Who Beats Foreman pre Ali

Sonny Liston would be a tough match up for Foreman.

Jerry Quarry had a good track record vs punchers and i think his style could be troubling for Foreman.

Joe Louis did well vs punchers and has beaten big men before i'd favour him over Foreman.

Some of the skillful boxers/movers like Charles, Tunney, Walcott, could be troubling opponents aswell.

 

Louis, Liston and maybe Dempsey. All of them are equally as dangerous as Foreman, but technically and defensively superior.

Louis will do what he always did. Make him lead, miss or overcommit, then counter him to death with combinations. if Foreman tries to use the long guard, Louis will just shove his arms right back at him and destroy his balance, leaving him open to further punishment. If he tries to exchange with him, he will get the short end of the stick due to his wider, loopier and slower shots. Foreman's power is always a threat, and he may knock Louis down, stun him and maybe finish him, but it's the less likely scenario.

Liston has more trouble than Louis, as he is slower and not quite as devastating an overall puncher (pure power aside) that Joe was, but he uses his jab to outbox George and makes him lead in order to counter. George did say he had trouble making him back up when they sparred when he was young and Liston was old, and George always had more trouble when he couldn't impose himself well.

Dempsey either gets to him first or gets flattened trying to get there. He is the faster and more explosive fighter, and certainly has the punch to flatten George, but his swarming style that relied on head movement will leave him vulmerable to the long guard. George could just push him away and then do what he did to Frazier. Or Dempsey manages to do what Ali did and counter him coming in. It's a pick em.

Charles, Tunney, Walcott and Conn are live to semi live underdogs. Walcott probably has the tools and style to genuinely have a good case of beating him, as he was Young's superior in every way and is a genuine 200 lber. The rest are P4P greats that utterly thrash him in a world of equal size, but are probably too small.

 

Boxers pre Ali? Hmm, well I always say Foreman Liston is maybe 55:45 slightly in Foreman's favor just because Foreman has a more proven track record in brawls digging deep to win and is a little bigger, but Liston is more skilled overall.

I'm not sold on Louis. On paper, he has all the tools to win. He's clearly at an advantage when it comes to hand speed, positioning, skill, accuracy, etc. Problem is he is flat footed and would stand right in front of Foreman with the inferior chin. He'd have to fight the perfect fight from start to finish standing right in Foreman's wheelhouse without getting framed or pulled into one of those sledgehammer uppercuts or hooks. Idk, track record says to favor Louis but I wouldn't bet a cent. Nail biter of a fight.

There are boxers who certainly had the skills and technique on paper to frustrate Foreman with their style, but I wouldn't trust their chin to hold up, Walcott for instance. An unexpected possible upset is Ernie Terrel. If he can fight a lame, defensive fight tying Foreman up, jab ing and grabbing, covering up, throwing an occasional 1-2 to keep him honest, there's a chance he can push Foreman into deep waters to exhaust him and get an ugly decision over 15.

 

I’d favour Louis and Liston over him, some ‘maybes’ would be Johnson, Sullivan and Jeffries due to potentially being stylistic foils. Emphasis on potentially though, the first 2 are the only ones I’d actually favour

 

Sonny Liston and Joe Louis have the best chance.

 

Only Sonny Liston, maybe Joe Louis yet but I don't think so

 

Harold Johnson maybe? But he must be young at the time he fought Foreman, he's quite old vs Eddie Machen

 

I’m not making any predictions here, but some strong possibilities are Sonny Liston, Jersey Joe Walcott and Joe Louis.

 

Sonny Liston has the best chance (50-50) and then perhaps Joe Louis (but he would have to execute an absolutely perfect fight).

Everyone else gets destroyed.

Dempsey and Marciano does not bear thinking about, prepare the A&E and have a priest on hand folks.

 

Liston and Louis have the best chances. Someone mentioned Dempsey. If Dempsey could manage to get to Foreman first, perhaps. But the styles favor Foreman. Maybe Charles or Walcott, but they would need to be perfect.

 

I find Foreman a bit of an enigma. 37 fights before he fought Frazier, most by early KO, but against who? Then a peak of two fights before being beaten and mentally ruined by Ali...you can argue career two started there. Beaten by Young, was with Lyle, then another big run of stoppage and clear wins but.. against who? Before bing beaten up by Holyfield and winning the title against Moorer.. and losing to Briggs, Morrison and one car argue Schultz...? ....and I think old George was BETTER than young George. I think he's hard to rate as an ATG and as a h2h. For someone with so many fights, we don't know an awful lot about him except chin and power...

 

Liston and Louis.

George said himself he was very intimidated by Sonny, and that the latter regularly backed him up. George didn't do great backing up.

Louis was just simply too good from a holistic perspective. He didn't just box well, he punched really hard. At times in devastating combinations.

 

Jerry Quarry beat a prime Foreman?

LMAO!

 

Foreman had beaten decent opposition prior to Frazier. This board in particular seems to think he beat nobodies.