tyson v foreman

In the thick of things during the early 90's, I never remembered any discussion of a possible matchup between Tyson or Shavers. Frankly, I don't know what would even warrant that fight happening. Sounds like Shavers was just talking ****.

 

They wouldn't put a veteran Tyson in with Mercer, so a young protege version of Tyson wouldn't have been risked against Earnie.

The mther fkker could punch.

 

After numerous wins during his second career, Big George would hype up the audience by repeatedly chanting, "I want Tyson, I want Tyson!" He would tell the television interviewers that Tyson Chicken wasn't used to facing a predator like himself.

Tyson Chicken was (is) always terrified of Foreman, and he knew that George was fully aware of that fact. (Likewise, Holmes knew that Foreman wanted no part of Larry either. How many boxers in history have surprised themselves by winning matches they expected, in their heart of hearts, to lose going in? Foreman almost certainly breathed a sigh of relief when his bout with Holmes fell through on the eve of it.)

Holmes/Foreman did nearly come off though. Tyson Chicken never responded to George's outspoken challenges.

Larry has always maintained that he would come back to to the ring for a crack at Foreman. Likewise, it's a very open secret that George would return to competition if his opponent (hapless victim) was Tyson Chicken.

 

After Holyfield/Foreman (early 91) it was talked of a lot, I think neither party got an offer which they could accept though, and then Tyson got locked up it and that was that.

Tyson/Shavers:admin never ever heard of that even being talked about. Shavers retired in 83 (Tyson was not even a pro) then had one bout in 87, when Tyson was reaching his peak, the fight was never a go'er

 

Foreman is one of many fighters Tyson didn't face.

Mercer, Lewis (until it barely mattered), Bowe, Witherspoon (I know Tim capitulated against Smith to nix the fight), Moorer, Golota (until Golota had been exposed), Byrd, Klitschko, McCall and Tua.

Post Douglas his record is pretty shallow. Shameful for an era regarded as pretty weak. In the meantime, Seldon, Savarese, Norris, Williams, McBride, McNeeley, Botha etc were all accomodated.

I think Foreman at his best, old version, would have given Tyson problems but I'm not sure he;'d have beaten him.

 

Foreman would call out Tyson right after smashing a guy like Tom Trimm or Carlos Hernandez. Foreman was like a guy who won a post as a city councilman demanding entry into the presidential race.

 

It worked in that it got Foreman noticed without the need to take huge risks. And the Holyfield fight proved that Foreman could at least be in the same ring as Tyson without humilating himself.

Like I said, it was not really there as a fight until after Holyfield/Foreman. And in 91/92 it was at the very least a intresting match-up. I think Tyson would of been a warm favourite, but I would not of been putting the morgage on it.

 

Well, if there was talk about it before Tyson won any belts, then the time frame would have been around 1985/86, when Mike was maybe 19 years old, and Earnie was more or less semi-retired. I think he left boxing around 1983, and picked up a single bout in 1987. That being said, I'm not sure where exactly these two guy's career paths would have crossed. My guess is that it was mainly gossip.

 

I would not feel sorry for him, all the best stories are always built on half truths anyway, and Shavers seems to be as well as nice bloke, a good story teller. Also I am not Clayton, Jacobs or Don King so who knows it may of been on the table?:good

 

Problem is Tyson had absolutely nothing to gain from a Foreman fight. The fact that he fought Ruddock instead was commendable. Ruddock was a big puncher, and considered a threat to the crown and was ranked #2 behind Tyson on all three sanctioning bodies.

The Forman fight would have been a novelty.

 

Who's to say Foreman wanted to fight Tyson anyway? Anyone can scream "I want Tyson! I want Tyson!" (and in fact many did) but getting in the ring with him is a different story.

From Foreman's record it is clear that he had absolutely no interest in taking a risk fight when there was not a title on the line. Tyson did not have a title and posed a huge risk, hence i doubt Foreman would want to fight him.

 

I slightly differ: I would say Foreman would not take a risk unless the money was right, rather than if a championship was on the line.

If the money was right, Foreman would of fought Tyson IMO. Would he of won? Probably not, but I suspect his performance would not of let anyone down.

 

Foreman was always about the money. That would have convinced him.
But there are some that say Tyson avoided him as though he was scared.

At the time beating Foreman wouldnt have gotten him the respect that beating Ruddock would have and If I remember correctly, Holyfield's win over Foreman drew criticism from some. Holyfield was viewed (and thats how I saw him) as an inbetween Champion until Tyson was ready to take his belts back. The Bowe really increased Holyfield's stock despite the losing effort. The rematch made him legit.

 

Foreman certainly did not avoid Cooney and Morrison. He was always awesome against sluggers. Few people expected that Morrison could elude George the way Tommy proved willing and able to, once the bell rang. (If Foreman had seen Morrison moving and boxing like that prior to their matchup, he probably never would have stepped in the ring with him.)

George was far stronger physically than anybody else Tyson had faced, and Mike simply didn't have the firepower to dent Foreman's chin. Even if he had, George would have kept him shoved to the outside, and on the back foot. Tyson would have had considerably difficulty just getting close enough to Foreman to land a scoring blow. Even if he managed to avoid George's slow ponderous swings, he'd still have to get within range of those massive arms to even attempt to score himself. Then, he'd get tossed around like a rag doll, just as the much larger Morrison did. Two things we could always count on, were referees allowing Ali to get away with his head and neck pulling antics in clinches, and Foreman shoving smaller and weaker opponents back by their shoulders at arm's length.

Like Morrison, Tyson had perfectly broad shoulders for George to push away on. Unlike Morrison, Tyson didn't have the height or reach necessary to score in spite of George's maulings. Jimmy Young was 6'2" and had a style predicated on retreating and countering. Ron Lyle could match Foreman's height and reach with his own, as could Ali. Tyson would have been horribly overmatched physically. The Foreman of the Tyson era was the most physically strong world class boxer who has ever lived. In training, he was known to run up mountains for two hours, nonstop. The man was a total freak, aerobically and anaerobically.

This matchup wouldn't have been a punching contest or a boxing performance, but a sumo wrestling meet, first and foremost. No way does Tyson control that situation. (And if he tries biting George's ear off like he did Holyfield's immediately after Evander shoved him several feet backwards, Mike would be leaving the ring in a bodybag.)