George Foreman vs. Lennox Lewis

[MickyHatton]

[QUOTE=Yaman]Lennox Lewis beats a washed up Tyson and he's the greatest of all time? Foreman had him lower on the list before he fought Tyson so i guess thats his reason to put him #1. Tyson was overrated at that time and it wasn't even a prime Tyson. Foreman has a dumbass list because he also put Ali on #7 i believe. Don't listen to him lol.[/QUOTE

OK, if you say so!

One of the great heavyweights makes a statement, people on here make a conflicting statement, who to believe?

Did you read the next paragraph?

Lewis' ranking alongside the heavyweight greats was also backed up by another fight legend - 'Smoking' Joe Frazier.

"Lennox is right up there with George Foreman and Muhammad Ali and he has proved himself the best heavyweight out there," Frazier said.

Lewis' trainer Emanuel Steward has often claimed that his fighter is the finest heavyweight to step into the ring since Ali dominated the division in the 1960s and 70s!

Two of the greatest Heavyweights! Oh and a great trainer!

Its all about opinions.

[BKM-]

Both of them are making a mistake. They just put him in that position because he beat a washed up Tyson. Every top10 HW could beat that version of Tyson.

[Yogi]

Shavers is just a better puncher. You could see Foreman's bombs coming so you'd be better prepared for the impact.

Sure you can look at quotes. But i look at FOOTAGE, and i believe he hits a lot harder.

Shavers might have been the technically better puncher (he had better leverage and slightly better speed), but both of them were somewhat wild with their punches most of the time and were prone to telegraphing them. Also one of Foreman's very best punches were his uppercuts that were tough to see coming from underneath, as were his hooks when he tightened them up...

Yeah, I can look at quotes from those who actually took punches from both and give their opinions some validity seeing as how they were actually in the best position to judge out of all of us. And like yourslef, I can also watch footage of them both and judge that with my own eyes (did you miss the posts where I was talking about actually fight footage of Foreman's or something?).

Here's some quick examples and I'll use a few of the fighters quoted & what I see;

vs. Norton -- Norton gradually looked the worse for wear over the course of the two rounds with Foreman, and after getting knocked down for the first time he then took five or six FLUSH shots on the chin before Big George finally got him out of there...After Shavers knocked down Norton for the first time he then only needed one single FLUSH right hand to the chin (big uppercut!) before the curtains fell on the proceedings.

vs. Lyle -- Foreman had Lyle rocked some in the second round of that fight, but Ronny still didn't look all that close to going down. It was then in the fourth round where both fighters sat ring center and traded a bunch of bombs that landed FLUSH on each other's chin before Lyle finally went down...Against Shavers, in the second round Lyle looked fresh as can be (moving & throwing well) before Shavers pressured Lyle to the ropes and landed only one HUGE & somewhat wild left hook that completely knocked the hell out of Lyle. He went down like he had been shot and every time I watch that fight I'm extremely suprised Lyle picked himself off the canvas, because the way he was flopping around down their trying to regain his senses, he looked about as out of it as a fighter could look after getting sent to the canvas (he's lucky that happened at the very end of the round, because I don't see him making it if there had been even a little bit of time left in the round).

vs. Ali -- Foreman did concentrate mainly on the body because Ali was doing an effective job at getting his arms in the way of Foreman's head shots (whether by blocking or just deflecting), but Big George still got through with a few very solid punches to Ali's head (specifically with the left hook, and to a lesser extent the uppercuts). But besides a brief moment in the 3rd or 4th rounds, Ali didn't look to be affected at all by those head shots that Foreman landed on him...Shavers on the other hand noticably & repeatedly rocked Ali or buckled his legs with that right hand of his over the first half of the fight, and especially over the last few rounds of it, after Ali seemed to have taken control over from about the 8th round til the 12th.

I haven't seen either of the Shavers/Young fights so I can't comment on them, but from the "FOOTAGE" that I see of them versus common opponents or uncommon opponents, to me Shavers has more of that *snap* 'lights out' power to his punches and does appear to be the harded hitter of the two according to both my eyes...and especially according to those common opponents who actually FELT the full effect of each of their respective power punches (out of the ones who felt Shavers power those aren't the only ones who thought he hit them the hardest...for one Holmes, who amazingly took a hellacious right hand from FLUSH Shavers and still managed to get up, is on record saying the same thing, although he never fought Foreman).

[Heckler]

Shavers might have the harder punch but he wasn't as devestating in the ring as Foreman. Foreman had huge physical strength and power in both hands, he was a very good slugger.

Someone commented on George Foreman saying Lennox could take them all, then someone else posted quotes from Joe Frazier etc.

