If George Foreman had to fight against every heavyweight Champion before him how would he fare?

Yes, but he also faced an opponent that wasn't on the level of some other fighters defensively. I think both of these things cancel each out in a way.

I agree and that's all I wanted to say. Someone like Charles could be stopped quickly, but we shouldn't assume that he wouldn't be able to take Foreman's power. There were other insanely powerful fighters in other eras.

I agree that Foreman was fantastic fighter and very dangerous one.

 

I had a sizable reply on the go but got BSOD for the first times in many years and lost it. I will get back to this in coming days ok.

 

If you want your point to be that flexible!

Lyle was noticeably bigger than Louis, not that i'm siding with the size queen.

But yeah I'm just as bewildered by the surprising amount of people that think Joe's durability is average or less so i am certainly with you there. Larry Holmes got knocked down and heavily stunned at times too but like Louis he virtually always came out of it. Both could be dropped but they were extremely hard to stop near their best. They were pretty hard to stop well past it too. Louis was often at his most dangerous when dropped as he looked to turn the fight straight back around against aggressive open opponents. Like Holmes he recovered quickly and gave himself the best chance to get past any rocky moments via tactics perfectly suited to his skillset. Both of these guys were very very impressive when hurt.

 

yes agreed

every great champion struggled with a veteran on their way up

Lennox Lewis went distance with cruiser weight Ossie Ocasio

Marciano close fight with tiger Ted Lowry

Louis went distance with Bob pastor

Jack Dempsey went distance with John Lester Johnson

Frazier close fight with bonavena

Tyson fury with McDermott

Ali close fight Doug jones

Liston with Marty marshall

 

Admittedly haven't watched Young-Foreman in a long time but I remember thinking the KD was incorrectly called. I also thought the bout was very close, and that pre-zaire Foreman would've taken advantages of many opportunities he let slide in this fight, and knocked Young out.

 

"Prime" Foreman barely got by 196 lb Gregorio Peralta...and yet...he beats Dempsey?...Louis?

 

I think Mike Tyson is possible loss. If Ali can KO foreman, then so can Tyson who was quicker and more powerful.

 

1. Foreman was nowhere near his prime when he faced Peralta.

2. He decisively beat Peralta.

3. I could just as easily say "Dempsey barely got by Firpo yet he beats Foreman?" or "Louis was dropped by guys like Buddy Baer, Tony Galento, yet he's beating Foreman"?

 

I think Older George 1990s gives Younger George 1970s massive problems! If only it was possible to see THAT!

 

rockyjim

I love you but you’re better than this. How about Marciano barely got by Tiger red Lowry…and yet he beats walcott for the title?

 

Fitzsimmons barely got those bandy legged pants on at 167lb no way he gets them on at 172lb two years later

 

What did the size 0 say to the size 8?
Nice belt.

 

Again, I don't see Foreman as a great fighter .. he was wild, undisciplined, over confident, had poor stamina and at times showed the worst wild swinging since Max Baer .. who did Foreman beat ? You rant as if styles don't make fights .. three men ; George Chuvalo, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton .. a plodder, a small swarmer past his prime and blind in one eye and an anomaly that froze against big punchers and folded .. put him in against a man with a chin, some speed / movement and stamina and he was exposed as clumsy and limited. Who was the best boxer this destroyer defeated ? Answer, none. He avoided boxers in his first career like he avoided punchers in his second .. then and later he knew his limitations .. look at how he was exposed by Jimmy Young in PR .. completely exposed to the degree he couldn't step in a ring for ten years. I like George as a extremely strong, tough, exciting, hard punching fighter and totally love the way he engineered a brilliant comeback but it ends there ..

 

IMHO, George Foreman would have always had serious problems with very good or great boxers, with the emphasis on "very good or great." On the other hand, I think anyone who tries to stand in there and trade with him for very long, without a great defense (or an ungodly ability to take a tremendous amount of punishment), has little chance against George. So, I'd say, of those Lineal Champions before him, he loses to Jack Johnson, Joe Louis (with the correct fight plan), and Muhammad Ali.

EDIT: Adding in AFTER George's Prime: I'd say a prime George Foreman loses to Muhammad Ali again. Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield (with a perfect, Steward designed fight plan), Lennox Lewis (again, with the right fight plan, AND totally focused), Wladimir Klitschko. (I'm not certain about that one, but I'll go with Wladimir, with the correct flight plan). Tyson Fury certainly would have a chance, but he'd need to box George. (If Fury tries to maul him like he did Deontay Wilder, I think George prevails.)

It's not only George's total punching power, it's his punching power WITHOUT loading up. George was the most devastating arm puncher I've ever seen. With no real load up, he was still able somehow to bring power all the way from the bottoms of his feet to his fist. BRUTAL!

 

I don't see our collective posts as a "rant" at all. You have a different opinion is all and it's blatantly obvious you are taking a very very negative slant toward Foreman. I can do that with just about anyone - it's chicken feed.