BoxRec

How would a mythical battle between these 2 have panned out?

Would it have been a repeat of the 2 Frazier fights, where Foreman's strength & power would have seen him tear Tyson's head off & bounce him round the ring like a basketball or would Tyson's superior speed have allowed him to get inside & land damaging blows to body & head & cut down Big George?

I personally think that it would have been like the 2 Frazier fights.

Agreed.

No fear in GF for this fight and, as we know

No fear of Tyson = Tyson having no Plan B and losing.

Where it would be different is with Tyson's chin sticking up to the barrage longer than Joe's and it is a late stoppage.

Slapsie

George handled fear much better than Tyson. He admitted to being scared shitless of Frazier, but that spurred him on to knock the crap out of him. Frazier came forward swinging and was simply knocked around the ring like a red-headed child.

Tyson was have absolutely papped himself when he stood in that ring looking across into Foreman's cold killers eyes, and Foreman would have annihilated him.

Foreman TKO 3-5

I have to pick Big George Foreman on this one.

I've heard from a number of reliable sources that Tyson was intimidated by the 90's version of Foreman, so how would he cope with the younger, harder hitting, menacing destroyer of the early 70's?

Nobody ever beat Foreman by coming straight at him and Tyson knows no other way to fight.

For Tyson the best he could hope for was a Foreman - Lyle type fight but I feel Tyson would be brutalised in the same way as Smolin' Joe Frazier.

And remember Frazier was scared of no man, but that didn't help him against the wrecking machine Foreman.

Right. Styles make fights and the bob and weave guys never bothered George a bit, especially the short ones. Somehow his long punches always seemed to catch them just as they were coming into them. I strongly disagree with the guy who suggested that Tyson had a better chin than Frazier, but there's no possible doubt which one of them had the better heart.

I reckon the Foreman of '73 would have beaten Tyson but not before some very close calls. Oddly enough the Foreman of the Cooney fight IMO would have torn Tyson's head off (much smarter fighter and he'd developed a defence)

Hmm...........I say Foreman, he hit like Tyson but was much bigger and could keep him off with his reach.

I go along with that.

Tyson knew only one way to fight and that was coming forward.

His height and style were made for big George.

So George inside 5

Do people think that Tyson may not have lasted to the later rounds?

With the exception of Holy II, he never really looked for the easy way out and was prepared, as he showed Vs Lewis, to take his lumps even when his case was hopeless

I still see it as GF in a late round stoppage

I'll say Tyson would win just to be different

In all seriousness though, I believe Foreman had a tough time with speed, and from about 1986-1989, Tyson was lightning quick. Foreman still would have the better chance of winning because he would be fighting essentially a mini-version of himself with mental issues, but I wouldn't be so fast to count out a 20-22 year old Iron Mike.

Yep, I'd have to go along with everyone else on this one - George had a rock like jaw, and Tyson's left hooks would've just bounced off him.

Mike would soon be thinking to himself "Oh shit...." and Foreman's howitzers would've melted Iron Mike inside 6 rounds.

Slapsie Maxie wrote:Do people think that Tyson may not have lasted to the later rounds?

With the exception of Holy II, he never really looked for the easy way out and was prepared, as he showed Vs Lewis, to take his lumps even when his case was hopeless

I still see it as GF in a late round stoppage

Possibly, but neither Lewis nor Holyfield nor Douglas, hit with the incessant ferocity of Foreman. Lewis whacked on him for 8 rounds but took his time, Foreman would have done the same damage a lot quicker. Tyson had a great chin, but Frazier was no slouch and look what happened.

Slapsie Maxie wrote:Do people think that Tyson may not have lasted to the later rounds?

With the exception of Holy II, he never really looked for the easy way out and was prepared, as he showed Vs Lewis, to take his lumps even when his case was hopeless

I still see it as GF in a late round stoppage

I think that Tyson may have lasted until the 2nd half of the fight.

He always gets beaten when he steps up in class, but he's never been KO'd cheaply; you always have to give him a good pasting before he wilts.

oh maan . :) you really like beatin up on Tyson. First of all .. you cant compare frazier with Tyson .. there absolutely different and Mike could have gotten inside George's reach with his speed and creativity... Goerge never met Tysonlike(or georgelike) power... so I think it would have been a differente test to his chin. The all time great frazier .. had nothin special .. as much as iv seen him ... all this all time great stuff is hype upped crap. George was just a big guy with a punch with some reflects - slapping Ali showed that grapihcally. oh man ... and I really love those SLAPPYN ALI fights... they look exactly like Chris Byrd of the 70-thies.. N'stuff

cultus wrote:oh maan . :) you really like beatin up on Tyson. First of all .. you cant compare frazier with Tyson .. there absolutely different and Mike could have gotten inside George's reach with his speed and creativity... Goerge never met Tysonlike(or georgelike) power... so I think it would have been a differente test to his chin. The all time great frazier .. had nothin special .. as much as iv seen him ... all this all time great stuff is hype upped crap. George was just a big guy with a punch with some reflects - slapping Ali showed that grapihcally. oh man ... and I really love those SLAPPYN ALI fights... they look exactly like Chris Byrd of the 70-thies.. N'stuff

I'm a Tyson fan but I just see him running right into a Foreman jab.

Grimm wrote:

cultus wrote:oh maan . :) you really like beatin up on Tyson. First of all .. you cant compare frazier with Tyson .. there absolutely different and Mike could have gotten inside George's reach with his speed and creativity... Goerge never met Tysonlike(or georgelike) power... so I think it would have been a differente test to his chin. The all time great frazier .. had nothin special .. as much as iv seen him ... all this all time great stuff is hype upped crap. George was just a big guy with a punch with some reflects - slapping Ali showed that grapihcally. oh man ... and I really love those SLAPPYN ALI fights... they look exactly like Chris Byrd of the 70-thies.. N'stuff

I'm a Tyson fan but I just see him running right into a Foreman jab.

