Greatest Heavyweight Of All-Time, Semi-Final: Mike Tyson vs. George Foreman

[WelshDevilRob]

I had to go for Tyson. He was just unstoppable in his prime.

You need to watch some old Foreman fights!

Tyson because he had better technique, size, speed, timing and power than Frasier. Foreman would not have time to set up his punches. In a strange way it could go to points if no-one was knocked out early similar to the Rudduck fight where both just absorb the bombs and Tyson had better conditioning at his best.

Foreman stood up to Ron Lyle, Joe Frazier, and when he was 40 plus years old he took punches from Holyfield that knocked out Mike Tyson......George took those when he was 40.....AND he hurt Holyfield some in the fight too....more than Tyson ever did and don't bring up this PRIME stuff George was 40 freaking years old when he fought Evander so Mike has NO EXCUSES!

Tyson was smaller than Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier had good head movement too and look what it got him....KNOCKED THE FUNK OUT....twice

I find it comical that you ALWAYS try to compare Frazier to Tyson,

#1 Frazier was slow and plodding with limited handspeed

#2 Frazier Bobbed and weaved which played into Foremans bludgeoning upper cut style, Tyson had superb head movement and was side to side like a windshield wiper

#3 Tyson was a combination concussive puncher and had the ability in his prime to put 4-5 combos together and had terrific footwork and could close the distance as good as most welterweights cause of his coordination and athleticism... Frazier was as graceful as a Hippo and lacked even the smidge of the footwork Tyson had.

I will say this, unless this fight takes place PRE-PRISON and got to be around the 9th round I dont think Tyson could hold it together mentally he might quit.

This is gonna sound like a farce but Tyson could absorb 10 fights worth of punishment in the 1st 7 rounds and still stand and fight with all the heart in the world, but around 9-10th round unless he KO's George Mike would pack it in

Tyson Tko by round 6

Have you been exposed as someone who hasn't any knowledge before 1987.
Poor form. Have you ever seen Frazier fight? No you haven't is the answer.

Absolute nonsense of a post. Tyson can't KO Tucker or Bonecrusher in his prime but somehow manages to stop Foreman in 6! Sort your act out cos it's a joke.

Agreed with some of that but i disagree with Tyson not being able to ko Bonecrusher we all know Bonecrusher didn't wana fight and held constantly hard to knock out a pretty tough guy like Bonecrusher if he isn't willing to fight remember it takes 2 to fight.

Agreed Ice, just thought the previous prediction of Tyson Ko 6 over George was abit hopeful. No slant on Tyson or Bonecrusher intended.

[Master]

Tyson was a stone heavier than Frazier and superior defence. He enjoyed fighting big fighters who were statuesque because he could get his punches off quicker. That was why he enjoyed fighting Bruno, even after Prison he demolished him with ease because he was too slow and cumbersome. Tyson would have landed a lot of punches on Foreman, would they knock him out, maybe down but not out which is why I think it may have gone to the score cards if no one was KO ed by 6 rounds.

[El Kabong]

Tyson was a stone heavier than Frazier and superior defence. He enjoyed fighting big fighters who were statuesque because he could get his punches off quicker. That was why he enjoyed fighting Bruno, even after Prison he demolished him with ease because he was too slow and cumbersome. Tyson would have landed a lot of punches on Foreman, would they knock him out, maybe down but not out which is why I think it may have gone to the score cards if no one was KO ed by 6 rounds.

All the big fighters Tyson fought SUCKED

Tyson was heavier but not taller than Frazier

When Tyson got out of prison in 1995 and fought Frank Bruno in 1996....Frank had been fighting for 14 years and was clearly on the downside of his career.

Here's a list of big fighters Tyson didn't like: Buster Douglas, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Kevin McBride, Danny Williams.

George Foreman didn't care what you did and if you threw powerful punches or not if you stood and traded with him you'd lose 100% of the time!

[Master]

Tyson was heavier and and hit harder and you accept he had a better defence. Tyson shortness was his advantage.

Bruno had given Lewis hell in his last challenge for the title so was getting better with experience.

The fighters you listed were after Tyson was not at his best he would have beaten all of them in my opinion. I am not saying he is the greatest heavyweight champion of all time but he made more defences than Foreman and he was not a traditional slugger his boxing skills and speed were unique and with his power he was nearly unbeatable.

[Googoogachoob]

I reckon Foreman gets inside Tyson's head before & during this fight & intimidates him. Tyson's confidence was always pretty fragile, even at the beginning of his career, it's just that the opposition were not good enough to take advantage.

George hits harder & I agree that the Frazier fight is a massive indication of how this one would pan out. Foreman would probably get rocked but would take Tyson out in around 9.

[JT Rock]

I had to go for Tyson. He was just unstoppable in his prime.

You need to watch some old Foreman fights!

Tyson because he had better technique, size, speed, timing and power than Frasier. Foreman would not have time to set up his punches. In a strange way it could go to points if no-one was knocked out early similar to the Rudduck fight where both just absorb the bombs and Tyson had better conditioning at his best.

Foreman stood up to Ron Lyle, Joe Frazier, and when he was 40 plus years old he took punches from Holyfield that knocked out Mike Tyson......George took those when he was 40.....AND he hurt Holyfield some in the fight too....more than Tyson ever did and don't bring up this PRIME stuff George was 40 freaking years old when he fought Evander so Mike has NO EXCUSES!

