Anyone in the top ten for 1981 Ali could have beat?

Berbick couldnt have been too bad, he went on to claim a portion of the world championship, he was not a bad fighter at the time. In fact, he was undoubtedly closer to 5th best fighter in the world than 10th best at the time, though i am not sure how much hindsight would play in this. A draw with Ali was pitiful for a prime ali but not a bad result for any fighter. Berbick had just been the distance with Holmes, and would go on to beat Greg Page and as late as 1989 was still going the distance with Carl Williams and Buster Douglas in fact as late as 1996, he went the distance with Hasim Rahman. Trevor Berbick was not a bad draw for any fighter to have on their record.

I see no chance for ****ey to KO ali in a round, though concede he might start favourite. Ali may not have been the hardest puncher ever, but i would have thought that he did hit quite a bit harder than Spinks (i know that ****ey was finished by the time he fought spinks). We know that Ali would fight on the ropes, try to control the clinch and absorb the big shots of Spinks. What we dont know is how ****ey will react to being tagged cleanly by Ali on at least a few occassions. I would not make Ali favourite, but this is a big dollar fight where Ali would have the chance to shock the world again. In fact, with hindsight, i actually think that drawing with Berbick or even just going the distance if you dispute the decision is actually an astounding achievement in his condition and should enhance his reputation not hurt it. It is probably a far better result than shot versions of Jeffries, Fitzsimmons, Johnson, Louis, Tyson, Liston and most other ATGs or other fighters ever managed.

 

Never seen the Berbick fight. Was Berbick trying hard or was he holding back and carrying Ali?