Holmes: "Ali only trained seriously for 2 weeks for Zaire"

It worked in large part because young Foreman wasn't smart or skilled enough to make any adjustments whatsoever. Instead of taking what Ali gave him, he played right into Ali's hands, inartfully whaling away until he was all tuckered out.

 

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at 59:59 Ali said, "I kept telling you that he (Foreman) had no power, that he didn't hit hard." This was Ali, right after the fight, when most people build up their opponent to make themselves look better. Ali mentioned again later that Foreman couldn't punch and that Foreman was tired after 2 rounds, and that "Foreman punched like a sissy." Ali was faster and far more skilled than Foreman. Doubt that Ali was ever worried about Foreman.

Ali probably decided not to jab and move on Foreman because he didn't respect Foreman's power and knew that
Foreman would tire quick.

 

I don't believe it for a second and nor do i believe Ali was taking Foreman lightly.

 

No. He respected Foreman's power. Everyone did.

Ali rarely praised fighters after a win, particularly fellow black fighters. When he did praise fighters after a bout, one writer noted that it was usually when he faced a white boxer (interestingly enough). Like, when Ali decisioned Joe Bugner in his second title defense, Ali said afterward that Bugner was so good he'd likely become the champ when Ali retired in two years.

He didn't say the same praiseworthy things right after fighting guys like Foreman, Norton, Liston, Frazier (until their trilogy was over), Young, Lyle, Shavers, Holmes, etc.

Thomas Hauser interviewed everyone involved for his book Muhammad Ali.

Here's what Ali said to Hauser: "I didn't really plan what happened that night. But when a fighter gets in the ring, he has to adjust to the conditions he faces. Against George, the ring was slow. Dancing all night, my legs would have got tired. And George was following me too close, cutting off the ring. In the first round, I used more energy staying away from him than he used chasing me. I was tireder than I should have been with fourteen rounds to go. I knew I couldn't keep dancing, because by the middle of the fight I'd be really tired and George would get me. So between rounds, I decided to do what I did in training when I got tired."

Angelo Dundee: "I won't kid you. When he went to the ropes, I felt sick. Going into the fight, I thought Muhammad would win but not that way ... everything we planned was built around him not getting hit."

Wali Muhammad: "In the first round, Ali danced like we knew he would. Then, I guess it was near the end of the round, he got caught on the ropes and leaned away from a big left hook. It was one of those punches - I don't even want to think about what would have happened if it landed. But Ali leaned way back and it missed by six inches. We had seen the ropes were loose, so Bundini got on the ring apron to tighten them. And Ali shouted 'No, don't! Leave them alone.' Then he went out for round two and I thought he was crazy. He went right to the ropes. We were hollering 'Get off the ropes! Dance, champ, dance!' But Ali stayed where he was almost the whole round. I thought George would break him in two."

In fact, when Ali went to the ropes, the media at ringside were so shocked George Plimpton said they thought "the fix was in." That Ali was going to take the $5 million, lay on the ropes and just go down.

 

I really can't see Ali slacking off for one of the most important fights of his life .Like it's been mentioned already there s footage of Ali training , he was vocal at the time how actually fit he was .Now if it had being for the Jimmy Young fight ...that's a different story.

 

Look at Ali's build here. This was when he was in Africa BEFORE George Foreman suffered his cut eye and the fight was postponed another month.

Ali, for him, is shredded.

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There are numerous acnedotes out there that Ali was "in the best shape of his life", "in great shape" etc. Training in Zaire freed him from many distractions and demands.

 

Any chance Larry has to needle Big George will be taken with alacrity

 

Neither do I.

The fact that Foreman had destroyed the two men who had beaten him, cannot have failed to make him take Foreman seriously.

Also the look in his eye leading up to the fight, and his very demeanor, is that of a man at a pinnacle of focus.

 

Holmes left Zaire after Ali's eye was cut and the fight was delayed .. he has no first hand knowledge of what Ali did as he was not there.

 

Extremely doubtful that Ali took Foreman lightly. Ali in a book in the late 70's (and in a movie too) describes using ex-Foreman sparring partner Bossman Jones to figure out if he could reach Foreman w/o getting hurt himself. Also, review the complete Foreman vs Norton tape which Ali was a guest commentator, and Ali had all kind of things to say supporting Norton, but after Foreman laid Norton out in 2 rounds, Ali was basically non-committal. Give Ali credit....he won the fight (But at same time Foreman, upon seeing where Ali was physically in the late 70's, stated: "I am sorry I ever hit the man").

 

Wasn't this Foreman's eye that was cut (see the "butterfly" bandage photos in some newspapers).
Ali was the one who said: "I will fight George anyway, and not touch his eye".

That is the point where some sportswriters begin to look at the Fight in a questioning way, as in Ali v Liston 2.

 

Yes indeed fellas, it was Foreman who was cut in sparring not Ali.