Muhammad Ali: 1967 vs 1974

I think the claim was just talk to hype himself up, he was still a bit slower and less active

As for the fight, i take 1967 Ali by UD

 

The 1967 Ali was unbeaten....the 1974 Ali was twice beaten (Norton & Frazier).

The 1974 Ali did not look really great when he had to be the aggressor against Jimmy Young, so being the aggressor against 1967 Prime Ali will be difficult because '67 can engage and disengage at will.

'67 wins on points.

 

No question, '67 wins against not only the '74 Ali, but everybody else as well. I tend to think Ali in '67 was at or very near any peak he might have attained had he not been harassed by the WBA and the Feds.

 

He also said he threw thunder in jail and done tussled with an aligator.

 

I threw thunder in jail, I done tussled with an alligator!

 

He even made medicine sick

 

To be fair, that was FOTC frazier and Norton is a bad matchup stylistically for him. Not to mention younger ali had all sorts of trouble with henry cooper

 

Cooper`s hook was very quick and Ali was far better in their rematch, he also improved again by the time he fought Williams.

 

The Henry Cooper troublesome fight was in 1963, not 1966.

1966-05-21 : Muhammad Ali 201½ lbs beat Henry Cooper 188 lbs by TKO at 1:38 in round 6 of 15

• Location: Arsenal Football Stadium, Highbury, London, United Kingdom
• Referee: George Smith

• World Heavyweight Title (4th defense by Ali)

Notes

• At 201½ pounds, Ali was at his lightest ever weight for a title fight.
• 46,000 fans attended the fight.
• This was England's first world heavyweight title fight in 58 years.
• The Associated Pres scored the first two rounds for Cooper, called the third even, and gave Ali the fourth and fifth.
• The fight was stopped due to a cut over Cooper's left eye, which Ali opened early in the sixth round. The cut required 16 stitches. Sports Illustrated reported that Ali landed "a short, chopping right hand onto Cooper's left brow. The blood shot out at once. Cooper did not merely bleed, he gushed. The cut opened above and slightly to the side of the brow, near the small artery at the temple, and both fighters were immediately splashed with blood."
• Cooper claimed the cut was opened by an accidental clash of heads.
• Poster
• Photo 2, Photo 3
• See Also: Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper (1st meeting)

Pre-Fight Quote

• "I'll tell Henry Cooper, he's watching this show, to come to the fight and be ready to fight because I'm coming to get you. I'm coming to London to get you. And after I'm through beating him, I think he'll have to join The Beatles and be a singer. I'm coming to get you, Henry. I don't like the way you knocked me down the last time. No man knocks me down and gets away with it, so you be ready for it, you hear? Be ready because I'm coming to get you. Now you go home and tell him that. I'm not joking." - Ali on British TV

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I was merely stating that pre retirement Ali was not flawless, not that Cooper was even in the same ballpark as Ali

 

No problem. Sometimes Fight 2 falls under the radar that it ever existed..it's been 52 years.

 

I agree that Ali had trouble with Cooper in both bouts but that was several years and a good ll pounds lighter then at his zenith against Folley and Williams.

 

It was hype, & while Liston was a better boxer with a longer reach, they hit about as hard.
'74 Ali has a shot against '64 Ali, not in '66 & '67.
Even so, he would have a hard time getting the better of himself at 22. That Ali is not gonna punch himself out, & is faster, especoally of foot,

 

Common sense and looking at the films it's obvious Ali had slowed down from the 60's. 3-4 years of inactivity is never good for a world class athlete who relies on speed and reflexes. Even Ali's trainer acknowledges it. It's called building hype to sell tickets.

60's Ali beats 70's Ali every single time outside of a punchers chance and im not gonna bother explaining why, thats also common freaking sense.