Watching ALI/Bonevena and couldn't help to think

Bonavena came back to take a split decision off a 37 year old Folley and it was in Beunos Aries ,Bonavena's birthplace if you want to win against a local in Argentina ,better knock them out .Hard hitting? name a top ten ranked fighter he kod .Oscar couldnt even floor a 37 year old Folley ,o a 37 year old Patterson ,neither of whom were very durable around the chin.

 

Ali had just gotten off a 3 1/2 year layoff, and Bonavena wasn't no cakewalk for most fighters, so he was going to have some problems.He still would've beaten Marciano.

 

Exactly. People forget this, and often. Ali came out confident and engaged in his fight against Quarry, but was running out of gas early. I can guarantee that messed with him in the Bonavena fight. He did demonstrate nearly the same poise or confidence.

 

Ali was not out of ring three years. He was always sparring and giving boxing exhibitions during 1968-1970. He trained, boxed, just not for title of as pro due to suspension, but he stayed in ring and Dundee kept him sharp.

 

Bonavena was weird. He had Frazier down twice in one round, and if he scores another knock down fight is stopped in his favor. So what does he do? Frazier gets up, after second knockdown, and Bonavena starts backpedaling. About a minute and a half was left, Frazier was dazed, but kept coming forward, Bonavena clowned, ran, held.

 

That's untrue - Ali was unable to box exhibitions because he had no licence.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iqw_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dFYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=7339,5226196

 

He did them in gyms, where they could not prohibit them, and no money was charged. They could not stop him form boxing in public, google article is misleading to say the least. he did many exhibitions, and sparred a lot.

 

That's not an exhibition, that's sparring. It's true he worked out in the gym sporadically but he certainly didn't stay in fighting shape as the film of the "superfight" with Marciano makes very clear:

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ali was also well outtashape when he made his comeback in 1970. he had to lose loads of weight in a very short period before facing quarry. ricky hatton just found out how hard it is to comeback after 3 years out.

 

Let's not forget that,apart from three rounds against Jerry Quarry two months earlier,Muhammad had been inactive for three and a half years !! He was still caked in ringrust. Bonavena was a strong and awkward customer who,though no world beater,would always give the world's best a torrid time. Look at 'Ringo's first fight with Joe Frazier. It was perilously close for Joe that night,and Oscar still gave Frazier a hard battle in their second bout.

Would Marciano have knocked out the Ali who beat Bonavena ? Doubtful,though the Rock may have eked out a split decision had he been there in Oscar's place on that night.

 

Besides,exhibititions and sparring are hardly the same as actual combat.

 

Does anybody in his right mind really believe the 5'9" ish, 180 lb. Marciano really could have even been competitive against any version of Ali? Oscar was over 200 lbs. of rock solid muscle, extremely awkward and courageous/fearless as hell and still lost an easy decision, despite Ali's ring rust.

Name one great fighter, over 200 lbs. in his prime, that Marciano hurt, let alone knocked out.

Marciano would have been stopped inside 5 rounds against this Ali or any Ali.

 

For a moment there, part of me had the audacity to think that Marciano was actually a better fighter than Bonavena. Thanks for clearing it up, I see the wrong of my ways now that you mentioned Marciano was 5'9 ish. :good

 

Why not make your point even stronger and put Marciano at 5'6" or 5'7"?

 

Somebody left the door open in the general forum again. They keep getting in.