Who would have been Ali's toughest matchup among boxers he never fought?

Dempsey
Tunney
Louis
Tyson
Holyfield
Lewis
Byrd
Fury

Wlad staying behind his jab could be trouble for Ali. Ali didn't go to the body much and would have to take some risks getting on the inside past Wlad reach and jab. I still favor Ali to win but not easily.

 

...Bowe (Holyfield 1) ...

 

Naturally most people are naming other great champions, but I wonder if there was another Ken Norton figure, who was not the best of his era, but just had Ali's number.

 

Me neither, I'd say Usyk would present no more problems for Ali than Floyd Patterson

 

Don't see how Ali is a problem for Usyk tbh. Usyk just does everything Ali does but better

 

And you'd be dead wrong lol

 

Ali stated himself on several occasions that a swarming style would be best to beat him. One interview he mentioned specifically Marciano and another he described a swarming style in general.

So Dempsey, Marciano and Tyson.

 

Agree

 

I agree. I also doubt he'd have approached Tyson the way he did Frazier, he would've realized meeting him head on like he did Frazier was unsustainable and switched game-plans, to what degree of success is up for debate.

I also agree with you that Tyson was not Frazier 2.0, as their were many advantages for Frazier as you point out, including Frazier's superior resiliency, work-rate, endurance, and more critically, a vastly superior inside game.

 

Maybe if Ali was a 6'5 chump with flat feet, mediocre heart, mediocre stamina, mediocre skills and overrated punching power, like Usyk's contemporaries at HW.

 

Maybe if Usyk was a natural LHW he might have a chance

 

Lewis
Usyk
Tyson
Holyfield
Klitschko's

 

Frazier's resilience and will to win in the FOTC was superhuman! As great as Tyson was at his peak I can't see him approaching this level of non-stop intensity for 15 rounds.

 

Wlad, Usyk, Holmes, Lennox Lewis, Tyson are the standout toughest matchups for him imo