Who could beat a prime George Foreman?

[brownpimp88]

who the **** asked u for your opinion? u think any fighter that lived before the 1960's is a bum, that sounds like logic to me

since when the **** did i care what you say, you think lennox is barely top 20. That just shows how much of a dumbass you really are.

[Kid Achilles]

Foreman would not be hitting Baer with the kind of lightning fast straight as an arrow shots that made him feel helpless and want to quit as it happened vs. Louis. Baer vs. Foreman would be a straight up pier 6 brawl, even more so than the Lyle fight where Lyle tried to box a bit at times.

Baer had heart, he was able to stick it out with a hard hitting, well conditioned and determined counterpuncher in Schmeling and come on strong in the later rounds to stop the german.

Baer was one of the most inconsistent champions of all time. Sometimes he'd show up with a mentality to win, and other times he just wasn't in it for the opening bell. When we make these fantasy fights we're assuming each fighter is at his best. He don't use the Tyson who quit vs. McBride, and we don't use the Baer who decided he hadn't a chance from the begining vs. Louis.

Also something to think about. Foreman would be so hittable and wide open himself that Baer's confidence would take a boost every time he landed on and stunned Big George. It's not hard to keep your faith in yourself when you can feel your punches hurting the opponent. The situation Baer was in, where he was barely connecting with anything significant and taking one of the worst beatings imaginable in return would try even the sternest heart. Foreman never showed me he could come back from the kind of beating Baer took vs. Louis.

I mean, who's to say Foreman doesn't fold as well when hit that hard, that fast, and with no chance at really getting much of his own punches in? Foreman was never put in that kind of position, he never faced a guy like Louis. I don't consider the punishment he received from Lyle even close to what Baer got from Louis. At least Foreman as consistently staggering Lyle in return, he knew he could hit and hurt him. That strengthens anyones resolve. When you're just taking a beating, I don't care how courageous you are, you'll reach a quitting point where it's no longer worth it to get beat more and risk your life.

Next to Willard quitting in his corner vs. Dempsey, Baer letting himself get counted out in Yankee Stadium might be the most justifiable and understandable example of a top fighter quitting.

I think Baer vs. Foreman would be a very competitive, pick 'em fight.

[phallus]

Foreman would not be hitting Baer with the kind of lightning fast straight as an arrow shots that made him feel helpless and want to quit as it happened vs. Louis. Baer vs. Foreman would be a straight up pier 6 brawl, even more so than the Lyle fight where Lyle tried to box a bit at times.

Baer had heart, he was able to stick it out with a hard hitting, well conditioned and determined counterpuncher in Schmeling and come on strong in the later rounds to stop the german.

Baer was one of the most inconsistent champions of all time. Sometimes he'd show up with a mentality to win, and other times he just wasn't in it for the opening bell. When we make these fantasy fights we're assuming each fighter is at his best. He don't use the Tyson who quit vs. McBride, and we don't use the Baer who decided he hadn't a chance from the begining vs. Louis.

Also something to think about. Foreman would be so hittable and wide open himself that Baer's confidence would take a boost every time he landed on and stunned Big George. It's not hard to keep your faith in yourself when you can feel your punches hurting the opponent. The situation Baer was in, where he was barely connecting with anything significant and taking one of the worst beatings imaginable in return would try even the sternest heart. Foreman never showed me he could come back from the kind of beating Baer took vs. Louis.

I mean, who's to say Foreman doesn't fold as well when hit that hard, that fast, and with no chance at really getting much of his own punches in? Foreman was never put in that kind of position, he never faced a guy like Louis. I don't consider the punishment he received from Lyle even close to what Baer got from Louis. At least Foreman as consistently staggering Lyle in return, he knew he could hit and hurt him. That strengthens anyones resolve. When you're just taking a beating, I don't care how courageous you are, you'll reach a quitting point where it's no longer worth it to get beat more and risk your life.

Next to Willard quitting in his corner vs. Dempsey, Baer letting himself get counted out in Yankee Stadium might be the most justifiable and understandable example of a top fighter quitting.

I think Baer vs. Foreman would be a very competitive, pick 'em fight.

wow, great post, as usual kid

[brownpimp88]

You guys ever thought about the size difference and the fact that foreman's punches will hurt more than max's. The reach advantage should also be something to think about. One of these guys is a top 5 heavyweight of all times, the other will just go down as a forgettable champ that reigned inbetween dempsey and louis.

[Brockton Lip]

You guys ever thought about the size difference and the fact that foreman's punches will hurt more than max's. The reach advantage should also be something to think about. One of these guys is a top 5 heavyweight of all times, the other will just go down as a forgettable champ that reigned inbetween dempsey and louis.

Size is not everything, other factors are involved. But to humor you; Baer was a large opponent to most and very strong.
Baer is nowhere near a forgettable champ, those words together are disrespectful to the boxing great.

[SABBATH]

He don't use the Tyson who quit vs. McBride, and we don't use the Baer who decided he hadn't a chance from the begining vs. Louis.

What makes you think that Baer would be confident after getting hit by a big powerful heavy puncher like Foreman when he mentally folded before he was even ****in' hit against Louis?

Kid, you can't keep filling in the blanks with romatic idalistic versions of older fighters just because you like that particular era.

A year after losing to Louis, Baer was beaten by Art Oliver who was making his pro debut, yet you're using the Lyle fight as a reference point to how Baer might succeed against Foreman? You do recall Foreman getting up from a face-first KD (not too many heavyweights are gonna get up from that type of KD) to 10 count Lyle? When did Baer EVER ONCE in his 84 fight career display that type of heart or ability to come back from the brink of defeat? I'll answer that for you. NEVER.

