Ali fights Foreman in Manilla instead of Frazier.

Rope-A-Dope part II?

 

:good you could argue he did when he fought Frazier in Manilla. Frazier fought his ass off that night and arguably gave Ali the most punishment he had ever taken in a fight. I don't think Foreman would have done the same kind of damage that Frazier did (Foreman would struggle to land cleanly again) which is why I think it's certainly justifiable to pick Ali to take all Foreman has for a second time.

 

I always wondered what would happen if there was a rematch between the two. I'd have to go with Foreman in this one. Ali beating him twice would be very difficult, considering Foreman being mindful of the rope-a-dope.

 

Lots of revisionism going on here. It was blistering hot that night in Manila and Foreman never had gas past 5 rounds. Instead of an all out attack by George he would pace himself. Problem is by not attacking he would be picked off big time at distance. So the fight goes into the last 5 rounds until an exhausted George is hurt and dropped in round 12. Ref counts him out. Ali wins and is ahead by a wide margin at the finish.

 

Was'nt a night fight houdini , held at 10 oclock in the morning in Manila for night coverage in USA , but your right heat and humidity would tell on George.

 

Just about as hot and humid as it was in Zaire.

Foreman gasses, again. Gets dropped, again.

Inserting him in basically the same circumstances as the first fight would more likely replicate the results, not reverse them. That is boxing 101.

Foreman was never as tough as Ali, not even in the same league. Manilla was just as much of a hell as Africa.

 

Foreman was not as good a fighter in 1975 - '77 as he had been in 1970 - '74, generally speaking.
I don't know if it was Gil Glancy's attempts to instill some technical changes, or (perhaps more likely) just a pyschological injury suffered to Foreman's ego.
Obviously, Ali was in sharp decline too. But he toughed it out against a determined Frazier in Manila, so I guess he'd have just about enough to conquer the more fragile-minded Foreman again too.

 

Manila was hotter and more humid than Kinshasa.

 

But still no Dick Saddler and hopefully no loose ropes and less realistically hopefully no Archie Wright and dehydr8ion and 4man survives d heat and breaks Ali's body&head .

Whomever had him dehydr8ed vs Jimmy Young

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was probably 1 of d guilty 4 d Kinshasa debacle .

 

Ali still had it at that point. It was his last great effort and he still had enough in the tank to outlast and stop Foreman.

 

No , it was not "Mother Nature" , it was his trainer/s whom convinced him that beginning 2 fights under extremely hot climate while dehydrated would have served him best .