George Foreman and"Fightin Dirty"(1969-1977)

[Brutu]

Which various dirty fighting techiques George Foreman use back then?
On which opponents?

[Goodnight, Irene]

You could just about class his hitting power as the use of, 'Dirty Tactics'

I don't know that I would really call him particularly dirty, if I'm honest. However, he was not above occasional rough tactics --- though this is true of most fighters, from the great to the mediocre, & all in-between. Shoving was illegal, but he used it in quite a few bouts, including lower-profile affairs. It was in full swing against Frazier (first-time around) & also Ali. I think he hit a few fellas on the break (didn't someone complain vehemently of this, sometime before Foreman won the title? I'm sure one guy was upset about it, claiming Foreman used it frequently in their bout). You could argue he hit Roman & Norton while they were down & defenseless in consecutive bouts intentionally, too. That's debatable, though.

Just curious --- what gave you cause to single Foreman out?

[HomicideHenry]

I've seen the young Foreman run straight at Boone Kirkman and shove him down immediately after the bell rang for the first round. Foreman also had a knack for hitting opponents when they were down (Roman). He was a complete bully, and went above and beyond what was required to brutally beat down an opponent. In pro wrestling there's a saying "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!", and Foreman did alot of illegal tactics that weren't necessary. He was too much a man, an athlete, to lower himself to doing that.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I've seen the young Foreman run straight at Boone Kirkman and shove him down immediately after the bell rang for the first round. Foreman also had a knack for hitting opponents when they were down (Roman). He was a complete bully, and went above and beyond what was required to brutally beat down an opponent. In pro wrestling there's a saying "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!", and Foreman did alot of illegal tactics that weren't necessary. He was too much a man, an athlete, to lower himself to doing that.

"If you're fighting fair, you're not fighting to win," as the addage goes. Something tells me Felix Trinidad Sr. imparted this one to his son on more than one occasion ;)

[yancey]

I've seen the young Foreman run straight at Boone Kirkman and shove him down immediately after the bell rang for the first round. Foreman also had a knack for hitting opponents when they were down (Roman). He was a complete bully, and went above and beyond what was required to brutally beat down an opponent. In pro wrestling there's a saying "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!", and Foreman did alot of illegal tactics that weren't necessary. He was too much a man, an athlete, to lower himself to doing that.

But he did lower himself.

He was a dirty fighter. What he did to the overwhelmingly overmatched Roman was simply disgusting. I haven't looked at the tape in a long time, but I seem to recall some over the top tactics with Norton as well.

Dirty tactics helped him win the heavyweight title. Mercante should have put a stop to the pushing off tactics immediately.

[Brutu]

I seem to remember the tatic as mentioned where at the opening bell he walks up and literally shoved his oponent down
right back to their corner.I think he did this several times even as champ when he fought Joe King Roman.
Looks like something leftover from the Fifth Ward(Houston Texas).

[Brutu]

Another suspect tatic of his that I recall was when he cupped his gloves over another fighters gloves who was against the ropes
and pull the gloves down to their chest so he could get them to have them there for a moment before clobbering them.
I think he may have developed that tatic after the fight with Ali as an andedoet for for the rope-a-dope.

[ThatOne]

I don't remember him shoving Ali in Zaire.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I've seen the young Foreman run straight at Boone Kirkman and shove him down immediately after the bell rang for the first round. Foreman also had a knack for hitting opponents when they were down (Roman). He was a complete bully, and went above and beyond what was required to brutally beat down an opponent. In pro wrestling there's a saying "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!", and Foreman did alot of illegal tactics that weren't necessary. He was too much a man, an athlete, to lower himself to doing that.

But he did lower himself.

He was a dirty fighter. What he did to the overwhelmingly overmatched Roman was simply disgusting. I haven't looked at the tape in a long time, but I seem to recall some over the top tactics with Norton as well.

Dirty tactics helped him win the heavyweight title. Mercante should have put a stop to the pushing off tactics immediately.

I'm just gonna call it as I see it here, & say calling him, "a dirty fighter" out-right is sour grapes on your part. He was a fighter who had his moments, but not much more than that. Frazier had his moments, for the record, as well. He wasn't a dirty fighter, & nor was Foreman. Bully-styled fighters are always gonna bend the rules, at times --- it's a part of their persona, their intimidation. Foreman was no worse than most. He's completely clean in far, far, far more of his bouts than those in which he's dirty.

