George Foreman vs...

[MMACroatia]

Earnie Shavers and Lennox Lewis(before retirement and after his comeback George),how would these 2 fights go down?
Strange that fight with Shavers didn't happen.

 

[Seano]

George would destroy Shavers. Prime George IMO would be a 50/50 pick with Lewis. Comeback George gets viciously beaten by Lewis.

 

[LNwolf87]

What Era of heavyweights were the most stacked and talented that most experts consider? was it the 60's, 70's...2000's? I'm more of a casual fan, so I wonder how Wladimir Klitschko at his best would do against someone like Mike Tyson or George Foreman at their best

 

[Fluffernutter]

Shavers was an extremely hard hitter, but even in the mid 70's was a hair over 200 lbs.

202 in1975
203 in 1976

Could hit hard, but would have been bullied by George (like he bullied Joe).

Foreman by Early KO

 

[ssx]

Foreman would have KO'ed Shavers early.
The best version ever of Lennox would keep Foreman outside and off balance with the jab. I think Lewis KO's Foreman, he was just too wild and off balance, there were too many openings in Foreman's defense and a prime Lewis would find it.

 

[LethalSassonic]

If it's prime-vs-prime then Foreman EASILY beats Lennox Lewis. You have to remember Lewis didn't have a good chin (it was average at best), he was stopped with just one punch twice by guys who were nothing special (Rahman, & McCall), and staggered from one punch on other occasions. George Foreman wouldn't need to land a haymaker, his medium-power punches could knockout Lewis. IMO Foreman wins by 8th Rd KO. I don't think Lewis was the best heavyweight in his era because he fought Tyson and Holyfield when they didn't appear to be as good anymore. Lewis had a very "late prime" while Tyson had an "early prime" and Holyfield had been through too many wars....

 

[Jonny Ninja]

If it's prime-vs-prime then Foreman EASILY beats Lennox Lewis. You have to remember Lewis didn't have a good chin (it was average at best), he was stopped with just one punch twice by guys who were nothing special (Rahman, & McCall), and staggered from one punch on other occasions. George Foreman wouldn't need to land a haymaker, his medium-power punches could knockout Lewis. IMO Foreman wins by 8th Rd KO. I don't think Lewis was the best heavyweight in his era because he fought Tyson and Holyfield when they didn't appear to be as good anymore. Lewis had a very "late prime" while Tyson had an "early prime" and Holyfield had been through too many wars....

He proved by koing Tyson and 'arguably' beating Holyfield comfortably twice that he was the best of the era. I don't buy the argument about their primes as they are all roughly the same age, Tyson is actually the youngest!

Tyson lost when he fought the absolute best guys. He cleaned up a poor division in the mid 80s and had many beat before he had even entered the ring. Lewis and Holyfield weren't intimidated by him! Holyfield probably always loses to Lewis. The one guy that I think is 50/50 is bowe but he'd rather bin his belt than defend it?

 

[lowlife]

George would destroy Shavers. Prime George IMO would be a 50/50 pick with Lewis. Comeback George gets viciously beaten by Lewis.

Call me crazy but I think comeback George actually has a better chance of landing the KO than prime George, due mostly to his being mentally tougher than he was in his prime, and more willing to stick it out and not crumble in front of Lewis' jab and superior boxing the way he did against Ali and the rope a dope. Hell at 48 years old he beat a young 29-1 Shannon Briggs ass, (even though Briggs was gifted the decision) in an eliminator to Lewis' title. Would be a great fight, if a little ugly imo.

 

[Minowafanatic]

I'm more of a casual fan, so I wonder how Wladimir Klitschko at his best would do against someone like Mike Tyson or George Foreman at their best

Wlad'd get stopped by both imo, and that's probably what most boxing fans tend to think

Call me crazy but I think comeback George actually has a better chance of landing the KO than prime George, due mostly to his being mentally tougher than he was in his prime, and more willing to stick it out and not crumble in front of Lewis' jab and superior boxing the way he did against Ali and the rope a dope.

Don't know about that, I don't think George was mentally weak and it's not like he just quit vs Ali, plus he had a super tough fight vs. Lyle immediately after losing to Ali in which he pulled through. Think him vs. Lennox in their prime is a very tough one to call. George could stop him in the first half of the fight or otherwise lose a decision or possibly get stopped late .

 

[LethalSassonic]

He proved by koing Tyson and 'arguably' beating Holyfield comfortably twice that he was the best of the era. I don't buy the argument about their primes as they are all roughly the same age, Tyson is actually the youngest!

