Legendary Fights: Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman

The Battle of the Ages

I remember watching this fight as a teenager. There is one thing about this fight that I've never forgotten. The amount of punishment that these two men inflicted on each other was like something from a Rocky movie. Holyfield later said, "It felt like I was being hit by railroad ties." The fight went the 12 round distance and incredibly neither man ever went down. Even as a youngster I knew I was watching greatness. It was everything you could hope for when watching a fight for the heavyweight title. 

Foreman was considerably slower than Holyfield, but when Big George hit him the effects were undeniable. The two men continued round after round to rock each other. Normal fighters would have gone down, but these two guys and this fight, was far from normal. Fights such as this one can take years off of a fighter's career. Both Foreman and Holyfield would go on to rewrite the record books. 

The Fight

Evander Holyfield 

This was Holyfield's first defense of the heavyweight championship. Holyfield had taken Mike Tyson's belts away from Buster Douglas. Holyfield didn't have to take on Big George, but I think he wanted to take on a big heavyweight to prove all doubters wrong. Holyfield had moved up to heavyweight and he was legit. Michael Dokes had hit him with some hard shots in their fight, but it was nothing compared to the punches he'd take against Foreman. There were some good possible heavyweight matches that weren't being made. Holyfield wanted to be a great champion that took on all comers. He always fought the next man up and took on the toughest opponents. Most fighters would not have taken Big George as their first title defense, but Evander did and gave us one of the best fights in boxing history 

George Foreman

Big George was never going to get his title shot as long as Mike Tyson was champion. Tyson was not going to fight Foreman. His handlers had been told upon George's comeback not to fight him. It was a horrible match up for Tyson. It wasn't just Mike Tyson. Big George had trouble getting guys to fight him. At one point a decade earlier George was thought to be unbeatable. He'd find out against Muhammad Ali that he was invincible. That did something to him at that point in his career, but it made him what he'd become in the second part. Holyfield was giving him what he wanted. He had another shot to become heavyweight champion again. George had beaten everyone he'd faced, and that list of names wasn't all-world-beaters. None of them were on the same level with undefeated Evander Holyfield. Finally Foreman had a quality opponent in front of him. That made for one helluva fight. 

Broner Wants Another Shot at Porter - Porter Wants His Shot at Money

Floyd Mayweather wants Broner vs Porter 2 on his September card. He also wants Keith Thurman to take on Errol Spence on it too. Broner went to Twitter and Instagram saying the fight was on. According to Ken Porter there is not going to be a rematch. Shawn Porter just beat Adrien Broner and Team Porter wants Floyd Mayweather. Marcos Maidana beat Broner and got his shot. Beating Broner isn't an automatic bid for Mayweather, but I think Porter has done enough for a shot.

It appears that Floyd will be fighting either Andre Berto or Karim Mayfield in the main event. Floyd has two guys in Thurman and Porter that want to fight him. Yet he wants them to fight on his September card. The card would be a great one, but the best card would be him fighting Thurman or Porter in the main event. Both men have earned a shot and so has undefeated Kell Brook, but that fight is not going to happen. 

There is no doubt that Floyd will get it his way, or so close it will be considered his way. He has won every fight he's been in and has punched his own ticket. He can fight whoever he wants, and if it's a loaded card and people buy it he can brag about how he sold a fight against Andre Berto or Karim Mayfield. History won't necessarily point out that the viewers wanted to see the under card fights. Mayweather fights, who he wants, when he wants, and how he wants. 

I know Floyd fans will be happy with whoever he fights. Boxing fans in general want more. The people who've paid for his fights deserve to see him fight someone who can at least challenge him. I truly believe that both Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman could both give him a fight that fans could appreciate. There is no reason to fight the two irrelevant fighters that Floyd has his sights on. He needs to fulfill the Showtime contract with a bang.  

Keith Thurman Doesn't Want Mayweather to Duck Him

Why Would Floyd Mayweather Duck Keith Thurman?

