Ali post FOTC interview - admits Frazier would have beaten him if they had fought 3 years earlier

Joe Frazier as great as he was, would have had trouble with with Muhammad Ali's speed, stamina, timing, reflexes and footwork in 1967. Sure Joe was a super aggressive crowding type fighter but there was a reason that Joe's manager, Yank Durham kept him away from champion Ali in 1967. I saw this article in a July 10 1967 article in our local newspaper, Ali poked fun at Frazier and his cautious manager. I believe had Durham allowed Frazier to meet Ali following the title defense against Zora Folley on March 22 1967 in which Ali scored a TKO 7 over Zora in Madison Square Garden, Ali would have scored a unanimous 15 round verdict. This is if Ali would have not had his legal battles with the U.S Selective Service in which Ali was stripped of his title and boxing license. A fight that Durham would have had to keep Joe away from during his climb for a rematch would have been a match against a come backing former champion Sonny Liston, due to stylistic challenges. This fight would have propelled Joe's career to bigger heights as Joe was a true competitor. Frazier would have feasted on more competitive competition to get him reader for another championship challenge against a 26 year old active champion who had held the title since Feb 1964. With experience from the challenge against Ali, Joe's motivation would have been enormous plus Ali's gift of gab. We never saw Ali at his prime due to his legal battles but we did see Ali at his peak. Remember Ali was away from boxing from March 1967 until he returned without his physical gifts in October 1970, Ali did not have time to work out as he spent time lecturing to make money to support his family and his attorney fees to keep him out of jail relating to his Draft Evasion conviction.

 

Ali had rare but real moments of grace. I am sure he walked out of the building and said, "No he wouldn't."

 

Ali was trying to sell his current self for the future. Everyone was saying he was washed up. Not in a million years would he admit to not being as good as he was.

 

Not even a signed affidavit from Ali with Jesus Christ as witness would stop the diminishing of Frazier’s win that night.