This was Ali's famous comeback fight in Atlanta GA. Muhammad stopped Jerry on cuts after 3 rounds. Knowing what we know now about how Ali performed in the Bonevena fight being ring rusty. Some even say he had rust in the FOTC. What if Quarry/Ali goes off the same way with one exception, Jerry doesn't cut on this day. In the first 2 rounds Ali came out looking good against Jerry (though bigger). Ali took both rounds. 3rd round Ali slowed down and Quarry showed signs of life, finding the Ali's ribs with his hook. Turn Quarry gets a cut in an odd place. If this continued to unfold does Jerry with Advantage of being an active fighter upset the apple cart and beat Ali on this night?
At first glance, your post looks a little out of synch with what we now know the result to be, but , it is not without some merit, and deserves a modicum of introspection, Quarry was indeed closing the distance just before the cut, and as you say ( and we know ) Ali was very ring rusty, a writer of the stature of Norman Mailer put in print that had the cut not been so bad ( or no cut at all ) it might have been a difficult night for Ali I chime with this assertion. stay safe buddy.
Ali probably would have been reduced to fighting in spurts, resting his legs and more stationary. Quarry could have made things interesting. We all know Ali knewn how to dig deep.
Ali himself said when asked how Quarry was in the bout, "Had it not been for the cut, I think it would have gone the distance."
The fight would more than likely have gone the distance. But I can't see Jerry beating Muhammad. I envisage Ali tiring a bit through the middle rounds but getting a second wind in the last part of the bout. Ali by UD. Rematch follows a couple of years later as in real time and was one of Muhammad's best post-exile performances.
Ali started off so fast and so fine. His opening two round performance probably comprised of a good measure of nervous energy. He actually looked great physically at 216 1/2 lb but we might assume that the extra weight was going to tell on Muhammad the longer it went, atop the inactivity and ring rust. IIRC, Ali trained 6 weeks for fight, bringing himself down from about 238 lb??? Anyway, if no cut, it’s natural to think that rusty Ali would’ve definitely slowed down, fighting in spurts, buying some rest - which he still did do to a fair extent in the FOTC, even with the arduous 15 rd’r vs Bonavena under his belt. After the fight, Quarry said Ali’s punches literally did not hurt him. Just imo, the vision belies that claim. Sure, Ali cut Jerry but Ali was also thumping Jerry pretty good otherwise and setting him back on his heels. No cut, a harder fight would’ve ensued but I could see Ali still stopping Quarry at some later point anyway.
Jerry Quarry as talented as he was still cannot cope with even the ring rusty Muhammad Ali, who by the way is no Thad Spencer whom Jerry stopped on Feb 3 1968 in round 12, during the 1967 WBA Tournament. Spencer was not speedier than Ali, even though a 43 month banishment is quite a substantial one for Ali. Oscar Ringo Bonavena on Dec 7 1970 connected on Ali's body with little effect, I like Jerry Quarry but he does not possess the strong body punching as Joe Frazier demonstrated in The Fight Of The Century on March 8 1971. The June 1970 Ali vs Quarry would last until round 7 as in their June 27 1972 rematch with Jerry being stopped on his feet by Ali.
I do believe for the first Jerry Quarry fight on Oct 26 1970, Muhammad Ali weighed in at 213 lbs, he looked trim for his first bout in 43 months, his last bout was a KO 7 over challenger Zora Folley on March 22 1967.
Could spot Rich. My bad. You know, I recalled Ali’s weight was pretty trim for Quarry 1. Though I should’ve remembered better and I did think Ali did look more trim than 216 1/2 lb, I’ll blame this article (below), which mistakenly references the weights for Ali vs Quarry 2. It’s funny because even the author of the article notes that it’s “curious” that announcer Johnny Addie gives the weights as 213 1/2 lb and 197 1/2 lb - not “curious”, they were the correct weights, LOL. My guess is the author has watched this vid (below) of the weigh in for Ali vs Quarry 2, for which the weights were 216 1/2 and 198 lb - even in his article the author quotes the comments made during the vid AS IF they were from the weigh in for the first fight. Article https://www.ringtv.com/612026-muham...a-century-on-from-the-return-of-the-champion/ Video of weigh in, Ali vs Quarry 2. This content is protected
