Prime Tyson vs Prime Foreman

StrikingMMA - I got to ask big George back in the 80s who he thought would win. Him or iron Mike. He said nobody ever made iron Mike back up. He said he was big enough and mean enough to make Tyson fight backwards.

That’s just pure fucking scary…

Assuming both were young and in prime shape and technique, my money would be on Foreman all day.

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FreakDaddy - Foreman by destruction. He is the worst style matchup for Mike Tyson. He's very big and tall with a lot of power and he can take a punch. Forman can knock you out with a grazing punch. Foreman by early KO. See Foreman's fight with Frazier as a reference.

Look at the second fight, and imagine that’s Mike Tyson evading Foreman’s punches instead of Frazier.

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It's a wild matchup b/c both looked unbeatable at their best. If the Tyson who beat Tucker for the title fought the Foreman who beat Frazier, it's possibly the best HW matchup ever. Tyson would have a big advantage in terms of speed, and George would be walking forward into Tyson tornado combos: hard, clean, fast, punches being ripped to the head and body. Foreman is going to press and throw his own bombs and bullywrestle Tyson. Both guys had epic chins and ran into cardio issues midway through dogfights. 

I'm going against the grain and picking Tyson because he has more weapons in a slugfest, and this fight would be Hagler-Hearns of HWs. I don't think anyone can go toe to toe with Tyson and get the better of him. I think he can be outboxed, or dragged into the deep waters and taken out, but nobody's going to trade shots and have an advantage. Foreman lacked the finesse, speed, and plan B needed to win this one. Would be interesting to see if the peek-a-boo holds up to Foreman uppercuts. 

Old George beats 90s Tyson, though. 

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I’d take Foreman.

Tyson was to fast and hard to hit. 

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Bobby Lupo - 

It's a wild matchup b/c both looked unbeatable at their best. If the Tyson who beat Tucker for the title fought the Foreman who beat Frazier, it's possibly the best HW matchup ever. Tyson would have a big advantage in terms of speed, and George would be walking forward into Tyson tornado combos: hard, clean, fast, punches being ripped to the head and body. Foreman is going to press and throw his own bombs and bullywrestle Tyson. Both guys had epic chins and ran into cardio issues midway through dogfights. 

I'm going against the grain and picking Tyson because he has more weapons in a slugfest, and this fight would be Hagler-Hearns of HWs. I don't think anyone can go toe to toe with Tyson and get the better of him. I think he can be outboxed, or dragged into the deep waters and taken out, but nobody's going to trade shots and have an advantage. Foreman lacked the finesse, speed, and plan B needed to win this one. Would be interesting to see if the peek-a-boo holds up to Foreman uppercuts. 

Old George beats 90s Tyson, though. 

Damn good post Lupo.

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Joe Frazier was a great fighter in an era of great fighters, Top Ten of all time, and George Foreman beat him like a child in a Walmart parking lot. Watching those fights, George beat Joe so bad it hurt my feelings to watch it.

He would do the same to Tyson. Tyson struggled with boxers who didn’t go into the fight already afraid of him. And prime George Foreman feared no man on earth.

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I feel like Tyson’s speed and head movement would give George fits. 

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I take Foreman.  Tyson has had fits with much taller fighters.

You would have to be an idiot to believe George could beat Mike.

George.  oh and Tyson was not 240  

I would be rooting for Tyson but I think Foreman scores the KO. 

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Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier fight NOTHING alike. Lol

Frazier (one of my favorite fighters of all time) was perfect for Foreman because Frazier's defense was constant bobbing/ducking punches.

Tyson's defense was angles with amazing footwork and slipping punches, which Frazier didn't do against Foreman. 

Frazier made a bad habit by using his constant bobbing up and down and kept getting caught with Foreman's uppercuts, where as Mike Tyson would be slipping side to side, using quick feet setting up angles and making Foreman miss the uppercuts and Tyson would follow up with counterpunching to make Foreman think twice.

The 1980's Mike Tyson who was properly trained and disciplined, with Cus D'Amato, Rooney and Atlas in his corner would beat any form of George Foreman IMO because THAT Mike Tyson, Kid Dynamite, would be too smart in the ring to lose to a wild puncher in Big George.

Foreman all day. The myth of "prime" Tyson will never die. 

Both fighters amongst my favourites but at their peak I've got to go with Tyson. 

George hits harder but is much slower and far less head movement. He is hittable and Tyson would probably finish him. George isn't going to pat away prime Tyson's punches with the arm thing he does.

Tyson has one of the best chins ever too. Even past his prime and a third of his speed he was still very hard to put away.  

Frazier doesn't have Tyson's footwork or power either. It's not a great comparison.

 Foreman atg puncher for me but Tyson the superior boxer and that stiff head would've been hit hard repeatedly by the fast explosive peak Tyson. 

May take a few rounds but most of the damage done by Tyson will be early and Foreman won't have much left later on. 

Also seriously post prison culminating in his 'I will be a punchbag' fight Vs Lewis 15 years past his peak is a completely different fighter to 80s Tyson. You're talking about a slow head hunter Vs one of the quickest and most explosive punchers from all angles ever seen with a chin and ability to go the distance. 

FreakDaddy - Foreman by destruction. He is the worst style matchup for Mike Tyson. He's very big and tall with a lot of power and he can take a punch. Forman can knock you out with a grazing punch. Foreman by early KO. See Foreman's fight with Frazier as a reference.

Foreman had an underated chin, GOAT level...

He was only knocked down 3 times in over 80 professional fights while facing the best fighters in the world from the second half of 20th century 

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My money is on Foreman all day, too ferocious of a man! But definitely a fantastic scrap on the ring, a real dream fight indeed!

Who wins? The Fans of course!

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