I think I will stay out of this thread, I feel many arguments on the horizon. I have my personal feeling, I have seen all of Muhammad Ali's fights as well as the others since 1965. There are many that I will not participate in.
Ali was almost knocked out by Henry Cooper with 1 punch. So various people could stop him. The people who claimed but he took George Foreman's best punches and didn't get stopped. Well Ali didn't take Foreman's best punches to his head. Foreman landed some good body punches and that was it. Foreman fought foolishly and lost. Mike Tyson would of stopped Ali. Lennox Lewis would stop Ali. I would even pick somebody like Ike Ibeabuchi to stop Ali. Every boxer who ever lived could be stopped by somebody.
Right. Anyone even passively watching that fight could see Foreman landing flush several times. Ali himself wrote of a quite easy-to-see right uppercut that he wasn't able to avoid via the ropes that almost took his head off. I'd highly reccomend watching that fight again...carefully. Though Holmes was far from the puncher Foreman was, his right hand was far from a joke, and he landed it at least two dozen times flush in that fight. Ali stayed up. How about Shavers, greatest puncher who ever lived? Landed pretty much the same shot he kd Holmes with on Ali and Ali stayed up.
So...let me get this straight. PRIME Shavers, who (past his prime) knocked out Norton and nearly demo'd Holmes, landed flush on a way-past-it Ali on at least TWO separate occasions and couldn't even knock him down, much less out. But PRIME Ali COULD be knocked out? Hilarious. Who hit harder than prime Shavers? Only Wilder and Foreman come close.
Don't let some of these bubbleheads bother you Richard M. You are one of our most respected members. If you have a point of view, let's have it. Just don't be distressed with some of the "Hard cases" with the small numbers on posts and likes. One, in particular, I'd wager will be gone by Sunday. Hope you're well mate.
Prime for prime, I would only give Joe Louis a chance. Even then, given Ali's speed and sublime movement, Joe will have to gamble, literally guess and punch the space you think your opponent's going to be in. Get it wrong against a quick, switched on and sometimes, spiteful Fighter like Ali and you're toast.