FightFranchise.com | The Irresistible Force vs The Immovable Object

The dream match in the early 1990's was that of one Big George Foreman v Iron Mike Tyson.

Big George had been making waves since his unlikely comeback in 1987, aged 38. The sudden retirement post the Jimmy Young loss and the hallucinations in the dressing room had convinced George to pack it in and become a preacher. Who know's what really happened that night way back in 1977? Hallucinations brought on by dehydration? Anyhow an older, slower Foreman decided to return to add some fiscal power to his Church. This I remember aroused much interest-initially a joke but becoming more and more serious as George compiled win after win.

Devastating displays of frightening power in wins over comeback opponent Steve Zouski, Rocky Sekorski among others. It was only when George beat Dwight Qawi in 1988 that some reluctant respect was dished out to Foreman's way by sceptic onlookers. By now George was feeding on the usual fodder in David Jaco and Bobby Hitz (man what sickening uppercuts that stopped Hitz!)-and then signed to fight a still lively Smoking Bert Cooper. George used the opportunity to excel-something of an expert in dispatching smaller, swarming stocky punchers (Hi Joe Frazier).

I remember watching the fight and especially enjoying Bert Cooper’s pre fight interview. It went along the lines of: "I'll go the body.....chop him down....he'll fall like a tree....timberrrrr.....alright!" (It was only after the post fight urine sample test that Cooper tested for Crack Cocaine-hence the relaxed and red eyed state with the pre fight interview). The fight was a decidedly one-sided affair with George dominating and stopping a demoralised and hurt Cooper at the end of the 2nd-i recall by the referee. This was when the hype machine for Foreman v Tyson went into overdrive-instigated by Foreman himself. Many began believing that the way to defeat Tyson was witnessed in the Cooper fight.

As if sensing the crowds lust for a fight v Tyson-Big George went into a chant all around the ring: "We want Tyson!" he bellowed to the crowd...."We want Tyson!". This drove the crowd into a frenzy-akin to a shark feeding frenzy. It was something I’d never forget and always remember Foreman's fury as he yelled "We want Tyson!".

Meanwhile Iron Mike was doing what he did best-destroying all comers. Wins over Larry Holmes (only man to stop Holmes), viscous KO's over Pinky Thomas, Tubbs, Spinks and so on-we all know about that period when Kid Dynamite set the world on fire on those crazy, hazy Vegas summer nights-no robe, no socks, just sweat and a body built like the proverbial brick sh** house-pardon my French.

However-we all know what happened next-The Cinderella Man woke up and after years of failures-lived up to his early promise that his father had seen-and one Buster Douglas all but destroyed the invincibility cloak of Tyson. Two months after that shocker in Tokyo-where the Japanese audience in the arena all but sat in silence as the biggest upset of all time took place, Big George was matched with another sick puncher -Irish Gerry Cooney. It was billed as the Puncher v The Preacher-and it was exactly that. Although Cooney now past his best-he did manage to land his famed left on Foreman in round 1-but that would be all the success he would taste. George savagely dispatched of Cooney in round 2-with one of my favourite KO's-a scary hook and an uppercut. Hell-Big George even managed a little hop as he landed the show ender!

With Tyson now on the comeback path and Foreman excelling in his comeback-the demand once again grew for a Tyson-Foreman fight.

Both fighters were put on the same bill: Foreman v Adilson Rodriguez and Tyson v old foe/friend Henry Tillman at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada. Both fighters managed to destroy their opponents as expected and it was planned that both would again be appearing on the same card-thus building up excitement for a proposed Superfight. Alas-Tyson was injured/suffered a cold and the talk of both fighting/appearing on the same bill waned for whatever reasons.

Foreman wound up challenging and losing valiantly to Holyfield a year later and Tyson partook in 2 underrated wars versus Razor Ruddock. Things took a turn for the worst for Mike-his demons catching up with him and he ended up in Jail-on a rape charge-we all are familiar with the rest.

The biggest fight of the 1990's had all but evaporated and the fans and fighters lost out-muck like Lewis v Bowe. There are a couple of schools of thought on this dream fight:

It was said that back in the day at the Catskills-a young Tyson and Cus D'Amato would watch Foreman v Frazier 1/2 endlessly-analysing the fights-these fights being Cus and Mike's favourites. However Cus always warned Tyson that Foreman was a guy that short stocky fighters-like Tyson-should avoid, as the power and uppercuts would always pose a problem. Another viewpoint was that when Don King discussed with Tyson a Foreman fight. Tyson replied with "Are you crazy-you fight that MotherF*****! You seen him-he's a monster!" Was Tyson scared?

Who knows what really was going through Tyson's mind regarding a Foreman fight? In an interview with Kevin Rooney-Rooney proposed the following regarding Tyson's comeback post prison in 1995:

Rooney would have had Tyson train solidly for 6 months-working on the basics, defence and reflexes-as they used to. Rooney would then stage 4-6 real fights for Tyson but behind closed doors-so that Tyson would regain his form and confidence. Then Rooney would have had Tyson matched with Foreman in his first comeback fight-destroying Foreman and once again setting the world on fire. I liked this plan but we all know Rooney's logic was never listened to by Mike since 1988.

Personally I see a fight between Foreman and Tyson-as being a short explosive event in the early 1990's. I see Tyson swarming Foreman early and hurting the big man early. However we all saw in Foreman's comeback that he was a proud man and never once did he allow the new generation of young guns to floor him. The telling factor could have been Foreman age and speed-he was not fast. I see Tyson eventually destroying Foreman's facial looks -ala like Foreman v A Stewart and a dazed and facially injured Foreman being stopped on his feet around round 4-6. I know there are many that believe that Foreman had Mike's number and I believe he would have but only Foreman mark 1, not foreman mark 2.

It's one of those dream fights where everyone has an opinion-hell who really knows what would have happened! One thing is for sure-it certainly would've have been fan's fight, a mega bucks PPV event and one fight where planet earth’s 6 billion odd inhabitants would have stopped what they were doing to witness the fight billed as The Irresistible Force versus the Immovable Object.