Boxing Defense-Cross Armed (Norton, Moore, Fullmer, Foreman)

That's probably true. He Definitely didn't use it against lesser opponents like Hernandez. Hernandez really rocked George.

I did a quick scan of some of his early comeback fights. It looks like the first time Foreman used the cross defense was against Tony Fuliangi, his 13th comeback fight. Fuliangi was a better opponent than most he'd faced. "Better" is a relative word since most of the opponents were pretty bad to that point. It helped George shake off the rust though so I can't argue with the strategy. Anyway, in the earlier fights, George pretty much just walked his guy down, pushed them all over the place, & pounded them with that jab. I think with Tony Fuliangi, he started using the cross arm defense.

 

George once said re: the Frazier I fight, he had practiced watching for Frazier to dip his left shoulder before Joe threw his left hook; and George, fighting much taller, & probably stronger than Joe, would just immediately lift his right arm up to either deflect or parry Frazier's punch. Foreman had been thoroughly schooled by Sandy Saddler and Archie Moore to beat Frazier, but few knew it pre-fight.

 

Foreman s monster and the villagers rise up to burn the beast!!