Shannon Briggs on how hard Big George hit

You betcha. 70s George was a very bad man.

 

3:30

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I think it's the best ever fight to watch as far as George's jab goes. Not quite the level of Liston and Holmes', but still so fearsome, heavy-yet-often-soo-accurate. A great jab, Briggs really didn't get a whole lot going because of it.

 

Just saw what you were referring to. My sincere apologies. I fully concede I was in the wrong here.

 

It's ok mate, all good. But you do have to realise i'm very much interested in the 70s heavyweights too, so there will be some crossover in chat/debate. Like many people i grew up watching Champions Forever a zillion times in the early 90s and i can quote virtually ever second of it even now AND in their voices...my Kenny, Larry and George are nailed-on "all i gotta do is drink my milk and i'm ready". Ali's not bad but not great and my brother says my Frazier impression has now totally morphed into Cartman from South Park "the boxing make money for everybody".

But my interest goes far beyond the Champions Forever thing, so i'll argue the case for many of the 'fringe players' if/when they deserve it. So, like recently, i championed Quarry's title fight with George, as i basically have the week-by-week countdown of events from 1973 in Boxing News, supported by Ring, BI, Boxing International, etc. And I think many people would want to hear this side. If you don't want to learn anything new that's entirely up to you, because even upon my return on this forum after nearly a decade, i've realised that more than ever older posters want to stick to some narrative they prefer and don't want anything spoiling it (a case of 'the older i get the better it was' stuff) especially if it ruffles the feathers of Ali's nest...or Liston's, Frazier's, Norton's or Foreman's (Holmes not so much, funny enough).

Just like this thread, i'm personally far more interested in what Briggs has to say about being smashed by Wilson, rather than fighting George, Lennox or Vitali (as Sangria mentioned).

 

Fair go mate. Also I'd like to think I'm not an "older" poster, I'm a 23 year old college student lol. Though regarding the above fighters, I'm admittedly a fan of the majority of them. Liston and Frazier are my two all time favorites. I think Foreman has become a tad underrated at this point. I'm indifferent to Norton, though I think he's also become underrated. Holmes I think is overrated but still a top 10 H2H ATG. Funnily enough though Ali is my number 1 H2H heavyweight, I am not a fan of his at all for his treatment of Frazier, some things he did to hype up his fights (such as the Bugner incident I mentioned a while back), and his association with the NOI which he took nearly 10 years to withdraw. A truly evil and racist organization.

Though we disagree on a lot it seems, you're one of my favorite posters, and briefly make me reconsider my stance on many things before I remember I'm always right.

 

Is this a wind-up? Jesus! I thought i remembered your name when I came back recently and you were posting about 10 years ago on here? If this isn't a wind-up, maybe i'm getting you mixed up with somebody else?

Funny but there's a thread on here from years ago, about 'underrated' fighters on this forum and IIRC, I piped up with George before anybody else (i don't think he is nowadays though, on here anyway).

Yes, he is a bit and gets too much flak because of the KOs he suffered.

He possibly is, but i think people like to pick "The Real Truth" apart more than the others, maybe because his personality grated on people and he was a whiner. I know if I posted some Larry Holmes story discrediting his career it'd receive a lot more 'likes' that if it were Ali or Foreman.

Yeah, some real bad apples there. His rant on the Parkinson chat show is the worst side of him/them (the 1974/75 one).

Like it.

 

It was certainly an interesting last fight. How many fighters universally known for their power go out with a masterful demonstration of their jabbing prowess?

 

No wind up. @swagdelfadeel was a child prodigy - he told me so. He also told me he’s been playing the classics on piano since age 2. Or was it the kazoo, I can never remember which?

It seems he’s been posting since he was a zygote - don’t ask me about the logistics involved in managing that.

As to the “you’re one of my favourite posters” line - he’s dusted that one off and reused it many a time on a few of us. A real sweet talker.

Okay, now I’m preparing for the worst from my man Swag. I’ve likely been struck off the “one of the more favoured posters” list AGAIN!

 

Old Foreman still had very heavy punches even if they lacked the snap and speed of his younger days. Even the early 90's version hit harder and was more explosive than the one who fought Briggs. He was just a very powerful guy with strong hands and generated lots of force even with glancing blows. He didn't punch at you so much as he was hitting whatever was behind you. Punches like that have a numbing effect and can throw off your sense of balance and they hurt even if you block (which is probably why Briggs said he experienced vertigo and insomnia).

 

Some years ago, someone did a story (maybe Sports Illustrated?) asking opponents what it was like to be hit by George Foreman.

The word that resonated and was, I think, used most often was ‘numb.’ Like he’d throw a punch and they’d block it with an arm or it would hit them on the shoulder and that place would go numb for a time.

Incredible to even think about.

 

Mind blowing, really.

 

I actually started to say mind-numbing, haha.

it jibes with what Evander said: George hit him one time and he thought he had knocked all his teeth out. If you can’t feel the inside of your mouth, it makes sense.

 

I’d love to credit the poster who orig. posted this but I can’t recall: -

Re Old Foreman’s speed (or lack thereof), apparently Evander said he’d begin to duck when he saw George launch a punch - however, by the time Holy came back up, that same punch was only just arriving and hit him anyway.

 

Very good.