Is Ali the only boxer in history that reach means nothing to him?

Its all relative to the size difference of the 2 fighters

 

I think it might well matter to him if he were fighting guys 6' 6" to 6' 9"

He certainly could still out-speed them, but it would be a lot more challenging I think.

 

No.

Because no other Heavyweight in history could move, sway, and lean away from punches the way he did, either before or since. People talk about fighters head movement, with Ali it was his whole upper body that moved easily away from incoming shots, exaggerated head movement if you like.

 

Ali had such great reflexes. He could see punches coming and easily slip them. Terrell had a great jab and it became a non issue in the ring vs Ali. Ali would do the same with all of the larger poorer fighters of today with ease. Just too quick.

 

While Williams was literally shot against Ali, he was still #5 in the world.
Who else could beat him like that-in several rounds Williams barely landed a glove on Ali.

Now a swarmer could do better. Chuvalo hit him plenty, but it was not at all close.

Ali had lost much speed, mostly of foot, & was still a bit rusty during the FOTC.
He tired late, in part due to Frazier's attack.

But it is simple math that Ali would get hit less & his endurance was better in the '60's.. He clinched much less too.
he could get a late TKO, but I feel if both were peak & motivated...

It would be 9-6 for Ali.

 

a good point,

but I think the modern big men like the Klitschkos and Wilder are better than Terrell.

Still, speed kills and might in this case.

 

I'm not sure Wilder is better than Terrell.

 

Yeah,, you'd expect Ali to struggle a bit with the taller fighters of his time because of his style, but they didn't trouble him much. Bugner also had a long snappy jab, but Ali took it away quite easily.

 

Jerry Quarry had no problems with much lager men like Foster and Lyle.

 

Ali never fought a much larger big man with speed, and power.

Ali looks very good vs Terrell, but Terrell was thumbed in the eye early. Terrell looks slow vs Ali, but in other fights he's much faster.

 

That's really about what it comes down to. It would be different trying to dodge jabs from men like Wladimir Klitschko and Lennox Lewis than Ernie Terrell and an old Liston.