Old George Foreman vs Ray Mercer

What if he stood right in front of him with a gun?

 

Too bad but the old Foreman had big problem with the decent but nearly
glass-chinned Alex Stewart.
Mercer's chin was far better.
Mercer by a close UD.

 

Morrison is a pretty good reference point for who the better fighter was.

 

Mercer had an unbreakable chin in the 90s. Old Foreman isn't knocking him out.

 

You never know with George.

 

Mercer was a tough guy no doubt and country boy strong but Foreman was country boy stronger, bigger and hit harder. Foreman would have thrown Mercer all over the ring and walked him into his shots until Mercer walked into the one that drops, hurts him and its over after that. Chins are unbreakable until they run into the guy with the power to prove otherwise by putting your lights out and Foreman was that guy. If Mercer was a survivor type fighter maybe but he was aggressive and fought to win and that is where he has issues with a guy like Foreman.

 

Who the **** did Foreman ever knockout in his comeback other than that one guy with the soft chin?

 

He murdered Bert Cooper in two rounds. Also old Gerry ****ey. And knocked out undefeated Moorer of course.

Briggs fought him on the backfoot. Morrison too. Holyfield as well. All running from an old man, or more positively said, fighting around him.

If Mercer isn't fighting on the backfoot, there's a chance he doesn't see the bell for the sixth round.

 

Alex Stewart, Lou Saverese and to a extent Schulz and the awesome pound for pound king Crawford Grimsley stood right in front of him, traded, made the distance and some say he got gift decisions in three of the above fights. By all accounts those are cannon fodder typ of fighters and they made him look like he went thru a meat grinder.

First of all Arum/Foreman would never take that fight, way too much risk with zero reward and a Mercer firing on all cylinders would cruise to a relative easy UD.

 

Comeback Foreman by decision in either a 10 or 12 round fight, depending on what was on the line. George still hit like a truck in his 40's but wasn't the greatest finisher at that stage either. And Mercer's chin was more than battle tested. I can see both of these guys swollen and bloody buy the time its all over, similar to the Foreman vs Stewart fight, with the main difference being that Mercer doesn't hit the deck twice like Alex did.

 

LOL, without the knock downs Stewart win is decisive ...so you are telling me Mercer would loose despite not hitting the deck ?

Now I dont hold Mercer in especially high esteem but the guy did win a gold medal and was leap and bounds ahead of journeyman Stewart but journeymen except Holyfield , Moorer and Morrison is exactly what Foreman in his comeback exclusively pursued.

 

While I am on a roll, to show how mediocre Stewart and Saverese were, a declining and later a close to shot Tyson blasted those two ham and eggers in like, uh, 180 seconds, for your simple minds that is ONE round combined for both of those fools while good ol' George went 20.....

 

Wasn't claiming that Foreman was better than Tyson in the 90's. But since you're making " look who looked better against who " comparisons, Foreman lasted longer in one night against a prime Holyfield than Tyson did in two nights against a shot one.. The comparison is irrelevant of course from where I stand, but if that's how you want to play..

 

Agreed.. But regardless of what ever details may or may not unfold, it would be a bloody fight that likely goes the distance.. I'd pick Foreman to edge mercer in a close decision. His defense was leagues better than Mercers as was his ability to tie up a man on the inside.. He'd also have a size and reach advantage which would work wonders at mid range where both of these guys typically preferred to fight.. You can talk about how much Foreman struggled against Stewart, but if you do so then hopefully you'll acknowledge Mercer's less than stellar showings against Jesse Ferguson, Marion Wilson, a 40 year old Holmes and barely getting past Bert Cooper who Foreman poleaxed in two rounds.