What was the fight where Ali was winning handily, gets the guy in trouble, and waves the fight off then the referee obligies by stopping the fight?
Ali's best performance,post exile. Until the second fights with Norton and Frazier,and the Foreman bouts that is. All those who talked about Muhammad's 'cruelty' towards Floyd Patterson and Ernie Terrel,may have had to think again after this one.
A paunchy and not in 'good shape' Jerry Quarry fought a horrible fight. No strategy, just a wild attacks. Jerry was gassed by the 4th round. After taking a pasting in Rounds 5 and most of Round 6, Quarry lands a good counter-right late in Round 6, which shakes Ali and has him him briefly stunned. Jerry Quarry opens up with an end of round flurry, which unfortunately saps all of his reserve strength, before Ali comes back with a rally in the last 10-seconds. Quarry comes out for Round 7, completely exhausted. Ali opens up with some heavy shots, and Referee Mike Kaplan stops it quickly.
Yeah, I think Ali motioned the referee to call it off twice during that sequence of unanswered punches. Lyle wasn't in life-threatening danger, IMO ... the right that put him on ***** street was a fantastic punch, but I felt that Lyle could've continued. However, the amount of unanswered punches that Ali gave him allowed the referee to make a decision. Lyle's corner only had the fighter, themselves, to blame IMO.
Quarry looked completely clueless. You only look as good as your opponent will let you, though. However, Jerry himself said that he was still shook from seeing his brother get stretchered out unconscious after taking one of Bob Foster's trademark left hooks. But seeing how well a ring rusty Ali dealt with Quarry in 1970, I think that Ali just had his number.
to be honest, ali called the ref in for a long of his fights if reports are to be believe. there's a couple i haven't seen (or sat through til the end...) but the jurgen blin fight he waved in the ref, i'm pretty sure you're right about the ellis fight, mathis fight he took it REAL easy despite the 3 knockdowns and i think the second patterson fight once he got going
When Max Schmeling was beatingf up Mickey Walker, he threatened to quit unless the reff stopped the fight!
Referee Mike Kaplan was flat-out horrible in that fight. A good portion of the 6th Round Muhammad Ali was fighting with his glove taping hanging, which could have snapped into Jerry Quarry's eye. The moron Referee just watched, as a 2 foot length of tape was whipping around, as Ali was unleashing punches on an obviously over-matched Jerry Quarry.