The incredible thing that we don't talk about when it comes to George Foreman

[powerpuncher]

A remarkable fighter.

He only had 'one' bad fight in his 1st Career, and no controversial wins.

How many boxers can say that.

It's just a shame that it took over a decade to get his head back into boxing after that loss. If he could have matured more quickly, I have no doubt that he would have had many more years of success during the 70's and 80's.

Although he did have the Jimmy young fight which was bad but I will give him the excuse that he did suffer from heat exhaustion in that fight and almost died so it's understandable. Kind of like I give Robinson a pass on losing to Joey maxim.

[ross]

In 3.5 years Mike Tyson wiped out a division. He turned pro in March 85. Beat Berbick for the WBC in November 86! Then went on to unify and beat everyone else including Holmes and Spinks by June 88. Thats fast progression!

Another impressive fact is how many prime, HOF fighters Mike beat. The weight class was STACKED. Look at the names on his resume: Berbick, Tubbs, Page, Bruno, Marvis Frazier, Tucker and Tyrell Biggs. Talk about a murderers row!!!

Sorry Ross, I couldn't resist. The post is talking about GEORGE FOREMAN's accomplishments, which have absolutely nothing to do with Mike. It's funny that u r so desperate for concurrence on ur admiration for Mike that u constantly have to try and tout his accomplishments. Try to stay on message or at least tie ur post to the original discussion.

Im pointing out that George isn't the only fighter to have a rapid career rise. He only made two defences of the title as well.

Boxing's quickest World Champions | Boxing News

Hahaha. I missed the silly comment at the end, about Foreman only defending twice. Yeah, what kind of bum loses to Ali?!? Much more impressive to get outboxed and knocked out by James Douglas. What did Ali ever do that was so great?!?

Dont forget 213lb Jimmy Young

[Mr140]

I think Hw is hardest division to stay on top of reason being is the lower weights have maybe bit more skill and speed but at hw a gatekeeper has the power to put a legend to bed. To me if you are heavyweight champ your best there is because no one can beat you fuck pound for pound.

[Beanflicker]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

[brocktonblockbust]

NO WAY!!! wtf--- George Foreman would eat Wlad for breakfast lıke a chıcken leg!

[powerpuncher]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

wlad had more skill but in no way does he beat a young foreman. foreman had a solid chin and hit like a monster. you can bet his trainer would tell him to just walk forward and throw as many punches as he could. i dont see wlad lasting more than 2 rounds. terrible style match up.

[Beanflicker]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

wlad had more skill but in no way does he beat a young foreman. foreman had a solid chin and hit like a monster. you can bet his trainer would tell him to just walk forward and throw as many punches as he could. i dont see wlad lasting more than 2 rounds. terrible style match up.

Not really but whatever

[mikeeod]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

wlad had more skill but in no way does he beat a young foreman. foreman had a solid chin and hit like a monster. you can bet his trainer would tell him to just walk forward and throw as many punches as he could. i dont see wlad lasting more than 2 rounds. terrible style match up.

I agree with you on George being a bad style match up for Wlad. George always had a GREAT CHIN and would close the gap. Where smaller guys allow Wlad to hold and lean on them, I see George being strong enough to manhandle him, push him off and land the one-two. I don't see Wlad taking George's punch very well at all either. There is always the chance that it goes like the first Sam Peter fight did for Wlad, but I think George was a much better fighter and would likely stop him.

I think Lennox and young George would have been a great fight. Lennox was a little sturdier than Wlad, but he also would have been put to sleep if caught with a good shot from Foreman. I favor Lennox in that fight by decision after some shaky moments, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if George caught him and stopped him.

[Master]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

wlad had more skill but in no way does he beat a young foreman. foreman had a solid chin and hit like a monster. you can bet his trainer would tell him to just walk forward and throw as many punches as he could. i dont see wlad lasting more than 2 rounds. terrible style match up.

I agree with you on George being a bad style match up for Wlad. George always had a GREAT CHIN and would close the gap. Where smaller guys allow Wlad to hold and lean on them, I see George being strong enough to manhandle him, push him off and land the one-two. I don't see Wlad taking George's punch very well at all either. There is always the chance that it goes like the first Sam Peter fight did for Wlad, but I think George was a much better fighter and would likely stop him.

I think Lennox and young George would have been a great fight. Lennox was a little sturdier than Wlad, but he also would have been put to sleep if caught with a good shot from Foreman. I favor Lennox in that fight by decision after some shaky moments, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if George caught him and stopped him.

Prime Lennox should be too wise to get bombed out by Foreman.

[Bill Paxtom]

At the 1968 Olympic Games {October 1968} ~ Mexico City, Mexico

Finals

USSR Heavyweight ~ Ionas Chepulis

Howard Cosell lead us to believe that Ionas Chepulis was some kind of incredible and unbeatable Amateur Heavyweight.
He built the Russian into some sort of 'unstoppable tank'. He actually called him a 'Soviet Tank'. One that 'Mortar Shells'
bounce off of.

Howard Cosell >
"Ionas Chepulis could be ranked in the Top 15 of the Professional Ranks right now. He's had over 200-Bouts, and won
185 of them. He's as strong as Joe Frazier, and he looks bigger as well. He's real strong and clubs you with heavy
arms, and wears you down."

