Muhammad Ali (Foreman fight) vs Larry Holmes (Cooney fight)

Holmes! But then again I would pick Holmes to nip a 50/50 type of fight in their primes for whatever that is worth.

 

That's quite a compliment to Larry, considering I personally think the 60s Ali was h2h unbeatable. I think Ali would have beat him in that time frame, possibly by SD but definitely edging him due to volume of punches and fast footwork. I don't think Larry would land on 60s Ali the way he would on 1974 Ali.

 

that is fine there are a lot of people who agree with you and that find Ali the goat and unbeatable h2h...I find him neither. # 2 behind Louis and h2h around 5 or so from memory, not that I put much stock or emphasis on imaginary hypothetical h2h’s

 

Muhammad Ali of the 1960's as champion, he was too fast in his prime, he cut up Henry Cooper in a rematch on May 21 1966, TKO 6, toyed with Floyd Patterson on Nov 22 1965, TKO 12, defeated George Chuvalo by unanimous 15 round decision on March 29 1966. Look what he did to a fighter with a good long left jab in Ernie Terrell on Feb 6 1967, he badly outpointed him by a lopsided decision. Larry Holmes would not be fighting an aged Ali of Oct 2 1980, but a finely tuned prime Muhammad Ali. If a out of prime Ali could give a young Larry Holmes a black eye in sparring, imagine what a 1964-1967 Ali would do to him. Ali took away Sonny Liston's pole like left jab in their 1964 bout.

 

I'm starting to feel Holmes is getting overrated. At 28 he went life and death with an ageing Norton, and he was in his prime badly hurt by Shavers, Snipes and Weaver.

Maybe he was still in his prime in '82, but I still can't see him much more than 50/50 against even 32-year old Ali and I see people pick him against a prime Ali? An Ali that outclassed a dominant champion and top contenders. While Holmes might have been as consistent as a prime Ali, he certainly wasn't as dominant.

And even at 32 Ali beat better fighters than Holmes ever did.

 

Hard to argue with Louis at #1, my friend. I have him at #2 and it's a close call imo.

 

I agree with this. But prime Holmes was no joke.

 

Yeah it'd be close but i'd go for Ali to nip it. He'd stifle Holmes jab somewhat with right hands over the top and he still had plenty of sting in that Foreman fight even if he wasn't peak.

 

This is a 50/50 fight. I'm picking Ali, but without much confidence.

 

I pick Ali with confidence.

 

Ali by close decision. I see Muhammad's right hand causing Larry problems. But could go either way with the jab being a decisive factor too. Even at 32,Ali's was marginally faster while Holmes' has slightly more power.


1967 Ali wins decisively on points.

 

Holmes on points. Ali, slowed down at that point and he won't beat Larry by rope a dope.
Ali sparkles now and again but it's a determined Holmes that wins with his Jab.

 

This for me too. I think that if you take Ali's jab away he struggles. Holmes would imho probably be too systematic for a degraded Ali to beat. Holmes on points.

 

Absolutely.

 

Holmes wasnt exactly peak himself here but I think he clearly had more in the tank. And in this match up he would be the fresher, more active, more mobile fighter. It would be ugly, and it wouldn't be a dominating stoppage, probably a disputable UD for Holmes with some thinking Ali spoiled enough to edge it. I just can't see them duking it out.