would the rope of dope worked against...

Damn right ! The punishment Ali took against Foreman has been grossly exaggerated in some quarters. George's face was very marked and swollen by the end of the fifth round. Muhammad had hardly a single blemish.

 

Ali used the rope-a-dope in the 1970's because he didn't have the legs that he had in the 1960's...his hope was that his opponents would tire themselves out by punching Ali as he covered up on the ropes...

 

His strategy was to stay in the middle of the ring, foreman simply got him in the ropes, and Ali was certainly lucky the ropes were so loose.

foreman could have fought smarter but at the same time Ali was lucky too.

 

If Ali tried this, Liston, even though he was past his best at that point, might have a stronger chance of beating Ali, but that's only a maybe. the reasons have already been said in other posts.

 

Most people I know have never seen the fight and go by what happened in the Will Smith film "Ali". Foreman missed a lot and never had Ali in much trouble.

 

the rope a dope would not work as well against a shorter fighter.

 

Marciano is the one I would have liked to see Ali rope-a-dope.

Ali would have never fought again.