How Tough was Ali?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by Nigel_Benn, Jan 4, 2008.


  1. Nigel_Benn

    Nigel_Benn Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,056
    198
    Apr 11, 2005
    How tough was Ali he was flashy and a great boxer but did he dig down deep in his career in the face of adversity? Was he intimadated by Liston or Foreman or even Joe Frazier?
     
  2. MrMagic

    MrMagic Loyal Member Full Member

    39,534
    71
    Oct 28, 2004
    His mental strength was his best attribute.
    He was tough :yep
     
  3. Shaolin Box

    Shaolin Box Respect Full Member

    4,030
    3
    Nov 30, 2007
    i think he might of been a little intimidated at first with Liston but thats about it, IMO. But then again i was a little too young to follow him.
     
  4. Thread Stealer

    Thread Stealer Loyal Member Full Member

    41,944
    3,389
    Jun 30, 2005
    Maybe they did intimidate him, maybe not, that means little to me. What matters is how he handled the fear.

    Ali was one tough fighter.

    Watch the Fight of the Century, Manila, Zaire. Ali's ability to absorb body shots was better than his excellent chin, IMO.

    The Shavers fight, watch that if you want to see how tough Ali was, even when he was basically a shot fighter.
     
  5. Dostoevsky

    Dostoevsky Hardcore......to the max! Full Member

    5,691
    6
    Jun 17, 2007
    He took a **** load of punishment, some brutal bodyshots.
    His arrogance and pride made him survive alot of it.
     
  6. ocelot

    ocelot Boxing Junkie Full Member

    11,122
    13
    Nov 21, 2007
    Maybe some guys were as tough, but nobody was tougher. The guy fought Norton with a broken jaw. Foreman in his prime gave him everything he had and Ali shook it off. And these were fights where Ali was past his prime. People forget that he was at least a 13-year veteran when he had his biggest fights and took the most devastating punishment.
     
  7. King Dan

    King Dan Golovkin Full Member

    3,589
    1
    Feb 24, 2005
    Questioning Ali's toughness is like questioning his ATG status.

    This is a ******ed thread.

    Ali is an ATG and one of the toughest fighters EVER!
     
  8. FlatNose

    FlatNose Boxing Addict Full Member

    6,800
    25
    Feb 16, 2006
    Ali's success against Liston and Foreman especially was because he wasn't intimidated . Liston had Floyd Patterson so scared that Floyd just froze as Sonny lambasted him in less than a round, twice. Foreman seemed invincible at the time ali took him on, and was a huge favorite. Even Ali's cornermen feared for Muhamads life. If anything, Ali scared the hell out of HIS foes.
    As far as physical toughness, Ali had not only one of the best chins in history, but could take it to the body like nobody else. Ali faced some of the biggest bombers in heavyweight history, Foreman, Earnie Shavers, Liston, Cleveland Williams, Jerry Quarry, Joe Frazier...and on and on. He never got stopped before he was just totally shot against Holmes, and Larry never had him down.
     
  9. 2ironmt

    2ironmt Boxing Addict Full Member

    4,903
    1
    Jul 20, 2004
    you probably only need to know how f'd up he is now to know how tough he is. he took some real beatings to be the greatest and he is paying the price.
     
  10. BewareofDawg

    BewareofDawg P4P Champ Full Member

    27,677
    184
    Apr 8, 2006
    He broke his jaw in the 2nd round against Ken Norton. He finished the fight. He allowed the most devastating puncher in the history of the division use him as a heavy bag, literally, and then knocked him out.

    don't let the flash fool you, he was as tough as they come.
     
  11. JETSKI

    JETSKI Boxing Junkie Full Member

    14,758
    38
    Aug 26, 2004
    He had maybe the best recupertive powers of any fighter I've ever seen. The way the bounched up from that killer left hook Frazier landed in the 15th is proof of that.
     
  12. He said that he felt what death was like when he fought the thrilla in manilla, going 15 hard rounds with Frazier in 110 degree heat in 1975, and fighting Norton with a broken jaw in 1973, if that isn't tough i don't know what tough is, most fighters would have quit or their corner would have stopped it..
    This thread is :pukke
     
  13. MacManJr.

    MacManJr. Boxing Addict Full Member

    5,111
    6
    Jul 11, 2007
    He makes Chuck Norris look like a sissy.
     
  14. 196osh

    196osh Mendes Bros. Full Member

    14,565
    11
    May 10, 2007
    Well put man :good
     
  15. Terrible Terry

    Terrible Terry Member Full Member

    284
    1
    Jun 29, 2007
    Ali was as tough as nails.