Rumble in the Jungle: Could Ali have boxed like that for 15?

I think so. Ali was made of almost supernatural stuff. The pain and fatigue he could absorb just were abnormal. Even in his fights where he had a torrid time trying to establish any sort of superiority he still managed to push himself through horribly, horribly difficult periods, and be standing at the end. Superhuman. He could've done this, I'm sure of it.
(It would help him that the BOG (Big Overrated George) had the poise and accuracy of an adolescent boy trying to slide his girlfriend's pants off in the back of his Fiesta)

 

Yes, Ali went to the ropes to actually conserve energy + he was landing the cleaner punches & at the same time his opponent was doing most of the moving around, missing etc.

Foreman - if he never got KO`d - would have grown weaker rd by rd enabling Ali to take what Foreman had & build up points rd after rd doing what he was doing, outboxing George.

 

Getting up between 9 & 10 & looking like your about to collapse aint beating a count.

 

Who is that in your avater ?

 

Looking like your about to collapse? Foreman got up at 9. This is pretty much accepted, but ultimately almost irrelevant considering he was losing, completely drained mentally and physically and walked away as if he was the deserving loser.

 

Favourite fight of all time.

But even I aint sure he could of kept that up for 15

 

Im not sure what some people are getting at here. Some guys must think Ali lay on the ropes for the whole 23mins of the fight before suddenly KOing foreman. Ali was ahead on everybodyies scorecard, including the commentaters when he won. You dont be ahead in a fight after 7 rounds by lying on the ropes alone, he was doing a bit of fighting as well. Ive no doubt he could have fought the way he fought for another 7 rounds as no matter what way you look at it, foreman wasnt going to get any faster or stronger and if he wasnt beaten when he was, he would have either collapsed with exhaustion or been stopped in a later round. Ali was well known for coming on strong in the championship rounds

 

I think he would have been able to, that was ali in top shape in that fight, and we know his stamina was not in question. The fact he was able to fight at the pace he did vs frazier in manilla when in lesser shape than he was in zaire leads me to suspect he could have kept going for the 15 against foreman

 

Ali walked away with serious fkn damage after that fight. Lets just be happy knowing what he's like today it DIDNT go that far.

 

Ali had steeled himself to win this fight, no matter what. If he had to go the distance, he indeed would have. There was to be no denying him on this night.

 

Kinda the same thing, no ?

 

The 3rd Frazier fight & the fights after were Ali was thru as a great fighter did the most damage, Foreman didnt do THAT much damage to Ali, his defences were very good that night, it was George that was catching most of the clean head shots.

 

It depends. If Foreman were to pick his shots instead of swinging like a mad man then no. If he swings like a sissy then no.

 

I meant to say if he "swings like a sissy" then yes.

 

Yes, as mentioned before, this was Ali's night, and with the way George was wilting, Ali probably would've pitched a shutout.