What if? Ali/Weaver in 1982...

Anyone who thinks that ali would've beaten weaver in 82" is delusional. It's not a fight that i'd want to see because weaver would have seriously hurt him. The only way this would not have happened would be if weaver held back and carried him.

 

Weaver ends up stopping Muhammad in the ninth round in a competitive scrap.

 

Weaver would have stopped Ali in about 7.

 

If Ali had fought again in 1982 it sure as hell would not have been against Mike Weaver, and, if in fact they did, it is for the same reason they picked Holmes over Weaver (if it wasn't financial)...
Weaver had a huge left hook. Even at his peak Ali never learned how to block or avoid a left hook, other than leaning back or pushing down on the other guy's neck. With shot reflexes and against a much stronger Weaver, it is a very bad fight for Ali.

 

There's no way that Ali was being serious about a 1986 comeback. A joke and nothing more.

 

Weaver was one of the most hot and cold fighters in history. lots of early KO losses.
Then, Granate chin against Coetzee, Holmes and Tate.

Easy 1st round KO for Dokes, 15 draw for Dokes in rematch.

1st round Ko loser to Bonecrusher Smith , 12 round decision loss to Smith later.

Carl williams gives larry holmes hell for 15 rounds, Weaver crushes Williams in 2 rounds.

I'd hate to bet on the fight between Weaver and crippled Ali.

You never know which Weaver will show up.

 

I think Weaver would outbox him but wont attempt to knock him out

 

This would not have been good. They had sparred in the waning times of Ali's career. I don't know what their relationship, but I have never heard of them being hostile towards one another, or even any harsh words for that matter. Ali of course would not and could not win. I'm guessing that Weaver had no disdain for Ali, and probably wouldn't seek 2 punish Ali, which goes right along w/ Weaver's style, since he tends 2 do almost nothing up until he's in trouble. I personally think Weaver would carry Ali cuz Weaver was a laid back fighter, and I don't think he would want 2 hurt Ali badly. I envision a fight where a badly out-of-shape Ali outmaneuvers Weaver 4 maybe 3, 4 rounds. His lead on the scorecards scares Weaver into action, who fights back and hurts Ali w/ a big punch. Weaver doesn't follow up though, and is content 2 spend the rest of the fight jabbing only occasionally. Ali would probably have puffy eyes from the affair. It would be another sorry performance, and Weaver wouldn't have anything 2 gain from the fight, since he's 2 laid back and wouldn't probably care 2 make an example of Ali. No good reason 4 this fight 2 take place at any time in the 80s.

 

Ali wouldn't have been able to beat Marvin Hagler in 1986.

 

An age old story of a once great fighter wanting to make a comeback. If it would have happened, it could have been fatal to Muhammad Ali, who I think was the greatest. Fights like this that are allowed to happen could have given the politicians a reason to ban boxing. Too many money thirsty crooks only thinking of themselves, and some fans wanting to see a physically impaired man fatally injured. Ali had already been diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome, and too many Rope A Dope fights did not help either. I am glad that it was just a rumor, Mike Weaver may have connected with a very dangerous left hook punch to Ali by round 2, possibly ending the life of a great legendary champion. Any promoter making this fight should be imprisoned with a Big Bubba for a cell mate for life.

 

no. that happened 2 years after in '84.
with everything else you wrote i agree.

 

anarci was right.
speaking of germany, myself and my classmates were 14 and everyone knew who ali was, and it would have been a huge deal for me, if he had fought again.

but the german main media would have mostly ignored and/or warned against it, if that bout would have happened in 1982.
what makes me assume this?
the media interest here for ali vs. berbick was strongly diminished compared to ali vs. holmes. german tv didn't broadcast it live on free tv like most other ali fights, including holmes. more than that, they didn't even bother to show a telerecording at a later date.
there was coverage in some newspapers, but not as extensive as before.

 

Can't imagine anyone at all believing that Ali could win a fight in 1982.Great chin or not a decent heavyweight kos him, I'm certain.

 

Ali's problem in these fantasy late career matchups is that Ali, never a big puncher, essentially knocked down three men total in his post Foreman career. An exhausted Wepner who had never been past ten rounds, Coopman and Dunn, essentially three journeymen .. other than a freakish freeze up by Lyle, Ali really never seriously rocked anyone again .. not Bugner, not a blind Frazier, not Norton, not Evangelista, not Young , not Shavers , not Spinks .. if you closely look at Ali's second career he really didn't deck let alone KO too many people .. my main point here is that Ali was not a big puncher especially late in his career and if he could not hurt Weaver he had very little shot ..