What do you think about Muhammad Ali's boxing fundamentals?

This. Ali’s fundamentals were top notch and he was a very versatile fighter, but was also confident in his natural abilities, so he would often limit his skill set both to make his matches fan friendly and as a way to showcase his overall superiority.

I remember listening to a interview from the early 60’s with people calling Ali and asking him questions such as why he didn’t attack to the body and use more conventional defense and his reasoning was it would make his matches boring and that people paid money to see him look good and exciting and not like an amateur boxer.

Joe Frazier also used this reasoning for changing the fighting style of his son Marvis, since Frazier also said that as a pro that you have to win in an exciting fashion if you expect people to pay good money to tune in. He mentioned that the style that Benton developed for Marvis would’ve made Marvis boring as a pro and it also would’ve made it hard for Marvis to get matches.

 

I'd say Ali's fundamentals are underrated. Look at his fight against Miteff, for example, where he does a lot of nice work on mid-range and also quite a bit of body punching. He also paid a price of getting hit unusually much in this fight, so maybe he felt that he'd be better off staying on long range and not going to the body. It obviously worked.

When he aged, I think he partly adapted to his declining physical assets. In Manilla for example he didn't do much wrong from a standpoint of fundamentals. Even showed some nice in fighting.

 

Perhaps the most technically sound fighter of all time.

He wasn’t by the book. Because the book can’t teach you how to fight like Ali. If it could, it would.

 

That could have been your best post. Ali had some weaknesses. Good chatters went to town on him, he was open to the left hook, and he was zero as an infighter.

Ali had no real left hook, uppercut and wasn't a body puncher.

Very lucky to win Norton III, and Young.

 

Ali had good fundamentals when he used them. Against physically over matched fighters like Folley, Patterson, Terrell, Williams, Cooper...his 60s competition he didn't have to worry about fundamentals, he could do what he wanted. Ali had the advantage in size, speed, strength, and in most cases amateur experience. Against Foreman, Norton, Lyle, Bugner, the bigger, more athletic fighters he fought in the 70s he often would fight more conventionally. If Ali had the opponents in the 60s that he had in the 70s, he might have been a better fundamental fighter, but he would also have had more wear and tear on his body. There is always a trade off.

 

He also slowed down in the 70's, which meant he couldn't fight the same way anymore.

 

Eddie Futch studied Ali. In doing that he noticed that Ali didn't know how to throw an uppercut properly. He didnt bend his knees and get low enough. This exposes his chin more.
Watch Rd 15 FOTC you can see Eddie Futch "ain't as dumb as he looks" as Ali would say.

 

Yes the Lyle stoppage was one of the most brilliant set ups ive seen in boxing. Picture perfect with excellent timing and form.

 

And it was one of the silliest things one could do to Marvin. Benton was doing so much better with him.

 

Technique was above average but in comparison to other ATGs was very poor.

His strengths were his movement and athleticism and that touch and run, and grab style. He got out of jail in some of his fights because of an iron chin and corrupt paid off judges. In his prime his two biggest strengths were his chin and his movement/athleticism.

 

Yes. Joe deserved all the criticism he got for changing Marvis' style. It wasn't broke no need to fix it. I think it was Joe's ego.

 

Trying to make him like dad for sure. Marvis was going quite well.

 

Good chatters?

 

Ali retreated in a straight line,he nearly always circled anti-clockwise,his right hand was out of position when he jabbed,he seldom threw a body punch or a decent left hook,[Bonavena was a singular exception].His fundamentals were no better than average imo .His physical gifts however were off the charts.

 

I recommend everyone to watch the Miteff fight. Nice fight and some nice work by Ali that you don't normally associate with him.