Could anyone KO prime Ali with the neutral corner rule removed?

Not even a petite serving of ear or playful nibble at the least? Fair enough.

I guess I was musing on Mike’s fate if he hadn’t been DQ’d. Does it settle down to a conventional fight with Mike being eventually KO’d/Stopped or does Mike ante it up and foul out in some other way, shape or form?

It’s also interesting that even though Mike was KO’d/stopped several times himself he is often afforded the benefit of the doubt (on paper) in so far as easily KO’ing ATGs who were never or very rarely KO’d/Stopped themselves.

The DQ for Lecterism likely averted another KO/Stoppage loss for Mike.

 

It'd have to be someone not only good enough to knock Ali down, but good enough to knock Ali down first. I think what people are forgetting in this discussion is that the "no neutral corner rule" thing applies to Ali as well, so if he knocked his opponent first, he'd definitely be standing right over him waiting to keep delivering blow after blow.

There aren't very many HWs who would be good enough and durable enough to knock prime Ali without getting knocked first themselves. I think if Tyson got somewhat lucky and managed to knock him first, it would turn out really bad for Ali, as I can say without a doubt Tyson would start brutalizing Ali once in a position where its hard for Ali to get any breathing room or time to reorient himself. Fighting prime Joe Frazier would be a nightmare for Ali in those conditions as well.

 

Anyone that happened to drop him because when you get up they’re immediately hitting you again before you can get your balance or even protect yourself
People that could possibly drop him
Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Povetkin, Fury, Bowe, I’m not saying they would, if any heavyweight lands they can put anyone down and these all have skill to POSSIBLY do that, there is little chance they would, but if they did, and there was no neutral corner rule then he wouldn’t have chance to protect himself