What Are The Biggest "What Ifs '', In Boxing History?

What if Ali hung on longer after his excellent performance against Berbick? Could he have regained the title against some of the soft (literally) belt holders of the 80's? Think of the legacy!

 

What if Buster Douglas was always as motivated, focused and dedicated as Tokyo Douglas.

 

Ali-Frazier IV after Joe’s brilliant outing vs. Jumbo Cummings just days before Ali-Berbick.

They could have fought in Iceland: The Conflict in Reykjavik!!!

Fischer-Spassky II on the undercard.

 

I think he still loses to Holyfield although it would've been a better fight.

Douglas was motivated for a few years prior to Tyson fight, he had good performances over Tony Tucker, Mike Williams, Trevor Berbick.

He was pretty good for a good spell between 87-90 and then just seemed to throw it away after the Tyson fight.

 

But....but...the Nation of Islam isn't really an Islamic religion!

 

What if Tunney had been counted out in Dempsey-Tunney II? As he should have been.

 

That is the position of a lot of Islamic scholars, but I don't have a horse in that race. I don't know whether something qualifies as "really" part of a religion. There's sects of Christianity that depart from the bible just as much as NOI from the Koran but I'm not religious scholar either.

Seems like a non sequitur though. Ali was in the nation of Islam, regardless of whether it's legit or not.

 

All some very excellent picks but I'll throw another one out.

What if Cleveland Williams didn't get shot? He'd just beaten Billy Daniels and qualified for a championship shot against the newly vacated WBA Championship against Ernie Terrell, who'd he knocked out, and later lost a narrow decision against him when injured.

Something very critical to this match-up would've been the distance. Since this was a championship bout, it would've been a 15 rounder. Judging by their second bout, when Terrell was holding on for dear life, and ready to go by round 10 against an injured Williams, I highly doubt he would've made 12 or even 15 imo. I think Williams TKOs him in the 12.

Terrell never becomes WBA champion and go on to face Ali.

Williams as champion would likely make a successful defense against Chuvalo, perhaps a rematch with Machen which I think he wins, as Machen was a shell of himself (actually another very good what if, is a scenario where Machen never loses his mind, and gets sent to the nuthouse. I'll have to give that one some more thought later), Patterson would very likely have a shot at the title as well. I'm not sure at all Williams wins this one. Patterson is one of those rare fighters, who got better after their run with the title. 50-50 imo. Gun to my head, I'll take Williams for arguments sake. The sole purpose being we already saw a mid 60s Patterson against Ali.

If he gets past this potential banana peel, he goes on to a unification match against Ali, and imo puts up a much better effort than he did when shot (literally). Ali still outclasses him, but Williams would have his moments here and there. Ali probably stops him around 8 or so, and order is restored for the most post.

Williams probably ranks higher than he does these days, and imo doesn't have any of those late career losses to the likes of Foster, Lewis, etc.

Ali's ranking stays the same, although he doesn't have that dazzling performance he did in the Astrodome (which again I feel is unfairly underrated on the basis of Williams condition. It's true he was a shell of himself, and his durability wasn't what it once was, but the way Ali outclassed and dominated him with ease was unprecedented. Nobody before nor after did this to Williams, nor nearly as quick. Later on in his career, when aging, and even more faded, he went the distance with Chuvalo a very respectable puncher, absorbing some very decent punishment remarkably well all things considered. Mac Foster, known as one of the hardest punchers in the era twice took much much longer to KO an even older, and more worn Williams as well, and didn't look nearly as good doing it, rupturing his eardrum in the first bout, and being on the losing end of a slugfest in the rematch before uncorking a murderous right hand on Williams.

 

What if Sugar Ray Robinson beat Joey Maxim in 1952, and won the light heavyweight belt?

 

If Teófilo Stevenson had been allowed to turn pro.

 

so Big Cat doesn't get shot, does Ali still perform such a masterclass on him?

 

This is a really good ‘what if’. Potential top 10 all-time great heavyweight.

 

Richard, my honest feeling about your first question is that Tyson would have imploded anyway. He was always a ticking timebomb.

 

As a Muslim, Islam has A LOT more similarities with Christianity and Judaism than the Nation of Islam. They believed God was a human by the name of Wallace Ford…. Who was a known criminal.

 

Yeah I mean from the little I know about it I agree with you. It does seem like a lot of people in the NOI figured it out too there's a lot of regular Muslims in the US whose parents and grandparents fell in with the NOI but that led them to study and convert to actual Islam. It seems like a complicated and nuanced history.