Which light heavy has the best bet of beating a Liston or Foreman

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by InMemoryofJakeLamotta, Sep 23, 2019.



  1. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    I don't agree with Charles being one of the best bets, I think Conn and Tunney have much better styles for this.

    Truthfully I wouldn't pick any.
     
  2. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Did you run out of names or something?
     
  3. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    For 3 fights he was and did absolutely nothing at175lbs to justify giving him any sort of a show at beating either Sonny or George.
     
  4. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    On reflection I'd say you have picked the two most likely styilistically to make it close,you could perhaps add Loughran and Conn?

    But ,nobody at175lbs beats those two.
     
  5. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Saad had the heart and tenacity to show George a fight. But there's no way that chin will take George flush, and that goes for ANY light heavy champ.

    Spinks kayo by 3
    Saad "" 7
    Eddie " 7
    Foster 1

    I can see champs who would give George a decent run, but it comes down to when George lands cleanly. A light heavy ain't going to take that.

    Same with Liston fighting a light heavy, though Michael Spinks might have had a better chance than the rest. Liston didn't like nuisance fighters.
     
  6. Jackomano

    Jackomano Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Tarver had all of the tools to trouble or even beat Foreman. He had an excellent chin, quick hands, rolled with punches well, and could fight in close, and was a clever fighter. As much as I like Foreman a clever fighter with a chin that could put combinations on him and not give him space to work was his kryptonite. My trainer sparred Foreman quite a bit and admitted that Foreman was powerful and could pound most fighters to dust if they tried to match him head on as Frazier, Norton, and Lyle did, but if you were clever and made Foreman fight out of his comfort zone he was very beatable. Even Larry Holmes admitted that fighting Foreman head on was suicide, but if you fought him smart and neutralized his power he wasn't too much trouble.

    My trainer, who was a 6 foot middleweight had the same trainer as Foreman, which was Sandy Saddler back in the mid to late 60's and was one of Foreman's chief sparring partners for his fight against Levi Forte and his second fight against Peralta. He even talked Saddler out of matching Foreman with Quarry, who he said was a terrible style match up for Big George and Saddler listened, since my trainer had served as a sparring partner for Quarry for a few of his fights.
     
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  7. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Charles blocked better than Tunney and Conn which is why he did so well on the inside v Marciano.
     
  8. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Foreman would have destroyed Tarver, he didn`t have Ali`s glove control, Foreman would walk threw his power and kill his body, Tarver`s trunk wasn`t thick enough to take Foreman`s body shots and Ali said Foreman was great at cutting off the ring also, Tarver never faced anything like George.
     
  9. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    He`s been re-watching Tarver in that Rocky sequel.
     
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  10. Gatekeeper

    Gatekeeper Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Old Foreman of the 90's would perhaps struggle with some of the ATG LHW's but young George is too big and powerful same for Liston.
     
  11. Jackomano

    Jackomano Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Foreman would be struggling to land clean on Tarver and even if he did Tarver was durable and knew how to survive, so I doubt Foreman would be able to get a stoppage on Tarver. Foreman for the most part avoided clever fighters for a reason.

    Also, Ali came into the Foreman fight to prove that he was both as strong and durable as Foreman was and could take everything Foreman could dish out. When Ali got serious and started letting his hands go he toyed with Foreman and stopped him.

    If Jimmy Young would’ve came in shape he most likely would stopped Foreman as well, since Young was at at his best at 200 lbs, but by the late 70’s let himself go and often came in overweight.
     
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  12. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King Full Member

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    1-tarver's chin was never tested against a heavyweight. You're doing alot of speculating assuming he could take a blow from foreman.

    2-Fighting close to foreman when you're both shorter, lighter, and weaker physically is suicide no matter how skilled you are. Attempting to neutralize his power up close sounds good on paper until you realize foreman was both a good inside fighter (wicker body puncher) and he could easily outgrapple or push the much smaller tarver back even if for some reason he couldn't win at that range. They would have to scrape tarver off the canvas with a spatula.

    3-your trainer SPARRED with foreman he didnt fight him. Ive seen foreman spar and even when he was younger he wasn't the type to brutalize his opponent. He saved his aggression for the real thing. When heavies spar with smaller men its to work on timing and speed, not to show off their power.
     
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  13. GOAT Primo Carnera

    GOAT Primo Carnera Member of the PC Fan Club Full Member

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    WTF are you guys talking nobody @ 175 puts a dent into those 2 ??? Ever read a thread @BF24 classics?? Alzheimer?

    Of course there`s one beating them. Talkin about THE ONE! He always did.
    Starts with R and ends with y!
     
  14. Reinhardt

    Reinhardt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Best bet? no one
     
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  15. Jackomano

    Jackomano Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Tarver even when he was way past his prime and fat didn't any trouble fighting at heavyweight, since even as an old fighter he was both an intelligent and crafty fighter as well as still being durable.

    Also, Frazier, who is one of my favorite fighters to watch was a headstrong fighter, which is why he didn't make any adjustments when fought Foreman and got blown out of the water as easily as he did. Even Frazier himself admitted he fought an incredibly stupid fight. Frazier kept staying right in front of Foreman, which is why Moore advised Foreman to push him away every time he did it. No intelligent light heavyweight is going to stand right in front of Foreman and be an easy target to get muscled by him.

    Foreman didn't destroy Peralta, who fought him in close in the first fight. Also, against a clever fighter Foreman isn't going to easily land his body punches. Young also fought him in close, but had a hard time with Foreman because he was overweight. I highly doubt Foreman would easily muscle Tarver around, since Tarver's footwork and ring ability would never have him directly in front of Foreman and Foreman would be eating a lot of punches.

    My trainer was specifically brought in as an sparring partner because Foreman couldn't knockout him out. If Foreman could easily brutalize his sparring partners than they are worthless as a sparring partner. Also, it isn't about showing off his power, but trying to trap and finish off the smaller man, which is hard if the smaller guy is experienced and can punch. Bigger guys train to get smaller guys out quick, since the bigger fighter has a higher chance of running out of steam as the fight progresses. My trainer basically made his money as a sparring partner for guys like Quarry, Lyle, etc.. for when they fought lighter mobile heavyweights, who were tricky and hard to land on.

    In the first fight against Peralta Foreman didn't have the right sparring partners and tried to overpower Peralta, but it didn't work and he barely got the decision. Unlike Fraizer, Peralta used his feet while on the inside and was always in a good position and never directly in front of Foreman, so despite the size difference Foreman couldn't just bully him around like he did other fighters and was missing most of his punches. Peralta was also letting his hands go a lot to keep Foreman honest. Young did the same thing to him. Going into the rematch my trainer and quite a few other tough middleweights and light heavyweights were brought in by Saddler and put Foreman through h**l, so he was prepared. In the rematch Foreman focused more on trapping Peralta against the ropes and was able to get the stoppage, but it still didn't come easy.