Muhammad Ali vs Jack Johnson

Johnson's "grab and waltz" style wouldn't work with Ali who wouldn't stand still long enough to get grabbed.
Ali would stick and move way past Johnson's abilities.

 

I don't think this is true, but some people believe that Ali struggled against good jabbers. Johnson had outstanding left hand and he was very smart with use of it.

I am on Ali side though, he's just more proven fighter.

 

It is hard to pick against Ali, and I won't in this case, but Johnson would give him fits!

Johnson would figure out Ali's key weaknesses, ans he would formulate a plan around them.

He would see that Ali was open to certain punches, and that he didn't fare will when forced to fight on the front foot.

He would also probably try to draw Ali into clinching him, and make mischief from there.

You can bet your bottom dollar, that he would come up with something!

 

15 rounder, no doubt Ali by wide decision. 45 round fight, might go with Jack by UD.

 

I agree. Johnson was a boxing genius in his own right. As Ray Arcel called it mental energy. He would find a way to trouble Ali. Jack was kinda quick himself.
I still think Ali would win a decision.

 

MUCH better boxers actually.

 

Hurrah!
Good to see you friend.

 

It would be interesting to see him against Denver Ed Martin and some tall journeymen (Jeffords, Felix, Russell, McCormick, Ferguson, Kennedy) to see how he fared against longer and taller fighters in his prime. Willard fight is the only thing we have, but Johnson was old and in poor shape then. Besides, Jess was a giant among giants.

It would be also interesting to see Jack against some powerful fighters like Klondike or McVea. We've seen him against Jeffries but Jeffries had terrible reflex at this point and he had no stamina. We've seen him against Moran and he dominated him physically.

 

Not with Johnson style and I doubt anyone has Johnson natural feel (except Frazier, but he was much different fighter).

 

Duh, his style was outdated and primitive by the 60s... as for natural feel? What?

 

It's not primitive at all, it was just suited to smaller gloves (much more grappling) and longer distances.

Johnson had natural ability to fight, it's clear when you watch him. He was great at adjusting, finding holes and exploiting advantages. He fought in a way nobody else did back then. Some fighters are great due to fundamentals, some more because of their natural ability to fight.

 

Could Ali even do 45 rounds?

 

I happen to believe in Jack Johnson .. I believe in his pre-title opposition .. I believe Jeanette and McVey and Langford were all very good fighters when he defeated them. I feel he fought quite a few large, highly skilled heavyweights .. I'll writer off Hart as his Hagler - Vito 1 fight when he should have got the decision but underperformed .. I see him in the mold of the Whitakers, the Hopkins, the Byrds as the type of very smart fighter that had the ability to make the other guy miss and fight his fight .. that said an Ali fight would be fought because Johnson pretty much fought for distance and he'd have to pick up the pace against Ali .. the safe pick is Ali by decision but who knows ?

 

Personally, I would say no, but this is Ali we are talking about here, so who knows.

 

Outdated... unhelpful in a modern bout and I don’t evaluate a fighter by “natural ability” just ability and off the film we have Ali is in a league of his own Jack has nothing to offer here.

Expect stamina and... losses to smaller MUCH less skilled men then the greatest.