Ali was originally supposed to fight John tate for the WBA title provided that tate beat weaver. Tate was winning the fight handily, winning no less than 12 rounds before he got ko'd with 45 seconds left, effectively blowing a 4 million dollar payday. If the had fought, who would you pick to when, and why? I think that an in shape ali (barring being overmedicated) could have pulled it off because Tate, while a good solid fighter, was not in the same league as Holmes who did everything twice as good as tate. Tate had no special qualities as a fighter and was only slightly above average, and i don't feel that he had anything that could stop ali. Ali was well past his prime at this point but i feel that he had enough left to win a decision.
Tate was a big guy with skills. Could move and punch. Would have had way too much for Ali in 80. You'd have to go back a couple years to find an Ali capable for the job.
Tate wins. Ali was shot by 1980, and as another poster already mentioned, Tate was a big guy with skills who could move and punch.
By 1980 you'd be hard pressed to find a top rated heavyweight who couldn't beat Ali at that stage. Tex Cobb and maybe some of the fringe types like Stan Ward, Lynn Ball, etc, are the only men who Muhammad might have decisioned. Tate probably would have been even more detrimental to Ali than Holmes or Berbick due to his size and slightly greater power. In order to beat Tate you had to be able to crack and find the right opening at the right time.. Ali was capable of neither at that point. Bad match...
"Big John" Tate,,,,,,, What people forget is that he hurt Mike Weaver pretty good in their bout, and through 10 Rounds, had beaten Mike Weaver worse than Larry Holmes had. Just one of those 'freak' punches that caught him in the right 'weak spot' in Round 15. In 1980, Muhammad Ali couldn't punch a hole through a wet paper bag, and he had no 'special skills', other than eating punches and not falling down. 'Big John' by a TKO in 12. This content is protected
Even in as good a shape as he could maintain,at this stage,Muhammad would always have lost to Tate at that point of his career.
"Tater Chips" Tate beats an ill Ali with ease in '80 by dec. or even a late rd. TKO..... Ali had no power to dent Tate's glass-jaw in '80.... MR.BILL
Even the 1978 version of Ali who reversed his loss to Leon Spinks would have had enough left to beat Tate,but in 1980 ? Forget it !!
