Boxing legend George Foreman has broken down his famous defeat to fellow icon Muhammad Ali. The former heavyweight champion of the world gave an insight into just how tough Ali was and claimed no one could knock him out.
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The two fought in a high-profile bout in 1974 and Ali, who many considered the greatest boxer of all time, inflicted the first defeat on Foreman’s career. ‘Big George’ became champion again; however, he explained what went wrong.
Speaking to The Ring Magazine, Foreman said, “I never watched any film of Muhammad Ali. When I came back after the 10-year layoff, before I accepted any fight, I asked for film on the guy so I could study him. Why didn’t I do that with Muhammad?”
He then shed light on the mindset of the camp and said, “Because we were all so overconfident, I would knock him out in two or three rounds.”
These comments explained why Ali was able to beat him via an 8th round knockout. However, why Foreman was so overconfident against someone like Ali is what will surprise many.
READ: Boxing Legend George Foreman Recalls a Funny Moment With Muhammad Ali
George Foreman says Muhammad Ali could take anything you gave him.
The legendary boxer talked about Ali’s prowess. He praised him for his chin and said claimed that he could take anything that was given to him. ‘Big George’ claimed that one could beat on Ali for 15 rounds, but it was impossible to knock him out.
He even referenced Ali’s fiercest rival Joe Frazier and said, “Nobody knocked Muhammad out, not even Joe Frazier. Joe knocked him down (in the 15th round of their first fight), but he didn’t knock him out.”
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Therefore, this shows just how good of a fighter Ali was. He was never the biggest heavyweight but still could cut it with the powerful fighters. It is things like this that strengthen his case for being the greatest fighter of all time.
Furthermore, this is a great insight for newer fans of the sport to understand the level at which the legendary boxer fought. Do you think Muhammad Ali is the greatest boxer of all time?
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READ: George Foreman Makes an Insane Claim Regarding Mike Tyson