George Foreman said one ‘exceptional’ heavyweight could ‘compete in any era’

Heavyweight boxing in the 1970s was a glorious era for the sport, but George Foreman stepped away before causing chaos two decades later.

‘Big George’ transformed himself from the stone-cold punching machine of one era into the happy-go-lucky forty-something chasing history. In 1994, aged 45, he did exactly that — sending Michael Moorer to the canvas to become the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.

Foreman’s opposition record reads like a who’s who of heavyweight boxing from the 1970s to the 1990s. With a few exceptions, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Bert Cooper, Gerry Cooney, Tommy Morrison and Moorer formed a blend of the great and the brave who shared the ring with him.

In an interview with The Ring, Foreman was asked which of his opponents could have held their own in any era — someone who would stand the test of time regardless of opposition.

“Ron Lyle was the strongest man I ever faced in any fight. The likes of Shannon Briggs, and men like that, didn’t affect me because they were just ordinary fighters. They didn’t make an impression and I just chased them around. The men I faced in the seventies were more fearsome than the ones I faced in the eighties and the nineties, with the exception of Evander Holyfield. Evander could have competed in any era.”

Holyfield was something of an anomaly — a fighter who won world titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight. Known for his heart and relentless work-rate, he would slug it out with anyone willing to meet him head-on. He defended his undisputed heavyweight crown against Foreman in April 1991.

Despite the 13-year age gap, Foreman was never a man to be pushed around or overwhelmed. Holyfield was never in danger of losing, but Foreman made his point by going the full distance.