Tyson was smaller than Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier had good head movement too and look what it got him....KNOCKED THE FUNK OUT....twice

I find it comical that you ALWAYS try to compare Frazier to Tyson,

#1 Frazier was slow and plodding with limited handspeed

#2 Frazier Bobbed and weaved which played into Foremans bludgeoning upper cut style, Tyson had superb head movement and was side to side like a windshield wiper

#3 Tyson was a combination concussive puncher and had the ability in his prime to put 4-5 combos together and had terrific footwork and could close the distance as good as most welterweights cause of his coordination and athleticism... Frazier was as graceful as a Hippo and lacked even the smidge of the footwork Tyson had.

I will say this, unless this fight takes place PRE-PRISON and got to be around the 9th round I dont think Tyson could hold it together mentally he might quit.

This is gonna sound like a farce but Tyson could absorb 10 fights worth of punishment in the 1st 7 rounds and still stand and fight with all the heart in the world, but around 9-10th round unless he KO's George Mike would pack it in

Tyson Tko by round 6

Have you been exposed as someone who hasn't any knowledge before 1987.
Poor form. Have you ever seen Frazier fight? No you haven't is the answer.

Absolute nonsense of a post. Tyson can't KO Tucker or Bonecrusher in his prime but somehow manages to stop Foreman in 6! Sort your act out cos it's a joke.

1st of all I'm sorry you feel that way about my post

But being I'm only 31 I cant say I was alive or old enough to comprehend and break down a fighter like Frazier until I became a teenager.... But that dosent mean I havent studied or watched fighters before my time with that MAGICAL THING CALLED RECORDING EQUIPMENT AND A TV....

Listen I have argued this multiple times and if you wanna disagree fine, thats your perrogative but I maintain my opinions and wont deviate from my beliefs.. So it may be nonsense to you, but you are FAR FROM a cornicopia of flawless Boxing knowledge and opinions

[Wayne]

It makes a bit of difference depending on which version of Foreman we're talking about. The one who fought Michael Moorer would lose. Moorer was nowhere near the fighter Tyson was and Moorer, until he walked into a straight right, was crushing Foreman. Tyson would have done that and then some; chopped away at the body until he made the old man hunch over to protect his body.

The Foreman that fought Ali was probably faster and had reflexes. But Foreman had what I like to call "Big Man Syndrome" where some guys' bodies are just too big on them and they seem awkward, struggling to do the things that smaller guys do with ease. I saw a former NBA player trained by Emmanuel Steward who was like this. Steward gave him a good jab, but everything else he tried to do he looked like he was on marionette strings. Frazier was easily handled because he had a hard head and relied on it for defense. Tyson was actually elusive and would have weaved around one of those big hands and began carving Foreman up like a turkey. It's the guys who knew how to stay away from Tyson's power who had the greatest success, like Holyfield clinching Tyson's right arm or circling away from his power, like Tillis who was constantly on his feet and didn't let Tyson to settle in and throw. Foreman would have trodded forward, hurled a club and had a club just as big thrown right back at him. The only thing Foreman was good at was throwing heavy shots that ripped guys in half. That was why he couldn't bit Ali. Tyson was no Ali, but if he could get underneath or to the side of Foreman's bigger shots and essentially had a guy who was right in front of him with subpar defense Foreman goes away early.

But this is predicated on the rumor that Tyson was afraid of Foreman NOT being true. Fear will turn a fighter into a completely different animal. Just ask Michael Spinks.

[JT Rock]

It makes a bit of difference depending on which version of Foreman we're talking about.  The one who fought Michael Moorer would lose.  Moorer was nowhere near the fighter Tyson was and Moorer, until he walked into a straight right, was crushing Foreman.  Tyson would have done that and then some; chopped away at the body until he made the old man hunch over to protect his body.

The Foreman that fought Ali was probably faster and had reflexes.  But Foreman had what I like to call "Big Man Syndrome" where some guys' bodies are just too big on them and they seem awkward, struggling to do the things that smaller guys do with ease.  I saw a former NBA player trained by Emmanuel Steward who was like this.  Steward gave him a good jab, but everything else he tried to do he looked like he was on marionette strings.  Frazier was easily handled because he had a hard head and relied on it for defense.  Tyson was actually elusive and would have weaved around one of those big hands and began carving Foreman up like a turkey.  It's the guys who knew how to stay away from Tyson's power who had the greatest success, like Holyfield clinching Tyson's right arm or circling away from his power, like Tillis who was constantly on his feet and didn't let Tyson to settle in and throw.  Foreman would have trodded forward, hurled a club and had a club just as big thrown right back at him.  The only thing Foreman was good at was throwing heavy shots that ripped guys in half.  That was why he couldn't bit Ali.  Tyson was no Ali, but if he could get underneath or to the side of Foreman's bigger shots and essentially had a guy who was right in front of him with subpar defense Foreman goes away early.

But this is predicated on the rumor that Tyson was afraid of Foreman NOT being true.  Fear will turn a fighter into a completely different animal.  Just ask Michael Spinks.

#21 I agree on pretty much your whole scenario except I think the older Foreman had a bigger heart a superhuman chin and had a astonishing will and determination to absorb and win a war of attricion against Mike Tyson were as a younger version of Foreman hadn't matured and relied on the same things Tyson did and thats intimidation and bullying. The older Foreman had to dig down deep numerously and really defined his character as a true Warrior and never wilted in the face of adversity