Did any fighter in history was able to absorb body shots better than Ali

TBF a lot of Foreman's blows landed on his elbows and arms. They still hurt.

 

Marcos Villasana was made of stone, upstairs and down.

 

A lot landed also. Well known but Ali was urinating blood after the fight.

Ali claimed that, during the fight, to give himself a breather from Foreman belabouring one side of Ali’s body - Ali would say more or less “Is that all you’ve got sucker?”

This psyche job allegedly led George to believe he wasn’t making a dent, so Foreman then switched his attention to the other side of Ali’s body to try his luck.

Nice strategy but either way, it was still rooted in Ali taking terrific punishment to the body.

 

I think he was just talking about the solidity of the resistance.

Norton was an accomplished body puncher who had hit many men to the body. He knew what it felt like with a well-fit opponent taking the blows. With Ali, there was simply no give. I think I read a further part of either the same interview or another time he was asked about it and he said the same thing about hitting Ali on the arms … just like hitting a concrete block.

The man was absolutely solid.

 

James Toney could take a shot to the body as well as anyone.

 

I think (it was) Jimmy Cannon once said nobody took it to the body better.

And nobody did. If you looked hard enough you might find some guys to put up to that level, but none above. The guy, past peak, handled Frazier's elite and vaunted body attack three times and took bunches of incredibly hard body shots from Foreman. Even Norton was a damn good body puncher, among others Ali faced.

So to put someone on his level, that someone has to match that resume of punishment to the body. They'd be few and far between, if they exist.