George Foreman: Mike Tyson Must Have Been Warned About My 'Punching Power'

KEY POINTS

George Foreman thinks Mike Tyson was warned by his former trainer about his punching power
Foreman said Tyson would have been a tough fight for him
Foreman once admitted Tyson scared him like nobody else did

Boxing Hall of Famer George Foreman claims Mike Tyson must have been warned by his former trainer Cus D’Amato about his punching power.

Back in the 90’s, Foreman has managed to regain his heavyweight title and was close to sealing a deal to fight a prime Tyson. For some reason, the fight never came to fruition. And now, Foreman himself revealed his thoughts about what could have been the best heavyweight bout at the time.

Speaking to Jenna J of On The Ropes Radio, the legendary boxer said that “ serious negotiations were going on with the Tyson fight.” However, he thinks that “Iron Mike” was ducking him back then. For the record, Foreman never thought that Tyson will never beat him and it was the late D’Amato who advised Tyson not to take the fight.

“Mike Tyson just didn’t want to fight me,” Foreman said.

“Not to say he couldn’t have beaten me. I mean, this guy could punch. The bigger they are the harder they’d fall as far as Mike Tyson was concerned. I guess that I have a feeling, his first original trainer and manager, Cus D’Amato, must have told him about George Foreman’s punching power as though I would never come back,” Foreman added.

To this day, Foreman still has some regrets about the Tyson fight. Looking back, the 71-year-old legend believes that Tyson would have been a tough fight for him. However, Foreman is confident that he can take on a prime Tyson just like what he did to his past opponents.

“But I don’t think I would have been that much problem to him (Tyson). I had a good left jab and I’d always do better when guys come to me. That would have been a tough fight for me,” Foreman said.

Tyson and Foreman are considered as two of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing. This has led to fans wondering what Foreman really thinks about Tyson.

A young Mike Tyson inside the ring Getty Images/Focus On Sport

Apparently, Foreman himself settled the issue online. Speaking to one fan on Twitter , the boxing legend responded to the question: “If you are at your prime and you have to choose the opponent, whom you feel can beat you... or will give you toughest fight, whom you will chose?”

According to Foreman, it was Tyson, “The Baddest Man on the Planet” who “scared him like nobody did.”

“They are all good now. But no one scares me like Mike Tyson did,” Foreman wrote.