Send in your prime heavies to beat 1967 Ali

Ali would have had trouble with Frazier...Marciano...Dempsey...etc. Great swarmers and pressure fighters are not the boxers favorite opponents...and Ali wasn't a big puncher...and you're not going to beat Marciano with a left jab over 15 rounds...

 

I would say this, Lewis is way bigger, strong as an ox, sound fundamentals, mentally very strong, and, if trained by Manny, who would make Lewis hook all day long in the camp, well, I think LL would beat Ali, and I wouldn't like to watch the beatings Ali absorbed.

 

Ali was too small to deal with the fast, lethal Wlad, no way, sir. Ali was great in his day, but he never faced a monster like Wlad. Wlad too skilled, fast, strong and that fast left hook of the jab sort of thing. RIP, poor Ali!!!

 

We can agree to disagree and leave it at that because we’re not going to change each other’s minds. I think 1967 Ali was the absolute GOAT. I don’t have Wlad in my top 10. I’m sure you disagree. So be it.

 

Wlad does have some characteristics that are going to make the fight rough for Ali -- height, strength and grappling ability (Ali isn't wrestling him around like he did Frazier), and a damn good left hook. Wlad gets underrated a bit because of his chin issue -- I mean, he's often not appearing in the lists of hardest HW punchers, which is kind of nuts, as he's easily in the Shavers/Foreman/Wilder power class.

I don't think he's going to win. I also think '67 Ali was the GOAT.

 

Devil's advocate -- isn't Lewis the same kind of mold as Liston in a way?

 

Marciano, Frazier, Norton and maybe just maybe Holmes but I don't think so.

 

Lennox Lewis 2000

 

I'd probably have to send all of Golota, Briggs, Galento and Bentt in at the same time. And even then I am taking Ali by UD.

 

I would choose 4: Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, both Klitschko brothers, although they fought slightly differently, they had similar characteristics that would cause Ali a big problem. Next, I would see Sonny Liston (in my opinion, Ali didn't fight Sonny even close to prime, but to be fair, Sonny didn't meet the best version of Ali either), Foreman, Buster Douglas, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury. Frazier, Marciano, Norton, Tucker, Holyfield, Bowe would always be dangerous and difficult but Prime Ali was slightly better than each of them imo

 

Has nobody mentioned Jack Johnson? He wouldn't let Ali control the fight or the narrative. Let's not forget Johnson was a big, strong, powerful and intelligent heavyweight with catlike grace and enormous pride. Ali vs Johnson would be a psychological battle.

 

He'd beat 'em all for mine but......in order of chance.....

1. Joe Frazier
2. Mike Tyson
3. Lennox Lewis

 

I would confidently choose the following boxers to win; Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson.

 

Not at all. Lennox is way bigger than Sonny, and with a much longer reach. (No way was Liston's reach 84 '', it was 80 ½'').