If Muhammad Ali didn't have a 3.5 year ban how would his career have looked?

The Greatest...

 

I think he would have still fought longer than he needed tbh...

 

Muhammad Ali without exile (the topic I wanted to ask)...
In that case, there would definitely be an Ali Vs. Frazier fight under different circumstances...
It wouldn't be FOTC, and Frazier wouldn't have the most valuable victory of the 20th century.
That's an alternative HW boxing history.

Imo Post 1967 Ali would be peak Muhammad Ali; 1968, 1969, 1970...
Because I didn't notice that in 1966 and 1967 Muhammad Ali stagnated or regressed, but rather that he progressed.

 

He still holds the title until 1970. Beats Quarry, Bonavena, Mathis or Martin, Ellis, Mac Foster, Spencer and maybe rematch with Chuvalo when in 1970 Frazier defeats him 8-7 (close fight). Then, he once again underestimates Norton and loses in 1973. He avenges both losses and defeats Foreman in Zaire before retiring. Essentially, it’s similar, except his second reign is shorter, and the first one is longer.

 

Letting all the mid 60's new babies grow into their own story might have help him build those iconic wins, but otherwise he might have enjoyed a more consistent, perhaps undefeated streak.

 

His career would have been better and longer. He would have faced Frazier in 68 or 69. A Frazier that took a ring rusty Ali to hell and back. A fresher sharper Ali beats Frazier and it's one and done. No rematches, much less wear on Ali. Does better against all subsequent opponents by facing them 3 years younger and fresher.

My old drunkle Bert might say “Had the whiz kid from Louisville retained his crown and cadence, there would be more chapters to the Book of Ali, and perhaps fewer epitaphs to be written. The world would’ve seen just how high that butterfly could soar—and maybe, just maybe, the sting would’ve lasted longer.”

 

Norton's stock goes up a lot in your timeline, as he's the one to take Ali's 0. I wonder if then Foreman comes and takes it from Norton, Ali takes it back from Foreman, and then the timeline resumes mostly as it was.

 

I think he loses the FOTC again, only in an even more intense fight. But he probably TKO's Frazier in the rematch and Manila most likely doesn't happen. All his wins are easier and he doesn't lose to Norton either. He might even beat Spinks considering he'd take much less damage in this timeline. It'd take Holmes to properly stop Ali.

 

It depends if he doesn't go complacent/ womanizer no training mode in this timeline too, because imo Norton could still easily defeat an untrained Alì in their first match

 

I can’t see how it would make him worse, that’s a bizarre statement.

 

In his first fight against Frazier, his feet and reflexes are about 10% of what they were vs Liston.

 

Of course he’d have had a better career.
I’m not sure Frazier beats him either, for a few reasons.
First, Ali had lost something in speed and reflexes during the layoff. Frazier was bang prime.

Second, FOTC was still a close fight, Ali won a lot of rounds, it wasn’t like say, Duran - Leonard 1 , where I thought Leonard barely won a round clearly.

Third, the dynamic between Frazier and Ali would have been a bit different, Ali would have still been champ, Frazier wouldn’t perhaps have quite the same burning hatred of Ali, wouldn’t be accused of being a false champ and all the rest

 

As a long time champion, I think Ali gets an immediate rematch and ekes it out, as happened in real life.

After that he could do an earlier version of what he did after Spinks 2, retire and look on from the sidelines as Foreman destroys his two toughest opponents, Frazier and Norton, and then return to get the title back from him. After that it could happen very much as it did in reality. He wins tough/controversial rubbers against Frazier and Norton and makes a handful of other lacklustre defences before losing to someone he shouldn't lose to, maybe wins baxk the title, retires and makes yet another comebak, this time unsuccesful.

In the end he wouldn't quit for good until it was very clear he had nothing left.