There doesn't seem like there would be a reason for TBE to duck anyone. Floyd has beaten every fighter he's faced and only a couple of his 48 fights were even close. Not only has he not been beaten, but he's barely even been tested. From a pure boxing standpoint there'd be no logical reason to assume Floyd would duck anyone. He beat the fighters that we expected him to beat, and he beat fighters that were thought to have a chance against him. Those we weren't sure about. Floyd was either too fast or too strong for everyone he faced.

So there doesn't seem to be any reason why Floyd shouldn't fight Thurman. Except... Floyd thinks that Errol Spence should fight Thurman, or that Shawn Porter should fight him. Why does Floyd not fight the next man up? Keith Thurman has done nothing but prove he's worthy of a shot at TBE. There are those who say it would be too early in Thurman's career for such a great fighter, but he's earned the shot. Both fighters are ranked in the P4P Top 10. The next fight should be Thurman, but it appears Floyd doesn't want to fight him.

If Not Thurman, Then Who's Next?

Floyd's style is not crowd pleasing. Only the die hard fans seem to be able to appreciate his style. He does hold a lot on the inside, but make no mistake about it he does fight. Selling the next fight might not be that easy. The possible names he's thrown around for his September fight are not fighters I'd pay for. I've bought every fight since the Oscar fight. Following the Porter-Broner fight Floyd said he was going to fight one of two guys, Andre Berto or Karim Mayfield. I would not pay to see him fight either one of those fighters.How does he expect to sell a fight against either of them?

Floyd is a business man and he knows what makes sense. To fight Berto or Mayfield, neither fight makes any sense. What has either of those fighters done to deserve a shot. There are only three fighters that have earned the shot to face Mayweather, and they're probably the only fights I'd buy at 147.

1. Keith Thurman

2. Kell Brook

3. Shawn Porter

These are the only three guys in my opinion that have earned a shot. I know some want to see him fight Khan, but there's another half that doesn't and I'm in that group. Mayweather would have a better chance of selling Khan than Berto or Mayfield.


Maidana Got a Shot After He Beat Broner - What About Shawn Porter? 

Shawn Porter earned the chance to fight Mayweather. There are those who believe Mayweather will give Porter the fight, despite saying he'd only fight Berto or Mayfield. Amir Khan knows how Floyd doesn't always do as he says. Mayweather is on top and could fight whoever he chooses, but he has to realize people are not going to pay for a 12 round sparring session. There are other fights out there if he doesn't want to give Porter his shot, but make no mistake Porter is a viable opponent that he could sell.

Porter was humble and understanding that Mayweather might want to fight someone other than him, but when he found out Karim Mayfield was one of Floyd's possible opponents his demeanor changes. He wants that next fight if Floyd is going to Mayfield or Berto. Shawn Porter just came off a big win over Broner, but he lost to Kell Brook so how could he argue if Mayweather went there next. We all know he won't be fighting Brook. He's not even on the radar. It would clearly be an acceptable fight that would sell.

Broner vs. Porter: Taking the Next Step

A Fight for the Next Level

Adrien Broner thinks he's a next level fighter, but the truth is that he isn't on the elite level yet. Sure he talks himself up. He says he's the best. However, he's never beat anyone to prove his point. Broner failed the last time he got this chance against Maidana. Now he has the opportunity to get to that level again. He'll be looking to cash in the same way that Maidana did last time.

Shawn Porter failed in his fight for elite level status too. He lost a tough fight to one of the toughest welterweight fighters in the game. Kell Brook hasn't made anything out of his win over Porter yet, but you can bet he soon will. If Porter can win against Broner he'd be right there with Brook waiting for a title shot.

They're fighting for a shot at being elite. The winner of this fight cannot be denied a shot at the title. Floyd Mayweather himself couldn't deny a shot to the winner. I'd rather see Maweather fight the winner of this fight than see him fight Amir Khan. If Mayweather isn't going to give the winning fighter a shot, well then I think a fight with Keith Thurman is automatic.

