Why did foreman-tyson never happen?

[Adamj1987]

I've never been clear on this. was it prison, egos, money? anyone got a definate answer?

[BoxBuzz]

Tyson truly did not want this fight. Foreman wanted it. Tyson had a lot to lose, Foreman a lot to gain. So perhaps it's not surprising.

[Goodnight, Irene]

It really is, through all of the bullsh!t & double-talk, as simple as this --- Tyson didn't want a bar of him.

"You fvcking fight him," as Tyson once said to King.

[Adamj1987]

It really is, through all of the bullsh!t & double-talk, as simple as this --- Tyson didn't want a bar of him.

"You fvcking fight him," as Tyson once said to King.

i'll ask him in march

[Goodnight, Irene]

I'm looking forward to what he has to say

You should query him on what D'Amato showed him of Foreman in the early days --- before Foreman returned. Ask him how it made him felt when Foreman came back.

[ThatOne]

I am no Tyson fan but I don't think it's as simple as saying Tyson was frightened of him despite Cus' warning.

Tyson had everything to lose and nothing to gain. If he wins he beat up an old man. If he loses he got beat up by an old man.

[rosco]

All I remember is that they fought on a double bill..Foreman foughtand KOd Adilson Rodriguez,and Tyson KOd Henry Tillman..Then It was to be promoted for them to fight.

Foreman coud,nt wait to get in the ring with Tyson,but Tyson did,t want a bar of him..The rest is history

For the record Foreman would have KO,d Tyson easily...Big George loved fighters who came straight at him..My Opinion anyway

[Ezzard]

I've always been of the opinion that Tyson would have smashed up Old George like he did Larry Holmes. Foreman could win. He still had that kind of power. But I doubt he would. prime for prime I'd be more likely to go with George.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I'd give Mike a better shot against the younger Foreman. Old George was made to whip Mike. Too strong and too much chin. He would literally just shove Mike backwards and plod after him. Easy fight to call.

Not sure about the semantics of why, but it was certainly on the side of team Tyson. George wanted it, it would have been by far the biggest & richest fight in history. I always thought King wanted nothing to do with it just like he steered Mike away from Holyfield for quite a long time before finally signing before Douglas.

[cybox]

Foreman was with Arum and Tyson with King so I'm sure it as hard to come to terms with a fight like that. Don King I'm sure wanted 99.9% of the fight and not want Arum to have any part of it. It's like Floyd and Pac-man..it's a fight the fans want but the fighters teams can't come to terms. So many good fights were never made due to this

[Robinson]

I think it simply never happened like a lot of potential show
downs.

The circumstances and fates were not there, until it was
too late.

I do not buy into the whole Tyson was too scared to face
him.
You hear this shit alot and not to many fighters actually
buy into the 'fear' aspect. As non fighters and sports writers
seem to conjure up this imagery that fear and being scared
really influences alot of things.

Most fighters will step into the ring against anyone, regardless
of their 'chances' they as fighters do not get to where they are
by being timid souls. The timid ones are ringside with their
own ideas about fighting.

Psychology of fighting and boxing is something that I really
ignore when sports writers attempt to delve into it or over analyse
something looking from the outside in.

Tyson was not scared, he most likely did not need it at the time
and while Foreman was eating his way through past it cruiserweights,
drugged up former contenders and journeymen, Tyson was destroying
hall of famers, former strap holders and actual ranked fighters...

And post prison for Tyson, well you can also argue why didn't Holmes-Foreman
happen 1991-1998 ?

[Goodnight, Irene]

I think it simply never happened like a lot of potential show
downs.

The circumstances and fates were not there, until it was
too late.

I do not buy into the whole Tyson was too scared to face
him.
You hear this poop alot and not to many fighters actually
buy into the 'fear' aspect. As non fighters and sports writers
seem to conjure up this imagery that fear and being scared
really influences alot of things.

Most fighters will step into the ring against anyone, regardless
of their 'chances' they as fighters do not get to where they are
by being timid souls. The timid ones are ringside with their
own ideas about fighting.

Psychology of fighting and boxing is something that I really
ignore when sports writers attempt to delve into it or over analyse
something looking from the outside in.

Tyson was not scared, he most likely did not need it at the time
and while Foreman was eating his way through past it cruiserweights,
drugged up former contenders and journeymen, Tyson was destroying
hall of famers, former strap holders and actual ranked fighters...

And post prison for Tyson, well you can also argue why didn't Holmes-Foreman
happen 1991-1998 ?

You keep bringing up how Foreman faced past-it or blown-up fighters in his comeback.

I keep asking, "What was Foreman, if not past-it & blown-up also?"

[SaadOffTheDeck]

If Foreman was so fat and feasting on nobodies and midgets, all the more reason to collect the biggest paycheck in the history of the sport for an easy nights work.

