If Frazier hadn't fought Foreman, when would Ali have gotten another title shot?

I don't know how much pressure was on Frazier to rematch Ali.
The money would have decided it.
If the purse was big enough, Frazier would have fought him.

 

Looking back on it it's surprises me that there wasn't an immediate rematch. I would imagine the money would of been there. I know that straight rematches were frowned upon at one time but still.

 

I don't think either man wanted a rematch, tbf. In the commentary to one of Ali's fight after FOTC (Mathis or Mac Foster, perhaps) they quote Ali as saying that he wants a couple of fights more before rematching Frazier. But after beating Quarry in the rematch the next year I seem to recall him calling out Frazier.

And at that time it really made sense too. Ali had made a strong comeback with wins over Ellis, Mathis, Mac Foster, Chuvalo and then Quarry in his most impressive performance since coming back from the lay-off. All ring rust hade been shaken off and at 30 Ali was only going to slow down the more time it took. He was probably at his post-exile peak.


But if Frazier hadn't lost to Foreman a showdown after Ali's rematch against Norton, i e about the time Ali-Frazier II really happened, seems likely enough. Frazier might have thought that Ali really was the one who had declined and seen it as a comfortable pay day before retiring.

If it hadn't happened then they might both have ran into other road blocks, making the fight not much more than a curiosity when it finally happened. If it happened at all.

The rematch should really have happened before Frazier ran in to a truck named Foreman. It was definitely the logical step after Ali easily dispatched of Quarry. I think Ali would have been as well prepared as possible for such a fight, but not sure about Frazier. He might just have been a little overconfident and viewing it as a pay day a bit too much.

 

probably early 1974, provided he doesn't give his boy Norton a title shot.

 

There was actually pressure from the WBA and the WBC on Frazier to fight Foreman, not Ali. Frazier hadn't defended against a top contender since early 1971 (against Ali) and Foreman and Ali were the top contenders (who was #1 and who was #2 depended on what organization you asked).

Foreman and Bonavena actually agreed to meet in the fall of 1972, with the possibility that it could be made into a vacant title fight. And the promoter of the fight was pressuring the WBC and the WBA (one of them) to sanction it as a title fight. But when Frazier agreed to fight George, Foreman called off the Bonavena fight.

Then Foreman knocked out Frazier.

If Frazier didn't fight Foreman and was stripped by either the WBC or the WBA, and Foreman beat Bonavena for the vacant belt, I wonder what would've happened?

If Ali lost to Norton, and Foreman was a 'paper' champ, and Frazier was still fighting nobodies ... it would've been a total mess.

Would Frazier have defended against Shavers (after he beat Ellis), Lyle or Quarry?

Would Foreman have defended against Quarry, Lyle or Norton?

Would Ali have been shut out of fighting everyone?

Or, if Frazier did defend against Ali in a rematch in 1973, and (Ali never fought Norton at all), and Foreman had a 'paper' title, would George have just been viewed by history as another Ernie Terrell and Jimmy Ellis?

 

What if Bonavena beat Foreman?

 

He'd probably get a unification fight with the winner of Frazier-Ali. If it was Frazier, Foreman would become undisputed champion and the question is if Ali then would have gotten a shot after two defeats to Frazier. My feeling is that he would, and would have defeated Foreman.

If Ali wins the showdown with Joe (which is more likely) and then takes on George, can Foreman beat a probably overconfident and underprepared Ali? My feeling is that Ali still would win, but a rematch could be on the cards - which he also would win if age hadn't caught up with by the time it happened.