Don't think I've ever seen this one, could be fun... Ali from the Clevland Williams fight in 1966 vs Ali from FOTC. How does this play out? Could the older, bigger, stronger Ali outmuscle his younger counterpart or would the youngster use his otherworldly athletic ability to keep his future self from him for the duration while peppering him from the outside?
one version would look better than the other but both would beat that williams in the same round. young ali was having fun and showing off with movement. punching was the same. The older version had settled down a tad was half a step slower but was still sharp and knew his way around a ring.
:good Angelo Dundee always maintained the Ali prior to his enforced layoff was superior to the one after. 'Could do thing the later Ali just couldn't'.
Younger Ali would attempt to outwork older Ali. Older Ali would outhink and negate and advantages younger Ali had imo.
FOTC Ali is the best version of Ali. He was bigger and stronger and while he was still very sharp he also sat down on his punches a lot more and didnt show off as much. He would win this fight 10 times out of 10 simply because he was smarter.
I'm not sure I agree. He was definitely fun to watch and possessed footwork I never saw before or since. I think he was a tad overconfident and full of himself and would have had a lot of trouble with some of the other greats HWs. He fought with his hands down at his sides, most of the time. Could he have beat Marciano, prime Louis or prime Charles that way?
Imo,Ali was at his seventies best in 1973/74. At the time from Norton II through Frazier II to the Foreman fight. He was no faster than he was in FOTC '71 but no slower either. He was also sharper than he was two/three years previously and in better physical condition. What's more he'd learned a few tricks in ring generalship to compensate for being a tad slower than before his exile. To answer your thread though,Ali 1966 UD Ali 1971. Fairly close but decisive win for the younger incarnation. The '74 Ali makes it closer still,but Ali of the Williams fight still wins. Cassius Clay 1964 v Muhammad Ali 1974 would be a pick 'em bout.
I agree that Williams would go just as early. The 'Big Cat' was toothless at that stage of his career.
I haven`t read any other posts but I expect to see some agenda driven Frazier fans say Ali from FOTC would win Ali of the Williams fight by clear decision... no HW ever caught on film would be a favourite over Muhammad Ali 1966/67 IMO.
