Zaire, who else could have beat Foreman that night ?

Holmes certainly had an excellent chance. Great ATG boxers would be the choice....Tunney, Louis, Ali, Holmes. I believe at their best they beat George that night and possibly only these fighters.

 

Tyson Fury would make it look easy,

 

Fury is a bum.

 

Ali gave an ATG performance that cemented his legacy, but I don't think it'd take an ATG to beat that Foreman given his predictable offense, shoddy conditioning/energy management, and defensive lapses that night. I can see why, for dramatic effect, the story is laid out that way. But I think it's an overrating of the Foreman we got that night, who was out of answers after Ali's first adjustment.

I wouldn't just peg the fight as winnable for the Louises, Holmeses, and Listons out there. I don't see why Johnson, Holyfield, Schmeling, Bowe, etc couldn't have done it, either. I don't think George would go winless vs them or anything, but it's a winnable fight for a larger pool of heavyweights than the fables say IMO.

If we're talking non-HOF caliber guys, I think Crazy Ike outlasts him if George implements the same strategy he fought with (though that's presumptive on my part, it's not like George really used or needed a plan B back then). Why not Jimmy Young again?

 

I am not going to read any past post because I know what some people will say. Anybody who could box would beat Foreman which is amazing since Ali didn't out box Foreman, he laid against the ropes and got lucky. I stated this before, Ali has said various times he didn't lay on the ropes on purpose. He said he wanted to stick and move but Foreman's ability to cut off the ring forced him to the ropes and George strength kept him there. His only plan according to him was to hope Foreman got tired and hope he didn't get knocked out.

Of course you will see moronic people say 170 pound guys like Dempsey, Marciano and Tunney would beat Foreman. None of these guys would make it 1 round. Tyson couldn't even beat a old Foreman. Wladimir K would be destroyed in a round or 2. Vitali K was more durable but one punch from Sanders had him falling around the ring. The reason he wasn't knocked out or down was his opposition. He fought a washed up fat Lewis and that was pretty much it.

But in reality no matter how good you are there are guys who have a certain style who could beat you. I could see a none drugged out healthy Tony Tucker giving anybody trouble in his prime. He was a decent boxing, had a decent power and at his peak had a pretty solid chin. I never seen any footage of Al Jones but he was a 6'6 230 to 240 pound southpaw who boxed. I am assuming he would put up a good fight if he had a good chin. Henry Akinwande was tall awkward and would probably lose but maybe could pull off the upset.

 

Holmes would not drop foreman twice even in his best dreams.
And it should be very late cooney lasted 13 with holmes

 

lol, you mean Holmes wouldn't drop Foreman in your best dreams?

 

The truth.

 

I'm thinking just about anyone tough enough to smother for four rounds. Let's not forget how naive George was shooting his load like that every round. punching in that "left right left right left right" robotic way. It was the worst he ever fought.

George showed huge potential beating Norton and Frazier but those fights went completely his way. The fights that came before were among the most ludicrous mismatches in history so there was very, very little for George to draw upon if a world level fight went any kind of distance. Coming out of his two biggest fights so raw like that practically left George naked.


Ali gets an awful lot of credit for beating a very raw, albeit strong kid.

Ernie Terrell, Tim Witherspoon, Tommy Farr, Mavrovick even Jimmy Braddock could get through those first four rounds if George fought as silly as he did that one time. Maybe they still get beat but George fighting like that is 50-50 with most fighters after 4rounds. It's half the battle.

The problem is George had to go all the way until Ron Lyle to actually win a competative fight. He could have done with that BEFORE facing Ali.

A "blow out" is great but it never shows what the other guy had. It just shows the other guy never got going.

 

Only people I'm confident in getting the job done are Liston and Louis.

 

Son. This debate is not for ******ed kids who was born after 1990

 

Liston and louis would get knocked the **** out

 

These people who think that a guy with the size,chin and slow footwork like joe louis would have a remote chance i invite them to visit a tennis forum