Why didn't Tyson and Foreman ever fight?

[Pugilist_Spec]

If I remember correctly Foreman was given a contract to fight Tyson, but refused to deal with King.

Either way, doesn't matter. Anyone that thinks 90s Foreman had a chance to beat any version of Tyspn pre-2000 is on crack.

While Foremans accomplishments for a 40+ year old man were great, the revisionist history regarding his actual ability as a fighter at that point is in full force nowadays. The man went life and death with crackheads like Stewart and Schulz, split up the belts because he wouldn't fight a live body (if a 96 version of Tucker and Schulz rematch constitute as that anyway), and lost decisively to Holyfield and Morrison.

Tyson was waaaaay too good for him for styles to come into play here.

[BKM-]

In these type of threads I think it's always wise to remind everyone of Foreman's fight against Lyle. Foreman was not an unbeatable God in a slugfest.

[Anthony342]

I'm pretty sure that it is a lot more than a percentage. To get the Tyson fight, Holyfield had to become a king fighter. He had options on Valuev after he delivered Ruiz to him for that part of the title. After that you saw King all over Valuev for the rest of that guys career.

As for the legal aspect, fighters have been selling parts of their contract for over 100 years.

Right, so don't you think it's time there was a stop put to it?

[Scott9945]

Right, so don't you think it's time there was a stop put to it?

Maybe some regulations. But stopping a fighter from taking what he feels is a good offer might be considered restraint of trade.

I just don't see anything really stopping this. When Tony Tucker fought Tyson I heard that his father had sold 110% of Tony's contract. Obviously that caused him a lot of problems and shouldn't have been allowed.

[Anthony342]

I guess the only way to stop it then is to not sign with those promoters. I agree, some regulation needs to be set. I meant stopping a promoter from taking a percentage of a fighter's future earnings if they're not signed with that promoter. Seems like a scumbag move to me and some unfair strong-arm tactics. No wonder the mob used to be involved in boxing. It seems like they still are sometimes, with what promoters pull. That and going legit and running the banks.

[Boxing@2016]

Reply

If it was a match like you mention, the boxing fans will never forget it....

[Thread Stealer]

King and Arum worked together for a June 1990 doubleheader, immediate following Tyson's loss to Douglas, with Foreman-Rodriguez on the undercard to Tyson-Tillman. Ideally it was to buildup to a Tyson-Foreman fight.

I've read the articles where Tyson was supposed to have been scared of a Foreman, but I am more inclined to believe that King's insistence on options on future Foreman fights was the real barrier.

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245328

In December promoter Don King offered Foreman $5 million to fight Tyson sometime in 1990. "He gave me a contract and told me to sign on the dotted line," says Foreman, who rejected the offer. "I was more afraid of Don King and the dotted line than I am of Tyson."

[juggernaut666]

Foreman simply didn't want to fight the guys King told him too....After Foreman had defeated Cooney ,king had told foreman he had to fight believable opponents to make that match seem real...At THAT time no one really knew how good Foreman was, he beat washed out Cooney out of retirement....Foreman fought Mike Jameson instead of fighting anyone that is relevant which again balked the match up...he did this since his comeback, Foreman has Foreman to blame.

Tyson had also stated he was worried by how ppl would criticize him for taking such a fight ,it would be a lose lose situation for him. At the end of the day Foreman admitted to not sighning the contract that king offered him so...I believe theres your mystery solved.


I believe the fight would never have happened anyway after the Foreman /Holyfield fight....I believe the beating of a one sided match Holyfield gave Foreman gave George second thoughts about facing such a puncher like Tyson, thats why Foreman persued the rematch with Holyfield when King persued Foreman still.


" iŽll face this guy George Foreman before he dies of rigor mortis" M. Tyson...I don't believe that sounds like a scared man!

[Sugar Adam Ali]

In these type of threads I think it's always wise to remind everyone of Foreman's fight against Lyle. Foreman was not an unbeatable God in a slugfest.

But foreman won that fight.. I never saw him lose a slugfest, just outwitted by ali, young, holyfield.

If foreman could weather the first four rounds vs tyson in mid 90s, I think he has a good chance of stopping mike late..

Tyson's power was based on explosiveness and as he tired his power would dwindle.
Foreman's power was based on him have the hammer of Thor in his fists.. He would be dangerous to the final bell and if mike tires, gets lazy and stands in front of foreman late, I can see a Moorer esqe ko

If the fight did happen in 95/96 I think foreman gets stopped on cuts


Fight didn't happen because of King and arum.. Neither wanted to cashout their cash cow

[BKM-]

But foreman won that fight.. I never saw him lose a slugfest, just outwitted by ali, young, holyfield.

If foreman could weather the first four rounds vs tyson in mid 90s, I think he has a good chance of stopping mike late..

Tyson's power was based on explosiveness and as he tired his power would dwindle.
Foreman's power was based on him have the hammer of Thor in his fists.. He would be dangerous to the final bell and if mike tires, gets lazy and stands in front of foreman late, I can see a Moorer esqe ko

If the fight did happen in 95/96 I think foreman gets stopped on cuts


Fight didn't happen because of King and arum.. Neither wanted to cashout their cash cow

Yeah he won but he was on the brink of defeat several times and took a ton of damage. That fight shows that Foreman is hardly the unbeatable slugfest monster that people make him out to be. The key for Foreman was his illegal tactic of pushing opponents on their shoulders. Even that would not have worked against everyone.