Take away Ali’s iron chin. Then what?

He loses to all the big punchers...

 

Don't forget Ron Lyle

 

If his chin is Pattersonesque, there’s NFW he beats Liston in the first fight. He wouldn’t have a reasonable chance to be champ until Liston got out of the way.

Patterson was well schooled, had some power, and was faster than Ali. Ali had physical strength, range and better lateral movement. They’d be way closer if Ali didn’t have the chin though. Look at how Carl Williams panned out.

 

Oh man, it could be bad. Especially the second half of his career when he relied on that chin.
Foreman could have him in big trouble and Frazier in FOTC would come close to stopping him.

 

Ali was already post-prime when he fought Frazier.
Frazier wouldn't land anywhere near as many hooks on Ali in his prime.
Ali would stay off the ropes and keep moving.

 

Take away the chins of a lot of great fighters and you could be looking at similar adverse effects and results.

My belief is that when you fight at a certain level against all comers. - as Ali did, it doesn’t matter how skilled you are, if the comp. is of a certain, general high quality, as Ali’s was, you’re going to get hit and tested.

Those with weaker chins are generally culled out at the truly elite level. What about Marciano, Liston, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes etc? Take away their extraordinary beards and there would’ve been more than a few close calls, potential disasters that would’ve been materially realised.

Btw, Ali wants his chin back. The current one isn’t a good look.

 

I actually think Golovkin has a very underrated defence. A lot of the stuff he does is subtle, and fast. He has a habit of tucking his head in and putting his glove up against headshots, which sometimes look like they are landing until you watch the slo-mo. That said, his chin is a big part of the reason he is so successful, because he knows he can afford to get painted once in a while, whilst putting his own pressure on. If GGG had no chin I think we'd see a much more technical boxer using his feet and head more to get away from attacks. It would be jabsville for all his opponents. Even more, I mean.

 

Yeah, but you can’t discount that Ali waved his chin in the air. Also, Patterson did move and box in some fights.

 

I do not see much changing.


Ali did not have an iron chin (it was merely very good), but what he did have was a great heart and perhaps the best mastery of boxing psychology of any fighter.