Which 5 Champs Give Ali The Most Trouble?

Holmes had Eddie Futch.

Frazier had Eddie Futch.

Norton had Eddie Futch.

Berbick had Eddie Futch.

Right there are four of the five men who actually did beat Ali. [Dundee couldn't come close with Ellis.]

Michael Spinks had Eddie Futch.

Riddick Bowe had Eddie Futch.

Dempsey would be pressuring him relentlessly, and Ali gave away body shots.

Addendum:

Don Jordan had Eddie Futch.

Marlon Starling had Eddie Futch.

Alexis Arguello had Eddie Futch.

Wayne McCullough had Eddie Futch.

Montell Griffin had Eddie Futch.

Ergo, all of them give Ali headaches.

Postscript:

Joe Louis sparred with Eddie Futch.

Ergo, Louis gives Ali headaches.

 

Not only was Norton never hwt champion neither were Tate, Weaver, Dokes, Coetzee, Page, Tubbs, Berbick, Smith, Witherspoon. All were contenders, all pawns of corrupt boxing commissions whose only intent was to have as many champions as possible to feather their pockets.

 

:good

My feelings exactly. I always refer to them as heavyweight titlists, not champions.

 

Holmes
Lewis
Wlad/Vitali
Walcott
*Frazier*
Difficult fights...but Ali whups em'.

 

I'm having a really hard time imagining Ali winning over Lewis.

 

Not hard to imagine at all. Prime Ali would just be too quick. In comparison Lewis would look in slow motion. Alis punch output would overwhelm Lewis.

 

I strongly disagree with that. In fact, Lewis is pretty much the only heavyweight I'm confident would definitely beat Ali.

 

Ali did not have trouble with big fighters. It's the quick handed smaller boxers that gave Ali trouble since they could better match his hand speed. Ali would outbox Lewis moving side to side slipping his slower jab all the while countering with his own much quicker jab and slicing combination to follow. Ali just way too quick for the Lewis, Wlad, Vitali types. Speed kills. No defense against overwhelming speed.

 

01 Frazier- Prime vs Prime, Frazier beats him every time (and twice on Sundays)
02 Marciano
03 Joe Louis
04 JJ Walcott
05 Holmes

 

In light of the trouble Doug Jones gave ALi I think a fast box puncher like Ezzard Charles and Tunney would be tough. Holyfeild less so.

I don't think either Klitschko would brother Ali much more than Ernie Terrell. The brothers use distance as well as ALi did against slower men but ALi,s pace and speed was another level. Same with Lewis. Not enough punches a round.

Ali would beat Dempey based on what Tunney did but perhaps not the faster younger Dempsey quite so easily.

Joe Louis would struggle. Conn, pastor and Charles were difficult for him and neither were as fast as ALi.

I think Schmeling, WAlcott and even Braddock could be problematic.

Marciano and Holmes have an excelent chance but ALi could beat both. You have to throw a lot of punches to beat ALi.

 

For such as great fighter, Ali had problems with smaller boxers ( Jones, Young, and Patterson ) medium sized 215-220 pound boxer-punchers in Norton and Lyle, and pressure fighters with good left hooks in Cooper and Frazier.

Ali never face a big time puncher with smarts, speed, and stamina, but I suspect this would not be an easy fight for him either.

So in reality there are plenty in history who could trouble him.

The five who could best IMO are

Lewis
Wlad
Vitali
Frazier
Norton

I'm picking Frazier because he beat a near prime Ali cleanly, and Norton because he is 2-1 vs Ali on fair score cards. Be mindful Norton put a hurting on Ali before Ali beat Frazier or Foreman! If the first Norton fight was 15 rounds, something dramatic might have happened.

Ali in most cases was the bigger fighter, but he would be giving up a lot of size and power to Lewis, Wlad and Vitali, who combined career fights ( too lazy to count right now ) show they never lost a decision!

While some feel Lewis and Wlad had suspect chins to power hitters ( myself included ), they aren't worse than Norton's who Ali couldn't seem to dent.

 

I can't help feeling that Vitali and Wladimir would be too slow for a 1964-74 period Ali.

 

Wlad had very good hand speed. He 37 now but a few years back his hand speed was very good.

Vitali was also much quicker years ago.


Both are faster than Lyle who troubled Ali with his jab.


I disagree on the handspeed comment you made.

 

Once again, I have to disagree. Prime Lewis simply wasn't as slow as you seem to think he was. He was actually a pretty good mover for a boxer his size, and I don't think Ali's light jab would bother him at all.

 

Everyone is slow vs prime Ali and Lewis would look very slow in comparison. Alis jab was the best in hwt history and it would do much more than bother Lewis. Lewis could not catch Ali but in the process of trying he would be cut to ribbons. Not that Lewis was a bad fighter as I rate him top 10 all time but just the wrong style to be effective vs Ali. Alis chin and ability to take body blows would see him through if or when Lewis would find him with a punch.