon doesnt even look like a fighter ,he looks like a big wrestler TRYING to fiight.
Answers are pretty divided so far and maybe rightfully so. This isn't an easy one to decide. Simon gave A galant effort in his first fight with Louis and also beat a rising Joe Walcott. Savarese fought an aging but still dangerous George Foreman to a close and contested decision. He also sent a decent fringe guy in Buster Mathis Jr. into retirement. Both guys were big and strong and both guys were somewhat slow and limited in skill, although savarese had an Ok jab. Simon lost to a few journeyman level guys too, where as I don't think Lou ever did or at least not while being anywhere near prime.. Toss up for me. I think it might have been an entertaining fight with the victor winning by knockout after some big exchanges.