The Prediction

It's easy to root for Porter because he's humble. Broner gives boxing fans every reason not to root for him. He comes across as a cheap knockoff of Floyd Mayweather. Only Floyd has big wins in his career to hang his hat on, but Broner hasn't done anything to gloat about. Porter isn't one of the mid-level fighters that Broner was smashing for knockouts. Porter has been in there with better competition than Broner has.

Broner has quick hands. They won't be the fastest hands that Porter has seen. Broner has knockout power, but Porter has faced harder punchers. Broner will be the a combination of power and speed that Porter hasn't seen, On the other hand Porter will attack Broner like he's never been done before. I think that Porter hits harder than Broner. I think Broner has faster hands, but overall quickness is closer to even. I think the fight will be close and tightly contested.

Porter by split-decision.

Mayweather Destroyed Pacquiao: Where Does Boxing Go From Here?

Manny Didn't Think He Lost the Fight

The biggest fight in welterweight history didn't live up to the hype. The non boxing fan jumped in on the pay per view and were unsatisfied with the outcome. Most had never purchased a Floyd Mayweather fight before, and didn't realize that he fights with a hit and not get hit strategy. They were disappointed in the outcome because they expected more. I didn't...I bought the fight knowing exactly how it would play out.

Floyd had the size advantage, and we all knew that. Manny is a hard hitting welterweight champion, but we'd all seen Floyd fight true middleweights and take the punches. I knew he could take anything Manny threw at him. The only real chance that Manny had was going right after Floyd with volume punching. That didn't happen for whatever reason it may be. If Manny fought injured he knew his chances of winning were almost none. The odds were already stacked against him, and he had to know he had no chance of winning being injured..

There was a lot of money on the line. Manny didn't know if Floyd would give him another chance if he let this one get away. I think Floyd would have given him a shot later, and mostly because I think he knew he could beat him. This was a fight for more than money, and they both had plenty of fame. This was the fight to see who was the better welterweight of this era. They gotten where they both were by defeating many of the same opponents. This fight should have happened in 2010. I honestly believe it would have been a better fight.

Manny Pacquiao believed he won, and despite what the HBO crew were saying post fight. Manny took it to Floyd at times but never really had him in trouble. It appeared that Floyd could do whatever he wanted to do. Manny said Floyd never hurt him, but he definitely outpointed him. It was a typical Mayweather fight. He out boxed his opponent and never sustained any damage to himself. I still respect  Manny Pacquiao, but he didn't win the fight and didn't even get as close as Marcos Maidana got in their first fight.

Nobody really wants to see a rematch. I'd like to see Floyd fight Keith Thurman next. That would be the win that ties Marciano's 49-0 record. If Manny could beat a solid championship worthy fighter, and Floyd fights one more time to break the record, well then maybe a rematch would be in order. If Floyd beats Thurman and Pacquiao again on his way off into the sunset he'd be considered the best welterweight of all time.


What's After Mayweather vs. Pacquiao?

There are some who believe this was boxing's last big mega event. After what this fight produced they might be right.

The average boxing fans could pair up some pretty good fights. Some of these fights could be considered mega fights. If Canelo ends up fighting Ganady Golovkin that would be huge, but without the half a decade build up could it be as big? Are the names big enough? Outside of the boxing community they might not be, but neither were all the others until they were properly advertised. There are some really good fighters out there. Some of them are on the cusp of greatness. Danny Garcia has had a couple of fights go his way that shouldn't have. He still remains undefeated and as marketable as anyone. Amir Khan has resurfaced as a legit contender. If he stays away from Mayweather he might remain that way.

Keith Thurman could be the future of the welterweight division. There is talk of a Mayweather vs. Thurman fight, and that fight would be huge for both men. If Mayweather were to beat him he'd be defeating a future star. It would be like the Canelo win. Both fighters are going places in the sport. Floyd would be remembered favorably for a victory over Thurman. There are a half dozen fighters trying to move into relevance. Adrian Broner, Lucus Mattessee, Shawn Porter, Devon Alexander, Kell Brook, and Marcos Maidana. If Jessie Vargas beats Tim Bradley then he would also be among the true contenders. Boxing goes as the heavyweight division goes and I think it's on the way back. Another blockbuster fight Wladimir Klitschko vs. Deonte Wilder.

