The Men Who Could Beat Ali

Guys like Tyson, Bowe, Lewis, the Klits would all have been tremendous challenges for even a peak Ali. Perhaps most of them should be favorites. Because the sport has evolved.

But if you believe that Corbett, Johnson, Dempsey and friggin Conn would have any chance against Ali at his best, then you know nothing about boxing. Simple as that.

 

Henry Cooper can floor Ali(to the point Ali didn't have a clue where he was) and Dempsey can't? I'm not necessarily picking Jack, but he has a chance.

 

Frazier had his chance 5 months and 3 fights after Ali came back from a 3 year enforced exile, and he took it well, no doubt.

Unfortunately we ALL know what happened when Ali had more fights under his belt. He turned Frazier into a gargoyle, TWICE. And that Ali was NOTHING like the pre 67 version.

Nothing further needs to be said.

 

Does this mean you will go away?

 

:happy

 

And Dempsey didn't last a round with Flynn, but would with Ali? See how nicely that cuts two ways?

 

In all of this the imponderable is in '67 when he had to stop Ali was still a work in progress.
Although we know Williams was over the hill but going into '67 the Ali who put on that show against Williams was still an improving fighter,who was also hitting harder.
He wasn't the same Ali who was decked by Cooper in '63.
Despite the well documented technical flaws the Ali of '67 to'70 would have been a much tougher proposition for Frazier in the FOC,and all the subsequently mentioned heavyweight stylistic nightmares on here.
They would have been up against even greater speed and reflexes along with the extra power.

 

Ali was 25 when he beat Zora Folley, I very much doubt he would gotten any faster or improved his reflexes.

 

Delete.

 

Boom, boom. You are funny. Then again so is cancer, unless your the one who's got it.

 

I don't think there's any doubt he was still an improving fighter. Frazier still would have been facing a different proposition than what he actually faced.

 

He would have gained experience and gotten smarter, as he eventually did. It would be silly to deny that, but, physically, I think we saw the best of him. He was 25 and had filled out nicely and was stronger and more powerful than he was a few years before, and, as I said, I doubt he would have improved his speed and reflexes.

If he hadn't been exiled I think he would have faced Frazier much earlier, maybe in 68 or 69 and it wouldn't have been such a good fight. Ali would have been younger and fresher but with the same level of experience and Frazier would have been more green and not yet ready. How good Ali would have been in 71 I dare not say, maybe he would have started to slip? Four extra years of fighting is a long time and has its price.