Older Fans, Who Was Seen As More Dangerous During Their Peak? Mike Tyson or George Foreman?

George.

 

What he said. Mike looked GREAT beating the guys he did, but there wasn't any Frazier or Norton in Mike's wins.

Of course, that's not Mike's fault. His best wins were over a blown up light heavyweight and a Larry Holmes both five years past his prime and nearly two years ring rusty.

 

Otherwise Douglas was down against Tyson and it was a dangerous situation.I don't know and care Douglas' opinion about the Smith fight when Smith fought with fear against Tyson.

 

Tyson did not look fearsome against Bonecrusher. Nobody was shaking in their boots over that. Tyson acquiesced and allowed it to be a boring fight because he didn’t try to punch on the inside or press the issue.

Douglas got knocked down, pounded his fist on the canvas because he was embarrassed that he slipped up and allowed Tyson to land a big punch ... and remind me what happened after that. He book Tyson completely apart. PRIME Tyson.

 

Foreman wasn't (though he did his usual over-modesty trip later. Back in the day he forecast a 2nd round knockout live on the Late Show for Mike).

Lewis wasn't, neither was Bowe (though he may not count, as the two were friends).

 

It was a sensational performance, it's horrible how the boxing association took so much of the glory away from him after the fight.

 

As someone who saw the rise of both Fighters, Foreman as a schoolboy and Tyson in my teens, ( I am the same age as Mike ), it was Foreman who carried the more genuine menace.
Boxing was still a mainstream sport in the early 1970's and Foreman's wins over, in particular, Frazier and Norton sent shockwaves around every breakfast table. George didn't trash talk, in fact he barely spoke and that added to the scary mystique he carried. Ali's win in Zaire was seen as an honest to goodness miracle.
Tyson on his way up was viewed as the saviour of Boxing. He was the good guy and we thrilled at his potential. Somehow, while he never truly achieved what we hoped he might, he became a role model for every thug and bully you could meet. Not his fault perhaps but it certainly cheapened him. His subsequent meltdowns when he was the frightened one undermined his aura.
The young Foreman, to me at least, is still a genuinely fearsome and intimidating man.

 

Hell Mitch “Blood” Green wasn’t intimidated by Tyson. Or Jose Ribalta, lol.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think prime Foreman beat any top 10 fighter prior to Frazier. Norton was always vulnerable to punchers. And Spinks>>>>>Roman. Personally, I believe there's every reason to suspect that prime Tyson could beat those 3 as convincingly as Foreman did.

 

I remember being really impressed with Ribalta at the time. In a way that fight was a victory for him...and for Tillis (though I'll be fair and say that Mike was relatively inexperienced at the time). I don't remember seeing fear on Tillis' face, in fact later he said Mike hit like a homo (of course, this was a guy who took some horrifying shots from Mr. Earnie Shavers, so that's pretty relative I guess lol).

 

I respect and like you better than most people here, my friend. But though I can certainly see Mike catching Norton early, I just don't know about Joe Frazier.

What does Mike do after Joe goes down (and he quite possibly might) and gets back up...again and again? Mike didn't hit as hard as Foreman, nor did he take as good a shot.

And what happens if Mike gets floored? Frazier certainly had the power to do that...moreso than Holyfield and Douglas, for sure. Joe was also physically stronger than either of those fighters.

 

By your opinion Douglas enjoyed the knockdown and Smith was so brave that he did a blistering brawl through
12 rounds against Tyson.
You ignore the objectivity .

 

Don’t put words in my mouth.

Buster didn’t enjoy the knockdown but he wasn’t knocked goo-goo eyed by it either. He’s bounding his hand on the canvas out of disappointment in himself.

He damned sure wasn’t intimidated by it because he got up, dusted himself off and beat Tyson like he stole something.

You want to tell me Mike ‘enjoyed’ that beatdown? That he intimidated Buster in any way whatsoever?

Yes James fought to survive. And Tyson did basically nothing to change that pattern — he didn’t work to punch inside, he didn’t adjust to take him out. He didn’t look intimidating. No one watching that fight sees Tyson and goes, “OMG HE’S A MONSTER NO WAY I’M GETTING IN THE RING WITH THAT GUY.”

Tyson intimidated some opponents. But he was nowhere near as fearsome as George Foreman ... find me the Bonecrusher who tied up prime Foreman and lasted the distance ... George destroyed people like that.

 

Well, George did have trouble with Peralta...but that was a bit before he became champ. He was in the process of being honed. Mike was without question in his prime when he fought Smith.

 

I always get you and Pat M confused.