The most amusing part is Foreman was beating past it Crusierweights while tyson was destroying HOFers. No mention of where the two HOF fighters were in their careers? No past it for Holmes or Spinks?

Holmes/Foreman never happened because George didn't want any of Larry.

[allworld80]

George was not going to fall down when Mike hit him....I suspect that had something to do with it.

[Nelson Gateau]

Foreman getting troubled by the likes of Alex Stewart, outboxed by Tommy Morrison, unable to stop Crawford Grimsley, etc, etc; if Tyson went in with anything resembling a smart fight plan I think he would have won 120-108. No knockdowns. But I agree that Tyson would have had everything to lose so why risk it (especially as he was getting big money already, and to fight less imposing figures than George).

[harrygreb]

i think tyson had tons of respect for george and was honest enough to fess up to it being a tricky fight for him to win. style-wise it couldnt be better for foreman and he certainly would not be intimidated by mike. IMHO its a tight decision for tyson but too, too risky

[HomicideHenry]

Tyson believed Foreman's on-screen friendly persona was bullshit, that behind all the glitz that Foreman was still this monster heavyweight, and that style wise he was tailor made for Foreman, who kayoed Frazier twice. It would have been an interesting encounter.

[harrygreb]

yeah, maybe mike saw himself as a latter day frazier, if so he wouldnt want a piece of george. tyson, being a classic bully, fits this scenario.

[Goodnight, Irene]

If Foreman was so fat and feasting on nobodies and midgets, all the more reason to collect the biggest paycheck in the history of the sport for an easy nights work.

The most amusing part is Foreman was beating past it Crusierweights while tyson was destroying HOFers. No mention of where the two HOF fighters were in their careers? No past it for Holmes or Spinks?

Holmes/Foreman never happened because George didn't want any of Larry.

So says Larry...

[Grimm]

If Foreman was so fat and feasting on nobodies and midgets, all the more reason to collect the biggest paycheck in the history of the sport for an easy nights work.

The most amusing part is Foreman was beating past it Crusierweights while tyson was destroying HOFers. No mention of where the two HOF fighters were in their careers? No past it for Holmes or Spinks?

Holmes/Foreman never happened because George didn't want any of Larry.

So says Larry...

and I

[ThatOne]

I think the Young George would murder Tyson. I am not so sure about the Old George. That's a withering assault for a forty five year old man to withstand.

Again. Tyson had everything to lose and nothing to gain. If he wins he beat up an old man. If he loses he got beat up by an old man.


Tyson never beat an ATG in his prime. That's a fact.

[McCannW14]

I think the Young George would murder Tyson. I am not so sure about the Old George. That's a withering assault for a forty five year old man to withstand.

Again. Tyson had everything to lose and nothing to gain. If he wins he beat up an old man. If he loses he got beat up by an old man.


Tyson never beat an ATG in his prime. That's a fact.

Did Foreman?

[ThatOne]

I think the Young George would murder Tyson. I am not so sure about the Old George. That's a withering assault for a forty five year old man to withstand.

Again. Tyson had everything to lose and nothing to gain. If he wins he beat up an old man. If he loses he got beat up by an old man.


Tyson never beat an ATG in his prime. That's a fact.

Did Foreman?

Yeah- This fellow


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9q7mvc6bsY



And here he 's taking apart a near ATG




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zW287BS ... re=related

[Goodnight, Irene]

Haven't you heard, ThatOne?

On this forum, Frazier is understood to have been a near-shot fighter in 1973. That's right, the 27-year-old, 29-0-0, undisputed, undefeated Heavyweight champion of the world, who, two fights previous, had just given what everyone agrees to be his finest hour, wasn't sweet jack-sh!t by the time he fought Foreman in friggin' January of that year.

Didn't you hear about his weight? He was almost clinically-obese --- a whole eight pounds --- not eight kilograms, but pounds, heavier than when he delivered his masterclass against Ali. Of course, this fight was two years previous to the Thrilla, where, again, everyone agrees, Frazier was nothing short of brilliant. Never mind that! Frazier was over-the-hill (not a little, a lot, & their words, not implication, too), a lard-ass, & took Foreman way too lightly. It's one of the great sham, "achievements" in Boxing, in fact!

[wouter]

Foreman wasn't taken too seriously until he beat Gerry Cooney. A month after that Tyson lost his title against Douglas, killing a title fight between the two. Former champions Tyson and Foreman were then to fight twin double-headers on two cards (the first was Tyson-Tillman / Foreman v. Rodrigues, the second would have been Tyson v. Stewart / Foreman v. Damiani I believe) before fighting each other, but that scenario was spoiled when Foreman received a title shot against Holyfield.