Who Does The Best Against Prime Ali? (Poll Included)

Not overstating it. He will usually probe with his jab against someone who is actively moving around the ring and follows them around to try and stay in his own punching range but he rarely throws it and this is against upright lower level fighters not someone like Ali who is also faking a bunch of punches, moving his upperbody erratically, circling the whole round, intentionally breaking his own rhythm to disrupt his opponents timing and control their reactions. Klitschko would also be aware he's at a speed disadvantage so that could also impact how much he's willing to throw. If Ali becomes momentarily stationary this gives him a chance to land shots just as much as it gives Wladimir a chance because despite being bigger and longer, Wlads punch output would be reduced more than it usually is, he'd have less paths to land his punches because his offense and punch variety is far more limited than Alis and he doesn't move his head. Why do you ignore all of this ?

Ali can slip jabs with head movement not just his feet and in this scenario, since Klitschko has a very principle style and had about 3 punches in his arsenal, very basic, Ali could likely pull away from Klitschkos jabs stepping back with his backfoot while also leaning back. I think better terminology in this case would be Wlad attempts to control space behind the jab and keep the fight at his range, but I've said why Ali can break this foundation. Wlad would be on the front foot the whole fight trying walking down Ali like he usually does against people who constantly circle around him, chasing is just another synonym, you are arguing semantics there.

Byrd isn't fleet footed. He can pop those southpaw angles and slip punches with fluidity but he's stationary in comparison, nowhere near as good at long range and typically uses the ropes a lot because that was his forte, slipping and countering while still being in range. Ibragimov could move but he usually prefers mid range and as we see against Klitschko he isn't constantly circling, and Klitschko was only landing jabs when Ibrigamov had his feet planted anyway, I think it proves my point tbh, go back and watch that fight. Ibrigamov tries to find that right angle to land that southpaw left and jab at mid range and he was more of a technical brawler than a mover in all honesty. I don't find that example relevant. The 2 fighters who were the closest to Ali that Wlad fought, he was actively stalking them and marching forward because he isn't a good ring cutter and needs to get into range to land his shots when the opponent continously backpeddles away from him or angling out of danger, otherwise he wouldn't be in range. This is simple stuff. So in reality Ali wouldn't be "forced" to get on his front foot to try and outland Klitschko, it's the opposite.

 

Wlad's style was never about cutting the ring that much, he's not like Foreman trying to walk someone down.
And like I alsready said, Fury was bigger and younger than him, which changes the fight dynamics completely. Wlad did not have the reach advantage anymore, so he couldn't safely score points and control the distance with his jab.
Vs Ali, he will still have the reach advantage. And he won't be 39 years old like he was vs Fury.

Nope. Ali won't land his jab often enough to do that.

It's not about doing something better or worse, it's about Fury being more unpredictable cause of his awkward style.
It's similar to the K brothers. Wlad had the better fundamentals and hit way harder, but Vitali was harder to beat due to his awkward style and larger size. All those who faced both will tell you that.

His stamina is going to be a huge problem, the constant moving required of him to land his shots will drain his energy.

He's used to dancing when he can dictate the pace and has the reach and size advantage, which he won't have here.

The fight is gonna be 12 rounds and Wlad will have no stamina issues whatsoever. His style wastes very little energy, it's not based on much movement.

 

Considering Wlad needs to set his feet for most of his success and his whole offense is the stiff jab, the right hand, the left hook, he'll probably get figured out

Cop Out, you have yet to explain how he's more awkward

Wlad doesn't have a high workrate and has historically shown far more stamina limitations when he can't dictate the pace which he won't because Alis style is going to force him to work more to outbox and cut the ring to land his shots and Ali has never shown relevant stamina issues. Wlad is also more likely to get KOd

 

No - Wlad certainly didn't get affected by Tyson Furys mind games....

 

You can believe that Wlad would beat Ali or you can believe that Ali would beat Wlad but respectfully what you cannot do is imagine Wlad doing things that he didn't do and Ali succumbing in ways that he didn't do as some sort of confirmation of your bias.

Prime Ali didn't have issue slipping jabs inside or outside, using the pull counter or sharp shooting straighter, faster punches that landed ahead of his slower handed opponents. He certainly didn't show stamina issues just based on him having to move where he's not absorbing consistent body punishment.

These threads become redundant - same old same old.

 

He never fought someone with Wlad's jab.

 

Saying we can’t project hypothetical outcomes, but that’s literally what fantasy matchups are. The issue is you’re only allowing projection in Ali’s favor.

Ali slipped jabs well, against smaller, shorter, and generally slower heavyweights. Wlad isn’t just “another jab”, he’s a 6’6” super-heavyweight with one of the longest, most disciplined jabs ever, that Ali never dealt with at that scale.

So it’s not “imagining things Wlad didn’t do” it’s applying what he did do (range control, jab dominance, size) to a matchup Ali never faced.

 

Didn’t have much of a problem with Listons jab. Wlad is taller but Ali has literally everything else going for him over Wlad.
The younger Ali in particular Wlad wouldn’t get near him

 

Liston quit with a left shoulder injury.

 

Supposedly, and what about the rematch

 

He had a problem with literally every other good jabber he fought.

He wouldn't have to just keep him at range and outpoint him with his jablol

 

Is it supposed if they were rubbing linament or whatever it was on his shoulder in the corner?

The rematch lasted for like half a round and i doubt Ali could land a counter over Wlad’s jab his temple unless Wlad crouched down.

 

He barely got past Sam Peter doing that and got knocked down three times by Peters wild swinging punches and was wide open..
Ali would pepper him with jabs and quick rights

 

Yet Sam Peter with his lightning fast punches compared to Ali…can give Wlad all kinds of trouble and knock him down repeatedly ?

 

So now Ali is magically a hard-hitting forward moving puncher?