Baer's best names on his win resume are Carnera, Schmeling and Galento.

The rest of Baer's bigger name opponents like Jim Braddock, Ernie Schaff, Tommy Loughran, Johnny Risko, Paolino Uzcudun, King Levinsky, all went the distance with Baer and with the exception of Levinsky all of them defeated "The Clown Prince". Only Schaff weighed over 200 lbs.

Which Baer are we talking about standing up to and KO'ing Foreman? The one that was never seen or the one that consistantly lost to fighters not even close to Foreman?

[Kid Achilles]

Explain to me how you know for a fact that Foreman hit harder than Baer. Maybe with the left hand, sure, but Baer's right was as heavy and hard as anyone's. As for the reach, Foreman's reach was 82" to Baer's 81". The difference was negligable.

As for size, I've seen Baer's chest, forearm and other measurements as being listed as bigger than Foreman's were when Baer had won the title at 210 lbs and Foreman at 217. Foreman had the bigger legs but smaller less broad upper body, despite weighing more and having a height advantage. Baer's shoulders look extremely wide for his height in the films and pictures, no doubt a key factor in his almost superhuman leverage.

[butterfly1964]

Fighters that WOULD defeat a prime George Foreman:

SONNY LISTON:
This fight could go either way, but Liston would be the better boxer with the longer reach. In addition he could punch on Foremans level, had a solid chin and paced himself better. This makes me favour Liston against Foreman.

I believe this fight would be a lot like the Ron Lyle-Foreman fight, only with Liston coming out on top. Foreman would come after Liston, probably hurting him in the process. Liston would hold his ground how ever, returning fire with his perfect left jab and thundering right hand.

Sonny Liston by tko6.

LARRY HOLMES:
In his prime, Holmes was the complete package. He was tremendously skilled, he moved very well, he was fast and strong, his chin made of iron and he had stamina. To top it off, his punch was solid as well. This combined with his heart, make me believe that the crude fighting machine that was George Foreman would lose this one.

It is of course possible that Foreman would overwhelm Holmes, battering him against the ropes to win by stoppage. This would in fact be of no surprise to me. I don’t think Holmes could survive the “rope-a-dope” as did Muhammad Ali.

How ever, Holmes in his absolute prime was a very slick fighter with a broader range of defensive abilities than Ali. I believe he could handle the early assault from Foreman because of his chin and defensive skills, and that he would use a tactic consisting of boxing-holding-running for the first four-five rounds. As Foreman began fading, Holmes would start dictating the fight. A tired Holmes defeats an exhausted Foreman by decision.

Larry Holmes by UD.


JOE LOUIS:
Some accuse Louis of being a weak-chinned, flatfooted and slow fighter who only defeated mediocre opponents. The same individuals will of course say that Louis would be brutally dispatched by Foreman inside of one or two rounds. When I first started studying boxing as a youngster, I also believed this to be the case. I saw Foreman being too big and too powerful for Louis to handle. After all, if Louis could be knocked down by fighters like Braddock, Foreman would surely kill him.

Today I beg to differ. Studying Louis, I find the perfect specimen of a fighter. A wonderful boxer with awesome power, he could deliver knockout punches who only travelled a few inches. His reflexes was superb, his stamina very good, and his heart was unquestionable. And even though he didn’t move very fast, his footwork was excellent. His chin is vastly underrated. Granted, Foremans power would be more than sufficient to put Louis’ lights out, but to do that, he would have to hit Louis with clean shots on a regular basis. I don’t see that happening.

I consider the prime Foreman to be too crude and raw against this perfect fighting machine. Louis would block, parry and counter Foremans telegraphed punches, and deliver his own ripping shots. When watching the first round of Foreman vs Ali, it is easy to see how frustrated and bewildered Foreman looks when Ali hits him with several overhand-rights. Well, Louis definitely had the handspeed to do the same, only with deadly force.

A well-prepared, careful Louis would survive the first half of the fight and batter the fading Foreman to win by late kayo.

Joe Louis by ko10.

Aren't you forgetting one person?

[butterfly1964]

What makes you think that Baer would be confident after getting hit by a big powerful heavy puncher like Foreman when he mentally folded before he was even ****in' hit against Louis?

Kid, you can't keep filling in the blanks with romatic idalistic versions of older fighters just because you like that particular era.

A year after losing to Louis, Baer was beaten by Art Oliver who was making his pro debut, yet you're using the Lyle fight as a reference point to how Baer might succeed against Foreman? You do recall Foreman getting up from a face-first KD (not too many heavyweights are gonna get up from that type of KD) to 10 count Lyle? When did Baer EVER ONCE in his 84 fight career display that type of heart or ability to come back from the brink of defeat? I'll answer that for you. NEVER.

Baer's best names on his win resume are Carnera, Schmeling and Galento.

The rest of Baer's bigger name opponents like Jim Braddock, Ernie Schaff, Tommy Loughran, Johnny Risko, Paolino Uzcudun, King Levinsky, all went the distance with Baer and with the exception of Levinsky all of them defeated "The Clown Prince". Only Schaff weighed over 200 lbs.

Which Baer are we talking about standing up to and KO'ing Foreman? The one that was never seen or the one that consistantly lost to fighters not even close to Foreman?

[brownpimp88]

Baer lost to one of the worst heavyweight champs ever, he usually loses to most big name opponents he faces, yet we are supposed to believe he will kick george's ass, haha. I thought we are supposed to talk about each fighter at his best, well the best george was 1970-1974, not the one that lost to young and fought lyle.