Re: Seriously would Foreman have fought differently in an Ali rematch?
I would 100% take Big George in a rematch. If he paced himself I think he could even have stopped Ali in the later rounds.
But that's all irrelevant, they had one fight and Ali won when it counted.
Re: Seriously would Foreman have fought differently in an Ali rematch?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
THE THIRD MAN
George was fooled completely by Ali who was throwing right leads all night and throwing combinations directly after. (see 30 seconds into round 1, see final 10 seconds of round 3) George was spent before Ali began the rope a dope tactics in full by round 4. George fought the same way as he did against Frazier, the difference being Ali was just as big as he was. Ali always did well against opponents who were his size (Williams and Terrell) Frazier was difficult for Ali because of Frazier's constant head movement and his ducking and weaving, he had further to go to hit Frazier while George was right there in front of him at the perfect height to have his face pummeled. Big George did not have the defensive skills to avoid this and Ali knew it and exploited it in the ring. George was an easy target. Ali's tactics were risky, firing off right hand leads could've led to disaster, but George was not equipped well enough to handle it and adapt.
Ali was landing those right leads at will as George was standing right in front of him and i have a picture on my wall that moves faster than big George so he was getting hit regularly, while Foreman was relying totally on brute strength to wear Ali down. It didn't work as he expended all of his energy by mid fight and was knocked out in 8. In any rematch big George would've needed to find another game plan. Ali was a very smart boxer and tactical fighter, he did his homework, while he was working out the poems and the pre fight rhetoric i believe he was a man who was working out his opponent a lot more than people gave him credit for at the time. Many boxing scribes actually believed Ali's life was in danger in this fight, yet Ali was already telling anybody prepared to listen at the time exactly how to fight big George. " Here comes George with a left.........here comes George with a right............."
George fought an idiotic fight against Ali, remember though he was only 25, and by that time Ali was a wiley old veteran. If you've ever been in a fight, even a street fight and "punched yourself out" you'd get an idea how Foreman might have felt. You're spent and/or got nothing left, and your opponent pretty much has you at his mercy.
Re: Seriously would Foreman have fought differently in an Ali rematch?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
brocktonblockbust
You'd think he'd learned his lesson and wouldnt be a dope again. I say Archie Moore or somebody takes him aside, gives him a slap, and re-tools him like they did well Gil Clancy did a good job after that and George was jabbing like a jack-hammer and throwing great STRAIGHT punches---watch the lyle fight and Dino Dennis and Jimmy YOung fights---George is like a different fighter---see the way he patiently boxes Frazier in the rematch too---Howard Cosell points out in amazement how straight Foreman is throwing his punches compared to those wide arm shots that Ali was mocking him for b4 Zaire.
Do you think Big George could pull it together and win a rematch? I do. Remeber Ali had already lost to Frazier and Norton by that time and took a severe beating (contrary to popular belief) in Zaire--I mean severe--he was really hurt inside, heart was swollen, kidneys were contused, blood in the urine and bladder I think was also bruised from George's bladder shots. as Ali laid on the ropes roping the dope. No way does Ali's body go through another 8 rounds of pounding like that.
I doubt that Ali wanted a rematch with Foreman, and oddly enough, I don't recall Foreman pushing for one either, he seemed totally demoralized. I do believe that George was more then capable of winning the 1st fight, as well as a rematch.
Re: Seriously would Foreman have fought differently in an Ali rematch?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mars_ax
Quote:
Originally Posted by
brocktonblockbust
You'd think he'd learned his lesson and wouldnt be a dope again. I say Archie Moore or somebody takes him aside, gives him a slap, and re-tools him like they did well Gil Clancy did a good job after that and George was jabbing like a jack-hammer and throwing great STRAIGHT punches---watch the lyle fight and Dino Dennis and Jimmy YOung fights---George is like a different fighter---see the way he patiently boxes Frazier in the rematch too---Howard Cosell points out in amazement how straight Foreman is throwing his punches compared to those wide arm shots that Ali was mocking him for b4 Zaire.
Do you think Big George could pull it together and win a rematch? I do. Remeber Ali had already lost to Frazier and Norton by that time and took a severe beating (contrary to popular belief) in Zaire--I mean severe--he was really hurt inside, heart was swollen, kidneys were contused, blood in the urine and bladder I think was also bruised from George's bladder shots. as Ali laid on the ropes roping the dope. No way does Ali's body go through another 8 rounds of pounding like that.
I doubt that Ali wanted a rematch with Foreman, and oddly enough, I don't recall Foreman pushing for one either, he seemed totally demoralized. I do believe that George was more then capable of winning the 1st fight, as well as a rematch.
George didn't fight again until Janaury 1976 in a very difficult fight with Ron Lyle, by this time Ali had gone through the Thriller In Manila and should've retired. Any realistic re match needed to have occurred in 1975 before Ali fought Frazier a 3rd time, big George was simply not ready at this time and was never quite the same dominant force again. The Jimmy Young loss saw him retire at age 27, way too soon. He lost all confidence after that. It's a shame as i have always liked big George, his demolition of Frazier is one of the most extraordinary performances in Heavyweight history and i wonder how Larry Holmes would've handled big George?
