Where would you rank a 1-0 fighter whose only victory is FOTC Ali?

Basically you are asking where Leon Spinks rank since accomplished a similar feat. I would rank him in the top 30

 

It would be an ATG win, but to be an ATG fighter you have to have an ATG career. One fight, even an ATG win like that one, wouldn't cut it because it wouldn't answer enough questions about how good this fighter was and how he would stack up against other styles.

In many ways, it's like actual Frazier. Ali was his best win, but his second best win is WAY below that. So much so that he's simultaneously overrated and underrated because he never really actively participated in the 70s tournaments that defined that era.

 

I would like to see 1957 Pete Radmacher against 1978 Leon Spinks in 2021, 15 brutal rounds in Madison Square Garden, $100.00 Pay Per View. The judges are Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, and Floyd Patterson, the referee is Ruby Goldstein.

 

If that were his one and only win then probably not very high. Unless it were someone like Teofilio Stevenson who had one of the greatest amateur careers of all time THEN won the heavyweight title in his first and only fight against the greatest champion of all time. I’d have to consider ranking him somewhat high.

 

But I think that his leader, Fidel Castro would not allow him to make any money. Cuba has been Communist since Jan 1 1959, there are no professional sports whatsoever, our nation is not on friendly terms with them since that time.

 

Up to 1975 when the FOTC was yes.

 

Are you sure?, to this very day, they are Communist according to news reports. FOTC was on March 8 1971. President Obama took off that 1962 embargo placed on them by President Kennedy in 2013 I believe. They still drive around in old 1950's vehicles, still use phonographs.

 

Not sure. You could be right

 

Yeah, the people of Cuba are just now starting to protest the Communist life in 2021 as Dictator Raul Castro has stepped down. After 62 years under Communist rule, the people want no more, that is why Cuban athletes have defected from Cuba recently, over there everybody gets the same amount, it is horrible.

 

I always wondered how Stevenson would have done in the pros. I just started a thread about Him

 

I think he would have done great, he was tall and rangy. He had a stiff long left jab, and a very accurate right hand that would have put many to sleep. Russia is the one country that left Communism as we know it, no more Soviet Union.

 

Yeah the Ali Leon Spinks beat and the one in FOTC are pretty much identical.

 

It would be a great win but not a great career. Not in the top 100 and probably not even the top 1000.

I think part of greatness is making a long term career in the ring. We don't discuss Ali vs Billy Daniels often, but the people who attended it probably remember it fondly. All those unheralded opponents Ali (and other greats) fought put miles on the odometer while also creating more opportunities for people to enjoy and connect to boxing.

It wouldn't be worth discussing if there was 1 fight per year.

Off topic, but this is an interesting and complex subject. I would say that in reality the only communist states left are North Korea and Cuba. China, Vietnam, and Laos are basically authoritarian mixed economy countries now, and the ruling party just calls itself communist for historical reasons. Beyond them, Warsaw Pact countries like Poland and East Germany also gave up communism. Then there's Yugoslavia, they also gave it up.

Of course, it's all a matter of how strict you want to be with definitions.

 

You are right about Cuba, they have been Communist since Jan 1 1959, just now their people are protesting this type of Government, they still only operate 1950's automobiles, they still use phonographs, and they still only get one box of food for the month. I saw a 60 Minutes Segment a few years back, they still do those things. Just for the record, I do not vote for anyone. They are all crooks.