Muhammad Ali before the layoff

If Ali could have carried on with his career uninterupted,from that point onwards,eh ?

 

Was just thinking that.

 

I think it gets overstated how much Ali declined in the temporary "retirement" period. He looked very sharp to me against Quarry, and if there was any decline it was a minute diminution in speed and reflexes, but nothing more than those standard fluctuations which occur between fights. If anything he looked a little more experienced in terms of clinching, range control etc.

Certainly the whole '67-Ali-whoops-Joe-Frazier bandwagon is absolute bull****.

 

There's a lot in what you say. During the years 1970-75,when Ali was in shape,his slip from his 60's best appeared to be minimal. He looked magnificent in his second fights with Quarry,Norton and Frazier. And the Foreman fight of course. It was only after Manila that he went downhill steadily.

 

I still enjoy watching the Ali/Cossel interview post-fight. Hilarious. "Whatever truculent means,if it's good,I'm that"

 

It's the commentary of both Chuvalo and Patterson which needs to be addressed when disputing this, especially what George has had to say about the deterioration in Ali's athleticism between 1966 and 1972. Chuvalo's authority on the subject is formidable, to say the least.

 

Wow, that HD footage is extremely clear. I know it is HD, but it's from 1967. Amazing!!!

 

Why is Bob Hoskins refereeing?

 

Ali - Quarry shows an Ali who has slipped a considerable amount from his best...in my opinion. The way it looks to me, in the Quarry fight, Ali's foot speed is slower and is not as smooth, his hand speed is slower with less snap to his jab, and his timing is off. He never completely regained his 1967 form, after the layoff, in my view.

 

True. Ali may not have got ALL his 1966/67 athleticism back,but he did go some way towards it. Once he got the ring rust out of his system.

 

I see what you mean

 

Respectfully disagree. "absolute BS?"
As I've always said, THE best Ali we never saw was the summer of 67 - summer of 70 version. Granted Joe would always have given him a great fight but, with no exile, they probably would have met in 69 or 70 and I would have bet the house on Ali.
Also, consider that Ali stepped in against Frazier (his ego trumping the sound advise of his trainer/camp) barely 90 days after a hard fifteen rounds against Bonavena. Had their first fight occured in, say June/July of 1971 you would have had a different result.
My $0.02