George Foreman Vs Larry Holmes?

Question

If you watched boxing in the late 80's you were screaming for a fight between these two legends. Foreman was just starting his comeback and Holmes had just lost two fights to Spinks. What would have happened and what would be the result in a 15 round fight.

I will pick the best answer, with the most detail weather I agree with it or not.

Answer 1

Holmes proved he could take a monster shot, survive and persevere (not counting the Tyson bout in '88, but I assume we're talking Larry vintage 1979-82). We could argue whether the power of Cooney, Shavers, Weaver, Snipes, etc. was more or less comparable to a prime Foreman's but I believe -especially as evidenced by the atomic bombs Larry absorbed from Shavers and Weaver- that it was. We also know that one of George's biggest achilles' heels was the a good jab followed by a stiff right and Holmes had arguably the best combo in heavyweight history.

You could make the case that the older version of Foreman discovered stamina and second-winds and if that could have been matched with the younger version's youth and ferociousness that George could very well have beaten Larry. But in the end, if it's 1975ish George vs. 1980ish Larry, I say Larry by 14th or 15th round TKO.

Answer 2

I have always maintained that Young George and Old George are two very different fighters.  Only the power is the same.  Old George made better use of the power.  Old Larry had the same jab, a little slower,  and no legs.  Both fighters changed in so many ways over the years.  

I think Old George might actually have had the tools to beat Larry.  I DONT think George believed that because it was always Larry who initiated the invitation for a fight and George who stopped it from happening.  

Old Larry picked off Ray Mercer because Mercer fought a dumb fight.   Larry was smart.  George is much smarter than Mercer too and he would not allow Larry to do the things he did against Mercer.  Against Old George,  Larry would have to move a little.  

IF you are going to stick with REAL TIME  (meaning not putting Larry 80 against George 75 or changing the time in any way)  then you must take each  fighter as he is at any given time.   Only ten months separtes them in age. So I will stick with real time.  

IF they had fought in the late 80s  Larry would win.  He still had enough to deal with George's power and George was just beginning his comeback.  Larry would have derailed BIG George's comeback by KO in the 11th.

As time moved on,  George improved from the early days of his comeback.   He learned to pace himself and maintained his power.  With clean living he was just a very strong man who could bang with many of the big boys.    George openly admitted to avoiding Lennox Lewis and I dont blame him.   Old Larry would not have posed the same threat.  Tho he didnt decline much, he did show signs of slippage.  

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The bottom line is that Larry, the boxer,  loses MORE of what made him great,  (Speed,  Balance,   Stamina),  Than George loses what made HIM great,  (Power, Endurance).

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Larry would ''ping'' shots off George's head but not enough of them to discourage him.   Young Larry could rattle your brains with that right.   Old Larry could still hit but not with the same snap as he did as Young Larry.  He also didn't move much.  

Old George would force a physical fight.  He would block with his arms,  take a few shots but get close enough to land his own...........................

...............and in round 9 Larry goes down.    Larry is smart, cagy and determined enough to get up.  He rises and survives.    With Larry still ahead on points on most cards, its the judges cards that count and they give the win to BIG George by split decision.  

That answers your question.  However, if you take both in their primes  Larry wins by TKO in 12.

Answer 3

I watched these guys through the years and by the late 80s Larry Holmes was no longer in his prime.  However, neither was George Foreman.  Over 15 rounds I see Larry using his jab and right cross enough to outpoint a very game George Foreman.  In their primes however I will say that I think George had the tools to get Larry out of there.

Answer 4

let's assume that these two greats met in '92 and realistically it would only have been a 10 or 12 rounder.

lets make it a 12 rounder; and i see larry trying to stick and move, staying away from george's power, or staying close enough to neutralise it.

this one would be close if it went to the scorecards, with holmes just edging it.....and the tyson-holmes fight aside, these guys showed durability during the '90's, so it's hard to pick either winning by stoppage.