Foreman : Deterioration of skills 1970 - '74

Foreman could have used his jab and picked his shots WITHOUT sacrificing ferocity and aggression.
I'm not suggesting he should have tried to outbox Ali or tried to be too cute, just used his available tools like a professional champion.
Truth is, he must have had absolutely no respect for Ali, because he fought him like he was trying to bowl over a second-rate stiff.

 

I'm not saying Foreamn should have got "slick" with Ali. He wasn't "slick" with Chuvalo either.
I'm just saying he should have fought like a professional fighter, used a jab at least at times and picked his shots esp. after a round or two showed his wild-bomber style wasn't working optimally.

The very fact that Ali was a lot more skillful than Chuvalo suggests Foreman should have used at least as much of his skills against Ali as he did against Chuvalo.
Controlled aggression, clinical ferocity, not just wild swinging.
It's not about out-slicking, outboxing or stick-and-moving on Ali, it's about going for the KO and using the natural power in an educated and proficient manner.

 

Foreman fought like an amateur. That's never the right fight.

He didn't put his punches together, he hardly ever used the jab.

 

The jab is vital.
When Foreman actually threw the jab properly against Ali he landed it, and from further out the better effect it had, and a couple of times followed up with a right. It was successful when he used it. But too often he was standing "at jabbing distance" and not jabbing. Or jabbing once then dropping his hand with no effort to follow up or double-up. Or arm-jabbing with weak jabs at too close a distance. A jab is at least a defensive punch against a man like Ali.
Ali countered slow looping shots with straight shots, easily. That happened all night.
And when Foreman just tried to push and parry his way in, "herd" Ali, and throw wild swings and arcing hooks, Ali just grabbed, rolled or countered.

Yes, you are right, the jab can be used to close the distance. And it was the way that worked when Foreman used it. There's the difference between closing the distance to have Ali's blinded by the jab and to set up another shot, and simply closing distance to be held or countered.

For men or equally size and reach, jabs have to be used against men who will jab you back. That's fundamental, unless you're some sort of super counterpuncher to the jab, which Foreman wasn't. Of course the jab works, and of course Foreman should not have ditched it. I wouldn't say he ditched it, but he used it sparingly and used it ineffectively. He simply didn't put any of his punches together effectively, and was totally haphazzard and random as to when he used a jab. Everything he did was too amateurish.

 

If Foreman jabbed more he'd take away more of Ali's jab. Yes, he might not out-jab him over the long haul - I'd favour ALI - but he'd be defending himself and upsetting Ali's rhythm. Ali didn't defend well against a jab (by parrying or slipping it) other than by jabbing, even if he's the better jabber. So jabbing more couldn't have hurt Foreman in those instances (at that distance).

To disturb Ali's rhythm, thus defending himself from Ali's straight shots and ability to break through with his sustained attacks of multiple shots.

As for achieving that position, I'd say it was obvious after 2 or 3 rounds that being in that position and throwing those shots was not benefitting Foreman to the point where it was still the best bet for victory. An adaptation, a change, even a subtle one, could have been attempted. Ali was taking some heavy bombardment from some of those shots but he was also looking for openings to fire off the kind of clean barrages of fast shots that a bit more jabbing from Foreman would have prevented him from firing off so effectively. Also, those wild wide swings were taking a lot out of Foreman, whereas throwing a few more straight shots (jabs and one-twos) had a better balance of damage done to energy expended.

Hopefully what I wrote above explains my take on that.

Ali was doing what he was doing because Foreman's punches were ridiculously easy to see coming. Even if he had to take some because he was pinned, he'd still see those wide looping wild swings coming a mile off.
Foreman would have done well to throw some more straight punches, arrow-straight jabs and a straightish "overhand" right cross (which he possessed and landing off the jab once or twice) for example.

With someone with such superior handspeed (and equal reach) throwing wide wild shots is an even worse option, in my opinion.

Foreman just accentuated his speed deficit by choosing to throwing telegraphed shots and neglect the proper use of his decent straight shots. I dont see the sense in that, esp. after it becomes clear that the other method isn't causing the desired quick devastation.

 

He didn't need to. The point is, Foreman threw a kitchen sink full of hard wild swings at Ali all the time and had a kitchen sink full of quality straight shots thrown back at him and Foreman came off worse. He did a lot of harm to himself expending all that energy too. Mixing it up with some jabbing and straight shots, and just picking his shots like a professional fighter in general would have helped him greatly, in my opinion.
If Foreman jabbed more, Ali would have jabbed more, and Ali might well have outjabbed Foreman more, but it would have helped set Foreman up for some other effective shots and it would have kept Ali guessing.

Ali was a bloody good challenger and Foreman was fighting him like he was just another stiff. After 2 rounds that definitely made no sense.

Okay, call it breaking his "non-rhythm". You're right, but I mean it would have helped set Foreman up for some other effective shots and it would have kept Ali guessing. Ali saw the vast majority of what Foreman did choose to throw coming a mile off, and even when he was getting hit it was predictable stuff from Foreman. Ali was hanging on and covering up and being allowed to think. The Foreman jab, like any ramrod jab, is a temporary sickener, you didn't see it coming and you're head snapped back. Those big shots Foreman was throwing with himself wide open were just inviting Ali to think and come back with his own barrages, and he knows exactly where George is.
The jab always works in some way or another. Wild swings often dont.

He was capable of picking his shots and not being so damn kamikaze.

What space ?

No, I dont see the strict dichotomy between "outboxing" and "beating down". Foreman had to use more of his skills as a professional boxer and some sense, he needs to "box" a bit to deliver his destruct and destroy. But he shouldn't be in there to purely "outbox".
Jabbing and one-twoing is what punchers do too. Everyone should jab and one-two. The only exception would be those guys with stumpy reaches, who might choose to pick other shots instead of - (but then someone like Tyson, I'd definitely expect to use a jab against Ali)

I'm just saying he should fight like a professional champion puncher, not some big strong barroom palooka. It's not about "boxing with", it's about delivering good efficient power punches.

From the 5th round onwards Foreman couldn't have looked any more inept and uneducated in his strategy. And an adjustment should have come earlier. But better yet he shouldn't have fought Ali with such a contemptous gameplan in the first place.

Straighten his shots up a bit, mix them up a bit, and pick them wisely - those are the differences and he could have made them. Would he have won ? Probably not. But he wouldn't have looked so awful.

Against a guy of Ali's quality and durability, yes. Especially when Foreman was expending so much energy and losing power so rapidly. Nevermind that Ali was picking him off some point in virtually every round, and rocking him too.

No, I'm expecting him to step back (or not) and LOOK for big punches. That's my main criticism of him. He didn't pick his shots, he didn't land enough efficient power punches. He didn't look for big shots, he was just throwing a lot of powerful clumsy swings for the most part.