Frazier vs Foreman 2

Styles make fights and Frazier, brave and tough as hell, was simply made for Foreman. There may not have been another fighter in history that could have bombed Joe out that way but he had the misfortune of running into the one that could. Foreman's size, strength and power were simply too much for the smaller guy ... the second fight was a bit interesting as Joe tried to shift strategies and managed to survive a bit longer but he also ended up getting really hurt ... would it have changed his legacy? Tough to say. Anyone that knows boxing knows that from 68 - 71, four years, Joe Frazier was a great heavyweight fighter and belongs on anyone's short list of all time greats. Even by the first Ali fight he was having vision problems. By the Foreman fight it was worse and he had arm issues as well. He simply was not what he was and I personally feel even at his best he simply does not beat Foreman.

 

I agree to a certain point.

I would give the 67 - 70 conditioned Joe a good shot at surviving George's early power, treading him into deeper waters and maybe stopping him late. If the fight goes past 5, I think Joe would out-work George on the scorecards if he doesn't stop him or get stopped himself with a Foreman big shot. Prime Frazier at his best after round 3. He could sustain a faster pace and do damage to the body. Couldn't do that in two fights against George which is a huge part of his attack.

Against a stronger, slightly bigger guy in Chuvalo, Joe used more lateral movement, stayed low and threw more jabs and rights. He took some good shots from Chuvalo too. He tried to circle the ring at a much higher weight on worn legs, landing jabs and the odd big shot in spurts in the second fight against Foreman.

Most if not all heavyweight fighters, champion or contender who go straight at Foreman trying to attack him into the power zone is going to get clobbered. Liston the same. Shavers somewhat too. It takes quick hands, head movement, taking the shots that are there and getting out to avoid the heavy shots from prime Liston and Foreman to beat them. It also really helps to have a jab to offset the harder puncher's jab. If young George had a little bit of old George's defense and discipline, he'd be that much deadlier a heavyweight, not throwing as many wild shots.

 

Frazier lost every round, and was still hunted down and destroyed but two rounds later.

Love Joe, but this is one of the more overrated losing performances ever. He never looked good, never came close to winning a round, got muscled around AGAIN, and flattened AGAIN.

It's okay, folks. So Joe Frazier cant escape the most devastating finisher in history. He's still great, and still a H2H beast. Sometimes, styles and assets form a real barrier to winning.

 

Joe had nothing left against Foreman in Uniondale after leaving practically everything in Manilla. He landed a couple of good left hooks that kept George awake, nothing more.

 

It wasn't a good performance at all.

 

****ing this. Excellent.

 

Both men's ratings would undoubtably be alterred. I can't see a different ending though. If anything it was more pitiful to watch than Joe and George's first fight. Frazier was totally shot,post Manilla,and his tactics only delayed the inevitable.

 

Boxing is all about timing and for George Foreman the timing was just right for him to meet Frazier when he did. Both times.

Simply put, Joe Farzier was a 1960's fighter fighting outside of his era in the 1970s and George Foreman was a genuine 1970s fighter kicking ass in the 1970s. Thats it.

Sure Frazier was still a world class fighter and styles do make fights but its utter lazy bull**** to say it is simple as "style making fights" and "Foreman always wins".

When Frazier was on his game, in his prime he was a match for anyone. Forget "styles makes fights", a truly great fighter (one who dominates an era) wont sucumb in his prime in a whitewash blowout. It never happens. Joe Louis and mike Tysons took beatings in their primes but it was no blow out or whitewash. What happened to Frazier happened because of timing. If you want simple answers ( and this forum loves simple answers) one guy was on the way up another guy on the way down. second time around one guy was still prime and the other guy had gone further down.

An inch sharper and less battleworn it is not one way trafic. George Foreman gets hit back cleaner -and a lot more often. A 50-50 fight.

 

George even admits that he caught Frazier at the right time and had he fought him earlier the fight would have been much different. Take it for what it's worth! But I do also remember reading an article that George wrote for some boxing magazine back in the early 70s (right after the Ali/Frazier fight) in which George said that Frazier had left all his fight in the ring with Ali and that the first good fighter with a good left hand that gets ahold of Frazier would whup him!

 

The only surprise,

When Joe took the hooded robe off his head, which was 'shaved'.

It was supposed to make him 'look meaner'.

Love 'Smokin Joe', but his chin was gone. He couldn't take a good shot anymore
without doing that leg dance.

New York Newspapers

'Joe Frazier's Shaved Head Looked Like An Egg, and George Foreman Cracked It'

'The Battle of the Gladiators, turned out to be a massacre, like the Romans over the Christians'

'Smokin Joe Became Retreatin Joe'

'Joe Frazier came out at 224 lbs., with age and flab. The boxing fans thought it was Jersey Joe Walcott'

'Eddie Futch, Joe's trainer, said he had a new Tactical Plan, and when Joe Frazier fights again, we just may see it'

 

This is exact.:good George overcame seasoning and experience because the career timing was right to beat Frazier. Career timing has a lot to answer for. Ali made Norton look good and frazier made Foreman look good.

 

According to BoxRec, Frazier was favored by one Las Vegas bookmaker. They don't say anything about Foreman being favored by anyone. As crazy as it sounds in hindsight, it looks like Foreman upset Frazier twice.

 

Those odds kind of make sense. Foreman was coming off of the Ali loss, the Toronto Five, and the life-and-death struggle against Lyle, while Frazier was coming off wins over Quarry, Ellis, and a great performance against Ali.

 

LMAO WHAT A BULL**** COMMENT. Frazier was in his peak in 1970-71

 

Frazier did fight a smarter fight but stylewise, Frazier could never beat George Foreman, he was simply tailor made for him.