Could Young George take the shots and muscle people around like Old George did?

Ali made a similar statement in his autobiography telling that during the FOTC after absorbing hard shots being in a rubber room with alligators playing saxophones and time stretches out. He said that during the Foreman fight he planned to send George to that rubber room but one of George's crowbars got through and sent him there first. So he said that when you're in that room you have to put on the actor's clothes and act out the part until your head clears.

 

Modern day nutrition and training my ass ...
I think people underestimate the power of a cheeseburger ..... Foreman absolutely loved his cheeseburgers which actually pulled him out of his months long depression after the Ali fight ... maybe it served as the same remedy for him as it was cigarettes for Monzon

I had the singular honor of witnessing Foreman's ferocious appetite during an interview over lunch on July 29, 1990－two days before he demolished Canadian champion Ken Lakusta in Edmonton, Alberta.

I can still see the look on the waiter's face at the Riviera Hotel when he took our order. While I tucked into clam chowder and a steak sandwich, Foreman washed down six cheeseburgers and a family-sized platter of fries with two strawberry milkshakes.

"Diet is a tricky thing," he told me. "Just because somebody says that eating celery and salad is the right thing to do doesn't necessarily mean it is right for everyone. I just eat what makes me feel good. And when I feel good, I fight good. It's that simple."

 

Two exceptional cases there though. Aging treated both of them well, keeping enough of what made them great in the first place to allow gains in experience and general cannyness to make up for what they had lost.

The real shame is that they didn't fight each other then.

 

sure he could have, had he chose to fight that way. His hand was forced by boxing again in later life and had to make the required adjustments that suited him. That mystical 'old man' strength helped him a lot

 

Modern ( Steroids) Nutrition, I too would rather have a cheeseburger any day than getting another shot, that Modern Nutrition shot will make me sick in my later years.

 

Haha. They didn’t call him “Quick” for nothing.

IIRC, his description straight after the Shavers’ fight wasn’t so acid trippy though he was mindful enough to reference Ali’s rating of Shavers so as to recommend his own (Tillis’) chin.

Now don’t be channelling, not even in jest, MoneyTheConterfiet with retorts like “I are right, you are idiot”. It’s been like heaven not reading his stuff for a while.

And for all those who disagree with me - you is idiots and liars. Word!

 

George had an excellent chin both phases of his career. Foreman took some clean lefthooks from Joe Frazier especially in their second fight and he hardly took a backward step.

George was just a smarter boxer the 2nd time around. Out of necessity mainly. He used his jab consistently. Set traps, focused on timing his punches. Literally stronger? I don't think so.

 

I've come to believe the extra mass helps too in a lot of cases. Holmes could be hurt and dropped at times in his first career and even tho his second stanza featured way less contenders he was shipping heavy blows from the likes of Holyfield quite impressively. Imagine James Toney taking those heavyweight blows at 160 pounds. Foreman was more relaxed and had improved his pacing for sure but he took some serious blows from some serious punchers and barely missed a beat many times despite his age and the huge layoff. Ezzard Charles took a much better punch as he filled out IMO.

 

I see what you did there

 

From personal experience, the ringing in your ears from a good shot is a pretty frightening thing. The worst shot I took was against a tricky switch hitter who kept confusing me and landed an awkward right hook. I spaced out. I could see and hear things but it was almost like when your computer freezes and you have to use task manager. I covered up and eventually recovered.

Your opponent can't always tell in the heat of the moment. But some of the signs are glazed eyes, vacant expression, reduced timing and reflexes.

 

Stewart wouldn't have made it as long as he did against Tyson.

Stewart lucked out, as George gave away everything early on. He really thought he had Stewart, and suffered the consequences later.

It's pretty surprising George shot his load that quick, as he was almost always an elite finisher.

Young George would have been a ravenous animal and knocked him from post to post.

 

Prime George's flaws would have shown up big time against Holmes imo. Holmes certainly would have carried him past the sixth round, and though I can see Larry taking a kd, he proved mutliple times in his prime that usually, ultimately ended up with his opponent getting stopped later.

Prime Holmes' resiliency was extraordinary, and George would have been very unhappy with that imo...so would Iron Mike btw.

 

How did you get to have dinner with Foreman?

 

I remember an interview with Holmes and he was asked who would have won between him and Foreman. Holmes replied "George wouldn't have wanted to seen Larry Holmes"

 

It would have been scary to be in Stewart s boots against young George!
Not sure if he froze against Tyson or just that he was that fast and wanted him gone?!
He was a good decent 90 s contender, was young Alex. Lost to all the big names but gave George, Holyfield and Moorer, memorable battles.