George Foreman vs these slick boxers

I wouldn't be, not one bit. Williams was a gym warrior who never translated it to where it mattered. It's common sense.

 

I believe prime Larry Holmes would have the best chance of surviving the early rounds and taking George into deep water where his stamina issues would do him in. Unfortunately this is one of those dream fights that we never got to see, even though the best window of opportunity for it to have happened in real time would have been in the '90s where we're talking Old George vs Old Larry.

I would also give an excellent chance to Jack Johnson and Gene Tunney. Both were thinking men's fighters and top of the line in boxing skill. I have read that Johnson liked to perform variou stunts like having an automobile drive over his abdomen and come up smiling. Another trick was to stand on a handkerchief in ring center and without moving off the handkerchief block every punch thrown at him. Stunts and tricks, yes, and one wrong move against a young George could be very costly. Watching Johnson on film can be boring and tedious as he liked to clinch and grapple. Once he realized that he was the master of his opponent he liked to relax and have fun at his opponent's expense, while flashing his golden smile. In a Foreman-Johnson fight, I would expect to see the rope-a-dope on full display, and maybe with some new twists.

Gene Tunney, while a more conventional, textbook boxer than Johnson, always made a complete study of his opposition. He was always in top condition and had a 'Plan B' if something went wrong. He displayed this in his handling of the Long Count against Dempsey. Tunney's footwork and skill would enable him to get past the early rounds and gas the young Foreman. That he retired when he did probably kept him from getting full recognition for his skills, but he is one of the few I would pick over George.

The others on the list - maybe, but I would not feel confident picking them. There actually was talk of a Foreman-Ellis fight in the early 70s. While I would have picked George to win then, it could have been a learning experience that could have helped him later on.

 

I'd certainly have Holmes as the favorite among this bunch, he has the chin in his prime to survive the early rounds and the skills to take it deep. I'd slightly favor the best of Holmes against the best of Foreman. Fury would be closer to a 50/50, I believe Foreman could have finished the Fury from the first Wilder fight, but Fury does have the tools to give Big George a rough time.

This seems to be an all time nightmare matchup for Johnson, who would be shoved around and battered if he tried to go with a clinch heavy strategy and Foreman's jab would make life difficult on the outside if he chose to stick and move. Tunney would have to fight a perfect fight to go the distance and I don't have the utmost confidence that he pulls that off, either.

Much as I am a fan of Charles and Walcott, and think they have their moments, especially against a Foreman that more resembles the Young fight than the Fraizer version, I don't think they last the distance.

Schmeling and Ellis get blasted out, and Byrd has some success early on until he gets dropped and finished.

 

Foreman was a far better finisher than Wilder. Fury would have beem blown out in 5. Holmes would have stopped young George in 10 or 11.

 

Lot of those guys would have chance. George got outboxed by Jimmy Young, and Ali, struggles with Peralta and in his comeback Morrison and Schulz outboxed him.
Tunney might by too small but he has the style to beat him. Charles too. Holmes and Fury as well