Foreman Makes an Earlier Comeback. What year(s) might he take the title?

It would have been really interesting of Foreman had taken Michael Spinks place in the first fight with Holmes.

I am fairly certain that Foreman would have beaten spinks.

It also would have been interesting if Douglas pulled out of the Tyson fight and a hard training George Foreman stepped in at short notice.

The Douglas that lost to Holyfield would have got beaten by Foreman, IMO.

 

I dont think he beats Holmes, but it would have been interesting because of Holmes slipping and Foreman being smarter.

Foreman did have a huge aura of invincibility around him. I remember when he won he title and started handpicking opponents. He would openly pick young opponents who didnt move but instead stood in front of him. Each one would suddenly find movement they had never shown before.

Even Holyfield did more sticking and moving than straight out going to war with old holmes. They were all ware of his power. Holmes, though is a different kettle of fish. Experienced enough to not fall for his tricks and the perfect style to beat him. That being said, one would have to wonder what would have happened with a slightly younger and smarter George foreman taking the Holmes Jab early but all the time, setting up to rope a dope just the same way that suckered in Moorer. If Larry Holmes could be caught by Tyson then why not Foreman? I could see Larry on the verge of breaking Marciano's record, trying to stand toe to toe in the later rounds to prove point, and who knows Foreman could very easily tagging him.

I think it is a 50-50 fight and ranks as one of the great shames we didnt get to see it.

Tyson Foreman is another. Tyson should have been miles too fast by the time the fight could have taken place, but I do think that Foreman had him really worried mentally. I have to wonder what Tyson's tactics would have been and how he would have fared mentally against Foreman. i think we may have seen a cautious Tyson trying to wrack up the points. It may have been a massacre Tyson's way or a Foreman style blowout that wrecked Mikes carreer, but either way i still think it owuld be one of the great fights we could have had an answer for. If forced to pick i Say Mike Overwhelms him and wins a premature stoppage with foreman still on his feet.

 

Old Foreman never beats Holmes imo, apart from the 88 version onward s maybe. Quite a few of the 80 s Alphabet boys maybe. Let's say he makes a comeback in around 1983.
He has around 10 easy fight s then challenge s Thomas who lost to Berbick? That's a winnable fight maybe. Then he faces Berbick, possibly beating him. Maybe.
After that he's in line to meet Tyson. 1987 Tyson?? I see a bad ending for George there.

 

91 Foreman would kick the ass of 92 Holmes.
Prime vs prime is a 50/50 fight, George probably would hurt him badly

 

Foreman has stylistical advantage over Tyson and always would be a serious problem for Mike

 

This I mostly agree with.

1979-1983 Holmes would have stopped comeback (or even prime) George in 10. 84 to 86 Holmes would have outpointed him UD. Larry might just have outpointed George in 88, but he would most certainly have suffered a knockdown...or two.

I do think George would have beat Weaver by ko, so that would have been a title for him. Witherspoon would have got stopped by comeback George (Tim got hit a lot and his chin wasn't exactly pristine), so would Coetzee and Dokes (Dokes had a nasty habit of trying to punch with punchers...bye bye Michael).

Thomas and Page are trickier, I'm pretty sure Pinklon could have boxed his ears off in his prime for a UD.

Page had heart and plenty of boxing skill, in shape he would have outpointed George but perhaps suffered a knockdown. UD.

Tyson knocks the hell out of George anytime in the 80s. Post-prison he himself gets knocked out in 3 to 5.

Tucker would have outpointed him.

Tubbs knocked out in 4.

 

Sadly that is not an option, we would have to match them in the same year!

 

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He wouldnt take the title if he fights prime Holmes or Tyson.

He may have been able to beat some of the alphabet champions betwee. 1979-1985.

If he came back in 79 or 80 I do think he may beat John Tate and Mike Weaver

I think he could have beaten Leon Spinks and Ken Norton in 1978.

 

Lol

 

If George had taken a few months off and returned at the end of 1977, he would have probably been fine. Win an easy fight in the fall. After Spinks beats Ali, fight Norton for the WBC belt. Stop him again. Rematch with Young in 78. Young was a mess. Stop him. Rematch Ali in 79 to unify. Stop him. Rematch Lyle after the Ledoux fight. Stop Lyle again to close out 79. In 1980, fight Tate. Stop him. Maybe by the end of 1980, fight Holmes.

Rematches with Norton, Young, Ali and Lyle by the end of 79 would've cleaned the slate of the 70s heavyweights.

At the start of 1980, he'd just be turning 31.

 

What type of trash is this?
"He may have been able to beat some of the alphabet champions"
"He could have beaten leon and Norton"

He would beat the alphabet champions sure and he would destroy spinks and Norton