Basically George Foreman vs Joe Louis in a nutshell...

Here I would definitely take the opposite viewpoint.

 

LOL neither was Ron Lyle or Jimmy Young.
I'm saying Louis was fighting the best fighters in the world for an uncommon amount of time. Louis was champion for 12 years and he was fighting contenders, even ex champions as early as 1934. Being knocked down a few times in a reign that long doesn't spell a bad or weak chin.

George was at the top for 10 minutes.

 

Right and Jimmy Young knocked down and beat Foreman. I shudder to think what the Brown Bomber would have done to him.

 

Young Joe vs. Young George ... Louis wins.

Old Joe (In his comeback) vs. Old George (in his comeback) ... George wins.

 

Louis puts Big George down in 6/7-TKO. Similar to the Carnera fight, Louis circles, fights cautiously and viciously attacks when he finds his opening. The fight wouldn't be without its share of adversity.

 

I also think Louis is a bad matchup for George

 

Some say George is made to measure for Joe and it's difficult not see Joe coming through some early adversity to win this late on 'if' he was to win it. Those first five round are perilous for anyone vs Foreman, especially someone who'll be right there within range, banking on his superior boxing skills and combinations and who, in his own words, preferred to take on punchers to movers.

Both wouldn't have to look for one another, with Joe willing to trade as his complete arsenal is pitted against George's jab and (comparatively) wild clubbing blows.

Is George made to measure? A slightly smaller/lighter version maybe, but not this one... and if this was to be an early shoot out, i'd see both taste the canvas but ultimately, always pick the superior chin. George TKO4.

 

Foreman wouldn't survive a firefight with Louis. Louis' handspeed and accuracy was far greater, Foreman said himself: "You’d take one shot from him and you were sure he’d have seven or eight more coming for you." And Louis would (after throwing a punch) adjust his position so he wasn't standing right in front of him. Louis also had superior defense and head movement. 9/10 times Foreman gets KO'd.

 

Old Joe v Old Foreman is a more even fight. I would go with old Joe by unanimous decision in a 12-round fight. Could go either way.
I assume you're talking about post-Charles Joe Louis.

 

I didn't dispute Louis' full repertoire as a puncher compared to George, and Louis was very complimentary about Foreman's power in the 70s too let's not forget (in an era when most old fighters embarrassed themselves with their bitterness about their modern day counterparts) but in a shoot out, my money's always on the stronger chin. Hence:
Big George TKO4 Lil Joe.

 

I dunno about old fighters "embarrassing themselves with their bitterness about their modern day counterparts".
It wouldn't be much of a shootout because Louis would land the majority of shots. Foreman falls inside 6 or 7.

 

Dont you, well you need to read more on the era then. Some of the photos are in colour too.

 

Joe Frazier though?

Foreman almost killed the guy twice.

I’m not saying George would definitely beat Louis, but there is no way that he doesn’t wobble him at some point and that changes the fight. How long can Louis stand there and take George’s shots vs how long before Louis frustrates George and capitalises on an opening.

50-50 fight for mine…anybody certain of the result is kidding themselves. Forced to pick a winner I ever so slightly lean towards Foreman but say that with no confidence at all.

 

I’m simply bemused by the fact that this thread based and kicked itself off on the premise that Foreman was in any way analogous to Max Baer.

Actually, my bad. They did both like to crack some jokes here and there - well old George did, 70s George, doing his best Sonny Liston impersonation, wasn’t too mirthful.

 

And even if they were stylistically similar, Baer doesn't survive 5 rounds with Foreman and there is no credible argument that suggests otherwise. That in itself means that the Brown Bomber is stepping up in class to take on Foreman. He's potentially great enough to do that but Max Baer is not the right formline.