Pacing himself? George always faded late. Fights like Foreman don't win against greats when they pace themselves. They are juggernaughts of power and strength; They go to opponents and run over them. When they aren't doing that, they are being outboxed. See any of Foreman's fights against a boxer for proof. Foreman actually fought very hard in Zaire and gave himself the best chance to win: He came to Ali and beat the tar out of him. Predicting that a man, any man, could sustain punishment like that(Flush punch after flush punch by a guy thought to be the best puncher ever) is impossible, and we take for granted that Ali doing it wasn't, in fact, easy on him either. George freaking Chuvalo wobbled more than Ali did under that type of relentless assault. It was a superhuman effort, and Ali makes it anywhere.
Foreman is just too slow and foolish against Ali. Those lead rights would still bounce off at will......Foreman would be still swinging for the fences with total disregard to defense......Foreman still would be unable to change strategies during the fight, lol, god forbid he would have to think for a moment...would never happen......he can't change a gear if you put a gun to his head. Conclusion: Ali wins no matter where they fight. As another poster already mentioned, if Foreman can't run over you he is in deep ****, see, even in his carefully orchestrated smoke and mirror comeback when he was almost drowned by common ham and eggers like Stewart, Saverese and Schultz and got sunk like the Titanic by Tommy Chin.
This:deal Ali hadnt got air conditioning in his corner you know, plus he was giving Foreman 8yrs. No excuses. He was beaten by the better man on the night WHEREVER they had have fought
i m "only" nearly 29 , but i've seen this fight at least 3 times and read about it in addition , also watched d jimmy Young fight in d heat of San Juan twice and read about it as well and I agree with u about d heat being a factor . But it wasn't d only factor , as d ropes and Ali's foul play were other factors , and d Jimmy Young fight in addition 2d Ali fight show that Foreman was not 1 of d most suitable 2 fighting under extreme heat conditions . U might want 2 read , vote and participate in this thread and poll of mine : http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211663 and have some extensive background view of other Ali & Dundee acts : http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=347452 They do big time . So d situation that was on all of its at least 3 ingredients had no effect . Dundee put loose ropes bikoz it was all he had , and Ali leaned on d ropes so much bikoz his back tickled and he couldn't afford 2 use his hands 2 scratch it .
As I'm always.........always saying,Ali did n't have air conditioning in HIS corner either ! (Thank you,Joey Maxim) Ali would have found a way to win,that night,whether the bout was in Zaire,Madison Square Garden or in an igloo in Antarctica. In a cooler climate he may have done a bit more dancing,maybe. In Muhammad as an opponent,George was simply up against a force of nature that he could n't handle. Even Foreman appears to accept that now.
Amen to that. Muhammad won at least five of the seven completed rounds,an was also winning the eighth all the way up to the knockdown at 2.58 secs.
74 Foreman only wins by knockout or TKO against an elite fighter. If Frazier's best left hook doesn't put Ali down for the count, nothing will. The only way Foreman wins this fight is by TKO which he may have a shot if you have a trigger happy referee. Still, I think Ali wins every time.
Muhammad Ali won 4 of the first 5 rounds..? looking back the fight was not even close, Joe Frazier half way through the fight..? predicated that Muhammad Ali would stopped Foreman live on air. Ali's punches where just too fast and straight, plus his defence up close was masterfull. George Foreman was just too much of a ****** technically, he could not throw good sharp straight punches and his defence was to ether, catch your punches or take a punch. "He was a physical freak, pretty much like the juggernaut..? if he did'nt have that freak like strength...? He would of not ever been world champion"
74 Foreman is the same fighter as 95-97 Tyson. If his opponent can take his punches, than he can't win.
edit : 2.5 years , not 4 years Jimmy Young happened 2.5 years after this fight . And also under very hot weather but this is less 2d point . During a 4 years period Ali did not grant Foreman a rematch and your answer is that it was because at the end of those 4 years Foreman lost a decision to Jimmy Young . and that opponent used illegal loosened ropes in order 2 help him in both avoiding and absorbing Foreman's punches , and d heat didn't help d more active Foreman either , and Ali's occasional fouling of Foreman and d ref's not even deducting points from him 4 that didn't help either . That was how Ali "could take Foreman's punches" .
Less than two and a half years actually, and Foreman went awol post Ali for nearly 18 months. If Foreman had beat Young, then you may of had a point, but he did not, so you do not...
maybe it was because no1 including Ali wanted 2 fight him in that period so he couldn't get fights . when he did he stopped Ron Lyle .