Truth,

Ionas {Age; 29 years, 2 months} was a good-and-strong Russian Heavyweight, but Ionas was far from the best that Country
had to offer.

Yes, Ionas was experienced, as he had been boxing for 10-Years. But all his bouts had been in Russia, and the 1968 Olympic Games
would be his '1st' International Tournament.

Ionas, at 6' 1" and 203 lbs. was solid, and he did have an impressive record of 185-22 {87 KO's} when he entered the Olympic Games.

But, He was 'never' a USSR National Champion. His performances at the Soviet Championships >
* 1965 National Championships > 'Silver Medalist'
* 1966 National Championships > 'Bronze Medalist'
* 1968 National Championships > 'Silver Medalist'

Ionas had lost in the Soviet Championship Finals only 3-Months earlier {July 1968} when he was soundly beaten by Alexander Vasyushkin.

Ionas who was Lithuanian, did win that National Championship 4-Times {1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967}. He also won the 1962 Baltic Championships.

Ionas did have a great start at the 1968 Olympic Games, when he won all bouts by stoppage.
Preliminary .........* TKO 3 ~ Billy Wells {Great Britain}
Quarter-Finals .... * KO 3 ~ Bernd Anders {East Germany}
Semi-Finals ........ * TKO 2 ~ Joaquin Rocha {Mexico}

[powerpuncher]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

wlad had more skill but in no way does he beat a young foreman. foreman had a solid chin and hit like a monster. you can bet his trainer would tell him to just walk forward and throw as many punches as he could. i dont see wlad lasting more than 2 rounds. terrible style match up.

I agree with you on George being a bad style match up for Wlad. George always had a GREAT CHIN and would close the gap. Where smaller guys allow Wlad to hold and lean on them, I see George being strong enough to manhandle him, push him off and land the one-two. I don't see Wlad taking George's punch very well at all either. There is always the chance that it goes like the first Sam Peter fight did for Wlad, but I think George was a much better fighter and would likely stop him.

I think Lennox and young George would have been a great fight. Lennox was a little sturdier than Wlad, but he also would have been put to sleep if caught with a good shot from Foreman. I favor Lennox in that fight by decision after some shaky moments, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if George caught him and stopped him.

The Sam Peter fight is a good comparison. Wlad fought a strong guy who lacked skill and got dropped multiple times. The difference is that foreman is a top 10 HW of all time while people was fortunate to ever be in the top 10 HW's of his horrible era. Wlad wouldn't know what to do when foreman just pushed him when wlad would try to clinch.

[powerpuncher]

The fact is Wlad would have knocked out young George Foreman.

wlad had more skill but in no way does he beat a young foreman. foreman had a solid chin and hit like a monster. you can bet his trainer would tell him to just walk forward and throw as many punches as he could. i dont see wlad lasting more than 2 rounds. terrible style match up.

I agree with you on George being a bad style match up for Wlad. George always had a GREAT CHIN and would close the gap. Where smaller guys allow Wlad to hold and lean on them, I see George being strong enough to manhandle him, push him off and land the one-two. I don't see Wlad taking George's punch very well at all either. There is always the chance that it goes like the first Sam Peter fight did for Wlad, but I think George was a much better fighter and would likely stop him.

I think Lennox and young George would have been a great fight. Lennox was a little sturdier than Wlad, but he also would have been put to sleep if caught with a good shot from Foreman. I favor Lennox in that fight by decision after some shaky moments, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if George caught him and stopped him.

Prime Lennox should be too wise to get bombed out by Foreman.

I can definitely see Lewis winning but his main problem was that he seemed to get intimidated pretty easily. He also had a few really bad fights. Lewis on a good day would beat foreman, but in general it would be a toss up because you aren't sure which Lewis is showing up.

[Master]

I do not think Lennox got intimidated by anyone. He beat fearsome punchers like Razor, Golota, Grant, Mercer, Tua and was never intimidated by them. You could criticse Lennox for taking people for granted but even he would never do that against Foreman.

[brocktonblockbust]

Lewıs always moved fast agaınst the bıg bombers---he wasted no tıme agaınst Grant, Golota, Morrıson, Brıggs. all bıg punchers. But ıf he treıd that wıth George ıt would have backfıred. YOu dont punch wıth a puncher, and though LOennox was ındeed a bıg puncher, I gıve George the sıgnıfıcant nod about beıng the BETTER of the 2 punchers. Foreman-Lewıs would not have gone 4 rounds. George Foreman KO 3 or KO 4. Baddest-ass puncher I ever seen and he ALWAYS got the job done. Except ın the Congo---but the ropes was loose

[TitoFan]

I was always a Foreman fan, but.... you gotta be realistic. As was very accurately stated in the opening post, George lacked some basics. It's not like he needed them against most of the opposition he faced back in the day. Norton went in looking like he was already defeated. Frazier was a little sparkplug of a heavyweight, and tried those leaping left hooks with George, leaving himself wide open for George's bombs. Ron Lyle was a fellow puncher just trading bombs with George until one of them would fall down.

Lennox was a big guy himself and huge puncher, but with better boxing skills. It's not inconceivable that Big George would've lost to Lewis. Wlad is another matter. Wlad's mental makeup is to make the fight as ugly as possible if he feels his chin is in danger. It's hard to tell what would've happened. It's not as if one punch from Wlad would've taken George out. While the opposite (George landing) would've been lights out for Wlad.