How did Tyson even survive...

[Shamrock]

I have a video - you remember those tape things before DVD was invented - and Tyson himself states that the jab is 100% about timing. His own words are that if you get the timing right you can be 5ft 8in and out jab a guy 6ft 2in...

Timing is the answer to why Tyson was rarely out jabbed in the early days.

[ICB]

I have a video - you remember those tape things before DVD was invented - and Tyson himself states that the jab is 100% about timing. His own words are that if you get the timing right you can be 5ft 8in and out jab a guy 6ft 2in...

Timing is the answer to why Tyson was rarely out jabbed in the early days.

To be honest though what Tyson opponent in the late 80s ever really tried to establish the jab ??

[Shamrock]

I have a video - you remember those tape things before DVD was invented - and Tyson himself states that the jab is 100% about timing. His own words are that if you get the timing right you can be 5ft 8in and out jab a guy 6ft 2in...

Timing is the answer to why Tyson was rarely out jabbed in the early days.

To be honest though what Tyson opponent in the late 80s ever really tried to establish the jab ??

Thinking about it... I can't honestly remember one until Larry Holmes tried it for about a minute in their fight... I think he landed 3 in a row on Mike before getting dismantled brutally....

[ICB]

I have a video - you remember those tape things before DVD was invented - and Tyson himself states that the jab is 100% about timing. His own words are that if you get the timing right you can be 5ft 8in and out jab a guy 6ft 2in...

Timing is the answer to why Tyson was rarely out jabbed in the early days.

To be honest though what Tyson opponent in the late 80s ever really tried to establish the jab ??

Thinking about it... I can't honestly remember one until Larry Holmes tried it for about a minute in their fight... I think he landed 3 in a row on Mike before getting dismantled brutally....

Yea when Holmes danced at the start of the 4th round and landed few solid jabs but other than that. He just held the left hand out there to stop Tyson from coming in. Quite surprised none of the tall Heavyweight's like Biggs, Tucker, etc, never tried to establish the jab but thats what fear does to you makes you doubt yourself, of course the only Heavyweight at that time who did use the jab to good effect was Douglas, but Tyson was already faded force by then. I would of liked to have seen how prime Tyson would of dealt with a good jabber.

[Master]

Tyson had speed, power, technique, confidence, combinations, hunger, skill, and 20" neck. The real question you should ask is how did the other heavyweights survive.

[RozzySean]

I remember an article around here a while back Tyson where somebody claimed that Tyson wanted no part of Foreman, even the old version of Foreman. That fight probably could have been made if Tyson wanted it. According to the article, Tyson understood that stylistically, Foreman was the worse possible matchup for swarmers. Look how easily he dispatched Frazier both times.

Foreman had some troubles with a similar type of opponent aka Dwight Muhammad Qawi, exact same style as Frazier but lasted a lot longer and done better, and remember how short Qawi was, and remember what his natural weight class was.

The Qawi fight was under a year into his comeback and he still stopped him. The only other guy to stop Qawi was Holyfield in peak form at Cruiser. Yeah, Frazier looked better in the second fight, but he still got stopped. That's the problem with swarmers against guys with big one-punch power. I mean, Moorer was winning practically every round before George finally caught him. Even old Foreman would have been challenge for Tyson because George would not have been intimidated by him and he had the chin to take Mike in to deep water.

[Master]

Do not believe that Tyson was avoiding Foreman. He was fighting Rudduck who at that time was far more dangerous than old George.

[ICB]

I remember an article around here a while back Tyson where somebody claimed that Tyson wanted no part of Foreman, even the old version of Foreman. That fight probably could have been made if Tyson wanted it. According to the article, Tyson understood that stylistically, Foreman was the worse possible matchup for swarmers. Look how easily he dispatched Frazier both times.

Foreman had some troubles with a similar type of opponent aka Dwight Muhammad Qawi, exact same style as Frazier but lasted a lot longer and done better, and remember how short Qawi was, and remember what his natural weight class was.

