March 1963...The Ali/Clay management team decides to take on the reigning light heavyweight champion of the world... Madison Square Garden. 10 rounds at heavyweight.The 'Talent' versus The 'Tactician'....Did Ali's team make a mistake taking this one so soon?:think Opinions please!
I think Muhammad can edge this one, but it's going to be a tough fight with Harold giving him hell to the fianal bell.
Very interesting fight.......I can see a very close fight with a little edge for Muhammad in the handspeed (IMO HJ had very good speed also) and size.... Ali by SD...
People are forgetting Ali easily dispatched Archie Moore in 1962. The same Moore who beat Johnson 4 times and was robbed against Johnson's successor Willie Pastrano. A very underrated win for a young clay.
True that, didn´t think about that detail....But even so I think Harold had the type of style with that ATG jab to trouble Ali in the long range.....
ali was too fast and johnson (sorry) a bit too predictable and mechanical. if pastrano could outspeed him and outmove him, what is ali going to do? add to that ali's underrated power and unreal fast hands, even in 63, and i see ali coasting to a 6-4, 7-3 decision and getting some valuable experience along the way
This is probably a case of Harolds Timing Experiance and anticipation causing early problems for the naturally gifted speed demon, with the youthfully excitable mentality, perhaps being over eager to impress, But when Clay settles down, his natural advantages would put him in charge, Harolds wiles and cunning are then concentrated in him reaching the distance. May look a bit like the Billy Daniels fight (?) without the cuts stoppage and Clay fully in the drivers seat at the end.
This is a good summation...but I think Johnson isn't pushed into survival mode, but see Ali winning rounds down the stretch for the win...
Doesn't the size and age advantage Clay had weigh heavily here? Naturally Moore would have looked better against older, smaller guys.
Moore was 46 years old when he fought Clay and really had no chance. Dundee had trained Pastrano for the Moore fight and was just sending in a bigger, better fighter in finish the job.
Suzie Q your forgetting ONE MAJOR item OlArch last beat Harold 54,great Garden comeback Archs 1st appearence in Garden! Was Cassius win that sent him onway to greater glory!!!
I wouldnt make too much of Clay over Moore...Archie was old and shot. With all the size and age advantages Clay had.....what did you expect? Archie was 22 years older than Clay.
The 21 year old Cassius Clay edges it. Probably controversialy. Prime for prime,Ali takes it quite easily.
