Best I Faced : George Foreman

[Redback Rasta]

Best I Faced : George Foreman

Best boxer: Muhammad Ali.

He was so gifted technically and his jab was the best I ever faced in the ring. Ali could jab going backwards or to the sides and that shot would always find you. He would catch me with the jab as I was coming forward and it was so difficult to counter that punch. He would spin that jab over and over.

Best puncher: Ron Lyle.

This guy hit me so hard that it didn’t even hurt. Joe Frazier caught me with the left hook but he couldn’t hit like Lyle and although Muhammad knocked me down I was exhausted and still got to my feet. Lyle was the hardest hitter. The thing about Lyle was he was complete unafraid and challenged me at ring center. Nobody, other than Sonny Liston in sparring, stood and punched it out with me with any success. Joe Frazier only tried once and even the great Muhammad Ali couldn’t back up quick enough. Ron Lyle would not back up.

Best defense: Muhammad Ali.

Not during his time doing the rope-a-dope because he took a lot of punishment, when he was against the ropes. However, when Ali was out in the middle of the ring and we were boxing he was able to jab, slip, shoot the right hand and get out of the way. He knew something about defensive fighting but the rope stuff was me doing that to him, not him doing that to me. Jimmy Young was very clever, but I played around early in that fight and was just looking to go 12 rounds. Young was very skillful and smart because when I decided that I wanted a knockout, he clipped me. He was a very good defensive fighter but I wouldn’t compare him to Muhammad Ali.

Fastest hands: Muhammad Ali.

That right hand was the fastest punch I can recall taking in any fight. I mean it was “fast”. If Ali hadn’t lost his foot speed nobody would ever have lived with him. I couldn’t imagine a heavyweight having a right hand that fast. He takes this category hands down.

Fastest feet: Jimmy Young or Evander Holyfield.

Ali had lost his foot speed by the time I fought him. I was always able to put my left foot between Ali’s legs and punch with him. Young’s feet were a little faster than mine but Holyfield excelled in this area when we fought. Evander also had fast hands but, unlike Ali, I saw all his shots coming. He hit me with a lot of punches but I saw every one of them (laughs).

Best chin: George “Scrap Iron” Johnson.

I hit him so often that I damaged my hands in that fight. He had taken “Smokin” Joe Frazier the distance and had the best chin I’d ever come across. They stopped the fight but I couldn’t get him out of there cleanly. I still haven’t knocked him out (laughs).

Best jab: Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali.

Sparring with Liston is the most dangerous thing that I ever did in my entire life. As I said earlier, no matter what I tried against him, it was me who had to revert back to boxing. Nobody made me box like Sonny Liston did and that happened every time we worked together. He taught me many things, including the importance of the jab. I just couldn’t get mine straight and every day he had me working on it. There were times when he could have knocked my head off but he didn’t because we were pretty good friends. I saw the way he stared at people and I took on some of that behavior to intimidate opponents. That was where some of that “Bad George” came from, hanging around with Sonny. That was gym work but in the professional ring it was Muhammad Ali because he would just spin that jab into my face. Boy he had an educated left hand. Norton had a good jab but he made the mistake of trading power punches because he’d heard my defense would let me down. If he’d boxed like he did with Muhammad I wouldn’t have gotten him so easily. Kenny had the wrong tactics that night.

Strongest: Ron Lyle.

He was the strongest man I ever faced in any fight. The likes of Shannon Briggs, and men like that, didn’t affect me because they were just ordinary fighters. They didn’t make an impression and I just chased them around. The men I faced in the seventies were more fearsome than the ones I faced in the eighties and the nineties, with the exception of Evander Holyfield. Evander could have competed in any era.

Smartest: Muhammad Ali.

I hit Ali with a huge body shot and normally a punch like that would make someone fire back and leave themselves open. Ali didn’t care about the pain and covered up because he knew he couldn’t punch with me. After three or four rounds he took control and my chance was gone. I remember Angelo Dundee shouting “Muhammad, don’t play with that sucker!” I was tired in the fight but right until the end I thought I was going to knock him out because I had always found that big punch. I kept saying to myself, I’ll get him in a minute. I was exhausted, could barely breathe but all I needed was one shot. There were occasions when I was almost throwing myself over the ropes trying to nail Ali.

[Bodyshot3]

Good to see Lyle and Evander get decent mentions....although Ali understandably dominates proceedings.

[Tuan_Jim]

Absolutely superb. What's the source?

I really enjoyed reading that. He is willing to give some fighters a little more credit now than he did when he released 'By George' and was still active.

[Counter-puncher]

Absolutely superb. What's the source?

I really enjoyed reading that. He is willing to give some fighters a little more credit now than he did when he released 'By George' and was still active.

If you google it there is a whole series on that site, I cant recall its name. James Toney does an interesting one, they're all good reading

[Tuan_Jim]

The James Toney one is the only other I've seen, I agree it was superb. I'll have to see who else they've done. What a series!

[Counter-puncher]

Theres a Jesse James leija one I recall which was insightful, fvck it there are dozens I just cant remember the others

[campfire]

What a great interview never really heard of George Johnson will check him out he must have been one tough hombre

[Tomasino]

It's amazing that as a 40 odd year old he found the fighters of the modern era to be lesser than the guys he faced in his prime. What a great era he fought in.

[Rexob]

Is there any footage of the sparring with of George Foreman and Sonny Liston? I'd like to see that! 2 beasts right there!

[orbtastic]

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/tag/best-i-faced
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/tag/best-ive-faced

The two tags differ. Great series, either way.

[dr_devious]

Is there any footage of the sparring with of George Foreman and Sonny Liston? I'd like to see that! 2 beasts right there!

Yep, the two greatest destruction machines the heavyweight division has ever seen. Monsters

[evrenb]

Is there any footage of the sparring with of George Foreman and Sonny Liston? I'd like to see that! 2 beasts right there!

Hi Rexob

Years ago I spoke to George and he confirmed that there is footage 'floating around somewhere' of him and Sonny sparring. In my collecting years I haven't come across it so it may in the Foreman vaults along with his tenderloin steaks!

[Caractacus]

check out 3:20

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

[Redback Rasta]

In a more recent article, George says Ali had the best chin.

https://boxing-social.com/news/george-f ... best-chin/