Tyson lost when he fought the absolute best guys. He cleaned up a poor division in the mid 80s and had many beat before he had even entered the ring. Lewis and Holyfield weren't intimidated by him! Holyfield probably always loses to Lewis. The one guy that I think is 50/50 is bowe but he'd rather bin his belt than defend it?

Listen, you've got to use your head... Tyson being younger doesn't mean he was closer to his prime. Tyson's body was very different later in his career, he had too much weight in his upper-thighs and mid section. And Tyson didn't have the same hip flexibility which affected both his offense and defense. Then there's the inaction from going to prison twice, once for rape then the second time for the parole violating. Also Tyson took a lot of drugs and anti-depressants after 1990. Watch Tyson on youtube from 1986-1990 he was very different than from 1996-2001! Go and watch if you don't remember... When Tyson fought Holyfield he didn't have the same quickness as before, and he wasn't even fighting back against Lennox Lewis because he wasn't anywhere near his prime anymore! Lennox Lewis peaked much later as a fighter, and a larger man with a reach and a good jab can fight at an advanced age better than a small fighter who relies on quickness. I know this wasn't the original topic, but my points are true.

 

[RawHawg]

There was an HBO fight Foreman did commentary on when he had his belt, and before Lennox was a champ. Lennox was fighting on the card. George said something like "Lennox is fighting like he is the champ", and Jim commented "but you are the champ George", and George laughed and said Lennox was fighting like the champ and he wanted no part of him. Foreman often said that he did not like to go against tall fighters who could jab, maybe that's why fights against Holmes, Bowe, Lennox, etc.. never came off in his comeback.

 

[LethalSassonic]

There was an HBO fight Foreman did commentary on when he had his belt, and before Lennox was a champ. Lennox was fighting on the card. George said something like "Lennox is fighting like he is the champ", and Jim commented "but you are the champ George", and George laughed and said Lennox was fighting like the champ and he wanted no part of him. Foreman often said that he did not like to go against tall fighters who could jab, maybe that's why fights against Holmes, Bowe, Lennox, etc.. never came off in his comeback.

The reason I can't consider Lewis as one of the Top-10 ever is twice he was knocked out by just one punch. None of the other greats were demolished by one punch like that... It's a major blemish on his career.

 

[Jonny Ninja]

Listen, you've got to use your head... Tyson being younger doesn't mean he was closer to his prime. Tyson's body was very different later in his career, he had too much weight in his upper-thighs and mid section. And Tyson didn't have the same hip flexibility which affected both his offense and defense. Then there's the inaction from going to prison twice, once for rape then the second time for the parole violating. Also Tyson took a lot of drugs and anti-depressants after 1990. Watch Tyson on youtube from 1986-1990 he was very different than from 1996-2001! Go and watch if you don't remember... When Tyson fought Holyfield he didn't have the same quickness as before, and he wasn't even fighting back against Lennox Lewis because he wasn't anywhere near his prime anymore! Lennox Lewis peaked much later as a fighter, and a larger man with a reach and a good jab can fight at an advanced age better than a small fighter who relies on quickness. I know this wasn't the original topic, but my points are true.

Facts are Tyson lost to the only elite level fighters he fought other than Holmes who was an old man. He cleaned out a poor division. I love him as a fighter but there is no way he achieved what either Lewis or Holyfield did.

 

[LethalSassonic]

Facts are Tyson lost to the only elite level fighters he fought other than Holmes who was an old man. He cleaned out a poor division. I love him as a fighter but there is no way he achieved what either Lewis or Holyfield did.

Well you can point to a several things to make a case for Tyson. (1) Youngest ever heavyweight champ (2) Knocked out people faster than anyone we've ever seen (3) Defeated Larry Holmes who still had a little bit left at age 38 (remember four years later Holmes went the distance with Holyfield)... (3) Had Buster Douglas defeated but slow count that took 13 seconds (4) Probably would have gotten more credit for beating Spinks if it went to a decision (the way Tyson won made everyone assume Spinks sucked but he was 31-0 with two wins over Holmes)... (5) And Tyson defeated I believe 10 fighters who had the world title at one point (you can't completely be a tomato can if you have the belt).. (6) You could make a case Tyson was at or near the top-of-the-list for most power and best chin (6) And it was "Mike Tyson's Punch Out!" for the Nintendo, nobody else!