Foster vs. Ali - Amateurs?

I don't recall Ali ever being staggered by Foster in their 1972 fight. Foster was boxing well and he cut Ali for the first time in his career. When Ali saw the blood he went ballistic and started punishing Foster enroute to eight knockdowns in an eighth round knockout. The Foster and Ernie Terrell fight was on ESPN classic recently. Foster was just too lanky to beat the good heavyweights. Of course LHWT was another story alltogether as we know.

 

Why does this makesense if Clay was still under the 178lb limit

 

Withn the benefit of hindsight that would seem to be an enviable setup.

 

What I meant was that if Foster could fight competitively against Ali when Ali outweighed him in '72, that if they did fight pre '60 Olympics, Foster may have been better if they fought at light-heavyweight. But I have never heard that they fought. It is possible that the rumor comes from a sparring match.

 

Holmes did too, and I think its because of how they threw their jabs. They twisted it pretty good which would cut the other guy to shreds, might even catch them with a few thumbs.:!:

But in realation to the thread, Ive read that a lot of the guys that Ali beat in the pros whipped Ali in the amateurs.

 

Ali (Clay at the time) dropped down to 178 after his final amateur loss, which game at heavyweight to Percy Price Jr., the Marines champion.

Price represented the U.S. at heavyweight in the Olympics. He never turned pro, serving as a career member of the Marine Corps until retiring from the service.

 

They didnt fight as amateurs. They were almost on the same Olympic team, Ali as a light heavy, Foster as a middleweight but Foster couldn't effectively make the weight. Foster said Ali wanted to move up but was told no by the Olympic coaches.

 

Foster is about 5 years older than Ali (Foster born in late 1930's).

Foster got some amateur boxing experience in the Air Force when
the military produced very good fighters.

 

I think Foster claimed to have floored the young Clay in sparring and effectively knocked him out. Can't remember where I read that now.

 

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Hard to find the Foster interviews. I believe I heard that too....maybe in the buildup to the Soul Brothers vs Quarry Brothers closed circuit promotion back in the early 70's.

 

I have never heard this before.

 

You can hear what may be his last interview at:

http://ringsideboxingshow.podbean.com/page/6/


They touch on his interaction with Ali and Frazier.

 

This is definitely the first I've heard or read of Ali and Foster fighting as amateurs :huh

 

Bob Foster and Cassius Clay (and Jimmy Ellis) fought in the 1960 Olympic Trials in different weight divisions.

Foster wasn't left out. According to records, Foster was injured after the quarterfinal round and was replaced by the person he defeated.

http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Tournaments/Nat_Sel_USA1960.html

In fact, there's no record of Foster competing at light heavyweight in the amateurs. I think he was primarily a middleweight in the amateurs.

Also, that 1960 Olympic Trials tournament was pretty loaded at the top. Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Ellis, Bob Foster, Leotis Martin ... not too shabby.

 

Foster could no longer cut to 160.