Cassius Clay vs Muhammad Ali

For the sake of fairness, we should compare the best version of pre and post ban Cassius Clay/Ali: 1964 Clay who beat Liston vs 1974 Ali who beat Foreman.
The younger version has a definite speed and stamina advantage, while the older version has more experience, toughness, physical strength and somehow more punch resistance.
I believe the older, wiser Ali who still had a very quick and explosive jab would outpoint the younger Clay by using the jab, jab grab strategy that had him winning fights at this stage.

Muhammad Ali by UD

 

they wouldn't want to hurt each other.

 

Ali had his best early fight in '64, but it is almost universally accepted that his experience & skill made him better in '66/'67.

You could say the same things comparing advantages of young vs. old Foreman, & young clearly was better. Speed allows ring cutting, more punches landed (stamina helps), & eluding more shots.

Ali soon before exile may have had a similar chin to later Ali, it just was not tested much.

Now I know the question was Clay/'64.

WITH much clinching & pulling head down allowed, likely '74 Ali over Clay.
Not without.

 

1974 Ali takes it. He was n't QUITE as fast as Clay but still very speedy with hands and feet. Plus his experience would have been a big factor.

Cassius Clay wins the rematch,though. By then he was Muhammad Ali

 

And Frazier beats them both.

 

Frazier lost to 1974 Ali

 

If the Klitschko brothers wouldn't fight each other what would lead anyone to think Ali would fight himself?

 

I only posted it to draw a reaction from you.........and succeeded

 

Actually it was pretty funny & clever absurdest humor.

 

Patterson and Chuvalo both picked pre-exile Ali to be better than Ali post-exile. The only men to face both versions

 

I think the Ali that beat Liston first time round beats anybody. I think that's one of the most underrated performances by any champion, with all the hullabaloo regarding was it legit or not.

 

I think George and Floyd were talking about the 1966-67 incarnation of Muhammad,who would have beaten any other version of himself. This thread is pitting the young Cassius Clay who stepped into the ring to face Sonny Liston the first time against the Zaire Ali. This makes it more of a level playing field as young Cassius was n't quite as accomplished as he was a couple of years later when he beat Terrel and Williams

 

I would like to be at the press conference for that fight! The poems and insults would be flying. At least they wouldn't be calling each other ugly!!

I pick the young man, as a pure force of nature and more difficult to hit.
Unless of course '74 Ali already knows how to beat him from experience.