Supposing Muhammad Ali had never become afflicted with Parkinson's ? How would his late career comebacks have gone ? It would have been too late in his career to have beaten Holmes,yet a healthier Ali would still have given him more of a fight (dodgy weight reducing drugs,not withstanding ! ) It would n't have surprised me,though if he'd managed to nick a win off someone like John Tate or Mike Weaver. After that I could see him organising a Boxing Seniors Tournament.
And what would he be doing today ? I think he does pretty well getting about nowadays considering how ill he is. Still a champ !
Weaver, at that stage, would probably outwork him.And don't let Ali in the ring with Cooney, Dokes, or Page.
Yeah, his skills are still timeless. Anyone ever see a lumbering Klitschko switch under to over and throw something like this? [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prxnGjKjxoo&feature=player_embedded[/ame]
Not very. Once his speed and reflexes began to slow he was too easy to hit. Fighters like Moore, Hopkins and even Holmes were successful into their 40s because they had far better fundamental defensive skills, so could enjoy fight for longer and, most importanly, stay healthy when they retired (or nearly in Hopkins case). Ali was always going to end up 'punchy' the way he fought during his second reign.
I'd forgotten doing this thread ! There's a lot in what you say. Because of Ali's God given natural flair,speed and cast iron chin,he got away with not bothering with some of the basics. In spite of that,though,he was still taking comparatively little punishment up to 1974/75. It was after Manilla that he started to slow up dramatically. Neither he nor Frazier should have stepped into a ring after that fight,unless they were dressed in a suit ! Who knows ? Maybe both men's health would have been better today.
With Holmes though,we must consider that if he was 28 years old in 1970,and had three fights apiece with Joe Frazier and Ken Norton plus one with George Foreman,they'd have been wars just like they were with Ali. Between 1978-1983 say,Holmes had just one war with Norton and maybe The Witherspoon fight could have been construed as one. If Larry had faced Muhammad's 70's battles,I do n't think his career would have lasted so long.
While it is true that he became easier to hit he never became a straight-up punching bag(the closes he was to this was his last 2 fights).
John Tate would win an easy decision over him, Mike Weaver would outwork him and have a harder time, but still win a unanimous decision, even shaking Muhammad a few times with that hook.