The rope a dope was “on the spot”?

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Yeah, but where's the article. The link is broken.

 

The ring was small (16 feeet) and soft. The ref Zach Clayton couldn't believe Ali agreed to "fight him in a telephone booth". That's why the ropes were lose. They were made for a 19 foot ring.

 

Because Ali knew he could take George into deep waters and outman him. Ali was a hard, hard man. And strong AF.

Listen to George admit it.

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Nothing to add.

 

Jesus.

It was a practiced contingent strategy that Ali activated based on the surrounds/environment (the heat, the soft canvas, the small ring, loose ropes, etc.) AND the opponent before him…

…..AND Ali’s own self realisation, in the face of ALL those factors/variables, that he couldn’t viably move around Foreman all night. Ali had to adapt himself to ALL that, and adapt he did.

According to Ali it was spontaneous in so far as being a defensive manoeuvre that he hadn’t necessarily premeditated to employ as any measure of an express strategy against Foreman.

His own team screamed at Ali do get off the ropes. While Ali did some laying on the ropes against his sparring partners for Zaire - it wasn’t unusual vision for his prep for many of his fights -

Larry Holmes, one of Ali’s sparring partners of course, for one said that while Ali did lay on the ropes at times and let Larry wail away, Larry had no idea that Ali would actually do same against Foreman.

At the time, many would’ve interpreted laying on the ropes to be a suicide move against Foreman - a suicide move even for Ali.

Ali’s prior practising off the ropes could’ve just as easily have been interpreted as prep for when Ali found himself forced to and trapped on the ropes - no choice involved in having found himself there.

Practising off the ropes allowed for developing the skills to defend/fight off the ropes as well as conditioning the body/mind for any shots that did get through.

Of course Foreman could cut the ring very well - but the ring was also very small making it even easier for Foreman to catch up with Ali.

Ali opened the fight magnificently, proactively aggressive, popping Foreman good while still being somewhat mobile -

However, Foreman still caught up before the first round was even out, landing some very hard shots on Ali after having forced Ali to the ropes.

Thereafter, Ali preempted the strategy himself, voluntarily going to the ropes on occasion, rather than finding himself forced there and already badly hurt.

He clearly felt (correctly) that he could manage Foreman’s offence better at certain times whilst laying on the ropes and also understood that Foreman was expending major energy wailing away on him - but it wasn’t without cost - Ali still copped serious punishment to the body.

The periods during which Ali laid on the ropes have often been exaggerated. Ali was still doing some moving and catching Foreman with many, efficiently purposed sniper like shots to the head that served to damage, wear down and drain Foreman also.

Perhaps lost in translation is the fact that it was a seriously terrific power punching display put on by Ali - and notably, he went into the fight without any compromise to his otherwise often impaired/brittle hands - hands that sometimes curtailed not just his real time fight performances but also his prep going into fights.

Many don’t highlight Ali’s weight either. He was 216 1/2 lbs - which wasn’t screaming a plan for unbridled and consistent movement.

Ali’s dancing weight, as he liked to call it, was 212 lbs or so, as he was for both the Norton and Frazier rematches - even at that weight, Ali was no longer able to dance throughout a whole fight.

No, the heavier weight didn’t necessarily suggest that the rope a rope as an express strategy was premeditated -rather, I think Ali came in with intentionally “trained in”’greater strength and pop (= feet more planted) for Foreman.

Physically, Ali appeared that much stronger in the arms, chest, shoulders and back than he did for many other fights - especially his previous two fights. For Foreman, he was “purposed built” for max. strength and power punching.

That Ali applied his strength with prudent leverage (and illegal tactics as already highlighted) didn’t make Ali stronger than Foreman in raw terms - Ali himself attested to Foreman’s formidable strength, just as several other contemporaries of the day did also - including Jerry Quarry when recounting his sparring against Foreman.

If there was any perception of Foreman being necessarily “manhandled”, it was when and as Foreman began to notably gas.

At one stage Foreman was bent through the ropes and he literally laboured to bring himself upright even after Ali’s hands had been removed from him.

 

Hi Pugguy.
I have seen many a breakdown and synopsis since my time here, but none with as much detail, and detail that is hard to argue with, shows a dearth of boxing and tactics knowledge rarely seen on the forum, and worded in plain and easy to understand prowse, if you never write another word on the site no matter, your work here is done, many, many thanks.
stay safe buddy, chat soon.
Mike.

 

Thanks Mike. I really appreciate that.

 

I totally agree Mike, it was an outstanding post. Who woulda thunk someone named "Pugguy" would be such a knowledgeable treasure?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

People like you?

You wish you could be like us.

We get our “ideas” from/via actual knowledge, intellect and commons sense.

We independently arrive at our own, well researched conclusions which, sometimes , even often, see us in agreement - brains and logic being the key shared attributes among us that lead us the way.

Certainly, there’s a good number of us not so patently corrupted by an unhealthy and unjustified preoccupation with Foreman, chaining us to undying efforts to unduly discredit him and discredit anyone who else who duly credits him. That is not normal.

Far more often than not, you try to attack the poster(s) both individually and collectively who oppose your opinion, rather than actually upholding your own case.

That MO defines you - and, when it naturally gets kicked back on you at some point, after your own prior unyielding, consecutive efforts to talk smack - you are the first to one to cry poor.

And yet AGAIN, how many times do you have to be told that I’m not interested in exchanging with you?

You can’t help yourself nor your obsessions, quite obviously.

Here’s an idea for you to occupy yourself.

Why don’t you get Fat Toney on the rubbing table again to give him a nice, long, deep tissue massage? - gratifying as much for you as it would be for Fat Toney himself, I’m sure.

 

I know, right?

Dementia has begun to creep in from the punches I failed to block.

As such, I’m kinda in and out, always trying to time my posts with my more lucid moments but it’s a short lived cognisance that can quickly evaporate without warning.

Btw, who are you and why are you talking to me? I don’t know any John Thomases.

Nurse….nurse…!!??

 

He truly was a one in a million fighter .
I really can't imagine any other boxer being able to do that with Foreman, just taking those shots to his body.

 

I mean he made up the plan right when he met the enemy for the second round.