There are big fights out there, but boxing has to find a way to maximize exposure for the sport. It's globalized the way soccer is, but it's failing by American standards. The standard it's failing by is set by the MMA and namely the UFC. Boxing is not dead, but whether or not it's dying is up for debate. Boxing has made the effort to remain the world's #1 combat sport, Coming back to network television has helped it. The ratings were very high upon its return to TV. I think Americans will get behind the best boxers in the world, but after Mayweather and Klitschko people just don't know who they're looking at.

Fight Prediction - Mayweather vs Pacquiao

Can Pac-Man Shock the World?

If you look at predictions for the fight most fans and fighters are going with Mayweather. If you listen to their reasoning it becomes hard to argue against it. If Manny can pull this off it would be a bigger upset then it would be given credit for. The boxing public has made Pacquiao the dog, but everyone expects him to give Mayweather a good fight.

Manny comes in at angles that Mayweather saw in the Maidana fight. Manny is quicker than Maidana and had more hand speed. There is also the fact that Pac-Man is left handed, and there are those who believe that will create problems for Floyd. I'm not of that opinion. He might not be as comfortable and he would be with an orthodox fighter. I think Manny's best chance to win comes from the alleged hate he has for Floyd.

Will Floyd Do What He Does Best?

Floyd is unquestionably one of the best fighters in boxing history. I had said that he needed a fight with Pacquiao to cement that legacy, and it really didn't matter if he won or not. Pac-Man is no different than many of the other legendary fighters Floyd took out. He waited for a sign that they were on the way down. Either way their names are on the list of fighters that have gone down. They might not have been in their primes, but Floyd defeated them just as he intendeds on doing to Pacquiao. Not only did he beat them but the contests were not really close. I do expect Pacquiao to make a good fight of it. 

Floyd Mayweather takes his opponents best attributes away from them, and forces them to fight him the way he wants to fight. I'm not sure how he will neutralize the Pacquiao speed or how he will keep him from getting good angles, but he always has found a way to outsmart his opponent. The size advantage over Pac-Man will be the difference maker. Maidana found success against Mayweather in the first fight. He took good angles and consistently caught Floyd with the overhand right. He applied enough pressure to be a problem. In the rematch he brought even more pressure, but he wasn't as effective as it had been before. 

  The Fight

Floyd will likely look to utilize the jab and use his size advantage. Manny will likely use his quickness and hand speed to move inside on Manyweather. It could be somewhat of a chess match early. Floyd trying to keep Manny outside, and his success in the fight will be determined on how well he's able to do it. Manny throws shots while he's moving in, and he continues to pound once he's inside. That should present Mayweather with counter punching opportunities. If that's how it goes the advantage has to go to Mayweather. If Floyd doesn't have power that can back Manny up he'll try to walk him down and bang on the inside. It worked for a slower Maidana, but he had more size than Pacquiao. 

Manny must find a way to get inside on Mayweather and make him pay when he gets in there. Getting out without getting caught with something is equally important. Especially early while Floyd is still sharp and has snap on his punches. Marquez caught Pac-Man on the way in, and Floyd is likely to be looking for the same opportunity. Manny has the speed to compete, however Mayweather's range and size will probably dictate the outcome. The hand speed is so close that you have to look at something else to spot the edge, and that is the size of Mayweather. 

If he wanted to Mayweather could fight at middleweight. I think the size difference will be the determining factor on fight night. Manny won't be able to crack the shell like Maidana did. Mayweather will look to catch and shoot the smaller man. Manny attacks from angles that leave his opponents nearly defenseless. I do believe he can get around the shoulder roll, and I do believe he will crack Mayweather's shell defense. The fight will hinge on Manny's defense. We know he can go balls to the wall and throw nine hundred punches, but can he avoid Mayweather countering on his aggression? I think he can. 

