BoxRec

During his ban-period, of 1967-1970.

I realize that Ali fought a bout in 1967 and he fought twice in 1970, but those years were still his banned from boxing time-period. It spanned about 3-1/2 years in total.

Had Ali not been banned, he would've likely fought about 10 additional bouts, besides the one in 1967(The year he was first banned) and the 2 in 1970(His return from the ban).

What Boxers would Ali had faced, if he had never gotten banned from Boxing..?

If I remember correctly I think Thad Spencer and Boone Kirkman's names were mentioned as possible opponents after the Folley fight.

SteveO wrote: ↑18 Nov 2022, 15:39 If I remember correctly I think Thad Spencer and Boone Kirkman's names were mentioned as possible opponents after the Folley fight.

Wasn't Boone still a bit too young? I've asked myself the same question and didn't come up with any names. Ali eventually fought Ellis, Bonavena, and Quarry. Boone eventually lost a few times and Ali certainly beat people who beat Spencer. Quarry being one of them.

If Ali wasn't banned, he would remain superhuman for the remaining part of his career and life, and he would face Thad Spencer, Jimmy Ellis, Buster Mathis, Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Earnie Shavers, Larry Holmes, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Michael Spinks, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk, and he would win all of them by shotouts.

DrDuke wrote: ↑18 Nov 2022, 15:58 If Ali wasn't banned, he would remain superhuman for the remaining part of his career and life, and he would face Thad Spencer, Jimmy Ellis, Buster Mathis, Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Earnie Shavers, Larry Holmes, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Michael Spinks, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk, and he would win all of them by shotouts.

That's an Amusing Post. The part from Cooney onwards. All of Those bouts,..They're all interesting Hypothetical dream bouts.
Heavyweight boxing from 1967 to 1970, without Ali in the mix, was definitely a bit Lame.
I'll just guess that if Ali wasn't banned, he would've fought Frazier probably in 1969, instead of 1971.
Bonevena and Quarry in 1968 instead of 1970.
Thad Spencer right after Foley..probably..?
Rematched Patterson after That bout..?
Then Oscar and Jerry, and then probably Gregorio Peralta just before a 1969 superbout versus Frazier..?
Win, lose or draw, I think they would've been having they're rematch by 1970. And then a trilogy bout by 71 or 72.
Just my own speculation of course.

Manuel Ramos and Leotis Martin are another two possibilities.
They were both ranked in the top 10 1967-1968

Ali was scheduled to fight Bonavena in ‘67. There were reports of possible matches with Patterson and Spencer that year.

Buster Mathis would’ve been in the mix at some point.

Nobody that mattered really.

SteveO wrote: ↑19 Nov 2022, 15:11 Manuel Ramos and Leotis Martin are another two possibilities.
They were both ranked in the top 10 1967-1968

He may have fought those guys. As well as several other guys who he fought later. Just would have beaten them easier in the 3 plus years that he was off. Probably would have had another dozen title defenses by 1970.

Most of the guys that were top contenders during his banning fought him between 1970-1973 anyways. Guys like Joe Frazier, Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry, Joe Bugner. Oscar Bonavena, Mac Foster, Al Lewis, Floyd Patterson and Buster Mathis. The guys that were top contenders only during 1967-1970 and didn’t excel further into the seventies like Spencer, Martin and Ramos would have been easy title defences for Ali.

Wee Tommy wrote: ↑19 Nov 2022, 19:54 Nobody that mattered really.

He fought 5 times in 66 and had defended twice by March 67, so he was active and would have remained so through 67-70.

In 66, Terrel, Foley, Mildeberg and Patterson were all ranked and he faced all those in the previous 2 years.
When he returned Frazier, Ellis Quarry and Bonavena were all ranked and he faced all of them.

So there's no chance he doesn't face the best.

I don't see any reason he doesn't face Ellis, Frazier, Quarry and Spencer in that time.

you all seem to forgotten " Wilt Chamberlain"

Caractacus wrote: ↑10 Jul 2023, 18:12 you all seem to forgotten " Wilt Chamberlain"

Biggest duck in history. Ali should never be forgiven

Had Ali remained active in 1967-70, then - as others have already said - he would have fought the same guys he fought in the early '70s. Nothing unusual.

One big difference however would be Ali's circus-like fights against hand-picked foes. Easy wins broadcast on live TV for big bucks. Question is, what 1967-70 heavyweights fit that bill?

Jose Ibar Urtain is a name that sticks out. Remember he was unbeaten, overrated, and readying to fight Henry Cooper in 1970? I say that bout would have been scrapped in favor of Ali visiting Spain to fight Urtain in a laugher. The Spanish promoter had built a huge Urtain bubble and was ready to cash out. No way Ali would have missed this one.

Other guys that may have been plucked from top-20 and packaged as Ali opponents are Eduardo Corletti, Manuel Ramos, Boone Kirkman, and UK heavies Jack Bodell, Carl Gizzi, and Johnny Prescott. Maybe Canada's Bill Drover would be picked.

Two more possibilities are California's Henry Clark and Argentine veteran Gregorio Peralta, although their chances (of being selected) are less than the other boxers I've mentioned. That's because Clark and Peralta were tougher fighters and less marketable, both undesirable qualities for Ali's easy, live TV shows.

I think Ali vrs Karl Mildenburger and Brian London was Ali's only "live" TV fight back in the 1960's
( as Champion anyway)

Caractacus wrote: ↑11 Jul 2023, 15:06 I think Ali vrs Karl Mildenburger and Brian London was Ali's only "live" TV fight back in the 1960's
( as Champion anyway)

Either way, by 1966, Ali had established his own version of the "Bum of the Month Club." That's what his 1966 Euro tour was all about. Also two of his final three challengers - Zora Folley and Cleveland Williams - were badly faded contenders.

So Ali's career as "entertainer-boxer" was well established before he got banned. Ditto for live broadcasts of some important boxing matches.

So I think Ali's hypothetical 1967-70 career would be predictable.

Nobody was calling it the Bum of the Month Club. London was the worst, and he wasn't a bum. Folley and Williams were past their best, but they still had something left. There were probably more than a dozen heavyweights that were roughly even in the mid-1960s and Ali fought several of them.

He would have defended the title against Frazier in 1968 or 1969. May have fought guys like Thad Spencer, Leotis Martin, Buster Mathis during this time as well.