Muhammad Ali vs Wilt Chamberlain 1971

Yeah, I do. He wasn't a fighter, or a boxer. Ali would have been his first experience with a world class fighter, much less the best heavyweight ever at the peak of his powers.

His "chin" would have been awful. He'd have had NO idea how to defend it, and that would have gotten him parked sooner than later. The concept of the genetic iron jaw is just false for 99% of guys. So much of "chin" is seeing, riding, rolling with, and working through, getting hit, as regards to just some natural ability to absorb impact. His incredible neck strength and height get him through a round or two, but it would be ROUGH to watch a rookie get chopped down by the champ.

 

LOL Rondo would get crushed

 

Well I'm not going to argue with a man of your knowledge or experience. I'm here to read and learn from guys like you. But I really know basketball and I know Wilt is the best athlete in NBA history and if he developed the necessary tools would have been a boxing force if it was something he had worked at for a long period of time.

 

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You a Reggie Williams fan? You enjoy watching scrubs play???

 

A guy of his athletic talent? Absolutely, if he'd have decided along that ride that he was okay with getting hit. Wilt was the man. Rookies just don't beat prime champions.

And people will throw out Spinks and ****, but Leon was NOT a rookie. Long amateur careers are like residency before being the doctor; You show up fight 1 knowing how to do the job, the rest is just working your way up and getting comfortable. You do improve as a pro and in a pro environment, but I was 70% the fighter I was in my prime at 21 years old.

 

If Ali is serious, then it's over in a round. If he wants to play then with Chamberlain's extraordinary athletic conditioning he might hang in for five rounds.

Some people say that the best heavyweight boxers are going into football and basketball these days. But I'm not so sure. I think a great boxing temperament is different than other purely athletic or competitive personalities. You have to like to fight and maybe have a bit of a mean streak in you that enjoys hurting someone. A guy like Tyson wouldn't make it as a football player. It was either boxing or prison for a guy like him. Turns out it was both. Shaq or Kobe Bryant might have the physical gifts to play the game but they might lack a killer instinct or have an aversion to being hit.

 

I think a lot of people don't know how bad guys like Joe Frazier sucked when they first started. It's DEFINITELY a big piece of attitude.

In football, for example. That Suh guy who plays for the Lions might make a good fighter, he's always looking for one and loves hard him. Some of those diva wide receivers, so fast, so talented? They don't look like good prospects, to me. They ***** to the referees every time they get tackled. Very few of them show any real fight, intensity or grit.

Boxing can't always be a "hustle". Eventually, the fight game actually results in you being in a fight. And that point, you kind of have to push down the pedal, bite your mouthpiece, and be a hard, mean man. Boxing reveals that edge in people.

We think of Mayweather as a *****, but watch him stand toe to toe as best he could with the bigger Miguel Cotto and work when that fight got tough. You don't make it in boxing without the ability to do that, and I see a TON of stellar athletes who just aren't that tough in their chosen sports.

 

Yeah I totally see what you mean. I was looking at Wilt from purely a physical standpoint and there aren't many who can match him there, Bo Jackson maybe...(I'm from New Zealand too not American so I try not to be biased), I just can't think of many.

 

Yes he was tall but do you understand what he bought physically has never been seen before or since in a 7 foot 1 man???

 

I;m going to demonstrate what wilt could do physically. Here are his records as an prominent track and field athlete at school. As a youth, he high jumped 6 feet, 6 inches, ran the 440 yards in 49.0 seconds and the 880 yards in 1:58.3, put the shot 53 feet, 4 inches, and broad jumped 22 feet.

He holds the NBA record for most points in a game with 100 and most rebounds with 55!!! He is the only centre to ever lead the league in assists which showcases his all round skill level (there are MANY more NBA records but not enough space to record them)

They say Wilts vertical leaping was insane. This is Wilt leaping at 36 http://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&feature=iv&src_vid=0EpVZS26BUs&v=GhXzPvmCfVI

Or this for his prime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EpVZS26BUs

His strength was astonishing. Hid bench press was off the charts.

My argument is that a man of both his size and freakish physical gifts could no doubt make a great boxer should he dedicate his life to it and if it were his number one priority.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrpmGuCmGnc

Just some perspective on how powerful Wilt Chamberlain was. Again not saying he would win a boxing match but in a street fight I think it might be different. Ali was no street fighter either and I sure he wouldn't want an angry giant coming after him. One with coordination and Earth moving power.

 

Wilt was a great physical specimen, but people have to realize that, just because you're strong doesn't make you a fighter.Like Wayne Embry once told him, we don't know if you can take a punch.

 

The problem for Wilt would have been hand and foot speed and coordination in the ring.

On he court is one thing but when someone has 3 minutes a round to study you to hurt you is another.

Ali would have had a heck of a time trying to get away and look cool at the same for the early rounds. Wilt would only have a jab to throw safely and that after about the 6th round would a big risk. Once Ali got down to business he would have figured that all he needed to do was keep turning this man and not letting him get set.

Even if he did get set Ali would have been able to see that right hand coming with plenty of time. I don't believe that Wilt would have developed any other punches, like a left hook or infighting..so it would have been the ol' 1-2.

Once Ali started finding places to hit Wilt and still be safe he would have worn Wilt out from chasing and cruised to a boring decision.

 

Put the two of them in a closet to have it out and Wilt walks out first. In the ring however where no wrestling or kicking or choking etc..is allowed and Ali embarrasses Wilt. A man with Wilt's size and strength would want to grab Ali and throw him out of the ring...problem is he wouldn't be allowed to and Ali would use his ring speed to tatoo Wilt's face. Wilt either gets ko'ed outright or finds a soft place to fall after a few rounds of butt whipping. Wilt would've been better served in an mma match where he could at least grab a guy and maybe land an elbow or knee or choke some guy into submission. But Boxing? Nope.