Would Ali go Undefeated Vs Lennox Lewis Competition

Does Ali go Undefeated Vs Lennox Lewis Competition

If not who would he lose to ?

 

What are the rules here? Does Ali age? Does he experience wear and tear? Or are we tossing a fresh '67 Ali in against each of Lewis's opponents?

I can tell you one thing I know -- he doesn't get one shotted by McCall and Rahman. He also doesn't struggle with Mercer. Think Holmes made Mercer look bad? Wait until he's up against '67 Ali. Ali probably wins every single round.

 

I'd say, although Vitali has the best shot at winning.

 

That's the one potential issue if Ali ages. He doesn't have the raw physicality to pull that one off like Lewis did if he's aged and cannot outbox Vitali.

 

I have Ali as a comfortable favourite until about 1976

 

Ali starts his career 1960 in 1989 when Lennox Lewis started

 

So that means 2003 would be the equivalent of 1974-1975 for Ali? I think he's got this.

 

Yes.
ATG Lennox's competition wasn't at its peak at the time he fought Lennox (except maybe Vitali, so the cut was a fortunate circumstance; I'm not discounting Lennox's success).
I can start with Donovan Ruddock or Tony Tucker, there is no point in listing earlier. To think that in '67 Muhammad Ali would have beaten them all.
Those who were at the peak of their careers when they fought Lennox: Hasim Rahman, David Tua, Michael Grant, Zeljko Mavrovic, Henry Akinwande, Ray Mercer (I may have missed Bruno) - I think in '67 Muhammad Ali would have beaten them too .
But in '67 Muhammad Ali was also undefeated. I'm not discounting Lennox's illustrious career.

 

So Ali starts at age 18, doesn't have an exile period, and only has to fight until age 32?

He beats everyone. Not a single loss. Very few moments of struggle or danger for him.

 

Ali was usually bigger and faster and stronger than his competition in the 60s when most think he was at his best. His competition was not good at that time. The only bigger guys he ever fought, were in the 70s, Mathis, inactive for about 3 years went 12 with Ali, Bugner at 230, and Wepner at 6-5,225 went all rounds, Ali never showed that he could punch effectively against bigger fighters. Ali never fought 6-2, 235 pound strong athletes like McCall and Rahman, he never fought anybody like VK, he never fought anybody like Grant, Golotta, Tucker, Mason, Ruddock,Bruno, Mercer, etc. Holyfield, though not huge would have walked through Ali's competition in the 60s easily. Ali struggled with bigger, athletic fighters such as Norton, Bugner, Lyle...Lewis' competition was bigger, stronger and Ali would not have physical advantages.

Ali's was exceptional because he came along at a time when he was a bigger, stronger, faster athlete, when the competition got tougher his dominance faded. Against Lewis' competition his physical advantages would be gone and he would not dominate.

 

I'm thinking he might lose to Klitschko and he might overlook someone along the way

 

I agree with this. Lennox resume isn't as good as it seems when you look into it

 

Lewis fought professionally for 13 years ? Ali turned pro in 1960 ? So Ali's career between 1960-1973 without exile ? I think Ali should do a clean sweep in all honesty.

 

Who do you think Ali loses to?

 

Ali could lose to most of them or he could beat most of them, there is no opponent that he fought that would give us an idea of how he would do against bigger, fast, athletic men. Against men his size like Lyle, Foreman, and Norton he had his hands full, against bigger ones, who knows, I suspect that Ali would struggle. IMO, Ali in the 60s was in a class of his own physically and I have my suspicions about why that was. By the early 70s, some had caught up, by the late 70s, 80s, 90s, etc., most top heavyweights were at least the equal to Ali physically. Fighting Folley, Chuvalo, Patterson, Terrell, Cooper, London, Mildenberger, and Cleveland Williams is not like fighting 230+ pound athletes like McCall, Rahman, Ruddock, Mercer, Bruno, Tucker, Golotta, and Mason. Most of Lewis' competition was big, strong, and dangerous, Ali's competition in the 60s was not.

Ali looked slower in the 70s because his opposition improved, he looked fast in the 60s because his opposition was relatively slow, small, and weak. Ali was the first 6-3, 210-15 pound fighter who was fast and coordinated. After Ali, athletic fighters that size were common place and bigger ones followed. I think there are many fighters in the time after Ali who could have fought Ali's 60s competition and looked as impressive as Ali.