Probably been a thread or five already on here about this one, but i'd like to know what you think would of happened. Cheers lads.
I'd go with Foreman, but with no real confidence. Anybody who thinks he'd have handled Tyson as easily as he did Frazier are fuckin nuts! I think George stops him in 7-8, but theres a chance Tyson's speed would have been too much for Foreman. The only heavyweight in history that I'd pick over a prime Tyson with CONFIDENCE is the 60's Ali. Prime Mike is close to even money, or favored over everyone else.
Agreed. Tyson's chin is far superior to that of Frazier's and Tyson's the faster starter and naturally bigger man. The Foreman of the Lyle fight gets CRUSHED by Tyson. However The focused Foreman that wiped out Frazier and Norton may just keep pushing Tyson back and not allowing him to set to attack and gradually take away his confidence and heart and stop him in the middle rounds.
I always say that Tyson has become under rated after blowing his career and having terrible fights with Lemmon etc.. But PRIME he was a phenom This one could go either way but I'd lean toward Tysons ridiculous speed to get George
Foreman in 7, but if Tyson got the right referee (somebody who wouldn't put up with Foreman's shoving tactics) then I guess I'd favor him
Tyson's superior skill & speed mask, to some extent, how unlikely it is he survives this fight. I would be big on a Foreman victory here. I could not be more comfortable with any great Heavy in history handling Tyson as I would be Foreman. There would always be a shot for Tyson on account of his speed & power, but I think he'd lose the mental clash badly, & the physical one would only compliment any advantage Foreman cultivated pre-fight. Foreman, early & brutal.
I think Lewis would've always been a tough fight for Tyson. Other than that, I largely agree w/ this post, except I might lean toward Tyson more than I would toward Foreman. No HW in history is stopping Tyson early. He has one of the best chins in the history of the division.
Hmm. Two ferocious starters who slowed after the first few rounds if they didn't get their man out of there. I don't infer anything conclusive from the Frazier fight, Joe was a guy who liked to work inside methodically and stay there. Mike was a guy who operated outside then exploded in with attacks which 9/10 ended in clinches. Their physical size & aggression are similarities, but beyond that? Joe spent the early part of that fight stationary right at the end of George's punching range, but outside his own, trying effetely to bob his way in to try and get into a range where he could stand stationary again (in terms of distance) and start going to work. At which point George just shoved him away to start with, until he felt Fraizer was there to be taken and settled for trading as he felt Joe wane. That isn't Mike. Frankly I think if somebody wins in the first 3 rounds, and stylistically there's a huge chance of that, it's at least as likely to be Tyson. Foreman was really quite hittable and it just seems like he's right there for Mike. I also think Mike's ability to absorb heavy shots is better than a young George's. The normal analysis that applies with Tyson that his chances will decrease past the opening 3 or 4 rounds doesn't really apply here, as George was even more prone to slowing down and losing mental intensity than Mike was. In fact you might even favour a Prime Tyson to start landing more frequently as George flagged. If I'm betting, I mainly just bet on this not going the distance. Beyond that I probably weight most my 'George money' on the first 4 rounds and spread my Mike money a bit wider, but also weighted towards the first 3. I lean towards George, but at the bookies I'd spread my money pretty evenly.
Good post. I think it's the kind of fight where the outcome should've been "obvious" in hindsight but, when you start breaking it down and thinking about all of the intangibles it seems closer and closer. Every point in Tyson's favor can be countered with one for Foreman and vice versa.
I think if Foreman can handle Tyson's early onslaught he can take out Mike in 7-9. Mike could take out Foreman early with Foreman leaving himself too open with his wild swings.
I think Mike lasts longer than Joe or Ken did, but he's still getting stopped... its just the worst possible scenario for him for Foreman, a guy shorter than him who MUST come forward to win is like a wet dream
I consider myself a proponent of Tyson's chin --- it was definitely a great beard he had, but I would plainly stop short of calling it, "one of the best in the history of the division," & certainly, I would call it a lesser jaw than what Chuvalo (who Foreman had cowering) possessed. In any event, Tyson's fortitude would be as much responsible for letting him down here as his chin, if not moreso.
In terms of his ability to absorb single hard shots (ie raw chin, disentangled from heart, adaptability) I'd say it was "one of the best in the history of the division". Certainly not quite as good as Chuvalo or McCall but easily up there with the tier of Holy, Mercer, Ali, Holmes etc below that. Incidentally Chuvalo is a slightly more useful stylistic comparison n terms of he fought against Foreman than Frazier is, in terms of his approach to distance, imo.
And if Mercer, Holmes, Ali or Holyfield had taken the flush shots he took in the last few rounds of that fight they would have been stopped too.
Doubt it.. Ali took flush shots from the likes of Joe Frazier, Foreman and Earnie Shavers(Earnie hit him clean on the jaw) Tyson's chin is just greatly overrated. In fact he's the only fighter in that supposed tier of fighters who was KO'd in their primes..and by a bum fighter at that.
When did Ali ever take a sustained barrage of punches over several rounds and then 4 or 5 flush in a a matter of seconds like Mike did in that fight? Youtube clip, please. Tyson was incapable of adapting in the ring. That was his failing, not his punch resistance.
Tyson's ambidextrous power and lightening fast handspeed wont be any wet dream though. It's a tough fight.
Ali wasn't stopped by Frazier or Foreman. Dude..don't let the Henry Cooper fight fool you...Ali was still underdeveloped at the time plus he was clowning around.
I'd say it is nearly impossible to compare them since neither was ever knocked out and both were hurt by similar (often same) punchers. Chuvalo had worse defense so he got hit more, but that does not really prove that his chin was superior.
And Ali took NOTHING LIKE the sustained barrage that Chuvalo took against Foreman. And Frazier only stopped Chuv on a career threatening eye injury, never decked him, never even rocked him like he did to Ali several times. Come on, you could say McCall was stopped by Lewis, Tony Tucker wasn't. By itself it doesn't say allot.
