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

Even more emphatically is the success of veterans in the 50's!

 

They both lost when they stepped up to fight the top dogs. Foreman even lost to guys like Morrison and Schulz.

 

Wasnt me, was quoting an article

 

Alex proved he was a competent contender against old George, taking advantage of that big man's tap out. But I think we both know he would have fared pretty terribly against the 70s guys. Shavers would have eventually pulverized him, Lyle...even post-Zaire Ali would have stopped him for sure, too imo.

 

Yes but they both had success, and the top dogs did not get rid of them, the way a great fighter should get rid of the top dog from an earlier era.

 

Again, there is an argument to be had there.

 

There is nothing to suggest top dogs from the 70s or 80s would get rid of middling contenders from the 90s.

 

I'll go with all that. Some tough fellas to beat back then!

 

Who do you consider middling contenders of the 90's?

 

The point is that despite being in their 40s, they managed to still be top ranked challengers in another era. Old, over the hill, out of their time, and they could still steamroll everyone except the top dogs.

Holyfield beat both of them, but both gave him hell. Losing to a prime Holyfield after having gone the distance and having had some good moments isn't exactly something to be embarrassed of.

 

Holyfield beat Foreman handily.

 

To be fair Foreman was nearly 46 at the time and the most impressive thing about his victory was that he came back after ten years during which he didn't touch the boxing gloves.

 

The sheer fact that Foreman was top contender as a 40+ years old man who retired for a decade is a strong evidence that the difference between 1970s and 1990s fighters isn't that big.

 

No.
The extra weight helped Old George.