BoxRec

ThatOne wrote:You gentleman are being too critical of George Foreman. When Ali employed the rope a dope against Foreman he had the benefit of tactical surprise. That's why it never worked nearly as well in future bouts. His opponents were aware of it and planned their response.

I assure you MacArthur wasn't about to outflank the North Koreans a second team and encircle them from the rear.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

ThatOne wrote:You gentleman are being too critical of George Foreman. When Ali employed the rope a dope against Foreman he had the benefit of tactical surprise. That's why it never worked nearly as well in future bouts. His opponents were aware of it and planned their response.

I assure you MacArthur wasn't about to outflank the North Koreans a second team and encircle them from the rear.

Is that why the rematch never materialised, in your view?

Ezzard wrote:Whilst Foreman did punch himself out I think there were bigger factors.

Overplayed…

Ali did not take as much punishment as is written in the reports. Big shots to the body but he didn’t get hit with anything clean to the head at all. I have never thought for a single moment that he looked in danger in that fight.

Underplayed…

Foreman got hit with a lot of shots. Ali really stuck it to him. George took a lot of punishment but for the most part just stood there with little in the way of defence.

Foreman fought very poorly and yet would have still have squashed most other fighters that night. Had Ali been champion and Foreman more of the unknown quantity that Frazier fought it may have been more to his advantage. George seemed to be making the mistake all punchers fall into of believing his own hype.

I think very few of the greats would have lost that fight with the same tactics employed.

The Second God wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

ThatOne wrote:You gentleman are being too critical of George Foreman. When Ali employed the rope a dope against Foreman he had the benefit of tactical surprise. That's why it never worked nearly as well in future bouts. His opponents were aware of it and planned their response.

I assure you MacArthur wasn't about to outflank the North Koreans a second team and encircle them from the rear.

Is that why the rematch never materialised, in your view?

Interesting question. Ali almost always gave or wanted rematches. Why didn't he?

Ambling Alp wrote:

The Second God wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote: Is that why the rematch never materialised, in your view?

Interesting question. Ali almost always gave or wanted rematches. Why didn't he?

This is one of those questions that pops up from time to time. Foreman didn't fight again until 1976. He didn't take the loss well. By the time he came back, there were other contenders a head of him. Then he lost to Young in 1977.