Looking at him throwing punches about waist high, makes you wonder why he was such a head hunter throughout his career. If he'd hit people to the body with those shots, he'd have had more knockouts. (Not that he didn't score plenty of them. But he'd have had more.)
Not to impressed with the power in those shots. His hook to the bag looks better than what he threw in the ring.
He didn't want to take the risk you take when going to the body. Would have been interesting to see what he could have done in terms of body work if he wanted to.
I don't know. He let people tee off on him for half the fight so they'd wear themselves out. And he had a great chin. Throwing actual body punches doesn't seem as risky as laying on the ropes and letting people wail on you. It seems like if he'd worked the body in fights, he'd have stopped quite a few guys who went the distance with him - like Shavers, Evangelista, Mac Foster, Buster Mathis, Terrell, Lubbers, etc. He may have even stopped Frazier in their first fight. As it was, Durham basically had to carry Joe (who was draped all over Yank) out of the ring. If Ali actually had a tough trainer - like an Eddie Futch - he may have even been greater. Dundee would just show up a week before fights to work the corner. Ali never really had a trainer other than himself. He just did what he wanted. Someone who stressed body punching - instead of just laughing and kissing his butt in camp - probably would've had a significant impact.
The scary thing about ali was it all looked so effortless. It was like he somehow knew how to box from birth. We ve had loads of greats over the years guys that made themselves great but ali was one of the rare few that just was great if that makes any sense. Its like he threw punches without even trying there. Watching frazier foremann tyson etc they all seemed like they were giving it their all with ali it was like it just came naturally to him. Tremendous to watch. Roy jones had a bit of that at his best imo. Would maybe be an interesting thread. Guys that looked like they were doing it without even trying. I d have ali and roy jones in that list.
It's a different kind of risk taking. When you go to the body you open yourself up to a counter in a way that Ali didn't like to do. Laying against the ropes in a guard was a in essence a defensive position for him. Going to the body is a risk you take on the offense. Ali's offense would have been more effective in some fights if he went to the body, yes. But I don't think any trainer would have been able to discipline him. Archie Moore tried, but Ali wanted nothing of it so he went to Dundee instead.
Ali and Roy Jones were definitely naturals. Nunn too. But there have also been fundamentally sound fighters that were naturals. Napoles, Benitez and McCallum come to mind. Toney as well. They just make it seem so effortless.
Yes it provides food for thought. He could have become very good and bodyshots had he chosen to apply himself to doing them.
Oh yes. The first time he practiced deflecting blows with his shoulders was in training before the Ellis fight and in the fight he applies it like he'd done it for years. Things just came that naturally to him. He could definitely have become a technician of the first order if he had applied himself to be. But he probably just felt that he did so well with the things he did that it was good enough.
