What if Muhammad Ali had retired for good in 1975 ?

Being an Ali fan,I think it would have been marvelous for himself and us if he'd have called it quits then. His overall legacy would n't have been affected either. Alright he'd only be a two time Heavyweight Champion instead of three time,but his victory over Leon Spinks was no great shakes in comparisson to shocking Liston,Foreman and the world..! How does everybody see the heavyweight scene evolving in this alternate timeline ? I see something resembling the following scenario - George Foreman has his fight with Ron Lyle,with same result as reality. the WBC and WBA,very maturely,get together and hold a mini tournament (okay this is a fantasy !) Foreman beats Frazier just as he did in real time. Ken Norton beats Jimmy Young via unanimous decision.Then Foreman - Norton 2 takes place. Norton does a little better this time. He lasts until the fourth round,being level on points until Foreman tags him. thus Big George becomes the third man in history to regain the Heavyweight Championship of the world. Easy inside the distance wins follow against Earnie Shavers and Richard Dunn .By this time,say 1978,Foreman looks set to regain the invincible tag he had prior to his fight against Muhammad Ali. One night he puts his title on the line against an unbeaten,yet unheralded contender named Larry Holmes. In a shock victory Holmes builds up an early lead,drags himself off the canvas twice and stops George in the eleventh stanza. Foreman retires and my alternate reality reverts to real life as the Easton Assasin enjoys a long reign. Food for thought this. Is n't it ?

 

I see it about the same way. Foreman takes the title and is defeated by an up and coming Holmes. Although, I think there's always the potential for him to be outpointed by a tricky boxer like...Jimmy Young.

 

Some of his wins post-75 are pretty good like Shaves/Young/Norton and him becoming a '3time world champ'. Although the Norton/Young were contentious

 

Some of those wins actually hurt him more than they did him any good. The Young match along with the third Norton fight are often referred to as robberies.

 

In my revisionist version I have a wiser Norton frustrating Foreman in the same way than he did to Ali, becoming the undisputed unified champ

Kenny has a great time for 6 months with a couple of successful defenses. Money, fame, he is having the good life.... then, he crosses paths with Frazier and all goes up in smoke :!:

 

some years later......ali hears about frazier coming out of retirement to fight jumbo cummings goes on tv challenges frazier ,the jumbo fight is shelved the fourth fight is called two old guys in the garden

 

I think that by this stage Ken would beat Joe. Due to inactivity,and being washed up after Manilla. Prime for prime,I would say Frazier wins by middle rounds tko.

 

I like it. Alternatively Ali's competitiveness makes him sign for a fight with a higher ranked contender than Jumbo Cummings. Trevor Berbick maybe ..?

 

I think he should have retired after 1975 the final fight with Frazier myself but the Rumble in the Jungle could have been a stopping point because many consider it to be Ali's masterpiece but he wasnt gonna leave his rivalry with Frazier dead even, but after 75 he should have fought Ken Norton a third time avenge his only losses and retire

 

If that would have happened, I'm not so sure either guy would still be alive today!

They gave their all in the Thrilla in Manilla. Facing each other a fourth time - I'm not so sure they could give anymore to each other!

 

Norton would end up with the belt, then maybe Jimmy Young afterwards.

 

For Ali's physical shape....it would have been the right thing to do.

 

Thanks for reviving this old thread :good It was my first ever post on here ! July 2009.

 

Cool!:good:good.

 

Nothing changes, his legacy was set in stone at that particular point.