I see this as a very difficult fight for Foreman who of course was the better fighter by far. Foreman loved to slug and so did Tua. At close Tua hit faster than Foreman, he could take a very good punch and he would not be pushed around the way Frazier was, plus he had the better stamina compared to young Foreman. If Foreman fought mainly from outside landing his jab and using his reach, he could take it, but in all-out war, I am not sure
I question Tua's ability to withstand the Foreman arsenal, frankly. There was no one more immovable than Chuvalo, & he backed up & winced, spitting blood & covering, when Foreman began to repeatedly find the target. I consider Chuvalo's chin more proven than Tua's. While Tua was physically less vulnerable to being pushed around than the smaller Chuvalo, he isn't going to over-power Foreman in the clinch, & I don't he lands first --- Foreman was taller & rangier by some way, & wasn't anywhere near as reliant on punching from one side as the left-handed Tua. Unlike Chuvalo, Tua has wrecking ball power & can certainly get Foreman's respect with a sole punch, possibly flooring him, but I don't see it as likely. IMO, Foreman pushes him off up-close, ala Frazier, & with established punching room built on the back of greater raw strength & a higher-octane early-round assault, floors Tua twice, taking the fight out of the smaller man. Put briefly, I think Tua's chin isn't quite a match for Foreman's punches --- & I expect Foreman to land, clean & plenty. In truth, they really aren't the same class of fighter on the world-stage. Truth be told, I don't think I'd even favour Tua to beat Foreman's second-iteration, after watching Rahman's jab control him so steadily. Foreman's left was much better, & he was a lot more sturdy & battle-hardened than the mediocre & chinny Rahman. Foreman TKO3 Tua.
Which Tua fights make you guys so sure that he would get stopped here, much less quickly? I am not saying it is impossible, I just think it is a pretty strong prediction as I can't remember when Tua was visibly hurt even
What Frazier or Chuvulo fights indicated that they'd get stopped by Foreman? Tua is basically a slow, shit version of Frazier and he's gonna be getting plastered with shots that would make a bear lie down. One hard right hand from Lewis turned Tua into a placid puppy dog. Foreman closes the deal.
I think Tua does take a better punch than Frazier and as I said before, Tua does not get pushed around the ring as easily, in fact Tua probably had stronger legs than Foreman. Even though Frazier was the better of the two, Tua's style and strengths are better against Foreman. Also, as correctly pointed out above, Ron Lyle came damn close of stopping Foreman, and Tua hit as hard as him and in his prime was not slower either
^5 Hut*Hut, The Lewis fight is the thing that kept coming to mind for me. When Lennox nailed him solidly Tua took is foot off the gas and coasted to a loss. In a firefight against a young George Foreman, and it would be a firefight, Tua would have to absorb a lot of punishment and get past that piston of a jab. Tua would be game but it's a bad style match up against one of the most murderous hitters in the division's history. I agree with the consensus, Foreman by brutal ko in the first half of the fight.
One right hand from Lewis? Not really. It was more to do with a fact that Lewis is a master boxer with an all time great jab that Tua couldn't get past.The unability to land discouraged Tua more than anything and on Foreman Tua if anyting would land. Foreman wouldn't be moving and jabbing and holding and all the stuff Lewis did that made it look easy.Tua and Foreman would meet in the middle of the ring and exchange blows. No other way around it. Fact Tua's chin was better. Fact Tua's stamina was better. In a fire fight Chin and stamina will always win it for you. Tua KO5 in a brutal slug fest
Lewis did hurt Tua with a bodyblow, from memory. Another fact is that Tua's one potentially great HW opponent completely humiliated him in a meek outing.
Well, Frazier was down twice in the second round in the first Bonavena fight. In hindsight that didn't bode well for what would happen when Foreman nailed him the same way.
I've never seen a fighter so repeatedly pulled up for beating a legitimate contender in only his 12th pro fight, as I have Frazier.