George Foreman, one of boxing's biggest names, has said he couldn't have beaten Muhammad Ali, even at his best.
'Big' George, who fought for 30 years and won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, shared this thought on social media recently. He's known for his power, having knocked out Joe Frazier in the second round to win the WBC and WBA titles back in January 1973.
Foreman's career had its ups and downs. He lost to Ali in the famous 'Rumble In The Jungle' in 1974, where Ali used his 'rope-a-dope' style to wear Foreman down. In 1977, Jimmy Young outpointed him in a big upset. After that, Foreman took a 10-year break to become a preacher.
When he came back in 1987, he shocked everyone. In 1994, at 45 years old, he knocked out Michael Moorer to win the WBA and IBF titles. He's still the oldest World Heavyweight Champion ever.
On social media, Foreman wrote:
"Once in the ring with the great Ali was enough for me. If I'd changed my approach back then he'd [have] another plan. Nothing beats some fighters but time."
Ali, who many call 'The Greatest', beat other top fighters like Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, and Earnie Shavers. He died in 2016 after fighting Parkinson's Disease for many years.
The 'Rumble In The Jungle' showed how smart Ali was in the ring. His 'rope-a-dope' style let him tire out the stronger Foreman and win the fight.
Foreman's words show how much respect he has for Ali's skills. Even though Foreman was one of the hardest hitters in boxing history, he believes Ali would have found a way to beat him no matter what.
