Note from Muhammad Ali on hardest puncher in boxing history

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Earnie Shavers hit harder than Joe Frazier and George Foreman said Ali.

 

Muhammad did mention that Earnie was the one who hit him the hardest though. Although that could have been because Earnie hit him with a lot more shots to the head than George did. Ali blocked,rode or slipped a lot of Foreman's headshots even though a few got through. This was indicative of how far Muhammad had slipped in the three years between those fights.

 

He repeatedly claimed post Shavers bout that Shavers hit him the hardest ... maybe the Foreman claim was before he fought Shavers in 77 as there were three years between ...

 

I wish that Muhammad had avoided as many of Earnie's shots as he did George's.

 

Earnie wouldn't like those destiny-guided sharp Zaire counters. I reckon Ali would find an opening quite fast.

 

Very true. The Ali of Zaire would have scored a very clear decision over the 1977 Earnie. Maybe even stopped him late in the bout.

 

go to 59:50 and Ali says Foreman had no power and didn't hit hard. He said Foreman did thumb him. This is from an interview in the dressing room right after the fight. Ali is unmarked and looks like he could fight another fight. Ali does not look tired or like he has been in a tough fight.
Ali said that he told Foreman that he "couldn't punch, had no power, swung like a sissy"...this interview was right after the fight, Ali did not sound like he was impressed by Foreman's power.

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Ali stated in his biography that George landed a right uppercut flush (it was either in the 4th or 5th rounds) that made him feel like his head was coming off. You can see it for yourself.

 

You're taking his immediate post-fight comments as meaning much, given how Ali spent months before the fight (and then the fight itself) mind****ing Foreman?

 

Yeah, I can see that uppercut in my mind’s eye right now - it really reefed Ali’s head up.

That’s the thing with Ali - he disguised it so well it’s difficult to pinpoint all the times he was seriously hurt. I think it was in Rd 10 Manila - Frazier was ruthlessly hooking Ali on the ropes - Ali was half bent and not throwing back for a concerning period - then he came “alive” to throw back and work his way out of the corner. Unreal.