This is where he was heading in terms of skills. This content is protected 1st round seems like he is just dancing, running, but he is measuring gauging as when the next round comes in, he switches gears. not moving as much. 20 seconds in...notice a HW slipping (under) punches. He dances to the right...then changes ,circles left, bobbing & weaving (what Frazier did). 1:40 into clip he's throwing to the body. 1:50 As he's dancing he lunges in with a hook, then bounces back out of ranger. 2:20-2:30 he now sees how Williams isn't responding to his left hook so he sets it up, then launches about 20 shots..while shuffling. And moving forward not backward. start of 2nd round, notice how he consistently jabbing to the body (something he NEVER did post 1970) Williams catches him, so Ali responds with by harder shots. 4:00 into clip Ali is bobbing under shots. How many HW's have that agility? While moving. Cleveland catches him, so Ali stops the momentum and ties him up. 4:50 in, serving a buffet of jabs. Seams like Williams shouldn't have been dropped so easily 5:20 into clip, but he didn't have to worry about a right hand up to that point. Ali was doing everything with his left. Left hook, jab, hook to he body, upstairs...trap is set. Bam the right drops him. On his behind at this point, no longer throwing on the backfoot. He's planting himself and now Williams is wiping blood from his nose, 2nd knockdown. Cleveland throws an immediate bomb, but Ali's reflexes allowed made him miss. 6mintues into clip he his throwing moving forward & Cleveland is dropped again. Saved by the bell. Start of next round. No backing up he is throwing bombs. leads, hooks. Never saw him land this hard post 1970s. 15+ shots, drops Cleveland as the ref counts he is spitting blood, wiping it from his nose too. Pitty pat shots don't do that. whips out another 20 piece family combo for Williams to eat. Isn't even trying to run he is just moving his head to avoid shots. At that point in boxing's history, what HW danced while throwing? Upstairs, downstairs, hooks, leads, uppercuts, & a piston jab? Cleveland wasn't in his prime, but I dont think he was a bleeder throughout his career. That is what the draft did to boxing. Stopped a wrecking ball from developing into a potential all time great that was well rounded offensively & defensively. No HW had his talent of reflexes, athleticism, while accumulating skill. 2 versions of Ali: Pre 1970 & Post 1970. His greatest wins was post 1970 but he had to take beatings to wear foes down to win. Pre 1960s he took the victory in ways no HW had done before. Put that 1967 Clay/Ali in with Fury, Wilder, AJ, Ruiz, Tyson, Holy, Bowe, Tua, Lewis,Klitshcko- we never seen them take on that kind of a style. Put 1970s version in....not sure if he wins 1/2 of these fights unless he has gracious judges.
Take nearly 4 years of any great Fighters Prime off them and see how they go.....what Ali did was incredible.!!!
