If Schulz had won Foreman's lineal title, would Botha or Moorer have been the next champ?

Botha was lined up with Don King I think King had enough pull to rob Schulz just like what had happened. I did find that fight actually close and not a real robbery. Schulz came on down the stretch and I thought he did enough but whatever. If he does keep his belt past Botha, Moorer probably beats him anyway in a lack luster affair. Schulz was good, and I had him clearly beating Foreman, but he lacked aggression and power to be top level. He had good chin, stamina and a game plan.

 

Foreman rematch is what would have happened.

 

I am firmly in the camp as a person who thought Axel pulled it off against Foreman. Regarding Schulz vs Botha, believe Schulz would still be considered the lineal champ since the decision was officially overturned. Moorer beating Schulz would them make Moorer a two time lineal champion.

 

Botha was officially disqualified. I know it's listed as a no-contest on boxrec but he was disqualified by a judge's order, who ruled the IBF hadn't followed its own policy by not DQing Botha.

Like Johnson-Flynn (when Flynn was DQed), Holyfield-Tyson II (when Tyson was DQed), Lewis-Akinwande (same) and Schmeling-Sharkey I (when Schmeling actually won the title with a DQ), Schulz would've remained the Lineal champion with the DQ.

Then Axel would've lost it to Moorer. (Then Moorer beat Botha in a fun fight before losing to Holyfield.)

So the lineal title would've gone Holyfield-Bowe-Holyfield (second time)-Moorer-Foreman-Schulz-Moorer (second time)-Holyfield (third time)-Lewis ... if Schulz had been awarded the decision over Foreman initially.

 

Well, someone has to interpret the rules, especially when the head of that sanctioning body was taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

Bob Lee ended up going to prison, ironically, because one of the bribes he took was $300,000 from Bob Arum to let Foreman fight Schulz (who wasn't rated when they signed to fight).

 

Funnily enough Botha was forever announced the “former HW champion” after the Schulz fight altough his reign officially was about 2 months and really if he was DQ’d shouldnt have been considered champion at all.

 

If Schulz had won the lineal title, then I think it very unlikely that he fights Botha or Moorer next.

There would be two options that might make sense for him.

A. Fight a couple of real no hopers to milk the title, then cash out against one of the big names.
B. Simply cash out against one of the big names in his first and only title defense.

If he chose option A, then his gimme defenses would probably have had to be worst than Botha, to avoid risking the big payday.

If he choses option B, then it is going to be whoever can put the most money on the table, and that probably means Tyson or Holyfield.

 

I agree Shulz would have been after a payday for sure. Regarding the Moorer vs Botha fight on the undercard of Tyson vs Holyfield. I remember the winner of that figjt being in line for the Tyson vs Holyfield winner. As it worked out, Moorer fought Holyfield after the 2nd Tyson vs Holyfield fight and Botha got Tyson.

 

The I can add little to what others have said here.

In some ways the question that I answered is more interesting, because it might have been.

 

Tyson, Lewis, or Holyfield.

 

Whatever scenario happened in the second half of the 90s, in the end the lineal champion would be Lennox Lewis.
By defeating: Evander Holyfield, Shannon Briggs, Axel Schulz, Frans Botha...