Was Ali a Klitschko level clincher?

Exactly. Those bring up nothing but memories of really boring fights and feeling like you wasted your time even bothering to watch.

Ali never minded getting hit, obviously. (And to his detriment).

There came a time in Wlad's career where if anyone even landed a jab he seemed to panic and just JUMP ON THEIR BACKS in order to prevent them from throwing a second shot.

It got too extreme.

 

In many cases worse and Ali liked to hold a fighter behind his head.

 

Clinching is clinching. It isn't about who had to clinch against the better opponents. Also according to Wlad's fans Sam Peter, Tony Thompson, Lamon Brewster, David Haye, Jennings, Brock are legendary fighters.

 

Ali was just as bad.

 

Well Wlad couldn't handle pressure in fights he was clearly winning. You throw a few punches and put pressure on Wlad would run or hold on. But Ali did the same thing against George Foreman. If Henry Akinwande was DQ against Lewis for holding then Ali should of been DQ against Foreman and Wlad should of been DQ'd at least 5 times.

 

Ali/Frazier II was horrible and arguably as bad as Wlad/Povetkin, though it's a tough call. Ali was more artful about his clinching, but it's still clinching. The fact that Wladimir was so huge made him look silly & oafish when he did it. He was a very different fighter from the offensive machine he'd been in the early 00s.

Ali gets away with murder as a fighter. He would be in trouble against modern HWs, imo. But you have to assess the greats during their time, and he was spectacular in a great era. Credit where it's due, I just don't enjoy watching many of his fights.

 

What about ali vs Frazier 3? Ali was holding but he wasnt doing the way wlad does cause ali still let Frazier land hard shots in which that fight was one of the greatest heavyweights fights of all times. Wlad was scared to take much of a chance in which most of his fights were boring because of his excessive holding with both hands. Ali didn't clutch like bearhug the way wlad does.

 

No offense but this thread is laughable because yes ali clinch but his clinching isnt close to like wlad. Does ali bear hugs his opponents in which opponents had a chance to throw? Umm no. Ali would mostly hold with 1 arm but the other is free in which his opponents has a chance to throw big shots.

 

That's a fair perspective on it. I just hated the way Ali ruined what should have been a great matchup, and it was worst with Frazier because he abused his height advantage the way he did. Wladimir was horrible in his later years, no question. The first 10 seconds of the Povetkin fight actually are hilarious.

 

Let's put it like this who takes more risk and isnt more afraid to make it a great fight ali? Or wlad? If anybody that's a real boxing fan? They will say easily ali.

 

Nah.

Nobody is as bad as Dr Hugomir Klinchugcuddleschko

 

During the 70`s he clinched a lot more than the 60`s as his opposition got better and he slowed down a bit, towards the end of his career he was awful and clinched to the same level as Klitch, but the fight where he really clinched was a lot earlier in `72 when he rematched Frazier, having said that his hooks as Joe came in during that fight where brilliant too, it was great fighting and I feel Klitch was great while using these tactics too, I do agree that it is half cheating when done this excessively though.

 

Watch Ali v Frazier 2, it was a hugfest.

 

Ali threw far more punches than Wlad in his more clasic bouts and more punches were thrown at him on average, I feel a lot of fights in the 70`s had a high punch volume or maybe I am being vague.