Was anyone in heavyweight history capable of knocking out or stopping Muhammad Ali?

Nonsense,...case in point.

 

Not when at full maturity and peak condition. (Chuvalo and Patterson both made it clear he was never the same athlete after the mid-late 1960's.)

Over the 15 round distance, I don't see anybody seriously competing with the mythical Ali of 1968-1969. I once thought Norton might among those he actually went against, but Kenny did not punch while moving or being moved on, and I see a completed 15 round version of the first five rounds of Ali-Norton II taking place. But Norton was not coming close to knocking him out.

Single punches couldn't have done it, or Shavers would have pulled it off in 1977.

Louis was probably the best combination puncher of the heavyweight champions, but he failed to put Pastor away early in their title rematch, and Bob was catching up after ten round with ten more to go. (In fact, he raised his arms to the crowd after round ten, thinking he was going to pull it off after surviving the Bomber's five KD onslaught over the first two rounds.) I can dismiss the problems Joe had in Conn I as a matter of being weight drained, but the issues Louis had in Pastor I from 1937 were consistent with those from JJW II in 1948.

Blackburn said privately that Jack Johnson would have beaten Joe because Lil' Artha' was a mover. That suggests he'd likely have favored Ali over his own charge as well. That being the case, Louis certainly wouldn't have knocked Ali out.

 

Trust me, any human being with a nervous system can be knocked out.

 

The idea that anyone CAN"T be KO'd is ludicrous. Boxing fans of all people should know that.

 

The closest Ali was to being finished was the 11th round of the FOTC, Frazier had him in trouble big time. The man had the heart of a lion and even greater will power, an amazing fighting machine.

 

Anybody can be knocked out, but Ali is in that elite group of fighters in history who you would see as the most difficult to be ever knocked out.

 

All fighters are human. Flesh and blood. They can be hurt, worn down, caught off-guard and if hit hard or often enough, knocked out. That's why most boxers suffer a stoppage at some point in their careers.

I wouldn't outright pick any middleweight to KO Marvin Hagler, for instance, but I'd never say it could never happen. When it's two men throwing punches at one another, anything is possible.

 

Obviously any man can be sparked. But I see these 3 are extremely unlikely to be sparked. Hagler is up there as well.

 

That's different,...but you're correct now.

 

WORD

 

Anyone can get KO'd. Banks, Cooper, Frazier and Shavers... to name a few, all got Ali in trouble. Ali's greatness was in escaping the black lights, whether it be in physical or theatric evasion.

 

Anyone can be knocked out, but the question is who is CAPABLE of doing such a thing to Muhammad Ali.

 

Tike Myson.

 

No love for Ken Lakusta?

 

Yes.

Any big, fast, powerful puncher would have at least a chance. Frazier had him on fumes. If Foreman had been a little smarter he may have done it too.