Rate HW comebacks after long layoffs

sam peter would be a warm up for any of the uther guys mentioned.

 

Not by Ring he wasn't. And at 254lbs he was grossly out of shape. 255 pound is a bad weight for Joshua and he's way huger than Sam Peter.

Perrier Coatzer was a better fighter and a better all rounder than Peters and Foreman creased him easily on his comeback tour.

 

Ali’s was the best but he was still young.
Vitali>Foreman
Tyson and Foreman are about the same.

 

George Foreman was out of boxing for 10 YEARS.

Not three years, or three and a half, or four years. He was out of boxing for 10 YEARS.

In his comeback, he went 31-3 with 26 KOs.

He won the World Heavyweight Title from Michael Moorer, who had just turned 27, via one-punch KO.

He was the oldest man to ever win the World Heavyweight Title at the age of 45 (two months shy of 46).

He was still rated in the Top 6 by RING magazine when he retired at the age of 48 (a little more than a month before his 49th birthday).

George wins.

 

I don't remember posting Cooney , i must have been drunk. But prime Cooney is much better than Peter.

That version of McCline came within a whisker of defeating Peters within the first 3 rounds and would have if he had a full camp and been in his prime.
Even a late notice James McCline who was completely gassed out with nothing left to give after 5 rounds was never even on the verge of being hurt or down against Sam Peters.

Yeah Vitali hammered him , a barrel bellied Eddie Chambers beat him easily one fight later. Tyson Fury would have toyed with Vitali's Sam Peter as he did with Seffer Saferi. Absolutely no doubt at all about that.

 

Vitali was taken the distance by a Shannon Briggs 10 years past his prime. Foreman fought a prime career best Briggs when he was one year shy of 50.

Vitali also taken the distance by Kevin Johnson and Chisora when he was 39/40.

Foreman at that age would easily pound those two guys into the canvas . They wouldn't have done any better than Jimmy Ellis or Frank Lux.

 

We both know most of those opponents were ham and eggers and he could have one or two more loses. Never gave Moorer a rematch either.

 

He could've had another loss. He could've had another win.

George challenged a prime Holyfield and a prime Moorer for the World Heavyweight title. He warred with Holyfield and he knocked out Moorer.

The best heavyweight Vitali fought in his comeback ended up being Dereck Chisora.

The quality of the top competition both Vitali and George faced in their comebacks was MILES apart (and not in Vitali's favor).

And George had been out 10 YEARS and Vitali less than four. That's nothing to sniff at.

AND George was a month shy of 49 when he retired. That would be like if Vitali retired in May 2020!!!

Think about it: Foreman had Vitali's final 45-2 record when George RETIRED THE FIRST TIME.

 

Ali’s comeback is miles ahead of either’s.

If we’re talking about old man comebacks, Vitali has him covered. He went straight to the top and defended his title many times against decent opposition rather than being stripped. It would’ve probably been better if Wlad weren’t around.

Foreman’s comeback was full of mediocre results often against so-so fighters like Stewart and Morrison. He beat a chinny champ while down on the cards and let himself get stripped without ever giving the rematch.
@GordonGarner65

 

George
Vitali
Muhammad
Mike

I could switch 2 and 3, but I think coming back at 37 after four years, and going straight for the belt without a tune-up, is slightly more impressive.

 

^^^This. Dino read it!

Cooper was a journeyman Cooney very inactive though he rocked Foreman in round one, Rodriguez, a very weak, non top ten type! Vitlai beat better men that these four during his comeback.

I see you mentioned Briggs well didn't he beat Foreman? I think so. Vitali pounded on the same guy in a fight that should have been stopped, and broke his facial bones.

 

Foreman had Vitali's final 45-2 record when George RETIRED THE FIRST TIME.

Foreman beat better guys in his first career and he beat better guys in his comeback.

 

Vitali fought Briggs 13 YEARS AFTER FOREMAN did.

That's like saying Pat Lawlor stopped Duran in 1991 with a punch to the armpit and Carlos Palomino lost a decision to Duran in 1978, so Lawlor is better.

You guys are idiots.

Seriously.

 

Briggs won his first official belt roughly a decade after the Foreman fight. Small omission.

 

He fought so many cans in each career. Nobody disputes that Frazier was the best win between the two. Vitali was just better though.