First sign that Young Foreman could punch himself out against the Elite?

Hey, when you have 90 fights, you have good and bad performances. He also had a decision win against Leslie. No shame in a draw.

Pastrano tko'd him on cuts - He did not knock him out.

 

Stats can be overrated. Henry Cooper was only about 190 but he had a massive left hook. Doug Jones was only 190 when he gave Clay a tough go of it too. Conn was 175 when he gave Louis troubles. Skill, condition, ring generalship, speed, craftiness can offset physical advantages such as weight and height. Peralta was a durable guy and a veteran with good skill and ring generalship. Sure he wasn't a puncher, but usually it is those types of guys, relaxed, durable, well conditioned, crafty, just looking to hit and not be hit who give the big punchers a tough time of it.

 

Bottom line is Peralta was a veteran of 90 pro fights, and if the saying 'you are only as good as your last fight' is true, then coming off a draw with a very strong Bonavena, a guy who was physical and had power and had dropped Frazier in their first fight, and recently gone 15 with Frazier, made Peralta a risky proposition for a young fighter with only 15 bouts under his belt, most of which were early KOs.

 

You have sold it to me that this was a tougher match than I previously recognised.

I still think that Foreman was given too many easy fights early, and that more fights like this would have helped to develop him as a fighter.

 

Exactly,Peralta was a tough opponent.Foreman's stamina has been derided for years .Strange that at 42 years of age he went 12 competitive rounds with the World Champion without sitting on his stool once?:think

 

I was just watching the Cosell broadcast. Howard said Peralta was rated #9 in the world at that time. He also said that half the analysts felt that Peralta would just be another victim, and the other half thought the matchmaker was crazy and had over-matched George too early in his career.

Watching a bit of the fight, I can see how Peralta could give a puncher some troubles. He was very relaxed, the relaxation of a true vet, had very calm flowing head movement, walked about calmly and kept distance, but also knew how to step in and clinch and smother. Peralta had quick snappy punches that were not hard but just fast and well timed enough to make one think. He had that real relaxed type body and ring generalship and enough spoiler techniques that it would be difficult for a puncher to get him out of there. Plus his relaxation and lack of power would help him late in the fight because he is very efficient and economical in his use of energy.

 

yea Foreman was handled poorly. Who cares about the fact he almost killed Frazer and gave him his first loss. Who cares he almost killed Norton after Norton's wars with Ali.


If he was handled poorly at all, it was by Clancey (guy I love). An aggressive Foreman smokes Jimmy Young, but the passive Foreman blows that fight.