A poster questioned the standard of Muhammad's title challengers first time around the other week. Let's try an experiment here. See how they line up agianst the champ's second field of challengers. Sonny Liston 1964 v George Foreman 1974 Sonny Liston 1965 v Chuck Wepner 1975 Floyd Patterson 1965 v Ron Lyle 1975 George Chuvalo 1966 v Joe Bugner 1975 Henry Cooper 1966 v Joe Frazier 1975 Brian London 1966 v Jean-Pierre Coopman 1976 Karl Mildenberger 1966 v Jimmy Young 1976 Cleveland Williams 1966 v Richard Dunn 1976 Ernie Terrel 1967 v Ken Norton 1976 Zora Foley 1967 v Alfredo Evangelista 1977 Throw in Earnie Shavers and Leon Spinks wherever you wish.
I'll take Liston to beat Wepner, London to beat Coopman, Williams to beat Dunn and Folley to beat Evangelista, leaving the 70s ahead by 6 wins to 4. Not a bad showing from the 60s, but of course Ali's 70s reign basically alternated between exceptionally strong challengers and quite weak ones. The irony being it was one of the weak ones who eventually got him.
Cassius Clay in his 'first reign' put on a great performance versus Ernie Terrell. Clearly his best fight - February 1964 thru March 1967. Throw out the 'fixed fights' with Sonny Liston, and the fight against an injured Floyd Patterson. The rest of the 'bunch' could be considered 'fill-in-fighters'.
I agree that a majority of his challengers were of a higher standard in his second reign. Shows how good he was !
An irony indeed. Shows how much Ali had gone back by 1978. The 1974 or even the '75 Ali would have made easy work of Spinks.
Lets be honest, Larry Holmes beats Muhammad Ali anytime from 1976 and on. In a 'shoot-out' of left jabs, it is not even close....... After the great comeback run from 1970 thru October 1974,,,,,that in itself was a remarkable streak, everything else was 'icing on the cake'.
I agree that Holmes would have beaten the post Manilla Ali in 1976,Pepe. In fact,Holmes would have probably beaten ANY heavyweight around in that year. With the exception of Ken Norton and Jimmy Young.
Stevie G, I would give Kenny a slight-edge in 1976, in a 15-Round bout. But, Jimmy could not defeat Larry by 'counter-punching' in 1976.
