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We all know that, as a younger man, Big George had trouble with stamina. However, unlike Tyson, George's stamina issues were more a result of his mindset and the way he fought.
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Punchers easily become intoxicated with their power. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult, near impossible to teach them to think or fight in any other way. Foreman's corner did a horrible job of helping him to make the best use of his power in those days.
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Young Foreman would likely have banged with Big Jeff in the early rounds, sending him to the canvas a few times in the first three rounds. However, Jeff would survive that early onslaught. Jeff was no speed demon, as some have suggested. However, he was big enough to nearly look Foreman in the eye and he was within 10 lbs. of Foreman's weight. No size issues here.
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By the middle rounds, Foreman would begin to get winded. However, Big George always had a big heart and took a big punch. From round 4-8, we would see shades of Foreman vs Lyle. The problem is that George swings for the fences with every blow. Jeffries would learn that this wouldn't serve him well. He would weather the early and mid-fight storm.
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By the later rounds, Jeffries begins to connect with regularity. Foreman makes one too many trips to the canvas.
Jeffries KO 12
Now this could easily go the other way, with Young George winning in a similar fashion. It's just a question of which lasts longer, Jeff's stamina or George's power.
Now against Old George, Jeff is facing a fighter who takes a shot equally as well, isn't very fast but doesn't need to be, and packs the same, or possibly greater power than he did as a younger man. The difference is that the Older Foreman paces himself much better than his younger counterpart.
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Old George is no speed demon but he wouldn't need to be. Big Jeff isn't going anywhere. Here, George would experience many of the same scare as his younger self, with fewer trips to the canvas.
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George would make better use of his power and prevail in the later rounds.
Foreman W 15
I have to give Jeffries the edge, he learned to fight in the ring and was undefeated in his career before the come back after 6 years retired.
I think he was too fast for Big George, and if Ali could wear him down then so could Jeffries, and it would not be from rope a dope it would be from constant pressure and fighting.
Jeffries stops Foreman in less than 10 rounds.
Young Foreman was so stamina challenged that I think he will lose to Jeffries as much as due to weakness and fatigue as Jeffries own blows.
Older, wiser Foreman would be too slow to deal with Jeffries fine combination of speed and raw power.
Either version will lose big to prime Jeffries.
Foreman was a phenomenon. I really doubt that many boxers in history could beat him. Even Ali had his hands full.
He was not the same after Ali, for psychological reasons from the loss.....
But when he was young, he was an excellent boxer, had brutal power, and was aggressive. He is one of the modern era fighters who was truly tough.
Looking back is simply speculation, and Jeffries was a great boxer, but I would not want to be in his shoes for that match.
Foreman by MD
