The myth always went that Foreman got that grill deal because Hulk Hogan turned it down, but apparently, like most things that came out of Hogan's mouth, that was a lie.
His first career ended prematurely. So if he hadn't come back, he wouldn't be nearly as highly regarded imo. Plus he sort of redeemed himself on a personal level in his comeback.
This is how i see it. If he never comes back, hes probably only seen as a crude bully and frontrunner. For me, the early 80s Foreman is probably the biggest what if in boxing. How good would he have been if he fought in the style and showed the heart of his older self, while having the speed and agility of his younger self
I dont like Foreman at all, but prime Foreman was not the slow, lumbering oaf that history paints him as. Foreman in his early-to-mid 20s was a very athletic guy with extremely quick feet coming forward, and above average handspeed. His shots were wide, but they weren't slow. There's nothing about his assault in Frazier 1 that was slow.
