Send in your prime heavies to beat 1967 Ali

A cruiserweight is 200 pounds. Peak Ali was 210-220 and could comfortably carry 215 or so pounds.

 

Today he would probably start at CW and win one or more belts there before putting on a bit of weight and going up to HW. He'd likely be around 220-225 as a HW.

 

I don't know how he ever fought at lwh in the Olympics. He looked like a twig in some of his early pro fights when he weighed in the 190s.

 

Laying on the ropes, lack of stamina to move 15 rounds if needed was what did Muhammad Ali in during the Fight Of The Century in March 1971, also the 43 month layoff played a big part, two fights after his return that equaled 18 rounds of actual ring combat as Ali did not train during exile.

 

Muhammad Ali won the Gold medal at Light Heavyweight at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

 

Muhammad Ali began his grappling behind the neck following his return from 43 months of ring inactivity from March 1967 until he returned in Oct 1970, because he tired because of a lack of stamina.

 

I know Ali only really started using grappling post-exile, but he was also an avid wrestling fan from what I recall, idolising some famous pro wrestlers when he was young and certainly knew how to tussle when he needed to. The man liked his wrasslin and I believe if he needed to, he would use it in his prime if he got troubled up close.

 

Muhammad Ali was an avid fan of pro wrestler Gorgeous George, whom he modeled himself after when it came to getting into the heads of his opponents by boasting about what damage he would cause them and by calling the rounds early in his pro career.