Ali vs skilled super heavyweights

Ali outboxes Lewis, and rather easily. Lennox is too big a target for Ali and Ali's speed would perplex and confuse him. Watch how an ageing and motivated Holyfield (who could only fight in spurts in 99) gave Lewis a tough fight the second time around. A past his best Holyfield is the closest thing that Lewis has ever faced.

Ali does everything better than Evander. Ali is taller, has a 4 inch longer reach, has much much faster hands, is much quicker on his feet, has an equally great if not greater chin, and he has the endurance to fight 15 rounds. In a 12 rounder, Ali would further increase his work rate.

Lewis is too risk averse to go after Ali and try to ko him. And so what if Lewis does go after him? What can Lewis throw at Ali that Foreman and Shavers couldn't? Lewis had a great right hand and Ali wasn't heavily bothered by the right.

I have seen some Lewis fans in the past claim that his size would be an advantage vs Ali. To the contrary, it would be a huge disadvantage. Ali will beat him to the punch, throw lightning fast combinations, and simply outwork him. Lewis cannot outbox him and he almost certainly can't ko him.

Don't get me wrong, Lewis is great, but Ali is a terrible match up for him. Lewis has nothing to bother Ali with. But Ali will simply dance around the ring, throw lightning fast jabs and combos, make a frustrated Lewis miss, and beat him rather one sidedly.

Ali UD 12, and in a 15 rounder, Ali likely tko's him late. No way is Ali losing this one.

 

The 66-67 Ali could box, move, and punch when necessary, plus he had the size & reach to compete. He would beat the above listed fighters, one way or the other.

 

He beats em all

 

I'll go against the grain and say that Lewis beats him. The rest Ali rolls.

 

True but Lewis would try his best to upset Ali's rhythm and do his best to rough him up. Ali would box his head off but what about when Lewis has him in the clinch and leans on him or lands one of his devastating uppercuts that were blatant fouls?

 

He would beat them all imo. Lewis is the sternest test.

 

I'd take Lewis and maybe Wlad, Vitali is an awkward customer but Ali would find a way. Too early to tell with Joshua, but for now Ali would be favoured.

 

Ali never fought against legit super heavyweight. Most of his opponets were 190-200lbs cruiserweights.

Liston and Foreman were big, but not as big as the modern heavyweights. When Ali fought Holmes he lost.

 

Holmes size definitely got him home in that one.

 

Legit superheavyweights never fought against Ali.

Liston and Foreman were smaller in height and size, but their physical dimensons, punching power, functional strength and athletic potential stand them in good stead if they were born 50 years later with the arguable benefits that it brings.

To compare Ali of the 60s and 70s against fighters of this time and arguing purely based on size rather than skills seems fallacious to me. I'm not saying that this is what you are doing, I'm just saying that this is what I have seen and argued against for years.

To critique Ali, Louis, Marciano and Dempsey versus modern fighters falls at the first hurdle of skillset and requirements of their time. To place Ali versus Lewis or Klit, you have to give him all of the advantages of sports science, nutrition, weight training etc. that the moderns benefit from.

Mike Tyson would starch Anthony Joshua and I don't see him doing enough to knock out a primed Ali - Joshua isn't a fighter I actually like that much in terms of style and fluidity in the ring. Lennox handles him for me let alone Ali and Holmes who were superior boxers to Lennox, if of course lacking Lennox's power.

Using the Holmes fight for any assessment of a prime Ali is the same as saying as I can beat up my youngest son's best friend at nursery .

 

beat em all with lewis being the possible that might outthink him.

 

As others have said he beats them all, AJ and Vitali are easy wins, Wlad a little more difficult in the early rounds until Ali finds his range and Wlad gives up mentally.

Lewis has a legit chance but he had trouble with fighters who had a good jab and right hand like Mercer, Rahman, Holyfield 2nd fight and even Bruno was giving him problems with his jab in the early rounds of their fight, Muhammad wins a decision.

 

Ali wins

 

The understanding of biomechanics, rest, recovery as well as specifically targetted training to optimise athletic performance has significantly improved over the last 50 years.
The detailing to the gram of optimal nutrition, lifestyle choices and overall holistic health has also come along over the last 50 years.

A dumbell hasn't changed but Ali very rarely lifted weights. It was oft believed that weights training would make a fighter slow and cumbersome in earlier times and Ali is on record repeating similar sentiments. With greater understanding of the functional benefits for athletic output that a systematic, specific weights training program could add to his game, I cannot see how he would not be at an advantage today than back in the 60s.