Ali takes the best right hand in HW history on the chin

Actually, the best right hand in HW history can be found in round 7 of Shavers-Holmes II. I still don't understand how Holmes is still alive, let alone got up to win.

Anyway, there were a lot of factors behind Ali never getting hit by a right hand: (1) boxers get floored most easily by the punches they don't see coming, and Ali saw right hands coming usually; (2) the way he leaned away from punches was much more effective in sapping the power out of right hands than left hooks; (3) he usually got hit by right hands only when near the ropes, eg. in round 2 of the Rumble In The Jungle, where he got hit by a clubbing right from Foreman that might have floored him in the centre of the ring.

 

Most knockouts/knockdowns come when the "victim" is hit by a bomb when in the process of throwing a punch himself. I.e. Jackson/Graham, Frazier/Ali, Marciano/Walcott, Holmes/Shavers, Tyson/Botha, etc etc.

While it's certainly admirable that Ali took that right hand with relatively few trouble, it would be interesting to see what would've happened if he got hit while throwing a punch himself.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQ56hSXGV0
9:45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcNAuXOvPww
4:45

 

The right hand that ernie decks larry holmes with is THE best knockdown punch i have ever seen landed which didnt stop the man...

 

1:12 ****n monster!!!

4:00 what fight it is?

 

The thing about the left-hook it that it comes from an angle that is out of the line-of-sight of an orthodox boxer (it's surprisingly easy to see a left hook from a southpaw stance) which is what makes it so effective against boxers like Ali, who depend on seeing punches and moving away from them. The best defence against a left hook is to keep the right hand in its proper position, which is what Ali of course didn't do.

 

I think Ali saw the punch coming.

But, Shavers looks stunned that Ali is still standing.

 

Round two, imo, had the best Shaver's punch. He almost kayoed Ali with it. Ali was quick to over exaggerate his situation, doing a chicken dance, to which Shavers took to be that Ali wasnt phased, when truth is, had he pressed the issue, he would have knocked Ali out right then and there.

Ali would later say, he didnt remember anything from the second round afterward.

 

Well I'll agree with you and say it did. God knows how but it did. Even if you are talking the left hook arguement. You look at the affect of the Henry Cooper left hook, out of it and Angelo had to cut his gloves.

Then compare that to the affect of that huge Frazier left hook, arguably a far better one even though Henry's was great. Yes he got put down, but his improved punch resistance ment he somehow got up. Not heart. He always had that. He just wasn't as hurt as he was against Cooper.

 

I think part of what improved his punch resistance was that he was a heavier fighter. He was just over 200 lbs when he fought Cooper, but post layoff, was almost always between 215-220. People lament that he wasn't as fast because he was carrying a little more fat, but having a thin layer can actually help you absorb shots better.

 

I agree completely. In the clip with Ali he takes a good shot from Earnie but it is more of an arm punch rather than the whole body follow through he was able to tag Holmes with. Look at 4:50 into this clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vns_...BD8A46D2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16