How Tough was Ali?

Ali laid on the ropes and allowed Foreman to unload everything he had. At the bell Ali whispered in Foreman's ear: "Is that all you got George?" Plus all the other stuff eveyone else has mentioned. Make no mistake; Ali really was "a BAAAADDDD man!"

Boo

 

His toughness, physical and mental, is underreted.

 

:good

 

James Toney

Mu hamad Ali

Floyd Mayweather

George Foreman

Are some of the most toughest boxers psychologically the sport has ever seen. It is there stubbornness, not to accept pain or defeat that makes them that way.

"And there Ego, and how Vain they are"

MuHammed Ali was in a press conference with George Foreman, at a time when no sane man would confront George Foreman in public. At one of there press conferences leading up to the Rumble in the Jungle.

They where both sitting down anserwing questions for reporters etc

Muhammad Ali stands up and walks over to George Foreman and says

"Do you think i am scared of you chump, i will whoop you right now sucker"

George Foreman never replied.........MuHammad Ali then turned to a reported and said i have just won rounds 1 and 2.

Muhammad Ali never once showed visibly in a fight, that he had given up. He was always trying, even in his later career.

Look at James Toney Vs Sam Peter

Never at any stages in that fight did he accept the Hurt or the punches Sam Peter was landing on him.

 

I'm no big fan of his but I think he was among the greatest for mental toughness.

 

I don't think he was arrogant, I think most of his jokes that made him seem arrogant, was often tongue-in-cheek.
But he was definately proud.

 

After Shavers landed a huge right that would have KO'd about 99% of any other boxer besides Ali, Ali said he didn't remember the rest of the fight. Yet he finished it on his feet and with a W.

He was as tough as they come.

 

Noone is tougher than Ali. A case can be made that other fighters were "as tough", but noone is tougher.

 

WHAT!? Ali was one of the toughest fighers EVER.

I bet he was very intimidated by Liston, Frazier, and Foreman, and even Norton, and this agitation probable led to him talking so much. He left himself no other option than to succeed, and he performed at his best under this pressure he put on himself. In the ring he refused to quit, he showed incredible toughness against Liston I, Frazier I, II, III, Foreman, Spinks, Berbick, Holmes, and even in less strenous but mentally taxing fights like against Young and Norton.

He was an incredible fighter.

 

i didnt even know this was an issue.
the jury's not still out on Ali's toughness.

 

Ali prooved his toughness by getting off the canvas and KO'ing Cooper.

Seriously though, he was as tough as anyone ever! The list of many of the alltlime biggest punchers that Ali handled is unrivaled IMO.

Regarding intimidation, which is a very close emotion to fear. Being intimidated channels itself into an inferior performance. Being fearful can be channeled to help a fighter reach his maximum performance. Ali channeled his fear as well as anyone and I believe he mentioned being fearful on more than one occasion.