If Foreman Had Gotten The Decision Over Briggs?

Hard to tell if he keeps going as his choices post Schulz were risk averse and kind of random

Grimsley was a complete unknown. Savarese was a known but untested guy, and Briggs as mentioned had his stamina issues.

I don't think he fights Golota next, doesn't seem like a fight he would take but who knows

On his last card, Willie Williams (10-0 at the time) and Derrick Jefferson were on the card as well. They were also on Foreman's Savarese card. Not saying he chooses any of them but they were orbiting each other at the time.

So he gets by Briggs and keeps going. I think realistically....

Willie Williams (who?!?) limited guy who could be KOd
Obed Sullivan, I think he was undefeated or close to it at the time and being featured on HBO. He also was pretty beatable but durable so maybe not.
Maurice Harris - Holmes went life or death with him and he was also being featured around this time. Also has a chin problem.
Darrol Wilson - limited and was KOd by Tua in 1, but best Briggs.

No way it happens:
Tua
Lennox
Mercer
Grant

 

Holyfield was the only high risk fight he took during his comeback.

 

Big George would have played it smart and retired I would imagine. He knew what was left in the tank and what he would have been up against in Golota. By that time, Golota would have done a number on George if he didn’t decide to get himself DQ’d.

 

Briggs threw himself at Lewis and had a kill or be killed strategy but he boxed cautiously against Foreman. He was deliberately trying to not take any punishment from Foreman who I believe still beat Briggs convincingly.

 

Lol. Ok.

 

If Foreman and Golota fought in 1998 in my mind the only thing you can expect from Golota is the unexpected.

 

Briggs did better than most Lennox opponents.

He fought Moorer. I keep repeating this talking point but besides Holyfield the big 6 90s HWs only fought 1 or 2 of the 5 they could've.

 

Nonsense. He employed a winning strategy against Foreman that would've been useless against Lewis.

 

Nobody knows what the big 6 means. Lewis beat Ruddock, Bruno, McCall, Tucker, Golota, and Akinwande in the 90s. Those were full sized, ranked heavyweights who could crack and comfortably go 12. Foreman avoided that type.

 

Lennox, Bowe, Moorer, Holyfield, Foreman, Tyson. You probably don't have Foreman in the top 6 because you're you but those are very clearly the 6 most accomplished HWs of the period in some order.

As I've conceded in other threads Lennox might have fought more top 5-25 guys in this era than the rest of the group combined. That does not change the larger point.

In terms of your examples heres what they were doing during Foremans 3 year reign
Ruddock lost to Morrison then didn't fight during the rest of Foremans reign.
Bruno was retired by early 1996.
McCall fought Larry Holmes then lost to Bruno and Lennox.
Tucker was Foremans mandatory. That was a better fight than Schulz fair enough. But after that Tucker lost 3 in a row.
Golota fought no one until Bowe. At the end of 1995 he wasn't ranked in the top 10 yet then he had the Bowe and Lennox fights.
Akinwande didn't come to the US until the end of 1995 and none of the top guys fought him until Lennox.

HW was in chaos during Foremans reign and there were no obvious fights to make. Its easy to look at a list of top guys in the era and say "why didn't he fight this guy or that guy?". But theres usually a reason.

 

Nah, McCall beat Lewis, Holmes, Damiani, Maskaev and Seldon in the 90s, and Akinwande just after 2000. Ain’t no way Foreman matched that in the 90s.

 

He was trailing Akinwande and Seldon when he beat them and 45 year old Holmes and Ferguson fights were close. Lost to little Orlin Norris almost lost to Butler. I'm not a Damiani or Maskaev guy. I don't recognize the WBO and WBC in their eras and Maskaevs from the next era anyway. McCall about 10th for me. To me the big 6 and Golota are a clear top 7.

Interesting sidenote. Oliver McCall is currently the highest ranked HW with more losses than Derek Chisora. Hes ranked 152nd. So good on him.

 

You'd never guess who was way down on the cards when he won his only fight in the 90s against a ranked figher.

 

For future discussions I want it to be known my position is Holyfield was lucky to survive Foreman and Foreman was lucky to catch Moorer.

Cause not all George proponents feel that way. Same way I think Foreman was 100% for the Young fight and that fighting Jimmy Young to a near draw over 12 rounds showed he had a gas tank.