George Foreman accomplished something in the heavyweight division that may never be matched.
After a world championship run in ’73, Foreman lost his title to Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. He would hang up the gloves a few years later, only to make a spectacular comeback a decade on which culminated in beating young gun Michael Moorer in ’94 to become champion again. It made ‘Big’ George, at age 45, the oldest man to ever hold a heavyweight title – a record he keep to this day.
At his very best, Foreman was a fearsome wrecking ball, thumping tough opponents out in a matter of rounds. He faced some of the very best heavyweights not just of his era, but of all time.
Many former fighters are on the record saying that the current crop couldn’t hang with their generation, however Foreman takes a much humbler approach.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, the 75-year-old from Marshall, Texas highlighted Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as two men he would rather not face.
“Some of the great giants like Tyson Fury, I sure wouldn’t want to fight him. Anthony Joshua, oh no. I’m just glad they weren’t in my lifetime of boxing.”
Fury and Joshua have been the top heavyweight representatives from the UK for some time now. Yet to fight, the stylistically opposite boxers have both fallen short against Oleksandr Usyk in recent times, who became unified champion by beating ‘AJ’ and then undisputed when he defeated Fury.
This month Joshua has an opportunity to become a three-time titlist when he faces newly elevated Daniel Dubois. Should he win, and Fury manage to piece together the Usyk puzzle in their December rematch, the two Brits may finally fight next year. It’s one Foreman says he wants to see above all others.