The Prediction

I think the fight will go the distance. I also think Manny will be explaining how he did the best he could but came up short. There is no way Manny is going to knock Mayweather out, and the chances are equally as low that he'll outpoint him. Styles make fights and when you look at both men's styles all signs point to Mayweather. I think this is the wrong kind of fighter for Pacquiao. He had trouble with Tim Bradley, even though I thought he won both fights against him. That may be the closest fighter in style that Manny has faced, and Mayweather is ten times better than Bradley. Five years ago Floyd didn't want to take a chance against Pacquiao speed, but now Floyd knows it's diminished to the point that Manny won't have a single advantage. 

Floyd Mayweather by unanimous decision. 

Floyd Agrees to Fight Pacquiao on May 2nd in Las Vegas

The Fight for a Legacy


There have been some big fights over the years, and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will go down as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, of all time. This fight should have happened 3-5 years ago, but make no mistake about it...this is going to be a war. Was Mayweather afraid of Manny Pacquiao? There are tons of boxing fans, and that includes Mayweather fans that believe he has been. I never believed that Mayweather was afraid of Pac-Man, but this fight was always in Floyd's hands. He blamed it on drug testing, and he blamed it on Bob Arum, so we will never really know why Floyd hasn't taken the fight until now. The stakes are what they always had been. Who will be the best fighter of the era?






The Risk - Reward


I think Floyd has wanted to fight Many all along. I also believe he wanted it his way and he got it his way. The only thing that surprised me was that it didn't happen right after Marquez knocked Manny out cold. There is no doubt in my mind that Mayweather wanted to see a decline in Pac-Man before he fought him. Floyd Mayweather sees something in the fights Manny has fought since the Marquez fight that made him want this.




I see it too. Manny Pacquiao is not the fighter he was in 2010 or 2011. Floyd has definitely noticed this, but there has been a noticeable decline in Floyd's ability also. Maidana gave Mayweather problems that no other fighter had. When you thought Floyd's legs would get him out of trouble they didn't. Maidana got him on the ropes and banged on him like none had been able to do. I think Maidana hit Mayweather harder than Pacquiao will, but Manny is a whole lot faster. He's going to attack Floyd from the same odd angles that Marcos Maidana did.








Floyd Mayweather


I've always said that Floyd is one of the most talented boxers I've ever watched. I've also said that he rarely fought the best fighters on his resume at the apex of their careers. Again he isn't fighting Manny when he probably should have, but he's fighting him and it still holds value in 2015.




The time to fight Manny was now. Floyd in my opinion only has a couple more fights in him. Nobody will pay his pay-per-view prices for garbage. I don't think Mayweather wanted any part of Keith Thurman, and fans didn't want to see Floyd fight Cotto again. I'm not saying he didn't have any other options available, and fans were warming up to the idea of Mayweather vs. Khan, but this fight needed to go on if it was ever going to happen.




Floyd Mayweather has done nothing to make me believe he can't beat Manny Pacquiao. Floyd is clearly the better and more technical fighter. At 38 years old Floyd is in the twilight of his career. He's still never given any room for doubt. He can get the job done.








Manny Pacquiao


There was a point when Manny was fighting the same opponents as Floyd. He was also beating them more decisively. He blasted Ricky Hatton and punished Oscar De La Hoya. It appeared he was on a collision course with Mayweather, but it didn't happen. I don't think that the fight's delay ever had anything to do with Pac-Man.



Pacquiao might not have the punching power that Maidana has, but he's a lot faster. His hand speed matches Mayweather's and he comes from the same strange angles as Maidana. Pac-Man throws a lot of punches and can easily keep pace with Floyd Mayweather. Manny knows he doesn't have the undefeated record that Floyd does, and he isn't afraid to lose to Mayweather. He's been beat by lesser talent than Floyd. He's not going to be afraid to just go for it all.




If Floyd Mayweather has declined as the Maidana fights indicated then this fight could go Manny's way. Outside of punching power Manny is a better fighter than Marcos Maidana. Pac-Man was knocked out by Marquez and ripped off in the decision with Tim Bradley. Floyd doesn't have the punching power of a fighter like Maidana or Marquez. I don't think Manny believes Mayweather can knock him out, and neither do I.