Fantasy heavyweight boxing matches

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by BigJosh

Tyson/ali would have been interesting. Could he rope a dope tyson and not go unconscious?

That would be at the top of my list.

[SCStrong]

They are not heavyweights but Hagler / Mayweather

[SCStrong]

......and definitely Tyson / Ali ..... Epic!!

[Kuytrider]

Originally Posted by SCStrong

They are not heavyweights but Hagler / Mayweather

Hagler would destroy Mayweather by the mid rounds. Remember, Floyd has never fought above light middle and Hagler was a big middleweight. Floyd's speed and reflexes look severely diminished at light middle and Miguel Cotto had plenty of joy against him. In fact, I think Mayweather loses at light middle or middleweight if he fights Sergio Martinez this year. Mayweather's best IMO was at lightweight where he was amazing.

[Trevor Ross]

Originally Posted by Tannhauser

I agree with everything you said about Foreman ( except that he'd always beat Tyson).

I have watched Smokin' Joe vs Foreman.

My view that Tyson is a much more formidable opponent than Frazier: faster, harder to hit, heavier, with a bigger arsenal of punches. Frazier had a monster hook, but lacked the combination punching of Tyson. But I think the biggest difference is in defence. So I would say that Foreman never faced a swarmer of Tyson's calibre.

Edit to add: oops, just read Lee's comment which says pretty much the same thing

Question for you, Trevor: which boxers do you think would really give Foreman a hard time - any era? Apart from Ali.

Honestly, Foreman in his prime was pretty much unbeatable. He had the reach and jab to hang with the outfighters, the power to deal with swarmers, and the chin and bigger firepower then the punchers. Ali had his best night with Foreman. Had the fight happened pre-championship, Ali would of been just another head on his wall. A bold statement, but a true one. A little tid bit, Foreman won an Olympic Gold Medal after only Boxing for a year and a half!! Then comes back to win a major world title in his mid 40's, any other boxer you know that could do that?

[leefarley]

Ali would of beat Tyson 10 times out of ten Ali was to fast to smart to caught by Tyson and even he did Ali was very durable and a granite chin he would of survive tyson attacks.

[Tannhauser]

Originally Posted by Trevor Ross

Honestly, Foreman in his prime was pretty much unbeatable. He had the reach and jab to hang with the outfighters, the power to deal with swarmers, and the chin and bigger firepower then the punchers. Ali had his best night with Foreman. Had the fight happened pre-championship, Ali would of been just another head on his wall. A bold statement, but a true one. A little tid bit, Foreman won an Olympic Gold Medal after only Boxing for a year and a half!! Then comes back to win a major world title in his mid 40's, any other boxer you know that could do that?

Well, he was certainly among the all time greats. Absolutely. But I have a problem with 'unbeatable' or even 'pretty much unbeatable'. Boxing is littered with champions who were considered unbeatable on the night they were beaten. Joe Louis when he was beaten by Max Schmeling, Tyson when he was beaten by Buster Douglas.

I think for every boxer, somewhere out there is their nightmare opponent that they are ill-equipped to deal with (though I'll agree that for most boxers, that nightmare is actually George Foreman ).

[Tannhauser]

How about this one: prime Lennox Lewis against prime Larry Holmes?

[CZERWIEC]

Tyson won alot of fights before he got to the ring, its not surprising the guys he lost to were not afraid of him. I disagree that he had a good defense with that peek-a-boo style. No fighter is unbeatable and all had their style that would be frustrating take Ali with Norton, Norton wasn't all that but became a name cause Ali just had all kinds of problems with him. The main match up on this board seems to be Foreman/Tyson. I would go with Foreman, Foreman might be the only one who would have intimated Tyson pre-fight. My question is where do you put Holyfield in this, he whupped up on Tyson all the time but how would he fair against the others in there prime

[Tannhauser]

Originally Posted by CZERWIEC

Tyson won alot of fights before he got to the ring, its not surprising the guys he lost to were not afraid of him. I disagree that he had a good defense with that peek-a-boo style. No fighter is unbeatable and all had their style that would be frustrating take Ali with Norton, Norton wasn't all that but became a name cause Ali just had all kinds of problems with him. The main match up on this board seems to be Foreman/Tyson. I would go with Foreman, Foreman might be the only one who would have intimated Tyson pre-fight. My question is where do you put Holyfield in this, he whupped up on Tyson all the time but how would he fair against the others in there prime

His defence was not just in covering, but in his head speed, bobbing and weaving.

The guys who weren't afraid of Tyson were post-Buster Douglas. That fight punctured the illusion that he was invincible, for his opponents and in his own head as well.

In the Holyfield fights, Tyson was already well past his best - he peaked pretty early. Which is a shame because that would have been an interesting match.

Holyfield? Terrific heart, durability, conditioning. But did he have that massive punch to bother some of the others we've mentioned?