Butterbean vs Ali from the Holmes fight

And Holmes was 52

 

Ali had nothing to fight Larry Holmes, but he had enough to put up a pretty good effort against Berbick. Butterbean is no place close to being on the same level as either of those 2. Ali has been dead how long? It is only in the last 6 months that any version of Butterbean has a chance to beat him.

 

Well Ali of the Holmes fight, and the Ali of the Berbick fight were drastically different. I'd favor the latter Ali, but not the former.

 

Whether or not this is the particular one but any fantasy scenario that would somehow favour the likes of Eric Esch over Ali is nauseating and very hard to come to and admit. To be clear, that’s not a commentary on the submission of this fantasy match - that’s fine.

I’m just talking from an emotional perspective - and it’s actually nice to read those favouring Ali -

However I would have significant concerns for the Last Hurrah Ali fighting Bean. But for durability and heart, Ali had nothing.

It simply wasn’t even Ali in that ring v Holmes and the man himself admitted that he had no energy after the first round and thought to himself - Oh God, I’ve got another 14 rounds to go. Frightening.

 

Ha, ha, ha! Love that last sentence!!

 

I think more interesting fight would be the version of Ali who fought Berbick vs Butterbean. As Ali did show something vs Berbick and was competitive.

 

This matchup is kinda ****ed up but I'll side with Butterbean, but Ali sees the final bell if he chooses to. Ali in 1980 was in no position to fight anyone.

 

he didn' t because it simply was ali in that ring v holmes.

 

We are talking strictly Ali of 10/2/80 correct? No other date in recorded history?

There were people walking the streets of Las Vegas that night who probably could’ve sent Ali to the hospital. The man could barely defend himself. Esch wins it a lot sooner than Holmes did, and probably hurts him a lot more than Holmes did because he wouldn’t have given six cacas about busting Ali up. He’d have gloried in it.

You want to talk Ali of the Berbick fight where he summoned up the remnants to at least throw punches and defend himself somewhat, maybe a different story.

 

Butterbean got my vote. Ali was pulling faces in that fight and not throwing anything after the first round. Holmes at least still had a jab even at 52.

 

I imagine Berbick felt much the same after he managed to get out of the first round against Tyson.

 

Ali wins as an out of breath, sweating and clearly physically distressed Butterbean punches himself out and collapses in a heap in the 15th round.

When BB finally gets up after being given oxygen in the ring, he gasps, “The…wheeze…man…pant…just…cough…wouldn’t go…splutter…down! I…need…to…gasp…work…the…heavy…bag……more…”

Official result…Ali wins TKO Round 15 while losing every round, until BB’s dramatic collapse.

 

Butterbean might sit on Muhammad Ali and crush him.