If the old Foreman fought Tyson who would have won?

Question

Foreman in his old age was tricky. His chin was rock solid just ask Evander Holyfield. Foreman still had one punch power. The question is could have beaten Tyson?

Answer 1

I did this one already but here we go again.   Believe it or not there are SOME fighters that Old George would beat easier than would Young George.   Young George was so wound up all you had to do is get him past the middle rounds and his energy level drops noticably by the round.  Old George conserved his energy and kept his power into the late rounds.  Its a real shame no one ever taught Young George HOW to use the power he had.  

Ever wonder why Tyson never fought George?  I was there when Jacobs  (who ran more than you might think)  said he would not let Tyson fight Forman.  I used to write for a magazine so I met Jacobs and Tyson few times.

Everybody thinks Tyson would be made to order for Forman because Frazier was.   You wouldn't believe the differences between Young Tyson and Frazier.  Still,  George would have had Tyson's number.   Its very simple actually.  Tyson is one of the few fighters who would have a tougher time against Old George than against Young George.    Think I'm crazy?  

Young George was wide open.  He didn't worry about defense at all.  He had the TOOLS to beat ANY Tyson but not the mentality.  I believe he would win but the chances are a lot closer to 50/50 than you think.  Here is where the difference between Tyson and Frazier come in.  

Tyson was a lot faster and stronger than Frazier.  He also had a better chin.  The ONE thing Frazier DID have over Mike is heart and stamina.  People think Mike didnt have heart but he did,  just not like Frazier.  When you take away the Ali fights you see that Frazier's career was no better than Tyson's.    

WIth his wide open defense it's conceivable to see Tyson getting in where Frazier would never have.  Tyson is faster and throws straighter punches.    I still think Young George would win but it's something to think about.

Old George is much less mobil.   He would not allow Tyson to get past his cross armed defense.  He would take a few but not enough of them for Tyson to score a KO.  Old George took a punch quite well.  Alex Stewart  (remember that guy with the little head and the mousey voice?), had good power, not like Tyson but close.  He hit George MANY times.   Morrison has power too.   None were able to back George up.  Each beat him by LANDING more, not by hurting George.  

Tyson wouldn't hurt him either.   Tyson is shorter than both Morrison and Stewart.  He would have a harder time getting past George's massive cross-armed defense.  Even Young Tyson wasn't the most patient fighter when things didnt go his way.   Look at the Tillis fight.   Also, he never had good stamina.  

Like I said,  Tyson would hit him and even shake him but he wouldn't hurt George.  Call me crazy but he would also not have beaten him.  

Forman by KO in 9

Answer 2

There would never have been a Mike Tyson if young George Foreman was around. You have to be kidding.....right?

Answer 3

Out of all the people who have knocked out Mike Tyson none of them punch as hard as Big George Forman this is a no brainer Big George inside of five rounds it would be fun while it lasted.

Answer 4

Foreman in his prime was one of the all-time greats. Tyson was pretty good, but not in the same league. Mike had tremendous power, but George could take some heavy punishment too. Sure Tyson would hit him, but Tyson never had the heart to keep on going after being met by hard resistance. And he would. Mike was harder to hit than most people know, but would lose focus all to soon and fall victim to Foreman's unique power.

I'd say that the fight would be similar to the Foreman-Frazier fight. Tyson could be lucky and floor him in the first, but be horrified to find out that he couldn't make him stay there. ONE person has ever knocked out George Foreman in 81 bouts, and you know who that was.

Foreman wins on a gruesome KO in round three or four.

Answer 5

Tyson before the douglas fight? No, Mike would have been too quick and too aggressive.  

After Douglas?  You bet George would have KO'd Mike.

If they laced them up today, George would get him.

Answer 6

Blogbaba2 is too harsh, but I more or less agree with him. Foreman never got credit for how amazingly tough and strong he really was. Remember, this was the guy who dismantled Ken Norton in two (!!) rounds. If not for the loose ropes, Ali's brilliant tactics (including trash-talking), and Foreman's punching himself out early, he probably would have taken the Rumble in the Jungle, and may well have bettered Marciano's record.

I disagree that Tyson was a B-level fighter. I think he was a very legit hw champ with real skills. But he was a small hw, and I don't believe he could have lasted against Foreman in his prime.

The question was the OLD Foreman, though. In his prime, Tyson may have been able to defeat Old Foreman. But my money would still be on George.

Answer 7

If they fought today i am pretty sure foreman would win however I know some people would be tempted to say that an oldForeman would win against a prime tyson,but despite the remarkable fact that Foreman won the heavy weight title in his old age, age still caught up with him, he had amazing power,but he was much slower than his younger self,he was tricky but tricks didn't mean mch against a younger mike tyson, he had one punch power but he would have been too slow for a constant head mover like Tyson and let us not forget that in his old age Foreman had trouble against Axel Schulz and Lou savarese, two fighters that he would have easily killed in his prime and who could not hold tyson's jockstraps and then lost to shannon briggs a fighter that could not have survived against a prime tyson either.

Answer 8

George Forman would have destroyed Mike Tyson at any time in either of their careers.  If they fought today, with George pushing 60 and Mike in his 40's, George would still beat Mike.  There is no comparison, two different levels of fighter.   Forman is an all time great, Mike was a hard punching thug with great handlers at the beginning of his career.  The minute someone stood up to Mike, he came unglued, without his opponent being terrified of him, Mike was a B level fighter at best.

Forman would have won, then and now.