1973 George Foreman vs 1986 Mike Tyson

[Master]

I'm actually thinking Tyson by points. Both would take a lot to be hurt but would both get there by around round 7 or 8 by which point both have been boiled down enough to fight in fits and spurts. Maybe a coupe of knockdowns, whatever way they go but no stoppages and Tyson looking the sharper and more effective, hence points win.

Agree Tyson and Foreman had very good chins so they may have taken the brutal punches and it going to a points decision, like Tyson v Ruddock, if no one was obliterated early on when they are both fresh and strong.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Point 1;
Two men with a lot in common.
Brutal power, Unbridled aggression and a menacing aura made them perhaps the two most intimidating fighters in history.
(I'd put those stares before even Dempsey and Hagler.)

Therein lies the advantage.
Both thrived on the fear they could instill in opponents.
Every fighter feels nerves and fear before they fight.

George Foreman said that his knees were shaking when he stood in front of Joe Frazier.
He didnt show it. Their first fight was a grotesque display of power. Foreman's power.
Tyson's psyche was less concrete.
We all remember the story of him crying before his am fights. In his entire career Tyson never beat a fighter of the golden era calibre.
(Holmes was well spent and Spinks wasn't a HW.)

When nose to nose with the much larger Foreman how would Tyson react when faced with a man just as "bad" as himself, void of any fear and with nothing but bad intentions.

Point 2;
People often forget that George could box.
He has often expressed regret that he is remembered as the slugger outfoxed by the Greatest. He actually aspired to box like SRR or the Cassius Clay that beat SL.
He is rarely commended for his Olympic Gold Medal. not easily won.

If that arguement fails me;
If James Douglas had enough power, Foreman could have done the job quicker.

[brocktonblockbust]

excellent analysis Donny

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Bloody good point Donny

[Dia bando]

Tyson was a brute not unlike Foreman, both feared by there opponents, they meet in
the ring, no nicety's just pure hatred of each other.
The speed and combinations of Tyson V the brute power of Foreman to close to call
this sit on the fence and enjoy.

[Master]

Bloody good point Donny

Donny knows nothing.

Tyson does not stand there and get hit like Frazier. Mike punched and moved to the sides and explodes with even more combinations. Tyson was elusive and you could counts on one hand the amount of times he was caught clean.

[IamInuit]

1-Lets be honest, the 1973 George Foreman could not box his way out of a doorway. Yes he won the Olympic gold but he clubbed the majority of his opponents out who were overcome by his size. He sports a 22-4 amateur record with most of his wins ending in similar fashion.
2-He never beat one golden era hev in their prime outside of Frazier but let’s be honest here again, I love Joe Frazier but he was a one handed fighter.
3-Yes he wiped Norton out but Nortons cross armed crab like drag one foot come forward style was perfect for big George. Not only that, Kenny was coming off 2 twelve round wars with Ali that took place in 6 months.
4-Tyson was most likely the fastest hev in history, had no neck with some of the best head movement for a big man that I have ever seen. He had great feet and could come off either side with bone crushing power

5-Cus D’amato’s math;

1 - Left hook to head.
2 - Straight right to head/right hook to head.
3 - Left uppercut.
4 - Right uppercut.
5 - Left hook to body.
6 - Right hook to body.
7 - Jab to head.
8 - Jab to body.

Tyson would mix 5 and 6 punch combinations in any order of those numbers possible with bad intentions on every shot.

Not only was that not the same Tyson in the Douglas fight but that Buster Douglas was perfect on the night and was not going to be denied. I'm not convinced that it would have mattered who was in front of him regardless of the blimp that showed up against Holyfield.

No offense to George as he was a freak in many ways but he’d think he was fighting a crowd.

[brocktonblockbust]

Anyone who picks against Foreman must have got hit by Foreman in the past.

[Master]

Anyone who picks against Foreman must have got hit by Foreman in the past.

Or you have been knocked out by Tyson?

[El Kabong]

Tyson was a bully....Foreman was a bigger bully. Both were scary in their primes. I think Foreman steamrolls Tyson...may have to recover or get off the floor to do it, but Foreman would catch him and finish it. Tyson never got off the canvas to win...and George wouldn't get blasted out in 1-4 either. Once you get to the 5th, Tyson starts to slow

[brocktonblockbust]

Tyson was a bully....Foreman was a bigger bully. Both were scary in their primes. I think Foreman steamrolls Tyson...may have to recover or get off the floor to do it, but Foreman would catch him and finish it. Tyson never got off the canvas to win...and George wouldn't get blasted out in 1-4 either. Once you get to the 5th, Tyson starts to slow

Agrreed. If he goes down, he is getting up and getting meaner. Foreman may have got hit with a knockdown or even two, but he will finish this show. He always finished the show except for against The Greatest. Jimmy Young fought a mentally confused/ready to retire/self-conflicted Foreman. Only Ali had the guile and the chin/body to do it. Tyson coming straight at George would run into a fucking clobbering telephone pole.

