Which heavy in your opinion could have beaten the ali of 64 to 67?

Obviously Frazier.

 

I favor nobody. Joe Louis might have the best chance i think.

 

I think Frazier and Tyson would have the best chance, meaning close to pick-em.

I wouldn't totally rule out Liston on his best day. He was splitting rounds in the first fight despite not being in top form.

 

NO ONE. !!!!

 

Interesting comments re Holmes/Ali, i'd never thought about it like that ?
Re the timing of FOTC, Ali had good tune up wins before that fight and there was nothing to stop him training whilst he wasnt fighting, if he beat Frazier nobody would have said he took the fight too quickly. At the time ( pre fight) was there a general feeling Ali was rushing things OR did that only surface later ?
Can anyone shed any light on that ?

 

It was certainly a factor discussed. Training and being an active fighter with real bouts are two different things. Ali was not anywhere near Prime shape going into their 1971 bout. Ali said himself he spent too much time promoting the bout. Ali was also tired early in the fight. Again he was only six months out of a 3-4 year layoff.

 

Fury
Wladimir
Vitali
Haye
Povetkin
Jennings
Pulev
Joshua
Peter
Lewis
Tyson
Holyfield
Holmes
A prime Foreman in rematch a couple of years later.
Ken Norton

 

Hey yancey

Why you ditched boxrec??

 

The Liston fights do not count.

The best All fought in these years was likely Terrell.

So the answer could be lots of guys.

Ali had issues with good jabbers ( all stages of his career ) good left hookers, and pressure fighters.

His height and reach helped him in the 60's but today he would be small

 

I think Kenny Norton always has a good shot because of his style. Ali may move more in 65 but Norton would still be able to break his timing and nullify Ali`s jab. As always it would depend on who the judges were.

Lennox Lewis has the tools to give Ali from any era trouble. That height coupled with his boxing skills and coordination. Terrell had height but nowhere near Lewis`s skills and power.

 

I agree with you on this also though I don`t think he realized how good Frazier was. He thought Joe would be easier to hit and that he would pepper Joe for a few rounds and toy with him. It wasn`t until he got in the ring and then it was too late. Joe was quick and sharp.

 

I won't put forth any solid picks with any real conviction, but with that being said, he didn't exactly look invincible at times. Ken Norton is a man who I think would always offer some stylistic problems as would Joe Frazier. That's not to say that I think they'd beat him in 1967 but nor should they be brushed aside. There are probably others as well.

 

We are talking Ali at his best. Not old Ali, not the Ali of the 70's, not Ali on an off night. The best Ali would just be too fast, too great a fighter, too much heart to lose to most any other hwt champion.

 

"Liston fights do not count"

Such complete and utter rubbish.