If George Foreman hadn't paused his career...

What made Foreman’s comeback successful came down to three things:

1. different attitude
2. Altered fighting style
3. Careful match making

if George had continued beyond 1977 without pause and without the above three changes he likely would have burned out, suffered a few more losses and been finished by around 1982-83

 

True. George Foreman always came out swinging for the fences against his 1960's and 1970's opponents, often it was successful but in 1974 and 1977 that style exposed him as he ran out of gas in those two fights, Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Young.

 

Yes and as he aged that problem would have gotten worse unless adjustments were made

 

Anyway, to answer the thread question, he probably yo-yos onto the title at least once more before Holmes beats him. And maybe becomes a beltholder after that. The King meat grinder and high level of competition will ensure that he doesn't keep such a belt long. Additionally, without his religious experience, he may well fall prey to the cocaine explosion that burned through the heavyweight division.

I think @NoNeck's proposal that he ends up a fat Tyson victim in the mid/late 80s is basically right.

His ranking overall likely remains the same. Maybe slightly lower. Still a 2 time heavyweight champ somewhere along the line, albeit no longer the oldest one. Burns out a bit faster. Better opposition on his resume.

The biggest bit of fallout for Classic's purposes is that we'd no longer have Foreman as Exhibit A that the 1970s heavyweights were the bestest heavies ever, times infinity. We wouldn't be able to point to Foreman winning the lineal title in the 90s as a fat old Golden Ager.

 

Then we have had an explosion of George Foreman threads, he ends up with a Mohawk Haircut and starts telling his opponents, I Pity The Fool until he is challenged by none other than Mr. T. George then goes to the Drago Supermarket and purchases Modern (Steroids) Nutrition to plump him up, I just had to throw that in my buddy. George after ingesting his modern nutrition begins to tell Mr. T, You Will Lose. All of a sudden Tyson Fury drives up in his signature car, a 1958 Plymouth Fury whom he names Joshua. Lol.

 

He was inactive 1987,1989,1990,1998 and 2001 before retiring for good in 2002.

 

I mean, in his late career, this version of George may well resort to Modern (Steroids) Nutrition.

 

By the mid 80s George would be a sad shell of his former shelf. He'd be losing to Kevin McBride types before calling it a career.

 

I just had to throw that in, I know what you mean but the later George was smiling for the camera on HBO, then later with his patented Grill, then much later, Medicare Commercials. Ha Ha.

 

Those aren't long breaks. Shoot, some of the champs today take nearly a year and a half between defenses.

 

Heck, In my working years I could have used a year vacation too. Ha Ha.

 

George would have been in BIIIIIIG trouble. I think by that time Holmes would have beaten him twice, and he probably would have lost to Thomas, Witherspoon, or Page. By then he would have been considered cannon fodder for Iron Mike.

 

As someone who knows women who’ve never outed there attackers to the day they died you can **** off with that. Ignorant.

 

I guess the only issue I have with this hypothetical is assuming George would have fought his way into the 90s and beyond. It was his 10 year layoff that allowed him to do just that. Having said that, if he had been able to focus himself, and improve on his shortcomings, he could have possibly had a run somewhat similar that Holmes had. It would have likely started a bit earlier, but it would have also ended a bit earlier...and that's also dependent on Foreman getting past Holmes. I see this Foreman retiring around 84-85.

 

Foreman was in a bad place mentally after the Jimmy Young loss, I don't think he would of had much success had he carried on. The 10 year break helped him rebuild himself mentally and physically.