Well .. it would be close .. ofcourse but I think formans too slow for Mike. He should throw more those uppercuts to keep Tyson in check. It's never as easy as one two keepin prime Tyson off balance .. too many missed jabs would make a difference I think and George was never really smart fighter, he just keeps throwing punches and jabs not thinking too much... like the Ali fight was.. oooh maaan

Foreman was too physical for Tyson, They would meet in the middle of the ring a couple of punches would be exchanged and then Foreman would put his hands on Tyson's shoulders and shove, Tyson would be thrust back, Foreman would smack him a couple of times and the process would begin again until Tyson went down. I can't imagine it any other way.

mrbassie wrote:Foreman was too physical for Tyson, They would meet in the middle of the ring a couple of punches would be exchanged and then Foreman would put his hands on Tyson's shoulders and shove, Tyson would be thrust back, Foreman would smack him a couple of times and the process would begin again until Tyson went down. I can't imagine it any other way.

Spot on, that's what I thought would happen too.

I wonder what the 1990's Foreman would do???

I feel that he would block Tyson's shots with his folded arms for a while, but I believe that despite his massive strength & awesome chin, he'd be too old & slow to last against a prime Tyson & would lose widely on points.

Syntax Error wrote:

mrbassie wrote:Foreman was too physical for Tyson, They would meet in the middle of the ring a couple of punches would be exchanged and then Foreman would put his hands on Tyson's shoulders and shove, Tyson would be thrust back, Foreman would smack him a couple of times and the process would begin again until Tyson went down. I can't imagine it any other way.

Spot on, that's what I thought would happen too.

I wonder what the 1990's Foreman would do???

I feel that he would block Tyson's shots with his folded arms for a while, but I believe that despite his massive strength & awesome chin, he'd be too old & slow to last against a prime Tyson & would lose widely on points.

.. it would be dificult to judge. I think that you a baseing your conclusion on Lewis vs Tyson bout where lewis where able to jab and push Tyson around. Forman wasn't as skillfull as Lewis anyway and the physical was all that he would have. Prime Tyson could have outboxed Forman. And give some credit to Tyson's SHOTS .. Forman never did experience these kinda punches .. Tyson would hurt him .. the first time Forman fought Frazier he told that he was afraid of him -- so he'd be terrified of Tyson.

Sorry, I missed that Foreman being afraid of Frazier. Not sure if it was genuine. His trainer said his cmap was completely sure Frazier would be steamrolled. It is unlikely the opinion and confidence of his trainer would not have robbed on Foreman. Foreman was supremely confident and sure of himself back then and wanted the Frazier fight badly. Why would he take a fight he didnt need to if he were terrified of Frazier.

In boxing if you are really afraid you generally lose or else do very badly. Foreman did avoid certain fighters, but he wanted Frazier fight. That tells you he didnt really fear the man.

On Tyson Foreman: Foreman would have outpointed him or stopped him late (11-14 rounds) back in 1973. But he would have lost by midrounds ko in the 1990s.
The 13`` reach advantage and the similar power would have been too much for Tyson in 1973. By the 1990s Foremans power was not as great anymore and his stamina was shot. He went the distance with Holy because Holy is not a big puncher and was only able to beat a big strong guy by outboxing him.
Tyson in the 1990s was sure to beat Foreman. They didnt fight, but not because Tyson was afraid of losing. He was afraid of killing or injuring the old man. Nothing else.

Young Foreman wins, old Foreman loses.

Tyson with out game plan...
...to fast for Foreman's jabs and strong attacks.
Tyson by KO round 1.
Sorry George but Tyson is not like Moorer

I see it as a Foreman/Lyle type fight. I think Tyson was better than Frazier. IMO he is a bigger, faster, stronger, harder hitting version of Joe, no disrespect intended, but George of any era is going to knock out any fighter that comes right at him.

I think Tyson would have come bobbing and weaving and caused George some problems, but as soon as George touched him clean it would be over.

Who knows though.

jab wrote:Sorry, I missed that Foreman being afraid of Frazier. Not sure if it was genuine. His trainer said his cmap was completely sure Frazier would be steamrolled. It is unlikely the opinion and confidence of his trainer would not have robbed on Foreman. Foreman was supremely confident and sure of himself back then and wanted the Frazier fight badly. Why would he take a fight he didnt need to if he were terrified of Frazier.

In boxing if you are really afraid you generally lose or else do very badly. Foreman did avoid certain fighters, but he wanted Frazier fight. That tells you he didnt really fear the man.

On Tyson Foreman: Foreman would have outpointed him or stopped him late (11-14 rounds) back in 1973. But he would have lost by midrounds ko in the 1990s.
The 13`` reach advantage and the similar power would have been too much for Tyson in 1973. By the 1990s Foremans power was not as great anymore and his stamina was shot. He went the distance with Holy because Holy is not a big puncher and was only able to beat a big strong guy by outboxing him.
Tyson in the 1990s was sure to beat Foreman. They didnt fight, but not because Tyson was afraid of losing. He was afraid of killing or injuring the old man. Nothing else.

Young Foreman wins, old Foreman loses.

George admitted that when he stared down Joe in the ring before the fight, he was praying Joe wouldn't look down and see his legs, which were shaking like hell.
Not that it mattered.....

jab wrote: Foreman did avoid certain fighters,

Do you mean Holmes and Shavers? I only ask as both claim Foreman avoided them.