There are people who think Ali threw the first Spinks fight?

I think Ali was showing early signs of Parkinson's by then, he looked really bad in interviews in the late 70's.

 

That idea went through my head at one time just because I know Ali wanted to win the title for a 3rd time and to do that he would have to lose. But I can't accuse him of that because his will to win was too strong. Guess we will never know

 

From memory one magazine questioned if he threw the fight so he could be the first three time champion when he regained it. It may have even been a cover story.

I've never overly bought it.

 

He said he was embarrassed by the loss.

 

I don't think so. He didn't count on Leon Spinks's conditioning and desire and ability to go 15 rounds with only 7 fights. He wasn't in the best shape and gassed out. I'm sure he thought he could catch him in the late rounds. I also agree Ali was showing signs of Parkinson's by then.

 

Would be interesting if the detection techniques we have today were available in the 70s how early it may have been caught? It's crazy to think he may have been in early stages during some of his battles in '75.

 

Ali was a shell of himself and didn’t take Spinks seriously but he didn’t throw the fight. It was a case of a cherry pick going bad.

 

He couold say that but it doesnt mean he was.

 

He was slower and winning on courage and guile alone by then.

 

Yes, but the damage he was taking too. Almost all 15 round fights I believe.

 

Yeah..Ferdie Pacheco wanted him to retire after the third fight with Joe Frazier....Its hard to find someone who took more punishment while winning a fight, not even Aaron Pryor on the first Arguello fight took half the punishment and Pryor-Arguello I affected Aaron. Not even Wilfredo Gomez when he beat Lupe Pintor, Israel Vazquez-he was actually close to matching Ali but- when he beat Rafael Marquez in the third fight, or Marvin Hagler when he beat Tommy Hearns.

And then there was the Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton 3 fights which I thought Ali "shaded" by a point or two but I mean the punishment just added and was hellish too.

 

It’s not completely out of the question that he threw that fight. but I think it’s more likely that he didn’t take Leon seriously. Muhammad Ali was developing a habit of not training as hard in the late seventies and his declining health may have had something to do with that. He looked pretty bad against Evangelista, Young and Wepner

 

Anything is possible, but I think the money bet would be that Ali was not that business-smart or career cagey to be that necessarily devious and probably not that good of an improvisational actor to pull off looking old and defeated in real time. Also don't think he would've signed off on 15 rounds of battering on his kidneys for that plan. Had to be easier ways to job yourself out to someone you knew you could beat in a rematch, right?

 

Go watch the 15th round of their first fight and tell me Ali is trying to lose. He’s trying to pull his fat out of the fire after giving away too many rounds rope-a-doping a guy who just kept punching and pounding away.