Ali's power is underrated

The bit in bold being the important part.

He lacked big power in general because he was usually trying to do his "hit and don't be hit" thing, and when you are dancing around your feet are not planted. So yeah, he COULD hit hard, but usually didn't because of how he fought stylistically.

 

Also, just want to add, it seems to me that he also may have "generated" power by TIMING the opponent well.

 

He was a decent puncher naturally, even though his style wasn't always in tune with generating his maximum power.

But I believe he suffered from sore hands quite a lot, so he slapped and pitty-patted his way through a lot of fights. That combined with his preferred style really inhibited his natural power.

 

Well said. They can't have it both ways. Ali was a decent puncher at best; not so feather fisted that you could just walk through him, but never a banger. He hit Cooper and Patterson with multiple shots, and they stood up to him. Norton was "chinny", too but Ali couldn't seriously hurt him.

What Ali did have, though, was a good sneak shot that could turn a fight around, like the right hand against Lyle or the left hook against Bonavena. He was a fine finisher, too, as others have said.

 

I don't like using terms like underrated here because different people rate it differently. Ali had what I call functional power. It wasn't great, but it was good enough for what he needed it to do.

I wouldn't go so far as to call him a great puncher, or even "very good". But he hit plenty hard enough to be effective combined with his other attributes (conditioning, timing, finishing instincts, etc), even moreso when he made the defensive tradeoff to sit down on his shots.

 

Aint that the truth.

 

He had alright power when he sat down on his punches, but really nothing special. What was special was his speed, timing and accuracy. He was also a very composed finisher.

The 11th round against Lyle was one of the best of his career. Everything he does in that round is more or less perfect.

 

Ali was not a big puncher by any means and my reference is Ken Norton. In three fights, thirty seven rounds Ali could to even stun Norton. Ali could not really stun Floyd Patterson.

An amazing fighter. A very strong guy , decent puncher but not a serious puncher .. especially w his right .. funny but his hardly thrown left hook was his harder punch.

 

If you are right, then the conclusion that we would have to take away, would be that speed was much more important than power.

Al I’s knockout % is ridiculous, given the number of ranked fighters he went up against.

 

Frazier was obviously not "chinny".

 

Speed IS still more important than power Speed also generates punching power. Lots of stringbean looking fighters around that really whipped their punches in. Hearns, for example.