Better resume: Joe Frazier or George Foreman

Norton was put into the Hall of Fame in 1992. I can't see why first career Foreman wasn't worthy of HOF honors at some point if he didn't come back. Ray Mancini is in there, I'd like to think Foreman's first career far surpassed him of all people. There's plenty of other quite ordinary "achievers" in there too that Foreman well and truly surpassed. The HOF isn't just about resume, sometimes it's in spite of it.

 

I've been kinda critical of George's recors in the past and actually don't have him in my top ten heavyweights, or at least not consistently, yet on reappraisal, his record must be better than Joe's. I think Joe's win over Ali, and his loss in Manilla are better individual achievements than anything George ever did, but over the piece, George's record is better. All that said, I do think we romanticise George's comeback and it gives things an unnatural, almost unfair weighting due to its sheer improbability and cultural effect, and globally at that...but it was a hell of a thing, wasn't it? His loss to Holyfield was as good as many of his wins!!