Peak Lewis vs 70's version of Ali

I'm actually having second thoughts on this. Its very hard to pick how Lennox does against someone with Alis style. Its also a little difficult to know how Ali does with a 6'5 skilled boxer

 

Lewis got older and fatter, not incredibly more muscular.

Ali admitted taking HGH for the Holmes fight. And it probably was not the first time.

 

Steroids have been around since the late 1950's. GOOD, DESIGNER Steroids have been around since the early 1970's. Ali had a legion of doctors.

I'm not dissing the guy but the 70's were the beginning of the golden era of PED's. I find it a dubious contention that Ali did not participate in that UNTESTED era, while Lewis did in an era of TESTING.

The general lack of knowlege regarding PED's here futher leads me not take any of these opinions seriously.

 

Ali also thought white people were devils and was pro-segregation. He was talking about "the anchor punch" and how he genuinely knocked out Sonny Liston with it. He said he wanted to quit in the Liston and Frazier fights. He talked a lot of ****.

Actions speak louder than words.
The action?
Ali TKO3 Quarry, faster than anyone had before or after. :good

 

Hey Chris,

If you believe Ali's best 1970s performance to be his 1971 loss in Frazier I (I don't agree, but I can see why you would say this based on punch output), why does your post below argue his likely use of rope-a-dope against Lewis.

From 1971-1974 Ali used the rope-a-dope only rarely. In his best fights from this era (Norton II, and particularly Frazier II) he was fit enough to be able to move very well for close to 12 rounds.

The rope-a-dope was a crutch when his pure physical performance started to erode.

As this thread is about the best of 70s Ali, there need be no talk of rope-a-dope. Of course, if Ali CHOSE to use it he could, but he wouldnt NEED to use it from tiredness.

On another matter. Anyone disputing the effect of Ali's 3 year exile on his ability....Please supply objective data, from any performance sport of your choice (running, jumping, swimming, cycling etc) of no loss in performance following a complete drop in competition for 3 and a half years.

Such data maybe rare, but you have the whole of sports history to help you!

 

He was taking a thyroid hormone and benzedrine for the Holmes fight. But going back to the Mac Foster fight he had been taking numerous "hormone-related" supplements whatever that meant, along with substances later banned by the FDA.

 

I am looking forward to a source as well.

These are hefty claims, and if true, will be extremely interesting.

 

Muhammad Ali took drugs, but the understanding of drugs FOR STRENGTH, POWER AND GROWTH was minimal and disputed in the 1970s.
Most scietists and doctors in the west were still doubting testosterone could have real benefits for athletes.

Ali took thyroid stuff and dieting stuff. Things that were really probably quite damaging and very dangerous. Not performance enhancers.

He also took painkillers for his hands.

Lennox Lewis fought in an era where knowledge of TRUE PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS had been gained. Good drugs for athletes, tried and tested by scientists and athletes alike - not just quacks irresponsibly handing out dangerous or pointless medications.

 

Here's an excerpt from Bill Ross' Trail of Blood that aludes to most of what I am discussing. Unfortunately, I am at work and can't do much research on this. I think Hauser talks about this stuff, too.

"To make matters worse, a post fight exam would later turn up evidence of the synthetic stimulant Benzedrine in Ali’s system. Benzedrine is the trade name for amphetamine and it is a drug that causes users to not eat or sleep and burn off a lot of energy by physical activity which results in the user becoming exhausted. As a result, users often feel fatigued with other side effects such as blurred vision, and dizziness. When amphetamine users eventually stop they are likely to feel depressed and lethargic. Heavy amphetamine use can damage blood vessels and cause heart failure, especially among people with existing high blood pressure or heart trouble, or amongst those who over-exert themselves while using the drug.
How or why Ali ended up taking Benzedrine, what doses or even how long he had been a user is unclear. What is clear is that with Ali taking a potent mix of Thyrolar and Benzedrine he was about to enter the ring as a ticking time bomb and was facing a very serious health risk, perhaps even death.
On October 1, Ali somehow passed the pre-fight physical administered by Dr. Donald Romeo, the appointed Nevada State Athletic Commission ringside physician. Ali then weighed in for the fight at 217 ½ lbs. It was the lightest Ali had weighed since facing George Foreman six years earlier."

 

Sounds like Ali was taking some type "speed" (amphetamines), hardly ideal preparation for fighting. In fact, sounds like a way to get yourself killed. All that **** does is burn you out, make you lose sleep, loss of appetite. It's nasty. It's a scandal that doctors ever prescribed even mild amphetamines for weight loss for anyone, let alone to a boxer in this case !

 

Good points, you are right. Ali was not likely to lay on the ropes back then. Not as part of a larger strategic picture, anyway.