Ali vs Foreman rematch in the fall of 1977: who would have won?

Lots of ifs and buts in your post, fact is Foreman didn't do anything to deserve a rematch with Ali. Why would Ali avoid someone he outclassed, that's not in the mans nature at all and you're selling the legend short big time!

 

Foreman didn't deserve a rematch? After wiping out Frazier and Lyle? Ali had the audacity after Spinks beat him to say that it was tradition that the ex-champ gets the first shot...except for Foreman. Honestly, who was rated higher than George at that time? Norton? Foreman killed him. Of course he deserved a rematch. Ali just didn't want it. Zaire was his Montreal...he wasn't going to be able to do it again.

 

and how did Ali spend 1976? Ripping off Young and Norton, and making a fool of himself against a wrestler. Meanwhile, George went 5-0, 5 KOs, against two top contenders and one undefeated prospect. Of course he deserved a rematch.

 

Yeah, I must say, I think people are writing George off a bit prematurely here. At the least, it by rights ought to a closer fight than the one in Zaire.

 

No I'm not selling the legend short big time; as the years have passed don't you Ali's second reign for what it is? Impressive but pattered to his specific choices (come on, Lubbers, Dunn, Evangilista, etc...??) Zaire was tailor made for Ali, Champ Foreman in the Astrodome would have been the right call if the BS bucks hadn't gotten in the way. I love Ali but that second reign stunk, off and on. He fought guys he knew he could beat.
Had to fight Norton to complete the trifecta...and probably lost.
The Thrilla in Manilla was nothing more than two past primers giving it one last shot (great fight, by the way) Ali wanted no rematch with Foreman. Hey, I won my title again, I dictate the rules, and no one really cares if I fight him again (to be fair, Foreman's behavior after Zaire made many not care as well) I could say more but I'll stop for now.

 

Ali was totally shot by then but I think he still wins. Better stamina and intellect, and the thing ALI had that George's other opponents didnt was that he was as strong as George.

 

Not enough information to answer this. At what point in this timeline does Foreman lift the baby cow? I think that took more out of him than people realize.

Pre-cow lifting, Foreman stops Ali early. Post-cow lifting he loses a decision.

 

Foreman had hired Perenchio as his promoter in 1975 and he could not secure the fight. And that guy had put together the biggest fight the sport had ever seen.

so it wasn't as if there wasn't a Foreman interest in regaining the title.

I don't know if you were alive at the time, but I sure did not want to see Ali facing Chuck Wepner as the follow up to the Zaire fight? Did you?

Or the Bugner rematch. Whay re-match that guy anyway? Oh wait, I know....an easy victory.

So it hits 1976, Foreman fires Perenchio and signs up with Don King. Hoping King can deliver the Foreman rematch. What a payday it would have been. But King could not get the fight.

That was the start of cherry picking---and being allowed to get away with it in the heavyweight division. Ali's se4cond title reign. And the sport has suffered ever since.

Now perhaps someone like Burt who is older than myself can go back further than that with deserving title challengers as opposed to guys actually getting a shot.

But that stuff has damaged the sport a ton and boxing as a sport will never go back to it's popularity of 1974 and 1975. Because you just don't get the great matches.Everything is risk vs reward.

 

You're talking like Ali was the first to cherry pick. How about the Joe Louis 'Bum of the Month' club ? Or Floyd Patterson defending against a guy who was 0-0 in the pro ranks ? And Joe Frazier semi retiring and fighting nothing more than two glorified exhibitions against 'all time greats' such as Daniels and Stander ?

All champions fit a few easy ones in between the more meaningful bouts

 

I wasn't old enough to talk specifically about other champions and their cherry pickling. I use the Ali/Foreman timeframe because I'd already been gambling on the sport by then.
That's why I said somebody like Burt---or are you significantly older than me? Other people more knowledgable than me that lived through boxing era's are better to evaluate things.

I just maintain the stance that Ali's winning in Zaire caused a downward spiral in the sport and cherry picking is used almost exclusively ever since. And it has been a big subtraction from the sport.

 

Plenty of big fights have been made since then (and some not made too)

are you blaming Lewis-Bowe not happening, on Ali and his alleged cherry picking?

Foreman, was mentally not the same person post Zaire, that is pretty much a fact.

Ali, physically might not have been the same fighter in the late 70's, but he still had Foremans number mentally

Foreman wasnt exactly very vocal about a rematch either

 

forerman would have beat him bloody by then.

ali was just hanging on after 75.