George Foreman, the late, great heavyweight boxer, has named Evander Holyfield as an 'exceptional' heavyweight who 'could compete in any era'. Foreman shared this insight during an interview with The Ring Magazine, reflecting on his storied career and opponents.
'Big George' had a career that spanned thirty years and was filled with remarkable achievements. He won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games. In January 1973, he claimed the World Heavyweight Championship by flooring Joe Frazier six times before the fight was stopped in the second round. Foreman also became the oldest World Heavyweight Champion in 1994 when he defeated Michael Moorer for the WBA and IBF titles.
In the interview, Foreman compared fighters from different eras. He said:
"Ron Lyle. He 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."
Foreman's high praise for Holyfield isn't surprising. 'The Real Deal' Holyfield defended his Undisputed Heavyweight Championship against a 42-year-old Foreman in 1991, winning by unanimous decision. Holyfield's achievements stand out in boxing history. He was the undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, a record that was only matched last May by Ukrainian icon Oleksandr Usyk in his fight against Tyson Fury.
Foreman's reflections offer a unique perspective on the evolution of heavyweight boxing. His career spanned different eras, allowing him to compare fighters from various decades. While he found the fighters of the 1970s generally more fearsome, Holyfield stood out as an exception in the later years, demonstrating skills that Foreman believed would have made him competitive in any era of heavyweight boxing.
