Muhammad Ali Punches

I think Ali sometimes did fight according to his mood.

Sometimes he would not go for the knockout if he was just not feeling like it.

Also I believe he sometimes kept guys standings just so he could punish them more.

If he really wanted to and committed to it he could punch plenty hard.

 

I hope it was something routine or at least minor!
I chose to do a colonoscopy & upper endoscopy without anesthesia, but that is another story...

 

He did say that but there were no flashes at all of Norton hurt at any time ... to me he simply looked tired and was being bit more cautious as he paced himself.

 

In the second match with Norton? Check out 37:07 with the slow motion replay at 38:09 (and I suggest slowing down the YouTube speed setting on the slow motion to 0:25 to get a super good look at the replay):

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On the basis of that punch, Norton rated Ali as a far harder puncher than Holmes. (Within Kenny personal experience, this was true. Larry never hit him with anything that staggered Norton like Muhammad's sixth round right.)

 

I see him landing a flush right than Norton took well and immediately fired back.

 

Norton walked through it all and fired back with more than he took. The announcers sound like Ali fans/boxing establishment shills.

 

I think Muhammad Ali hit harder than Larry Holmes or Gene Tunney, but not as hard as Lennox Lewis or Joe Louis. I estimate Ali's punching power as slightly less than Evander Holyfield. I think he could hit fairly hard but not with one punch concussion type power. However, his timing, targeting, speed, and accuracy made him very dangerous to anyone in the ring with him.

 

He had a really good straight right/cross! Everything else… so-so… a bit sloppy and slappy at times, but it worked and he was smart with what he did when he did it, that’s the important part, he was aware of what was happening so he could walk guys into his shots / time them and do a lot more damage then he otherwise would.

 

Ali didn't go for the kill as he might have during his first career either. When Ken reacted like that against Shavers, Earnie kept on firing away. It bears repeating that Norton stated Muhammad hit him much harder than Holmes did, and this shot had to be the basis of that more than any other single punch.

Ken was wobbling up and down for a good six seconds after that, then ducked when Muhammad attempted his next right. Ali was retreating when he tried another right ten seconds after the flush one.

In Muhammad's next major bout (because Lubbers gave Ali nothing to capitalize on a month after Norton II, plus he was saving his right for the FOTC rematch), Frazier got jigged, and this time, an improved and faster Muhammad goes right after him in the way he'd have gone after Norton in this same January 1974 bout with Ali's improved speed and reflexes. (Keep in mind that Frazier had a vastly superior chin and was built like a tank, classic endomorph powerhouse). This is a significantly improved GOAT from Norton II four months previously (supporting eyewitness Harry Carpenter's observation published in early 1975 which I read prior to Ali-Wepner).

9:05...:

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Everybody can form their own conclusions.

 

The Ali propaganda train has to be one of the most successful in sports history.

 

You need to look at the single overhand right he knocked out Evangelista with (who over the course of his entire 79 fight career proved to be a reasonably durable guy), the jab he bowled over Ocasio with for the first knockdown seconds after wobbling Jaws with a previous jab (the knockdown jab nearly had Ossie down for the full count), the single right uppercut Mike Weaver got up from but couldn't recover from through the rest period between rounds 11 and 12, and in Larry's later career, the single massive thudding right to Paul Poirier's body which literally rippled from the right to left side of his torso (and if you look closely, you can indeed see that opposite left side of his flesh literally ripple out for an instant), separating Poirior's rib cartilage and result in a seven delay second KD - ypu don't see it land from that angle, but you can hear the impact - after getting previously stopped by Tucker and Stewart, Paul said that was the hardest punch he was ever hit by).


Ali induced grunts from Mildenberger with his hooks to Karl's body, and he also pummeled the body of Blue Lewis pretty well, but his hands didn't allow him to hit to the head with consistent power, so he had to sharp shoot for precise placement.


No question what the hardest head shot hook of Ali's career was, and many think it was the hardest single punch he ever produced, right or left, a perfect slip and counter hook. First mute the following replay, reduce the speed setting to 0.25, and advance to 1:08:00...Muhammad's massive kill shot comes at 1:08:03. (Ringo tries moving his head to his left, knowing what it coming after his missed swing, but his rightward momentum has doomed him. I never saw Larry Holmes blast off a left hook like this one. FWIW, Muhammad doesn't go to a neutral corner, but it doesn't really matter.):

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Agreed. Mine are he fought Frazier 41 rounds without a knockdown of Joe. He fought 39 rounds with Norton and never staggered him let alone knocked him down.