I dont take much note of what fighters say because its not the most reliable source. Often they are being MODEST, or slanted as a result of bitterness.

[Southpaw Stinger]

Lennox Lewis beats a washed up Tyson and he's the greatest of all time? Foreman had him lower on the list before he fought Tyson so i guess thats his reason to put him #1. Tyson was overrated at that time and it wasn't even a prime Tyson. Foreman has a dumbass list because he also put Ali on #7 i believe. Don't listen to him lol.

Thats true, I think that George has some unfound brain damage.

[RockyMarcianofan00]

this is a ****** thread IMO
Foreman would destroy Lewis in less then 5 rounds
Foremans strength would overwhelm Lewis, the only thing Lewis has is height, i don't even think lewis has weight,

Foremans strength + Lewis' chin = KTFO

[Yogi]

Just looking through some of my boxing mags and I came across this very matchup in one of Ring Magazine's 2003 Collector's Annuals ("The 50 Greatest Fights You Never Saw"), but this is actually a pretty recent addition of mine despite it being a few years old, so...

I'm sure the following words will tick a few people off, or at the very least be written off as garbage or something like that by those who'll only give acknowledgement to written/published opinions that match their own...But I'll share it anyways;


"Foreman rushes Lewis to the ropes, swinging heavy hooks. Lewis holds, but George shakes him with an uppercut as the bell rings. After that Lewis boxes off the back foot while circling to his right, using his greater strength to hold Foreman whenever he gets close. Lewis' hand touches the canvas after he takes a right in the sixth, but Foreman is tiring. In the 10th, Foreman swings, but Lewis beats him to it with a cross followed by a left hook and a right uppercut. Foreman is up at eight, but Lewis ends the fight with a perfectly timed right hand."


*** Yogi neither endorses nor denies this author's opinion of how that Foreman/Lewis fight plays out, and only posted it for the hell of it.

[smasher]

"Foreman rushes Lewis to the ropes, swinging heavy hooks. Lewis holds, but George shakes him with an uppercut as the bell rings. After that Lewis boxes off the back foot while circling to his right, using his greater strength to hold Foreman whenever he gets close. Lewis' hand touches the canvas after he takes a right in the sixth, but Foreman is tiring. In the 10th, Foreman swings, but Lewis beats him to it with a cross followed by a left hook and a right uppercut. Foreman is up at eight, but Lewis ends the fight with a perfectly timed right hand."

I'm curious if this is supposed to be Foreman Mach I (69-77) or Foreman Mach II (87-97)....

[Heckler]

Just looking through some of my boxing mags and I came across this very matchup in one of Ring Magazine's 2003 Collector's Annuals ("The 50 Greatest Fights You Never Saw"), but this is actually a pretty recent addition of mine despite it being a few years old, so...

I'm sure the following words will tick a few people off, or at the very least be written off as garbage or something like that by those who'll only give acknowledgement to written/published opinions that match their own...But I'll share it anyways;


"Foreman rushes Lewis to the ropes, swinging heavy hooks. Lewis holds, but George shakes him with an uppercut as the bell rings. After that Lewis boxes off the back foot while circling to his right, using his greater strength to hold Foreman whenever he gets close. Lewis' hand touches the canvas after he takes a right in the sixth, but Foreman is tiring. In the 10th, Foreman swings, but Lewis beats him to it with a cross followed by a left hook and a right uppercut. Foreman is up at eight, but Lewis ends the fight with a perfectly timed right hand."


*** Yogi neither endorses nor denies this author's opinion of how that Foreman/Lewis fight plays out, and only posted it for the hell of it.

I know not to take this seriously "using his greater strength to hold Foreman" Lennox was bigger, but Foreman was definately the strongest man to step in the ring. Exception possibly being Jeffries. And this is acknowledged by most historians i have come across, in particular Monte Cox. Foreman had horrible technique and the only reason he got away with it, and still managed to be one of the hardest hitters of all time is because he was gifted with freakish strength. There is no doubt in my mind that Lennox would not be able to hold george back. Lennox was quite clearly muscled around by holyfield, whom deserves acknowledgement for being incredibly strong himself, but Foreman is on a different level.

[Yogi]

Foreman was definately the strongest man to step in the ring. Exception possibly being Jeffries. And this is acknowledged by most historians i have come across, in particular Monte Cox.

Out of curiousity, was Foreman "definately" the strongest man to step into the ring or "possibly" the strongest man to have ever entered the ring?

And another thing...

Seeing as you quote him or bring up his personal opinions so often, are you Monte's disciple or something?