The Qawi fight was under a year into his comeback and he still stopped him. The only other guy to stop Qawi was Holyfield in peak form at Cruiser. Yeah, Frazier looked better in the second fight, but he still got stopped. That's the problem with swarmers against guys with big one-punch power. I mean, Moorer was winning practically every round before George finally caught him. Even old Foreman would have been challenge for Tyson because George would not have been intimidated by him and he had the chin to take Mike in to deep water.

Yea but lets remember Qawi is a natural Cruiserweight and is very short somewhere around 5'7 mark, and lets also remember Foreman was actually in pretty good shape for that fight 235 pounds.

[Genryu]

Tyson had speed, power, technique, confidence, combinations, hunger, skill, and 20" neck. The real question you should ask is how did the other heavyweights survive.

hahaha this really makes this thread complete, kudos.

[El Kabong]

Do not believe that Tyson was avoiding Foreman. He was fighting Rudduck who at that time was far more dangerous than old George.

But in hindsight Rudduck was half the fighter that Old Foreman was....all Rudduck was, was a punch...one at a time....there was no strategy, there was no chin, there was no stamina.

George Foreman was ALWAYS tough....if he had the mental toughness of Ali or Louis he would have been the greatest of all time

[Trainer Monkey]

Do not believe that Tyson was avoiding Foreman. He was fighting Rudduck who at that time was far more dangerous than old George.

But in hindsight Rudduck was half the fighter that Old Foreman was....all Rudduck was, was a punch...one at a time....there was no strategy, there was no chin, there was no stamina.

George Foreman was ALWAYS tough....if he had the mental toughness of Ali or Louis he would have been the greatest of all time

I have to disagree to a bit,George even in his prime had very perdictable hand work and plodding footwork
Mind you,once he got you,you stayed gotten,because dear lord could he hit

[El Kabong]

....hey you got in range then HE got in range....it's a very slippery slope after that. Plus whenever Tyson had to go the distance (especially after prison) he had trouble.

Foreman had a blasting jab in his old age and just hellacious punching power....I still wouldn' twant to fight him

[Trainer Monkey]

....hey you got in range then HE got in range....it's a very slippery slope after that. Plus whenever Tyson had to go the distance (especially after prison) he had trouble.

Foreman had a blasting jab in his old age and just hellacious punching power....I still wouldn' twant to fight him

Like I said,once he got you,you stayed gotten. But you could time him,he had aver predicatable rythm to how he punched,more then anything thats what Ali exploited. Jab jab boom,became block block dodge and counter.
And trust me,Im a huge big George fan,but there it was.His genius was taking over the center of the ring and taking an attitude of "Sooner or later your going to want to come here and get me,and Ill be here when you do"

[bcollins]

....hey you got in range then HE got in range....it's a very slippery slope after that. Plus whenever Tyson had to go the distance (especially after prison) he had trouble.

Foreman had a blasting jab in his old age and just hellacious punching power....I still wouldn' twant to fight him

You got that right! My dad is similar to big George in build, the heavy, ham-hock hands, and I got him to spar with me a couple of times. Even going light, his grazes knocked me back. I can't even imagine being in the ring with Foreman, who has to be one of the most impactful punchers in HW history.

Anyone remember which HBO fight had the pre-fight video with Foreman punching trees? I remember that was scary - it looked like he had a shot to KO the tree in two.

[RozzySean]

Do not believe that Tyson was avoiding Foreman. He was fighting Rudduck who at that time was far more dangerous than old George.

But in hindsight Rudduck was half the fighter that Old Foreman was....all Rudduck was, was a punch...one at a time....there was no strategy, there was no chin, there was no stamina.

George Foreman was ALWAYS tough....if he had the mental toughness of Ali or Louis he would have been the greatest of all time

If you could time warp the mental toughness and ring intelligence of old George into the body of young George, you would probably have the greatest of all time, too.