George Foreman v Larry Holmes 1999

It wasn't a "had" to face position, no, but the public would definately have been behind it, and the fight would have made a lot of sense. Both men were the same age, ranked about the same, and both had lost to the same man.

 

Well, I was surprised that while Holmes was 52 and a bloated 254 pounds for "Bean" in 2002, I think Holmes proved his jab still had some pop in it...... Hell, even Ol' Larry nailed Butterbean pretty good with some rights in the final rds......
Holmes will probably be able to pump a jab until he's 80.........

MR.BILL

 

Foreman ran from this fight. Holmes is still chasing Foreman to get into the ring, even today! I think Holmes defeats Foreman via UD in 1999.

 

Foreman became much more of a media star and could make money fighting anyone...not the case with Holmes and Larry was still as tough fight...Its like 44 yr old BHop who looks great now fighting Jones...it may not be an easy fight and you could lose to the other old man......This fight is a toss-up if Holmes can box and move for 10-12 rds but he still has to watch out for Foremans right hand and his improved stamina on 2nd career....I think the younger version of Holmes vs the younger version of Foreman has a better chance if he gets past 5-7 rds because of Georges stamina issues at the time

 

Bummy did Foreman lose his stamina vs Gregoria Peralta in their 2 fights? So why do you assume that every time Foreman fought pass 5 rounds he got tired because he got tired wailing on Ali and tired against Jimmy Young? Anyway Holmes couldnt keep Norton away from him so why could he keep Foreman off him?

 

Holmes kept Norton away from him for 10 rounds, he also had a torn muscle in his left arm.

 

To be honest,

By 1999, most boxing fans, particularly those who had grown up watching Foreman and Holmes had lost interest. I myself vagely remembered talk of a matchup between the two, and frankly I didn't really care either. In fact, I was in a bar with college friends when the fight was incidentally announced on sports center.


At that point in those men's careers, it was basically moot. Meaning that it meant nothing.........

 

I'm saying people would have been interested in 1992.

 

Foreman could not put Peralta Down in those fights and the ref stopped the 2nd one with Peralta on the ropes, he was not really hurt and they did George a favor. Peralta was a blown up light heavy...It is one thing to go 10 rounds and another to have power in the later rds. Tyson only stopped one man past 8 and Lennox never did....Foreman had late power KO10 Moorer when he came back but did not have it early on...Frazier, Louis,Marciano all had late power other fighters like Mike Weaver, Max Baer, Johnson and Jeffries had it....Ali had it...Holmes had it....but a lot of fighters do not

 

I think a lot of his "better" stamina had to do with his pacing. He didn't go flying out throwing as many haymakers as he could. In his comeback he would throw jabs and wait for the time to throw the heavy leather more. But, he was also slower, so it is a give and take situation.

 

Yes, and I think Archie helped him to relax in the ring also the maturity....some guys you can not KO( because of an overly defensive style or because of durability) and when a fighter learns that he can not KO everyone and reley on his jab and fight to win...he relaxes...Foreman had great power but was also very limited on skill and was protected until Frazier...very protected and built up...I am not saying he had no talent, he had LOTS of it( he did win the Olympics) but he was a green champ who still had lessons to learn...In Foremans case they sunk in while he was out for 10 years and had time to reflect.....still an amazing story

 

Holmes figures that if he keeps putting Foreman down,
people will think higher of him(Holmes) over Foreman.
They really were from different eras. Foreman was already disinterested in boxing when Holmes came into his own. I remember reading where Don King wanted to promote George in a fight against Holmes in the early to mid eighties. George was over 300 pounds and in no condition to fight.
George also wasn't interested in boxing at the time.

It's too bad Holmes wasn't ready for George in '76.

 

Bummy Archie Moore was a blown up middleweight and Marciano took 9 rounds to ice him so what is your point? Peralta went 10 rounds with Foreman 2 times, went the distance with Ron Lyle 2 times i believe, 2 times with Bonavena. Rocky Marciano had late power knocking out 40 years old guys. Foreman didnt need late power in his prime because he knocked you out quick.

The point is Foreman could go 10 rounds if he needed to and still win. Foreman did not get tired in every fight like you people make it seem.

 

He fought Lyle once and it went 5rds...ref could have stopped it in Lyles favor prior to that and Lyle was overated as a puncher....

Quarry beat lyle badly

Foreman never fought Bonevena you are wrong there and he never fought Quarry

Foreman was a wide swinger with power but had stamina issues

Archie Moore was on his best win streak ever beat Big Nino Valdez 2 times and KO'd Bob Baker, 2 big Heavys...he also Ko'd Burt Whitehurt 2 times a fighter Sonny Liston could not stop in 2 fights and Sonny fought Bert right after Archie Ko'd him in 6 and 8...you want to call him a middleweight, well he beat all the top heavys and Light heavys, including Harold Johnson...and no one deserved a title fight more than him and he was a dangerous fighter

 

LOOK! I've been in this racket since 1976. I eat boxing up for a living.. Even though both Foreman and Holmes were 50 by 1999, I was still drooling / foaming at the mouth for that event... I was SO PISSED when Foreman balked when his check was gonna be reduced...................... Holmes was willing to bargain and still fight; Foreman was not.....

MR.BILL