Zaire..was this Ali's greatest hour ?

Yes, I believe so and more than made up for his loss to Frazier

 

Saddler (two "d"s) was in Ali's corner in the Wepner fight (Ali's first fight after beating Foreman). He was also in Ali's corner in Norton 3. He may have been there in a few more fights.

Foreman claims that both Ali and his manager Herbert Muhammad told him that unless Foreman hired Saddler as his trainer and followed Saddler's instructions, there would be no rematch. Foreman told them it would never happen. They told Foreman that there would never be a rematch.

 

The 'huge' left hook you refer to didn't land 'flush'. Are we all in agreement that Cooper's left hook, tho a formidable one, wasn't as powerful as Sonny's and, seven months earlier 'Enery's left hook had Ali on ***** street! Did you see him get off his stool and try to walk to....nowhere.
IMO Ali is the greatest HW all time but enough of the 'fairy tale' nonsense.

 

Greetings mark!
I'm not disputing the first Liston scrap, I think it was on the level; it's the second fight that's totally 'suspect'.
I was just saying that Sonny never was able to nail Ali in Miami with a good clean, numbing shot (credit to Muhammad for that)
Trivia: I'm sure most know (with the return clause 'thing' alive and well then) they were ready to go in the fall of 64 for the rematch and reports say Sonny trained like a devil only to hurt (something? help me here) to move the fight into early 65. Sonny was actually a Vegas 6-5 favorite going into the second fight amazingly enough.

 

The second fight (Boston) was postponed because Ali developed a hernia.

 

yes, it was his greatest hour.. followed closely by his first victory over liston.

 

I agree that Liston's left hook was more powerful than Coopers.
However Cooper's shouldn't be underestimated we all know Henry wasn't top notch but he could take your head off with his left hook.
Ali who was clowning around and back peddling with his guard down gave Henry a free hit. It was a very well executed punch and I don't think a lot of men wouldn't have got up, but it's true Ali was on ***** Street! His powers of recovery though were remarkable.

 

I think it probably was. His fight plan bordered on genius.

 

Magnificent improvisation

 

You might provoke some of Ali's High Priests with that post.

The official view is that it was not planned. It was made up on the spot because Foreman cut the ring off too well.

Saying it was planned is a no-no. That suggests the ropes may have been loosened to accommodate Ali. We can't have that kind of conjecture.

 

Flight plans aren't always preconceived. Great fighters are able to improvise. Ali was capable of both.

 

That's what separates the great from the very good