How Would a Ali - Foreman Trioligy Play Out?

Nah. Rather if Norton and Frazier ended up in Zaire instead of Ali, they would be oblitarated in the same way they did in Kingston and Caracas. Ali was just too smart for George.

 

Considering that Foreman took 1975 off completely, besides his Toronto exhibition, I'd pick Ali.
As far as a 1977 match happening, of course that means Foreman beat Young, I think Foreman takes a decision IF he fights a smart fight plan which I think him and Gil Clancy would come up with. Foreman was 7 years younger and Ali was very faded by 1977.

 

Ali "beat" Young and Norton in '76..... two fights the vast majority felt he lost and yes, a lot can change in a year. There was the whole Inoki debacle, in '76 which badly damaged Ali's legs and gave him an infection. His injuries were severe enough, that amputation was considered.

 

Norton yes, but even tho Young ouboxed the hell out of Ai, people were calling him a coward and thought he should have been disqualified for sticking his head out the ropes, so didn't feel like Ali lost that one.

 

Ali should have demanded boxing rules against Inoki, lol.

 

I agree. Also, the fact that the vast majority of his flurries were below the belt. The referee warned him early on; then just let it slide when he didn't stop.

 

I'm pretty sure you also told me that they considered amputating Foreman's legs after the flight to San Juan.

 

Malfunctioning again?

 

Atop that, George’s strategy was less than ideal. Over the first several rounds at least, George is trying to box Young while not throwing many punches - more posing as a boxer than anything else.

He was caught in a mental limbo as far as knowing when to punch and when to box, just imo.

He should’ve gone after Young from the get go - nearly had him out from a single left hook in round 7 but his tank had already begun to drain badly.

 

Yeah, Young was an excellent boxer at best but there was also a lot of stuff he did that wasn’t kosher (= illegal).

Ironic given that Jimmy was the first one to cry whenever he felt that he was hard done by.

Quite a few infractions during the Foreman fight also - but George was the preordained villain, so Young got away with it.

Very similar to Machen getting away with his own fouls vs deemed “bad guy”’Liston, imo.

 

I think it's simple, a rematch in '75, Ali wins again, anything post that Foreman, as Ali would be too faded.

 

To malfunction you have to firstly "function", pal.

 

Ali had two blood clots and an infection. It was said his leg looked like road rash from a motorcycle accident. Bob Arum said amputation was an option. Maybe that was hyperbole. Who knows? As I said before Ali should have demanded boxing rules.

 

Ali caught lightening in a bottle and if you notice there was no rematch. Foreman could have beaten him for sure especially as more time went by in subsequent fights. Ali was slipping. Holmes said at some point that he was his sparring partner he knew he was better. Certainly by the Shavers fight Holmes could have beaten Ali probably decisively.

 

I disagree that it was lightning in a bottle, it was a very one sided bout and Ali had he fought next year was still in good shape - Lyle, Bonavena and Norton were much harder work for Ali…