[tysonesque]

Tyson has the better hand speed, the better defence, the better movement and the same kind of power.

Peak Tyson ate big, slow guys for breakfast and Foreman would either be knocked out after 6 or 7 rounds or lose a one-sided decision.

Foreman was hit, hurt and decked by lesser fighters than Tyson.

[THE THIRD MAN]

There has never been such a brutal display of awesome power shown by a challenger in the history of Heavyweight boxing than what we saw with Foreman's demolition of Joe Frazier in 1973. This was Joe Frazier...conqueror of the great Muhammad Ali, a man who had taken all before him in the previous 10 years of his career. An Olympic gold medalist and undefeated World Heavyweight Champion and Foreman enters the ring and punches him around the ring like a rag doll. Foreman in 1973 is a monster, a powerhouse the Heavyweight division has never seen before. Ali studied him closely in this fight and his next two, by the time Foreman fought Ali he had only 5 rounds under his belt and Ali exposed this vulnerability and realised big George sent out messages that a punch was coming via the Pony Express! Foreman v Tyson in 1973 is a short fight, Tyson goes 2 rounds and receives similar treatment to Smokin' Joe.

[mikeeod]

There has never been such a brutal display of awesome power shown by a challenger in the history of Heavyweight boxing than what we saw with Foreman's demolition of Joe Frazier in 1973. This was Joe Frazier...conqueror of the great Muhammad Ali, a man who had taken all before him in the previous 10 years of his career. An Oylmpic gold medalist and undefeated World Heavyweight Champion and Foreman enters the ring and punches him around the ring like a rag doll. Foreman in 1973 is a monster, a powerhouse the Heavyweight division has never seen before. Ali studied him closely in this fight and his next two, by the time Foreman fought Ali he had only 5 rounds under his belt and Ali exposed this vulnerability and realised big George sent out messages that a punch was coming via the Pony Express! Foreman v Tyson in 1973 is a short fight, Tyson goes 2 rounds and receives similar treatment to Smokin' Joe.

I agree. A good jab bothered Tyson as evidenced in his fights vs Lewis, Douglas and Holyfield. Big men also bothered Tyson as evidenced in his fights vs Douglas, Tucker and Lewis. George was a big guy with a punishing jab. Once he starts manhandling Mike it is all she wrote. Tyson mentally breaks n is done by the 10th round.

[IamInuit]

There has never been such a brutal display of awesome power shown by a challenger in the history of Heavyweight boxing than what we saw with Foreman's demolition of Joe Frazier in 1973. This was Joe Frazier...conqueror of the great Muhammad Ali, a man who had taken all before him in the previous 10 years of his career. An Oylmpic gold medalist and undefeated World Heavyweight Champion and Foreman enters the ring and punches him around the ring like a rag doll. Foreman in 1973 is a monster, a powerhouse the Heavyweight division has never seen before. Ali studied him closely in this fight and his next two, by the time Foreman fought Ali he had only 5 rounds under his belt and Ali exposed this vulnerability and realised big George sent out messages that a punch was coming via the Pony Express! Foreman v Tyson in 1973 is a short fight, Tyson goes 2 rounds and receives similar treatment to Smokin' Joe.

I agree. A good jab bothered Tyson as evidenced in his fights vs Lewis, Douglas and Holyfield. Big men also bothered Tyson as evidenced in his fights vs Douglas, Tucker and Lewis. George was a big guy with a punishing jab. Once he starts manhandling Mike it is all she wrote. Tyson mentally breaks n is done by the 10th round.

You are both talking about a shattered Tyson and looking at how it ended and not at his peak as a fighter. Making a big deal about Lewis beating that shell is like making one over Marciano/Louis or Tarver stopping Roy.Tyson was already a basket case before he fought Douglas. Guys like Tucker and Smith hugged Mike to death. They never had a strategy outside of survival. Not sure what this Foreman jab you are talking about in 1973 is. He had a much better jab in 1987 and was even faster.
Joe Frazier had a left hook and bobbed and weaved. Tyson was a two handed fighter who took bobbing and weaving to an entirely different level and was much, much faster then Frazier. Foreman was slower in 73 then the second coming of Christ. I like Ron Lyle but Foreman went life and death with him and if Tyson put him down like Lyle did he would finish the job. Foremans lumbering octopus routine would not work with the prime Tyson. Mike would explode underneath and Foreman would not know what hit him and they would be concussive and multiple.