Alex Miteff tears his bicep. Ali fights Ingo instead

No way they throw him in with a recently dethroned champion, and devastating puncher in Ingo at that stage.

 

For those wondering, this has some (albeit flimsy) root in reality.

Ali sparred three rounds with Ingo when Johansson was getting ready for Floyd II or III. And Ali said Ingo was offered $100K to fight young Ali and Ingo declined, saying the fight wouldn’t draw and Ali didn’t belong in the ring with him.

You can find footage atop this thread:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threa...r-johansson-in-prep-for-patterson-iii.637657/

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Ali dance his way to victory over a post-Patterson III Ingo, but he could land that bingo so who knows.

 

A torn bicep is a very painful injury.

Can we just have Alex sprain his wrist or something and spare him the agony?

 

He also nailed Cleveland Williams with an anchor punch but he didn't go down from it.

People that are like 'well why didn't he throw that punch in any other fight' apparently never watched Ali.

Thomas Hearns also threw it from time to time.

 

Excellent info.

You read/hear so much more from the naysayers than from those who gave the anchor punch credence.

There is also the much left often seen side view vision of Ali’s pull counter on Liston - I mean, Ali was ultra fast but even for Muhammad, that punch was insanely fast landing on the incoming Liston.

Jim Braddock’s opinion varied slightly. He felt that Ali wasn’t getting the credit he deserved as a fighter. He saw the anchor punch as a finishing punch, believing that Ali shook Liston to his toe tips with a right hand earlier in the round - I’m pretty sure we all know the punch he was speaking of - a super fast jarring right that caught Liston cold right on the jaw.

Too bad the fight was so brief - Ali looked ripped at at about 206 lb, super mobile, perfectly fluid yet notably strong and powerful. With some more rounds, it could’ve easily been a performance that exceeded the Williams bout as Ali’s greatest display. In that regard, I think we really missed out on a performance with clear ATG potential.

As to Ingo, we know sparring is a separate animal but yeah, I think the very young Ali could’ve pulled it off. However, even though Ali’s Achilles heel was the left hook, if Ingo could do anything well, it was getting the straight right through as part of a simple 1-2.

Younger Ali might’ve still survived it had it landed but either way, taking some full hits from Ingo could’ve potentially damaged his future in the game I would guess.

Different fighter and stylistic issues again but Ali’s team knew well enough to keep Ali away from Chuvalo until he was properly developed and ready.

 

It wasn't like Ali fought many top guys who had great right hands.

 

I have to applaud your humanity - even in the realm of fantasy. I’m sure Alex, where ever he may be, thanks you also.

Instead of a torn bicep, I might’ve had a piano being winched to an upper level apartment coming loose then falling and crushing poor Alex, an innocent pedestrian below, just prior to the fight.

I loved me my cartoons when I was a kid, particularly the non PC violent ones (hello Road Runner, Wily Coyote and ACME products) - which did NOT cause me to become a serial killer or mass murderer.

 

An anvil, not a piano.

Anvils were in far greater use in cartoons than real life.