Brutu, cupping gloves? LOL, c'mon, brojam...that's a little pedantic, m'man. That reminds me of one fight (during Foreman's comeback) where Harold Lederman, scoring from ringside, launches into a diatribe about Foreman, "opening the glove," as though it were tantamount to the man walking into the ring with a rocket launcher. JFC, the guy never used a backhander in his entire career, but Lederman just went ballistic. Not saying you are, but you're pulling him up for essentially nothing, there 8)

Now, you guys look at Ali, by comparison --- who generally is not regarded as a dirty fighter --- & see how often, post-layoff, he pulls his opponents' head down illegally. It's only, what, every damn fight? He's not a bully like Foreman, though, so that's OK?

[Woller]

I will not describe Foreman as a dirty fighter, but he could be a bit rough. He did push Juan Manuel Paez to the floor several times during their two rounds.

Woller

[Goodnight, Irene]

I will not describe Foreman as a dirty fighter, but he could be a bit rough. He did push Juan Manuel Paez to the floor several times during their two rounds.

Woller

That's fair. He wasn't the cleanest, but he was clean a lot more often than he was dirty. Isn't that justifiably a, "clean fighter?"

[Brutu]

I cant recall any other fighter literally yanking his opponents gloves down while they were guarding their face from being punched.
I first noticed the tatic of his in the Toronto Five.But He may have done it before.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Is there even a regulation prohibiting that?

[yancey]

I will not describe Foreman as a dirty fighter, but he could be a bit rough. He did push Juan Manuel Paez to the floor several times during their two rounds.

Woller

That's fair. He wasn't the cleanest, but he was clean a lot more often than he was dirty. Isn't that justifiably a, "clean fighter?"

More like rationalization.

Foreman was a dirty fighter and you are just trying to explain it all away.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Frazier was no cleaner, at times.

[yancey]

I cant recall any other fighter literally yanking his opponents gloves down while they were guarding their face from being punched.
I first noticed the tatic of his in the Toronto Five.But He may have done it before.

The Toronto Five....

One of the most pathetic carnival displays I've ever seen, with Ali yanking his strings at ringside and laughing about George being crazy.

Does anybody remember the round or two when George wanted to show his mobility and started dancing around like a fool? I think he fell at one point.

That was a sad sight.

[yancey]

Frazier was no cleaner, at times.

Rationalization.

Trying to explain it all away. Frazier was one of the cleaner fighters around, considering his style.

Mercante called him one of the cleaner fighters he had ever seen.

[Goodnight, Irene]

As opposed to this...



...being explained away by an eight-pound weight gain?

Frazier can't have been that heavy. After all, Foreman launched him airborne with an uppercut, remember?

[yancey]

As opposed to this...



...being explained away by an eight-pound weight gain?

Frazier can't have been that heavy. After all, Foreman launched him airborne with an uppercut, remember?

Doesn't bother me at all.

It was time for Frazier to lose the title. That is part of the order of things.

He did go out on his shield and kept getting up instead of collapsing into a heap of roped-doped sack of potatoes, didn't he?

Foreman was a dirty fighter....you know it....but you just want to rationalize it all away.

[Brutu]

One suspect tatic he kept even in his comeback in the 1980's,was the right hand to his opponents back if they had leaned to their right
with their back partially exposed.Didnt look like wayward punches to me.

[Brutu]

I cant recall Frazier ever using dirty tatics,he was just always busy throwing left hook to body and head.
He didnt hit Bugner when Bugner was half down half on ropes

[Goodnight, Irene]

This thread is taking on an assanine tone, for mine.

[yancey]

One suspect tatic he kept even in his comeback in the 1980's,was the right hand to his opponents back if they had leaned to their right
with their back partially exposed.Didnt look like wayward punches to me.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Like I said from the beginning...sour grapes.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I cant recall Frazier ever using dirty tatics,he was just always busy throwing left hook to body and head.
He didnt hit Bugner when Bugner was half down half on ropes

Foreman also showed great mercy & sportsmanship in multiple fights where his opponent was over-matched...take a look at his fight with Jimmy Ellis, as a stand-out instance.

Of course, that doesn't suit the nature of this less-than-open-minded thread.