How was Foreman viewed before his comeback career?

Anecdotal - but reading YT comments on old Foreman fights - many state that they didn’t know that Foreman was ever svelte and so muscular - they also say that his power and strength is amazing and that they didn’t realise he was such a scary brute back in the day.

These are obviously comments from a younger crowd - YT is a great thing. I also used to scratch for films back in the day - and they were often of very poor quality, as already stated in this thread. Conversions from NTSC to PAL weren’t so hot.

Now we have HD, 4K ultra, AI creates 60 + FPS etc. - unreal.

For one example, get on to this while it’s still there - Liston vs Martin 1080 p 60 fps, it doesn’t get any better than that…..

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Prior to his rewinning the heavyweight championship Foreman was not considered a top ten all time great. He was unfinished business who did not stick around long enough to check all the boxes.

World Boxing 1974 Readers Poll

Joe Louis

Jack Dempsey

Rocky Marciano

Jack Johnson

Muhammad Ali

Joe Frazier

Gene Tunney

Jim Jeffries

Sonny Liston

Ezzard Charles


Nat Loubet, 1975

Joe Louis

Jack Dempsey

Jim Jeffries

Jack Johnson

Rocky Marciano

Gene Tunney

Bob Fitzsimmons

James J. Corbett

Muhammad Ali

Joe Frazier


John Durant -Author of "The Heavyweight Champions" (1976)

Joe Louis

Jack Johnson

Jack Dempsey

Muhammad Ali

Gene Tunney

Joe Frazier

Jim Jeffries

James J. Corbett

Rocky Marciano

Max Schemling


Bill Brennan 1978 (Former President of the WBA)

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Jack Dempsey

Jack Johnson

Gene Tunney

Jim Jeffries

Max Schemeling

Rocky Marciano

James J. Corebett

Bob Fitzsimmons


Big Book of Boxing Reader Poll, 1978

Joe Louis

Muhammad Ali

Rocky Marciano

Jack Dempsey

Jack Johnson

Gene Tunney

Joe Frazier

Jim Jeffries

Ezzard Charles

Sonny Liston


Gilbert Odd, 1985 (Kings of the Ring)

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Jack Johnson

Floyd Patterson

Jack Dempsey

Jim Jeffries

Tommy Burns

Gene Tunney

Jim Corbett

Max Schmeling


Bert Sugar, 1991

Jack Dempsey

Joe Louis

Muhammad Ali

Jack Johnson

Gene Tunney

Rocky Marciano

Joe Frazier

Larry Holmes

Sonny Liston

Mike Tyson


Arthur Harris, 1992 (Nov 1992 Boxing Scene)

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Jack Dempsey

Jack Johnson

Gene Tunney

Rocky Marciano

Larry Holmes

Jersey Joe Walcott

Joe Frazier

Sonny Liston


Nigel Collins, 1997

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Evander Holyfield

Larry Holmes

George Foreman

Jack Johnson

Rocky Marciano

Joe Frazier

Jack Dempsey

Sonny Liston


Herbert Goldman, 1997

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Sonny Liston

Mike Tyson

Larry Holmes

Jack Johnson

Jack Dempsey

George Foreman

Rocky Marciano

Joe Frazier


Steve Farhood, 1997

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Jack Johnson

Larry Holmes

Rocky Marciano

Jack Dempsey

Jim Jeffries

Evander Holyfield

Mike Tyson

George Foreman


BBC Sports, 2004

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Jack Johnson

Larry Holmes

Jack Dempsey

Rocky Marciano

Lennox Lewis

Mike Tyson

George Foreman

Evander Holyfield


IBRO Member Poll, 2005

Joe Louis

Muhammad Ali

Jack Johnson

Jack Dempsey

Rocky Marciano

Larry Holmes

James Jeffries

George Foreman

Sonny Liston

Joe Frazier


ESPN, 2007

Joe Louis

Muhammad Ali

Jack Dempsey

Jack Johnson

Gene Tunney

Rocky Marciano

Ezzard Charles

George Foreman

Joe Frazier

Larry Holmes


Richard O'Brien (SI Senior Editor) 2009

Muhammad Ali

Joe Louis

Sonny Liston

Larry Holmes

Jack Johnson

Jack Dempsey

George Foreman

Joe Frazier

Rocky Marciano

Lennox Lewis