Coul Muhammad Ali have won 3 Gold Medals?

[RandomPoster]

If Muhammad Ali had refused to go pro, what kind of an amateur career could he have had if he had stuck with it until he simply got too old? He won the Gold Medal in 1960. How could he have done from 1964 to 1976?

[Ruthless-RKO]

One is enough to be honest. I'm glad he went pro.

He probably would have won another.

[BoxBuzz]

Teofolio would have been an also ran in the history books.

[drunkenpiper36]

Probably but I don't see the point. Keeping a man of his talent in the amateurs would have been a crime, and it would have robbed the boxing world of two tremendous eras.

[Kalan]

Teofolio would have been an also ran in the history books

First off, Ali beat a very weak field for his '60 medal at Light Heavy... 2nd, Stevenson was bigger, taller, stronger, and punched a lot harder than Ali... Teo also won his 3rd Olympic Gold Medal in 1980 -- the same year Ali looked like SHITT vs Larry Holmes, who didn't win any Olympic Golds.

So you need to bone up in your facts instead of traipsing through moonbeams after imbibing.

[BoxBuzz]

Hey Kalo......I was off on my time lines....because T-man was not available 2 years after Ali won his first gold. Timelines are way off...

However....I was addressing more the spirit of the question rather than the letter. Since that has been one of the great imagined scenarios....

You however have so much dippity do buildup on your noggin, you can't intuit your way out of your own shoes.

However....that is neither here nor there......

I imagine you imagine that Teo would defeat Ali.......which is exactly what I wanted you on the record for.

Now, you just sit down, have yourself a coke, take a deep breath and relax.

Let others do the heavy lifting here.


And the answer to this question is yes......in either weight class for the two OLYMPIC years post his winning of the gold.

[Caractacus]

"Coul" Muhammad Ali could have won anything IMOP.

[Kalan]

Including the Nobel Peace Prize for Promoting Non-Violence in Boxing -- after his Alfredo Evangelista fight.

Johnny Carson informed his audience of the the award -- in news he claimed just came in hot off the wire.

That joke brought the house down -- because that was not a widely appreciated fight.

[Kalan]

Hey Kalo......I was off on my time lines ... Timelines are way off. However...

Then you spend the rest of your post making excuses for yourself and attacking me moon gazer... Ali never fought anybody 6'5" X 220 who had a right hand like Stevenson.. Foreman watched his lightning 1-minute KO of John Tate with Howard Cosell and said ... "I've never seen anyone like Stevenson amateur or pro. He could become Champion of the World if he turned pro."

Cosell said "You mean he could beat you or Ali if he turned pro."

Foreman said "It doesn't matter who he fights. He's got what it takes to become Champion of the World."

I'm not saying Foreman is the world's foremost boxing expert. Obviously he's not. I'm not saying Stevenson would beat Ali straight off the bat without learning the pro game -- and developing professional boxing skills which would take a few years. But if he settled for 1 Olympic Gold Medal (1972) which makes you almost a shoo-in at Heavy -- he would have been ready for Ali sometime in the mid 70's.. But he would have had to beat Leon Spinks to the title shot.. Stevenson had a 4-year jump on Spinks if he turned pro after the 72 Olympics.

Leon Spinks beat Ali 13 months after his 1st professional fight.. It's impossible to get ready in that short a time frame and that's why he was such a big underdog.. It would have been much better for Spinks' pro career of he lost that fight.. He wasn't ready for that much fame and harassment.. He didn't handle it well.. He was old enough, but some guys mature a little late emotionally.. All the ballyhoo throws them for a loop.

[Caractacus]

I remember there was talk Iin boxing magazines around 1976-77 of Teofilo Stevenson fighting Ali just for one fight.

[Kalan]

But I don't think a Pro/Am would fly... I would have loved for him to turn pro in '72 and have at least 20 really well matched opponents.. With a top trainer like Eddie Futch or Bill Slayton.. He was very slender at 220.. A great strength trainer could bring him up to a rock hard 235. Louis had over 20 opponents his first year and then went for Carnera and Baer.. It's like Tyson, you put together those fights one after another.. It's not the number of years you've been a professional.. It's about the number of fights you've had because you learn something from each one.

Teo would be money in the bank if he worked as hard as Joe Louis did his 1st year... Teo had a similar temperament. Relaxed and easy going.

[gilgamesh]

Probably, but like others have said I don't see what the point would've been in him doing so.

[Tony1244]

Yes.

[gregor]

Teo also won his 3rd Olympic Gold Medal in 1980 -- the same year Ali looked like SHITT vs Larry Holmes, who didn't win any Olympic Golds.

So you need to bone up in your facts instead of traipsing through moonbeams after imbibing.

It is safe to say even prime Ali would not have a chance to get any medal on 1980 Olympic Games. Were they not boycotted by US ?

[Kalan]

Teo also won his 3rd Olympic Gold Medal in 1980 -- the same year Ali looked like SHITT vs Larry Holmes, who didn't win any Olympic Golds.

So you need to bone up in your facts instead of traipsing through moonbeams after imbibing.

It is safe to say even prime Ali would not have a chance to get any medal on 1980 Olympic Games. Were they not boycotted by US ?

Ali lobbied hard for the boycott...

He traveled to many African nations to convince them to boycott the Olympics...as an Emissary from the Carter Administration who Ali met with, convincing them to boycott the Olympics after Russia invaded Afghanistan.. Ali led a contingent who tried to convince African leaders to join the boycott because Afghanistan was a Muslim country.. Many African leaders rejected Ali's entreaties and some refused to meet with Ali.. "Because he's a boxer not a statesman. It's ridiculous" ... They chose to be insulted.