HBO Punch Stats Jabs Foreman: 157/230 (68%) Briggs: 57/135 (42%) Power Punches Foreman: 127/258 (49%) Briggs: 166/359 (46%) Total Punches Foreman: 284/488 (58%) Briggs: 223/494 (45%) Foreman 8-4 imo. This fight cannot be scored for Briggs. Foreman got his fair share of gifts though.
I don't think it was a robbery. I think fans scored rounds to Foreman because Briggs spent most of the fight looking totally winded. And they wanted Foreman to win.
I actually thought that was one of George's best performances in his 2nd career. His jab was snapping that night.
Given an age difference, I have to say it's really an ATG performance. Foreman was alsmot 50 and he fought very limited but dangerous puncher and he completely schooled him. Can you think about similar fight at HW division?
It was a terrible decision, even worse than Holmes-Spinks II. Foreman retained his title with flying colors against one of the best contenders around at the time. And Briggs was still a young man who would have at least hung in there a bit against masters like Holyfield, Tyson, and Bowe. To me the Briggs fight, win or lose, was about as indicative of George's greatness as the Moorer. George could be very generous in calling others champ during his reign (he called Bowe THE heavyweight champion more than once in commentary), but the Briggs defense proved why he was lineal imo. Briggs (though a very talented heavyweight) was beaten. I keep wondering if perhaps politics in some way influenced that decision.
Briggs was really a pretty good heavyweight even then and gave Foreman a hard fight, let's be clear about that. However, if the truth be told, Foreman probably should have gotten the nod. I think its a case of the boxing officials wanting to pass the torch from a dude with very little time left to another guy that seemed like a shining prospect at the time. When that shoe didn't fit, they got the shoehorn and damn well made it fit.
I believe that's true , that they wanted a fresh name at the top , to finally beat the old guy .It wasn't doing heavyweight boxing any good in there eyes , having an almost fifty years old guy beating everyone .So they kinda nudged it in favor of Briggs . But personally I'd have given the decision to George but at least he went out injured .
Only problem I have with the give-the-title-to-the-new-guy theory is money...George brought in a LOT of it (possibly more than Lewis). Keeping George champion would have been the most prudent, lucrative goal. I could be wrong. It is true though, George received a couple of gifts.
