Better performance in a rematch: Ali (frazier II) or Holyfield (Bowe II)

Ali was in Ali 1 too. For the rest you mention: Jones, Cooper, Bonavena and Norton 1&2 were tougher than most of them imo. Mathis, Bonavena 2 and Ramos is more of the Mildenberger, Chuvalo 2 and Banks category, imo.

 

Norton did break his jaw and outbox him but mainly those fights were tactical affairs. Physically Joe Frazier took more damage than Ali did over the course of their careers. You mention the eye test? Who got hit more? Frazier took punishment in 2 fights against Oscar Bonevena Buster Mathis, Jerry Quarry, Joe Bugner and ofcourse George Foreman did some damage.

Ali didnt have too many tough fights pre exile. His opponents hardly could lay a glove on him. Frazier was knocked down 8 times. Ali 3 times leading up to that 74 fight.

Your right it is common sense.

 

Banks, Jones, Cooper, Mildenberger, Bonavena were all to some degree punishing fights leading up to FOTC, and all the illegal blows made Chuvalo 1 a bruising affair as well.

And the big difference is between the first and second fight. Frazier faced two nobodies and Foreman and Bugner. Ali faced Ellis, Mathis, MacFoster, Blin, Chuvalo, Quarry, Lewis, Foster, Bugner, Patterson plus Norton two times. The two Norton fights were both extremely tough affairs and he took some hard punches in some of the others as well. Plus he had three years on Frazier and had already lost a good chunk of speed and stamina to the lay-off.

It's just silly to call Frazier the worn out one for any of the fights. The guy still possessed almost endless stamina in Manilla. He had lost some speed by then but seemingly no stamina, while Ali had lost a fair share of both.