If any? Ali wasn't quite as fast nor did he move as easily on his toes though he could still do it when in top shape. He was still exceptional in these areas. Ali was a pinch heavier. Was he stronger? Did he punch harder? Take a punch better? More versatile?
None really, I always say his real prime ended during the 3 years off, obviously he was still great but he was never the same.
He learned how to control a fight in the clinches better but he was already learning that before his exile.Henry Cooper remarked on the difference in him between their two fights.
Nothing that noticeable, but naturally he progressed in terms of experience to some degree. Little things that would be hard to notice from the outside. Was he stronger? Don't think there was much difference any which way. When he was in shape, he was usually in the 212-2015 range in the 70's, so not much more than in the 60's, and the difference was probably body fat. Nothing like, say, Holy or Lewis, who put on solid muscle in their 30's. Ali just looked softer when he got bigger. Power? Not really. Ali was certainly bigger against, say, Mathis, MacFoster, Blin and Bob Foster, but I can't say his punches seemed to have more effect than against Mildenberger, Williams, Folley etc. His KO ratio was way better in the 60's. Only Chuvalo and Terrell went the distance with him in his 60's title fights, and it's quite possible that he could have finished off Ernie if he wanted to. The Chuvalo and Patterson fights are probably the best measures for comparison. I can't see anything he did better in the rematches. Not that he looked bad, but he just looked a somewhat slower and less active version of the 60's one.
He seemed more durable, if that's the correct way of putting it, second time around. But that probably in part to him not dancing as much, not leaving him self open as he did when younger. I always thought, how a young, dancing Ali would have gone on in the 70 s with Frazier, Norton, Foreman, lyle etc. The Ali that faced Cooper first time for example v Frazier.. Part of me thinks Ali would have beaten him to a pulp, closing his eyes, and stopping him, and part of me shudders to think if Henry could drop him.. Wtf would the Smoke do..?
People forget how badly hurt Ali was by Bonavena. He was more or less out on his feet from a punch that didn't seem much at all. The power of the punch is not everything, it also has a lot to do with how clean you're hit and if you saw it coming. The punch from Cooper and the one from Bonavena seemed to be ones Ali just didn't see coming. He was all in all way too relaxed and careless against Cooper up until the punch.
Oscar Bonavena fought Ali on Dec 7 1970, Ali fought Cooper on June 18 1963, when he got dropped by Henry, in round 4, but arose to win by TKO 5. In the rematch on May 21 1966, Muhammad stopped Cooper, in 6, chopping up that eyebrow. Ali of 1966 was way better than post exile Ali of 1970. He had one fight before Bonavena, stopping Jerry Quarry on cuts, on Oct 26 1970. He had been out of the ring since March 22 1967, when he stopped Zora Folley, in round 7. The only difference of the post exile Ali, is that he did punch harder, Bonavena, TKO15. But lacked footwork and stamina to dance for 15 rounds non stop, without laying on the ropes. And his post exile era style of fighting led to his later injuries, especially Parkinson's.
I say physical strength stood up to Foreman without being pushed around maybe a little more power. Also I'd assume the added experience added to his fight iq.
Good point. For example when Ali was fighting Foreman in Zaire Africa he notice that the ring was very soft. He also noticed that foreman was much faster on his feet then he thought coming in. George was cutting the ring down and making Ali expend more energy than he could maintain. Muhammad Ali in 1974 had the versatility strength to change up mid-fight lay on the ropes and absorb heavy blows from forming on the arms, side of the head, shoulders, body. If young Ali was in the same situation does he have that the confidence to do that? The durability to take those punches on the ropes? I just think sometimes 1970s Muhammad Ali gets shortchanged at least we're talking about 1970-75. Anytime after that he was just a man doing a Muhammad Ali impersonation.
He was also hurt by Banks and Doug Jones rocked him in '63. In '73 it's quite possible that he laughs off those punches.
Bending rules. Quite a few fighters complained on how he leaned on them pushing their necks down in clinches. Ali pre1970 got rocked because he engaged back then. Post 1970 he got pretty good on leaning back or away to take some of the sting off punches.
Banks was, as you well know, when he still was maturing and growing. Same with Jones to a lesser externt. No one calls that prime Ali. But he didn't laugh off Bob Fosters punches or Pattersons in the 70s. Both hurt him.
He was good at concealing how hurt he was that way. He did something similar against Shavers (he backed up then, though, which he didn't do against Foster). When visiting a doctor late in his career he named the Foster fight as one of two occasions (think it was two, but can't remember the other one right now) he had been hurt in the ring. It's in Hauser's book. I don't buy that Foster hurt him that bad, though. It might be that he didn't remember the times he was really hurt, as he was against Cooper. But I don't think he would have mentioned Foster in this context if he wasn't somewhat shook up by his punches.
