There is nothing that he could have done to develop his neck in the 90s, that he would not have been doing in the 70s. You can't put muscles on chins.
If your neck gains mass and becomes stronger it will help punch resistance, at least that what I've always been taught. Seems to hold true for fat James Toney and old Foreman
Take Holyfields sequence of clean, hard landed punches against Foreman when they fought and swap in the faster, harder hitting and just flat all around better fighter/puncher in Joe Louis and I don't see how Foreman avoids tasting the canvas at least once
To be honest with you, fighters have always developed their necks. If you compare the tale of the tape of the old timers, to those of modern fighters, the neck is the only area where the modern fighters have not got significantly bigger.
That much I understand, but old foreman's neck appeared to be significantly more massive than younger foreman. Could be some kind of illusion I suppose but considering old Foreman had abour 40 lbs on young foreman it makes sense
That's debatable. Unless you think 168lb James Toney could stand up to a Sam Peter right hand the same he did at 230
Because it's absurd? All jokes aside idk, just seems like we'd see more small men fighting farther above their natural weights with success if that was true.
Okay, I will say this...if prime Louis can't do it..nobody can. Old Foreman wasn't a great boxer but is just perfect for going the distance. He was a mountain of muscle that was hard to move, his huge arms and crab defense was hard to break through, he took minimal risks and was safety first, and he still had huge power that kept his opponents honest. If your building a fighter whose only purpose is to go the distance.... Old Foreman is your template.
The bald grill selling church attending flabby George Foreman was tame, no more hard punching mean spirited George Foreman, who tried to replicate his boyhood hero Sonny Liston in the early 1970's. The 1990's edition was slpw, and did not have any killer instinct that once made him famous with two victories over Smoking Joe Frazier in 1973 and 1976, then his easy title defense victory over jaw busting Ken Norton in 1974. This edition would patiently stand in front of a prime Joe Louis, who would have consistently connected with his stiff left jab to the face of George as he shuffled forward, Foreman's face would look like it did against Alex Stewart, swollen and puffy. Foreman would attempt to land his right hand but Joe would back away from it often, landing hard combo's until Louis lands a well timed right hand that deposits an exhausted George to the canvas for the full ten count in round 10.
You can’t, but there’s things that can make you more durable overall. It’s not just your chin that is absorbing the blow, it’s your whole body. Foreman was more durable in the 90’s, like Ali was more durable in the 70’s than what he was in the 60’s.
