How do you rate the hook Ali did the damage with versus Bonavena?

Very Robinsonesque. Short, sharp and damn hard. Ali had some surprising stoppages in his day, sometimes they get a little glossed over.

 

I don't really think it had anything to do with his power. To be honest, it was the 15th round, and that fight had been really sloppy and tiring for both guys. It seemed to me, also, that the ref didn't keep Ali in the neutral corner after he knocked down Bonavena the first time.

I find Folley's knockdown over Bonavena more impressive.

 

It was his best career single punch, IMO...the 1 round of Liston was BS..the one he hit Bonavena with was for real..but it was amplified by the fact that Oscar was just plain sloppy worn out by the 15th, so it dosen't quite rank with SRR's ko of Fullmer

 

Almost all of Ali's stoppages are in result of accumulation, cuts, or something. he was never a power puncher. Had he hit Bonavena with the same punch in the 1st round, Bonavena probably wouldn't have moved an inch.

 

it was an excellent punch.
of course it was very powerful.

Ali was actually capable of throwing very powerful and correctly-thrown textbook punches. but he more often tended not to.
the reason is because with his style he liked to throw high-volume super-fast flurries. arm punches. he liked to bedazzle with his speed, and that meant sacrificing some form and maximal power

and also, not unrelated - he had BAD HANDS.

but when he needed to, he could bang quite respectably

 

I agree that Ali had an under rated and under used hook ... to me it was more powerful than his right ...

look at the 10:00 mark
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxyZbAdhVfY[/ame]

 

Pervert.

 

He landed a few of those left hooks and had the timing down on them. Bonavena came down with his right hand not that high and got left hooked on the way in, he then tried to throw a left hook in exchange but Ali leans back and counter hooks. Bonavena's chin is quite high, his chin looking to hook, the left hook was the perfect punch choice and he placed it and put it through the target snapping his neck. Once you do that the opponent will go down.

The punch itself wasn't amazing, if he didn't have the right angle and if the chin was tucked and hands tightly guarding the chin it wouldn't do anything but all those together make it devastating.

Maybe this is an example of power being overrated?

 

Bonevena was tired, but still it was a short,crisp,hard and accurate hook and it is a good example of Ali's power.

 

I believe Ali claimed it was the hardest single punch he ever threw. That, combined with Oscar's fatigue, made for the ending here.

 

There was a debate some time ago about Ali's technical deficiencies -and I'm one who sees many, but the conversation got on about his hooks. Futch said he slapped more than anything with the hook and I quoted him but wanted to make sure for myself so I poured over film.

I missed this one.

Would it change the position? Nah. It was a beauty and well-executed, but he was fighting a ragdoll by that point.