Muhammad Ali 1981 and beyond

I remember the likes of Neville Mead and John L Gardener…they would have been cannon fodder for prime Ali’s cannon fodder, such was the enormous gulf in class between them.

But for post ‘81 Ali, they would have become Giant Killers as we Brits say when lesser teams/players beat the top teams/guys. In much the same way as Maccarinelli slayed RJJ, except at least RJJ wasn’t in the midst of Parkinsons.

Mead for instance was a limited boxer with a low skill set. But the guy could bang and bang hard. With Ali’s gifts being eroded the way they were that would give a guy like Mead cart blanche to hit Ali at will…only Ali’s gift for self preservation (in a boxing sense) would keep him upright. I wouldn’t be surprised if it went the distance, but Mead would win and Ali would probably deteriorate further.

Thank **** it’s only hypothetical and he stopped after Berbick.

 

I did not consider what the C-man said, but it is one of the few times I HOPE someone is only trolling.

Ali had a serious disease likely at least exacerbated by all the huge shots he took, also consenting to untold more in training.
While he was not zombiefied by a drug against Berbick like against Holmes, he had no business fighting at all.
That he COULD beat some of those the OP suggested would not make it remotely adviseable or wise.

He should not have been licensed to fight ANYWHERE during the 1980's.
The contenders you mentioned, faced after he really retired?
It is doubtful he could eat anyone like that, world level, from 1982 onward.
And it would be a massive risk.

YES he should have retired after Manilla.
You want to salvage a couple victores while limiting damage, have him face Shavers b4 Manilla, & train real hard after Manilla, then beat Spinks-the first time. Then outta there.

It is half insane to want Ali to continue after 1981, let alone until 2000?!?

 

You could consider him winning the title for the third time to add to his legacy. On the flip side, he should've never lost to Spinks in the first place.

 

That's right. I could n't agree more.

 

Yes I recall the Gardner fight being discussed. Muhammad would have just about had enough left to win that one but he'd have looked awful in the process,labouring to a messy points verdict. How I wished he's retired after '75 like a lot of people do.

 

Winning the title and keeping it like Rocky or Floyd is best.

Winning it back after losing it is significant, even laudable.

But winning it back three, four or five times , I don't rate,
That tells me the fighter is too careless about holding on to it.

And as you say, Ali should never have lost the title to a newcomer with seven pro fights.

1975 was when he should have retired.

 

In response to the original question, yes he could of got a few more wins. Any quality boxer no matter how past his prime can find SOMEONE he could still beat. But as to the question as if he should of? god no!
He should as others said retired way before the start of the 1980's, there was nothing he could of done to increase his legacy or reputation and reading the opinions of those close to him, they all wanted him to retire (not withstanding those on the gravy train which clouded there judgment I am sure).
With many boxers it is a fun what if to see what would have happened if they had stuck around a bit longer (Marciano, Tunney, Foreman 1st time, Lewis etc.) But not Ali, makes me shudder to even think about it.

 

Sadly he could have beaten some which would have fed his ego telling him he still had it.

Ali would have still beaten most club fighters still I'm sure there was 80's version of Monaco,Rhode and McNeeley out there.

 

My opinion he should have retired after the Rumble in the Jungle in 74. By the mid 80s I don't even see Ali being able to beat Marvin Hagler which shows he fast his health was going down.

 

Health is a temporary illusion.

Glory is forever and all that matters

 

I play this game a lot. Most boxers have about two to four years of useless time at the end of the career, effectively walking dead of the sport. Retiring after Norton 3, Frazier 3, or Spinks 2 would have saved a lot of damage that ended up costing him. I think if he retired after Frazier 3, he would have been much much better. I feel like he didn't add too much after that. I think after Norton 3 makes the most sense as virtually nothing positive of note happened after. I don't really care that he beat Spinks and don't class it in his top 10 wins.

 

I've always maintained that allowing Ali into a ring at that point was a crime. Berbick at that time was big, strong and crude, had a more skilled opponent been in front of Ali he could have been killed.

 

Thank goodness we didn't see this grotesque spectacle.

 

What I wish is that Ali would not have been on the antidiuretic medication prior to his fight with Holmes and would not have been concerned about his weight or "looking good." If Ali would have trained for strength and durability for the Holmes fight I think he would have gone the distance and put on a relatively good show in an obviously losing effort.