Razor Ruddock vs 1976 George Foreman

Foreman by early KO

 

Foreman (slugger/boxer) vs Ruddock (slugger/counter)

Power: Foreman
Speed: Ruddock
Chin: Foreman
Technique: Foreman
Timing: Ruddock
Accuracy: Foreman
Footwork: Ruddock
Body shots: Foreman
Combinations: Foreman
Punch variety: Foreman
Stamina: Ruddock
Offensive skills: Foreman
Defensive skills: Foreman
Ring IQ: Foreman
Finishing ability: Even
Heart: Even

10-2-4 advantage Foreman

Ruddock abandoning his jab to dip to the left and launch a bomb makes him wide open to looping right hand or straights down the middle. Foreman wasn't some counter punching genius, but even he can capitalize on this since he is a similar size and reach.

The biggest issues are Ruddock's leaky defense and favoring one side of his body. With Foreman's hands out mummy stance, he can neutralize the smash before it even connects grasping Ruddock's bicep or intercepting the punch at the wrist and shoving him back. A prime Ruddock got hit plenty and was nearly taken out by an ancient James Smith. I think it's only a matter of time before Foreman lands a bomb after softening Ruddock up with heavy jabs and body shots. Ruddock would be on Bambi legs as was custom for the Canadian slugger, and he gets hammered against the ropes before the ref ends things. Foreman 4th round KO.

 

Foreman knocks Razor Ruddock out cold, early

 

Ruddock and Foreman both punched hard, but IMO, RR had a better delivery system. He was faster, moved better and could box when he wanted to box. Later, when he discovered how hard he could hit, he didn't set people up as much and relied on his hook, maybe too much.

To me, 70s GF was a fighter who relied on being bigger and stronger than his opponent, and his fighting style was built around that. The only bigger fighters he fought were Wepner and O'Halloran, neither was feared or avoided by other fighters. Foreman's 70s career is built on beating an overweight, under trained, unmotivated Joe Frazier who was more interested in his singing group than in fighting. This will offend the Foreman fan club, but to me RR was more proven against better, bigger, stronger fighters (Michael Dokes, Bonecrusher Smith, James Broad, Larry Alexander, and Mike Weaver).

GF had a tough time with Lyle, a smaller, slower and less powerful fighter than RR. I don't see GF as the force that some do, the fights he had with Peralta, Ali, and Young were more telling to me than blowouts over Frazier and Norton.

 

I vote Rudduck. His feats of going toe-to-toe with Iron Mike matching him in power and speed is enough for me to say he beats Foreman. Foremans issue here is multifold,

-As mentioned already, a lot of his experience comes from a size advantage over smaller dudes. A number of guys he fought his own size put up a battle before going down such as Lyle and one guy actually won, Ali. Rudducks fought big punchers himself and won such as with Bonecrusher Smith.
-Foreman is relatively inaccurate spamming power shots and often he doesn't vary up his shots much either which would make it easier for Rudduck to formulate counter strategies.
-Stamina. Foreman was poor at managing stamina back in the 70's which will be a big issue against someone like Rudduck who had good stamina, a granite chin and massively superior movement speed.

I never thought I'd argue anyone outside of Ali or other very special boxers to be a favorite over 70's Foreman, but Rudduck might be another one who has all the right tools needed to get the job done.

 

Do you apply this only to the Foreman of ‘76 or prime Foreman, too?

 

I never said Ruddock would miss every punch, I said his tendency to wind up his smash could lead to Foreman framing or countering him.

Foreman definitely hits harder. He has a higher KO%, knocked out better opponents, and has the better results winning 2 championships by KO. Ruddock lost almost every important fight he was in and his best KO was against an obese past his prime Dokes. Ruddock had plenty of raw power but was a notch below Foreman and lacked the skill to consistently land it. I'd say he was an 8/10, Foreman a 9.5/10.

He automatically picks the more recent fighter.