So, just looking at a few records from that era and comeback Foreman literally lost to any half decent fighter he fought, apart from one shot against one of the chinniest title holders ever
people often talk about the comeback like it was some mythical event, and in reality he was fighting bums, he also lost to Schulz, he even admitted as much after that fight
he refused to fight Lewis, Tucker, Tyson and the rematch against Schulz
Not really, not in my view. Seano will no doubt come in and proclaim the evils of Big George's comeback but it's not quite so simple. That sentiment is not uncommon, it's about half and half. Gil Clancy proclaimed after, I think it was after, Pierre Coetzer, that George was a better fighter in his comeback. He was talking about that telephone pole left jab, his relaxation which cured his youthful problem of stamina and his use of his brain rather than just throwing punches to throw punches. Gil did complain in an earlier interview that George wouldn't agree to fight a bunch of bums when they were in tv negotiations, and that they were real no hopers but George wouldn't risk it. He then went on to say that with (pre-Moorer) these decisions, "he was alot smarter than us". George came back carefully, gradually and he was self-managed. He trained very hard, still had his power, no speed in his hands or his legs, I don't think he ever moved his head much but he added some Ol' Mongoose tricks from his trainer, Archie, like the crossed arm defense.
In short, I don't think he fought the poor caliber that people think he did all the time. Plenty of those guys were ranked and were pros. He started off with absolute overweight white guys who couldn't fight their ways out of a paper bag but he was eventually fighting, I think alot of them were actually contenders. He was well aware how silly his comeback was and he took advantage of it. So, when you say, "scam", it was definetly partially a con. Teddy Atlas did everything he could at the press conferences to bring out what he knew was really underneath, the mean George, the REAL George, pushing him, fucking with him. All george would do is say, "bring me a sammich" but Teddy knew full well how dangerous George was and what his intent was and he wanted everyone else to see what was beneath the surface.
His problems were, he just couldn't keep up a young man's pace and he just couldn't cut off the ring, not because he didn't know how, Ali said no one ever cut off the ring on him better, but he was just too fat and old. You know you have a problem when tommy Morrison and Axel Schultz can use angles and move on your old ass. But, for guys who would come to him? Be real interesting if we ever got Tyson who did very little movement of his own. When he was young, he'd move to the sides and punch but by the time they would have fought, Mike was all forward movement. makes you wonder if the apocryphal story that Mike was begging king not to make him fight him make you wonder if it's true when at the time, I scoffed.
