If Muhammad Ali didn't have a 3.5 year ban how would his career have looked?

It's a really hard one this.

I think Frazier beats him regardless, so that doesn't change in my head, and I do wonder if the rest enabled him to have the longevity he did.

Without that maybe his career finishes 3 years sooner i dunno.

 

Worse. He would have taken a lot of damage in meaningless fights against a denuded division. The lay-off helped make him.

 

I think his aura would have grown larger scorching some C and B level fighters until smokin Joe Frazier gave him a whoppin.
And I believe that Frazier would have beaten any version of Ali

 

Taking three years out in your prime would work against pretty much anyone combine this with Ali ballooning up in weight and having the stress of 90% of your country hating you it was a very difficult time for him

The lay off definitely had a negative impact you just have to watch fights from before and after to see the slow down in his foot speed and stamina something Ali admitted to himself

 

Maybe but he also looked more solid an more resilient. maybe even hitting harder cos he wasn’t moving around so much when throwing his punches

 

You don't think Ali would have been sharper, better reflexes if he had fought Frazier earlier, while still being active?

 

As much as I agree that the ban was a total disgrace, but in a way it did aid his legacy as truly the best to ever do it. He beat everyone even after all the BS he had to deal with.

Prime for prime? I think he was mentally tougher as a result, but his footwork had slowed down a bit by the time he fought Foreman. Perhaps, it kind of balanced out in a way.

 

3.5 of his prime years taken from him. How could his record not have been better if he'd fought during that period? Makes zero sense to suggest anything else.

 

If Ali hadn't been banned for 3 1/2 years, he may not have boxed until as late in life and may not have incurred so much damage.

 

Been better
You can't take 3.5 years out and still have the exact physical attributes

He's the GOAT anyway

 

Undisputed GOAT

 

Yeah, I don't know why people contort themselves over this. He was practically the same size in the two first fights against Frazier as he was against for example Williams and Terrell, just slower and with less stamina. How on earth is that a positive?

If not for the exile he meets Frazier when he's better than he was in 1971 and Frazier not yet the complete product. Ali beats Frazier and everyone else up to about 1973-1975. At that time age and complacency might cost him an L, most likely against Norton in that case.

 

Ali left less on the table than Louis because his absence came during a transitory period where Ali had cleaned out the division. There simply aren't a lot of guys Ali didn't fight he could have fought during 67,68,69. And most of his top opponents from the 70s like Norton,Young, Lyle etc wouldn't have been available for him to fight during his exile. If upon his return Ali was trying to make up for lost time he probably did because there were more worthy opponents available in those years.

Resume wise what we'd see if Ali wasn't banned is him fighting mostly the same people in a different order. In terms of boxing due to the butterfly effect Alis career would probably be worse if he wasn't banned because theres very little room to improve and lots of room to go in the other direction.

Lets look at whose available for Ali to fight he didn't fight
Leotis Martin whose going to retire right away, Old Machen, Cleroux, Amos Lincoln, Thad Spencer, Manuel Ramos, Henry Clark, Jefferson Davis, Al Jones. Maybe Roman would be ready?

With half this list they are too old and you're wondering if they'll still be around and the other half its too early to reach the top.