BoxRec

How would the Muhamad Ali of 1974 have fared against the more patient George Foreman?

Points decision for Ali. There would have been a few sparks here and there but nothing more.

Ezzard wrote:Points decision for Ali. There would have been a few sparks here and there but nothing more.

In his old and young carnation boxers that moved always troubled him. That being said, Axel Schulz*, Jimmy Young, and Tommy Morrison would not have beat pre-Zaire Foreman.



*I know George got the nod in that fight but it was a controversial nod.

ThatOne wrote:How would the Muhamad Ali of 1974 have fared against the more patient George Foreman?

I see from your many topics on the subject you share my obsession with the 1991 George Foreman! 8)


If there was one style the 1991 Foreman wouldnt have been able to master it was a fleet footed fast fisted iron chinned skillfullHW who could dance for 15 rounds (even in his mid 30s) and wasnt intimidated by anyone!

Ali would dance and box his way to a fairly routine unananimous decision for , but this Ali wouldnt dare play rope a dope with this version of George!!

The 91 George couldn't handle any quality HW that could move and avoid punches, as evidenced by his hand picked opposition. The 74 Ali would have hammered him for about 8 or 9 rounds before the ref stopped it. George would still have been on his feet, but his face would have looked even worse than it did after the Stewart fight.

mugabi wrote:

ThatOne wrote:How would the Muhamad Ali of 1974 have fared against the more patient George Foreman?

I see from your many topics on the subject you share my obsession with the 1991 George Foreman! 8)


If there was one style the 1991 Foreman wouldnt have been able to master it was a fleet footed fast fisted iron chinned skillfullHW who could dance for 15 rounds (even in his mid 30s) and wasnt intimidated by anyone!

Ali would dance and box his way to a fairly routine unananimous decision for , but this Ali wouldnt dare play rope a dope with this version of George!!

Which fights between, say, '73 & '76 did Ali, "dance for fifteen rounds?"

Going to the ropes against a 1991 Foreman who was
'experienced' due to his experiences hence Ali '74
would be dangerous.

And a dancing Ali seldom happened in the 1970s.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

mugabi wrote:

ThatOne wrote:How would the Muhamad Ali of 1974 have fared against the more patient George Foreman?

I see from your many topics on the subject you share my obsession with the 1991 George Foreman! 8)


If there was one style the 1991 Foreman wouldnt have been able to master it was a fleet footed fast fisted iron chinned skillfullHW who could dance for 15 rounds (even in his mid 30s) and wasnt intimidated by anyone!

Ali would dance and box his way to a fairly routine unananimous decision for , but this Ali wouldnt dare play rope a dope with this version of George!!

Which fights between, say, '73 & '76 did Ali, "dance for fifteen rounds?"

Well ill top 73 and 76, and tell you that Ali "danced" for a full fifteen rounds against Leon Spinks in 1978 the rematch at age 36. He was still floating in the fifteenth round. Being able to dance 15 rounds and considering it best to do so are two different things.
Ali spent large portions of the norton III and shavers fights dancing but didnt dance at other stages as with punchers like these he would stand and get their respect as well. My point is Ali could dance 15 if he wanted but he rarely used just dancing alone.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

mugabi wrote:

ThatOne wrote:How would the Muhamad Ali of 1974 have fared against the more patient George Foreman?

I see from your many topics on the subject you share my obsession with the 1991 George Foreman! 8)


If there was one style the 1991 Foreman wouldnt have been able to master it was a fleet footed fast fisted iron chinned skillfullHW who could dance for 15 rounds (even in his mid 30s) and wasnt intimidated by anyone!

Ali would dance and box his way to a fairly routine unananimous decision for , but this Ali wouldnt dare play rope a dope with this version of George!!

Which fights between, say, '73 & '76 did Ali, "dance for fifteen rounds?"

There's a difference between dancing and effective movement, albeit a subtle one. Ali used effective movement in his rematch with Frazier at the Garden and his rematch with Norton at the Felt Forum. I think there is a clear break in style after the Frazier rematch. After that fight Ali became much more of a stationary fighter.

mugabi wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

mugabi wrote: I see from your many topics on the subject you share my obsession with the 1991 George Foreman! 8)


If there was one style the 1991 Foreman wouldnt have been able to master it was a fleet footed fast fisted iron chinned skillfullHW who could dance for 15 rounds (even in his mid 30s) and wasnt intimidated by anyone!

Ali would dance and box his way to a fairly routine unananimous decision for , but this Ali wouldnt dare play rope a dope with this version of George!!

Which fights between, say, '73 & '76 did Ali, "dance for fifteen rounds?"

Well ill top 73 and 76, and tell you that Ali "danced" for a full fifteen rounds against Leon Spinks in 1978 the rematch at age 36. He was still floating in the fifteenth round. Being able to dance 15 rounds and considering it best to do so are two different things.
Ali spent large portions of the norton III and shavers fights dancing but didnt dance at other stages as with punchers like these he would stand and get their respect as well. My point is Ali could dance 15 if he wanted but he rarely used just dancing alone.

I don't think Ali "danced" every round at any point in his career. The question is how much did he dance and when. I think it's safe to say that in his rematches with Frazier and Norton (second fights) is the last time he danced for a significant amount of his fights. To me he looked fast on his feet in those two fights. He never looked that fast of foot again...

Interesting you bring up the Shavers fight. The fifth round was vintage Ali. Dancing, popping, et cetera:


"Then Ali conjured up yet another trick: he showed Shavers a 25-year-old Ali, the kid who had dazzled Liston, who had savaged Cooper. It was a though he had drunk from the Fountain of Youth, and for three minutes it worked. The fifth became his finest round since his last fight with Frazier in Manila; gliding gracefully and quickly, using the snake jab, the awesome combinations, floating and stinging, the butterfly and the bee. The world wanted Ali, he gave them Ali but, Lord, not for very long. "

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/featur ... avers.html

ThatOne wrote:

mugabi wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote: Which fights between, say, '73 & '76 did Ali, "dance for fifteen rounds?"

Well ill top 73 and 76, and tell you that Ali "danced" for a full fifteen rounds against Leon Spinks in 1978 the rematch at age 36. He was still floating in the fifteenth round. Being able to dance 15 rounds and considering it best to do so are two different things.
Ali spent large portions of the norton III and shavers fights dancing but didnt dance at other stages as with punchers like these he would stand and get their respect as well. My point is Ali could dance 15 if he wanted but he rarely used just dancing alone.

I don't think Ali "danced" every round at any point in his career. The question is how much did he dance and when. I think it's safe to say that in his rematches with Frazier and Norton (second fights) is the last time he danced for a significant amount of his fights. To me he looked fast on his feet in those two fights. He never looked that fast of foot again...

Interesting you bring up the Shavers fight. The fifth round was vintage Ali. Dancing, popping, et cetera:


"Then Ali conjured up yet another trick: he showed Shavers a 25-year-old Ali, the kid who had dazzled Liston, who had savaged Cooper. It was a though he had drunk from the Fountain of Youth, and for three minutes it worked. The fifth became his finest round since his last fight with Frazier in Manila; gliding gracefully and quickly, using the snake jab, the awesome combinations, floating and stinging, the butterfly and the bee. The world wanted Ali, he gave them Ali but, Lord, not for very long. "

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/featur ... avers.html

Ageed I think we're singing from the same hymn sheet. But do actually watch the entire spinks II fight, Ali did actually dance every round!!!!! he did it to prove a point as in the first fight people said his legs were dead and he couldnt dance anymore.