What made Foreman so good?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by dayuum, Feb 25, 2013.

  1. bremen

    bremen Boxing Addict Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2010
    Messages:
    6,843
    Likes Received:
    197
    Foreman lost to every boxer with better than average defensive skills.
     
  2. dyna

    dyna Boxing Junkie banned

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2012
    Messages:
    8,710
    Likes Received:
    27
    Being able to cut off the ring and his power.
    Jab
     
  3. Sugar Nick

    Sugar Nick He's A Good Boy Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2012
    Messages:
    2,557
    Likes Received:
    5
    Well he only lost 5 times in 81 fights so I'd say you have no point.

    Beat Norton and Frazier. Was robbed of the Briggs fight.
     
  4. larryx2012

    larryx2012 I AM BETTER THEN YOU Full Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2012
    Messages:
    12,523
    Likes Received:
    33
    but him and Ali were basically the same size,he wasnt huge at all,just strong
     
  5. larryx2012

    larryx2012 I AM BETTER THEN YOU Full Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2012
    Messages:
    12,523
    Likes Received:
    33
    so the 70's was a weak era?
     
  6. larryx2012

    larryx2012 I AM BETTER THEN YOU Full Member

    Joined:
    May 24, 2012
    Messages:
    12,523
    Likes Received:
    33
    :huh
     
  7. dyna

    dyna Boxing Junkie banned

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2012
    Messages:
    8,710
    Likes Received:
    27
    Ali was also bigger than most of the heavyweights in his era.


    Foreman did dodge some other big punchers in his career.
    Jeff Merritt for example, he had the best left hook in the division.
     
  8. Sugar Nick

    Sugar Nick He's A Good Boy Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2012
    Messages:
    2,557
    Likes Received:
    5
    Better than Frazier? You're crazy pal! And **** Jeff Merrit. Who's he? Not a champ or belt holder obviously.
     
  9. dyna

    dyna Boxing Junkie banned

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2012
    Messages:
    8,710
    Likes Received:
    27
    March 1972

    'CANDY SLIM' - JEFF MERRITT CHALLENGES GEORGE FOREMAN'

    Top 10 ranked Heavyweight - Jeff 'Candy Slim' Merritt of Miami, Florida has challenged
    undefeated George Foreman to a bout, with the winner to get a bout with Champion
    Joe Frazier.

    Chris Dundee, the fight promoter in Miami has offered George Foreman $50,000 to
    come to Southern Florida, and face the 6' 5" hard-hitting Merritt. The 24 year-old
    'Candy Slim' claims to have a record of 29-1-0 (24 KO's), and has been fighting since
    1964 when he was only Age 16. Many regard the 6' 5" Florida fighter as having the
    hardest left-hook in the Heavyweight Division.

    Chris Dundee, 'Foreman has been saying that nobody wants to fight him, and he
    can't find anybody to put up decent money for a bout. Well, here it is $50,000
    guaranteed for a bout in April, and in Miami. It could be billed as the 'Right Hook
    Meets the Left Hook'. Foreman has the best right hook in the business, and my guy
    has the best hook. It could be a blockbuster fighter.

    He was known enough to appear in the news.
    http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f7slAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OfMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3063,4226450&dq
    http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dZBYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OfgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5474,1448142&dq
    http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2LwlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dPMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3348,3721944&dq=


    He was ranked nr5 in 1974

    Scroll up for photo
    http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_4khAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RpgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6031,1594304&dq

    Shavers also knocked Ali down in training
     
  10. Sugar Nick

    Sugar Nick He's A Good Boy Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 17, 2012
    Messages:
    2,557
    Likes Received:
    5
    Jeff Merrit was Ko'd in one round by a guy called Henry Clark who had a 20% KO percentage! Yeah Foreman was shaking in his boots!

    Just because some fighter challenges another fighter, doesn't mean anyone ducked.

    Foreman KO2 Merrit
     
  11. dyna

    dyna Boxing Junkie banned

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2012
    Messages:
    8,710
    Likes Received:
    27
    Jeff was a top 10 hw and offered more money than most of the other bums Foreman fought

    Foreman not fighting Jeff was the same as if Pulev declined a 110thousand dollar deal with Deontay Wilders...
    (The 110 thousand dollars is 50 thousand adjusted for inflation)

    Not saying he was overrated, but he could have fought better fighters on the way to the heavyweight crown.

    And yes, Jeff might have been KOd by a 20% KO bum, but George was also fighting men who didn't even had a 10% KO ratio.
    And Terry Sorrell barely had a 10% ko ratio (his last fight before Frazier)
     
  12. RememberingC.S.

    RememberingC.S. Boxing Junkie Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2012
    Messages:
    10,493
    Likes Received:
    89
    Foreman was called a giant in an era in which fighters were smaller and lighter; apart from pure strenght advantage ha only had his big heart;
    but he wasn't so skilled, he used a style that allowed him to keep the opponent under pressure, if the opponent was weaker; his typical action was to push away the opponents whenever they came closer, imagine if nowadays he would have tryed to push away someone bigger than him....
    The amazing thing is that in his era he was considered a giant, a freak, a monster, while actually his height is just the average for an HW, and you can be competitive with his size only if you move around like a runner... if you base your style on the Foreman's one, actually, you are lost.

    His comeback is always considered his bigger thing, but if you watch the list of opponents he fought, you will be surprised, there are no names that deserves consideration, apart Holyfield of course... Holyfield was really iron chinned, and very skilled, but he lacked power, and some stamina, and still he managed to badly hurt the Foreman;

    That being said, Foreman's story is epic, legendary, truly fascinating, and he is a relly nice man, with an enormous heart and a friendly attitude to many peoples; a testament to boxing, no doubt about it.
     
  13. RememberingC.S.

    RememberingC.S. Boxing Junkie Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2012
    Messages:
    10,493
    Likes Received:
    89
    Ali was big for his era, he used to outreach/outweight his opponents
     
  14. Intimidation, natural power both hands and massive physique, understanding of boxing, cutting off the ring- footwork, near unbreakable chin. Endurance strong willed mind
     
  15. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2006
    Messages:
    19,297
    Likes Received:
    7,056
    Many overlook his jab. Even as an old man, his jab was a potent weapon. It was like a polearm, and it landed as hard as some other fightter's right hands. He never neglected the jab, and it set up everything coming behind it.

    As others have said, his accuracy was also very underrated and he had the heart of a warrior. He was very good at cutting off the ring. And of course, that power.
    It all contributed to a very formidable package overall, but one that also always had trouble with movers, because George was always one-dimensional and unable to adapt.

    It's no secret that the way to beat George was to give him angles and lateral movement.
    It's one reason I always picked Larry Holmes to beat him.