How would Ali's career have gone if he had not been stripped of the Heavyweight Championship? Could he have broken Louis' defense record? 26. When would the FOTC taken place? By '74 would he have enough left to take on Foreman? Could his career go as long as it did, if he did not have a break?
Frazier maybe becomes even more dangerous. Frazier would look a lot less to Ali without carrying the belt, I bet. Frazier is the kind of ******* that sneaks up on a great champion. I think Frazier might beat him, and then Ali would take the title back in an immediate rematch. Frazier doesn't do better than 1/3 against Ali no matter how you stack them up.
Do you think this trilogy would have any chance of being as good as their actual one? (Every fight is for the title and 15 rds)
Surely it would be better? II is not a very good fight if we're honest. Maybe it could be with Ali taking his title back from a still hungry Frazier.
The rematch would probably be better and perhaps the rubber match as well. Not as brutal, but more skillful. Hard to see how FOTC can be matched in anticipation and quality, though.
I think Ali could well have become bored and disinterested, and lost to someone ordinary. Or he may have just walked away, or drifted away, within a few years. The Vietnam draft thing kind of made him more of a "folk hero/anti-hero" and getting his title taken away gave him motivation and interest. I don't think the exile in itself did him any harm, just the passing of time. He missed out, but he didn't necessarily deteriorate any more than he would have. In other words, I don't think he'd ever be able to dance around like he was in '66 and '67 for much longer. He was peaking. He may have made another 10 defences, or more, or maybe he would have blown it or got beat after a few more. It's really impossible to tell.
Ali spent his best years in exile,his fights against the Monsters Foreman and Liston who were destroying opponents in very quick time were classic Ali,the Ropeadope against Foreman and his taking apart of Liston should never be forgotten.!!!!!!
