Did Muhammad Ali only ever lose a match during the 70`s because of the 3 year lay off?

He would have lost to all three, even without the layoff, imho.

 

He probably would have won the 1971 Frazier fight.

I think if he had been more active, he may have outpointed Frazier, who was in his prime and active himself.

Of course, they may have met earlier than 71 if Ali had been active.

Look how well he competed with Frazier, while having only two fights in 4 years.

 

If he had never laid off, he probably would have been retired by the time Spinks came around, and he probably wouldn't have fought Holmes either.

He probably still would have lost to Norton, whose style gave him fits.

 

I think he would have won the FOTC,he would have trusted his stamina and legs more and not been caught in corners and on the ropes so much. Norton and Spinks were the results of dogging it in training ,although Norton would always give him trouble imo.

 

Prime Frazier always beats Ali

 

Prime Frazier never fought prime Ali.

 

That’s what I hear anyway...doesn’t change my pick

 

What people don't realize is that Frazier had only fought 3 minutes and 49 seconds in the last 13 months prior to fighting Ali. Ali had fought Quarry and Bonavena so if actual ring time is the determining factor, Ali had more ring time than Frazier.

 

It's hard to imagine anybody beating the Ali that put down Cleveland Williams, if he hadn't lost 3 prime years he would have beaten Frazier, norton, and may have been undefeated until the Holmes fight.

 

I don't think he'd have lost his earlier ones, without inactivity. But then again without the layoff he might have been getting shopworn.

I don't think the Spinks fight was the layoff, he was just in decline.

 

Ali is so overrated in hypothetical h2h’s he might be the next Wilfredo Gomez

 

I had never noticed before but Frazier had been "shutting it down" since 1968. In 1969, 70 and up until the Ali fight in 71, Frazier had only fought 4 times for 14 rounds. Ali had two fights for 18 rounds in the last 5 months prior to the Frazier fight.