Prime Jess Willard vs. ‘77 Ali

Ali. Even at that point, Willard will barely lay a glove on him.

 

Has Ali ever loaded bales of hay on a cart the whole day? No? Then I question his stamina for honest to goodness, dirty, sweaty, honest farm work. Ali will be spitting dust and crying uncle by the time they get to ploughing the fields.

 

Willard, wins Ali was a cognitive and physical mess by then .

 

Not 77 Ali. Too skilful. And he’d pace himself for 30 rounds if he had to. Don’t forget even against Berbick Ali still showed a few flashes of his old but corroded skills. If this was a 40 round fight Willard’s best hope would be the Holmes version of Ali. That is if he could take Ali past 15. Then he’d have a chance of simply mauling an exhausted stationary Ali.

 

77 Ali couldn't talk, he spoke like a man with a .20 blood alcohol level. He was a complete shell

 

Agree on his speech but he still had enough to take everything Shavers could throw at him. Did him no good but he still took it. And for 15 rounds. And he had Shavers wobbly in the last round.

 

Didn't Muhammad Ali beat Earnie Shavers in '77? And didn't that particular fight create the biggest opinion about Muhammad Ali's chin?
It's the best post Manilla Ali performance, and Willard loses.

 

When I said did him no good I meant his health. He won a lot more convincingly than most people remember.

 

ali so easy, come on guys we all know how this turns out.

 

Ali was on his way down but still beat Shavers and took his big shots. Willard had 1/10th the power of Shavers, so I see Ali cutting up
Willard and winning by TKO 15th round. Willard bleeds more than Wepner in this one , and that's saying something.

 

Honestly, Ali was pretty damn shot by then so over 15 Willard might even have a 50-50 chance of pulling it off. Ali liked to hold a lot in his late career and trying to wrestle with Willard would not go well for him. Willard was tough with a solid punch. He was a woeful boxer but I'm not sure how well Ali can play his game and still win.

 

Willard hit harder than Shavers. In 1913, Willard killed a man in the ring. Who did Shavers kill?

 

Willard beats the FOTC and Rumble in the Jungle Ali. Willard was 6'6 245 pounds of pure punching power, rapid fire jab, superhuman strength and a granite chin. He was the ultimate fighter.

 

Ali could still take a good punch in 1977 as he proved against Earnie Shavers. Could still go fifteen rounds. Wasn’t as mobile, fast or busy as he was years earlier but I think he could still out move Willard. I’ll pick Ali to win a decision here.