George Foreman from the 90s vs. Zhang Zhilei.

Good point. It’s one I usually make and often repeat Gil Clancey said Foreman passed on Anders Eklund as an opponent demonstrating how shrewd and selective George was when it came to large guys.

if he wouldn’t take Eklund, he’s not taking Zhang is he?

still, I think Briggs and Saverese were better and more complete fighters than Zhang.

 

Foreman late

 

Foreman was 45 years old after winning the title from Moore in 94, he had got out boxed by Tommy Morrison 5 months before and was already heading towards retirement, I'm not sure how you could hold him not fighting Lewis or Bowe against him,. I find Floyd not fighting Spence, Crawford or Brooke in 2016 more egregious or Holmes not unifying any of the belts when he was champion.

I didn't say 12 rounders, I said fights passed 6 rounds, Zhang has had only 2 12 round fights and he's lost one of them, his fight record passed 6 round is 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. I mean, he's 39 years old, he's not getting any better.

 

He had dehydration against Forrest. He’s since proven that his form can be better than that.

Zhang hasn’t had a long pro career, but stopping Joyce and almost stopping/beating Hrgovic in consecutive fights strikes me as being a level higher than comeback Foreman ever reached. Foreman doesn’t have a two fight sequence at that level in the 90s.

Stop rambling about Floyd. Foreman’s choice in opponents suggests that he wouldn’t go near Zhang. If you won’t fight 95 Tucker, you aren’t going to fight Zhang.

 

Yeah, I'm sure Zhang who turns 40 in two weeks has new, undiscovered dimensions towards his game.

Zhang hasn't had a long pro career? He's been a pro boxer since 2014 having at least two fights per year minus 2019/20 when covid had just hit China. George Foreman in comparison won the undisputed HW title 3 and a half years after turning pro and won it again 7 and a half years after a 10 year retirement. So a loss vs a top 15 rank contender and a W vs a 37 year old top 10 rank contender is better than Foreman's 2nd career? I reckon Foreman's loss to a prime Holyfield in 91 was a higher level than Zhang will ever reach.

Foreman to my understanding just wanted to become the HW champion again after his 10 year retirement and once he regained it in 1994 there was pretty much no desire left, especially being a 45 year old part time broadcaster. I'm sorry if mentioning Floyd was a touchy subject with you, I didn't know had feelings for the man.

 

You sound unnecessarily upset. Respectfully, I didn’t say Foreman would be knocked out cold. Quite the contrary, he’d be stopped on his feet with a grotesquely swollen face.

 

Foreman from Evander takes him out eventually after getting outboxed. The difference to Joyce is Foreman had guard splitting power.
Zhang blocked loads of hits from Joyce who on the night for whatever reason was punching like air. . It may have been the huge weight cut. You can only block Foreman punches for so long

 

Foreman for now, but with modern training and diet Zhang may have a couple more elite fights left in him despite pushing 40. He could reveal some tools or strategies to tilt the verdict in his favor. If Foreman can time him with the right hand Zhang is in trouble the entire fight (as long as it lasts). Neither guy is fast and both are old and heavy so I'll pick the more proven, harder hitting and experienced fighter. Zhang has the resume of a 20 something prospect as of now.

 

Yes I think you are right about this. A 40 year old 20 something prospect would have nowhere to go last century would he? But these are different times. A different division even to how it was even then. So there are more options open to zhang. And I can see why comparisons are made. I tend to think if Zhang is taking on a guy last century then he has to go back to last century, and he just would not cut it back then in that environment.

George was a proven act and more than just the gimmick most fans thought he was coming back from the 1970s in what was mostly the1990s. Many people were wrong about him then. As I suspect people would be just as wrong to pick Zhang on the basis of the Joyce win.

 

'90s Foreman would utterly panel Zhang.

 

George Foreman in the 90s is a broad term. From Gerry Cooney to Shannon Briggs. And the best part of the George Foreman 90s is the very beginning (from Gerry Cooney to Evander Holyfield).
George Foreman in the 90s has an advantage in: traps, defense, power, job, reach, ring IQ,...
Zhang has the advantage: southpaw, height and weight.
George Foreman wins; UD.

 

I don't think that anybody predicting a blowout either way knows what they are talking about. Foreman was tough AF and Zhang himself didn't seem terribly bothered by Joyce or Hrgovic who can punch a bit. If Zhang gasses fast the fight will not be pleasant at all in the second half for him ... but on the other hand he has a big speed edge on Foreman and I think his bang is enough to shake even GF with the right shot. The question is whether Foreman makes it out of the early going intact and whether Zhang has enough of a lead to defend in the second half. Even though comeback Foreman had glacial punching speed he still carried a whallop. Don't want to be taking too many of those.

 

Nobody in history is stopping 90's Foreman early. He survived bombs from Holyfield, Cooney, Morrison, Briggs, etc without even taking a knee. The last thing I would be concerned about is if Foreman remains intact against Zhang who has yet to prove he's some sort of elite power puncher. Joyce wasn't remotely KOd either, his problem was he kept blocking with his face and suffered too much facial damage.

 

Exactly. Who has zhang stopped that’s even remotely considered elite ? Most of his wins are Don Haynesworth level fighters. He couldn’t even finish Jerry Forrest despite having him down multiple times and allowed him to recover enough to fight to a draw

 

Foreman beat/stopped one elite guy in his comeback and it was a chinny, blown up light heavyweight.