There's been a good discussion going on on what Ali thought about the great fighters and champions that were before him, Johnson, Dempsey, etc. around the forum... But since retiring what has he made of guys like Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis? All I can think of right now is that championship documentary with Norton, Holmes, Foreman, Ali and Frazier where Ali talks about Tyson and him being good but he's no Ali. Also Ali always made a point that most of the elite heavyweights after him and some already during his days tried to emulate him as much as possible, talking smack and using movement more inside the ring, taunting, selling the fight. I'm mostly curious about Larry Holmes, them having been sparring partners for such a long time, Holmes defeating him in the twilight of his career and adapting atleast to my somewhat limited boxing knowledge a similar fighting style.
Personally I think you answered the question about how he felt about Holmes. A fighter that he worked with a lot in the gym and who emulated his style. Ali was faster at his best and the originator of the style that Ali had and Ali was full aware of that.
This is a good question. The problem is that it can only be answered up till a certain point when Ali became pretty much incommunicado. One little thing I can add to the discussion is what I heard him say about Tyson, when he and Mike and Ray Leonard were on a talk show together. It may have been Leno who asked Ali and Tyson how it may have come out between them. Mike was uncharacteristically humble and deferential to the Great One, and just laughed it off, saying, "No, no," the clear implication that he had too much respect for Muhummad to much entertain the thought. Ali, already starting to fade on us and slur his speech, just said; "If he'd a hit me, he'd a killed me," which says a lot I believe, and is in agreement with most the opinions on the match up that we get on this board.
Yeah I think that was on Arsenio Hall. That would have been an interesting matchup because of the speed factor that both guys had. Speedy puncher against speedy boxer. Who knows who wins?
You're right, it was Arsenio Hall. Can't argue with, "Who knows?" Prime for prime as we say. This subject has already been discussed here many times, because it is one of the most intriguing hypo's. What a shame, for him, for us, that Ali lost his "Voice" so young. Would have loved to get his take on a lot of things, not just the HW's that came after him.
Not exactly how I remember it, but close. Arsenio pops the question about 3:20 in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki4UKsI8bms
