The men who could beat Ali

Beaten yes. "Destroyed", without even making a mark, I don't know.. Henry Cooper was a limited fighter who's handspeed and power were nothing compared to Sanders, and he resoundingly decked clay to where if the ropes hadn't been there, it might have been a serious problem.

 

I remember Sir Cooper stated that at that particular time Ali did not know how to fight on the inside, and slapped his left hook away which is why he got pummeled and was sent to the canvas.

 

True. Clay was green when Sir Henry fought him for the first time in 63'. Still, the left hook was Ali's achilles heel throughout his career.

 

Watch the Wlad fight again and ask yourself if Sanders "lumbered". Those were some fast damned hands.

 

Tyson beats Ali

 

A guy who "lumbered" couldn't have landed with those fast hands.

 

Lumbering does not relate to hand speed. Sanders was a limited fighter....he is not doing well vs prime Ali. We are talking prime Ali here so the fighter who beat Williams not the fighter who beat Cooper.

 

Not claiming that Sanders would beat Ali, nor even give him a battle of epic proportions. But given that Ali struggled with left hooks his ENTIRE career, and that Sanders was a pure southpaw, it would give him something to work with. Ad to that Sanders fast hands and power to get Ali's attention, it might actually be a fight for however long it lasted.. Eventually Ali's superior movement, stamina, and chin would prevail and result in a stoppage late.. But the first five or six rounds might be hell for him..

 

Ali from 65-67 is the most difficult heavyweight to beat in my mind nd wouldnt pick any heavyweight in history to beat him on his best day.

Tricky fights where Ali would not look good in would include Ray Mercer, Sanders and Ruiz. wouldnt fancy any of them to beat him though.

 

If we are talking prime Ali Sanders won't touch him much. Liston had an all time hook and he did not come close to flooring Ali. Sanders had quick hands but lumbered physically. Again we are talking the best Ali not Ali on an off night or post 1968.

 

I can't contest your opinion, and you may well be right. But for me, styles make fights and in this case, there would also be some physical attributes that would come into play as well. Ali was the greatest heavyweight of all time in my opinion, while Sanders was not even top 100. But that does not mean in my mind that he didn't have some components that would give the man some trouble..

 

Always possible certainly but in my mind not likely if he is fighting prime Ali.

 

I think you found it in a Cumberland sausage.


Source please?

 

"Catch" as in catch up to and corner long enough to do serious damage.

Marciano doesn't have the foot speed to catch Ali either. In the middle of the ring, Marciano is a slow-moving plodder and he'd be at a massive reach disadvantage.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ali was able to ragdoll Marciano the way he did other smaller guys. Marciano weighed 20 pounds less than Frazier did in the FOTC, while about the same height. Does that Frazier look like he has 20 pounds of excess fat to lose? I don't think so. Ali looked big next to Frazier and would look even bigger next to Marciano.

 

I'll also ad that Frazier, despite having an extra 20 lbs on Rocky, also had superior handspeed and upper body movement that was off the charts... Not to mention a more polished left hook which was Ali's main weakness.. Marciano's style was the right blue print to trouble Ali, but he didn't have enough of the additional stuff needed to make it work.