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Thread: How good was muhammed Ali?

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    How good was muhammed Ali?

    One of my favourite boxers was the lovable George Foreman.

    But the best (for me) was Mike Tyson or Muhammed Ali and I think Ali shades it.

    What was so good about Ali?

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ste View Post
    One of my favourite boxers was the lovable George Fornby.
    When I go cleanin windas'?


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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ste View Post
    One of my favourite boxers was the lovable George Foreman.

    But the best (for me) was Mike Tyson or Muhammed Ali and I think Ali shades it.

    What was so good about Ali?
    Ali unfortunately was involved in two set up fights. The rumble in the jungle was rigged and the gorilla in manila fight as well. Seems the saintly Don King was the promoter of the fights. I love Ali's style and taunting but for me Mike Tyson was awesome. A destroyer, but unfortunately he could not control his personal life and liked to chew on ears. For me, the Cinderella Man was a favourite......................

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    OK, innocent abroad here, but....

    Was Rumble in the Jungle really rigged??!??!??!??

    How? And was Ali's beating par of it?!?

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ste View Post
    What was so good about Ali?
    I could 'av him!!!

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Quote Originally Posted by Will View Post
    I could 'av him!!!
    That's what 'enry thought!

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ste View Post

    What was so good about Ali?
    He floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee!

    BTW, My Dad's all consuming passion is boxing (don't get him started ) he's like a walking encylopedia on the subject. And he said he reckons that the 'rumble in the jungle' wasn't a fix! But he wouldn't be so arrogant to state it as 'fact'
    Last edited by Lory; 5th-October-2007 at 07:02 PM.
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    Registered User Rhythm King's Avatar
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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    What about Cassius Clay?

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Ali revolutionised heavyweight boxing, first as Cassius Clay, then as Muhammad Ali. his style was based on that of one of the all time heavyweight greats Jack Johnson. I would hotly dispute that either the rumble in the jungle or the Thrilla in Manilla was rigged, more especially the manilla one. If you are going to rig a fight, you don't make it last 14 rounds in searing heat. I have watched this fight on video more times than I can remember, and the pace that it was fought at for 14 rounds was nothing short of amazing. I boxed at international level as an amateur, and boxing has always been one of my passions. For me, the greatest heavyweight ever was Joe Louis, with Ali coming a close second. I also loved to watch Joe Frazier. One of his greatest knock outs was against Cleveland "big cat" Williams. He was actually moving backwards when he threw the punch that knocked Williams out.

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Joe Frazier?

    I was watching a video where the old guys inc Frazier got together and were slagging off the modern fighters like Tyson.

    But Tyson could throw punches from any angle to any part of the body and could bob and weave to perfection.

    Do you think that Frazier could have beaten Tyson. Adn what do you thik of Ernie Shavers (he lives on the Wirral I think!!!!).

    I think Tyson at his peak was unbeatable. Maybe only by Ali at his peak.

    Mind you I was reading a heavyweights book and I think they reckoned Lennox Lewis was the greatest of all time!!!!!!

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Teofilo Stevenson, E/O/T

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    I doubt if the Thriller in Manilla or the Rumble in the Jungle were fixed. Ali's rematch with Sonny Liston in 1965 (i think) almost certainly was though. The 'knockout' is on You-tube somewhere, and it's difficult to see how Ali even managed to make contact with Liston.

    It's hard to focus on Ali's ablilty as a boxer without factoring in the impact his personality had on the world, let alone boxing. It was said that if Ali parachuted into a random country anywhere in the world, the first person to approach him would recognise him instantly.

    In my opinion Ali would have beaten Mike Tyson, probably on points. He had the better reach and the speed to get away if Tyson did manage to get inside, not to mention the abililty to take a punch. I also think that Tyson would've lacked the self control to deal with Ali's pre-fight psychological talk.

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Are you saying an Ali teleported through time and space from the sixties/seventies would have beaten Tyson or Ali given a year or two to get the benefit of improvements in training regimes and diet?

    Yes, there are question marks over Tyson because he could was only at the top for some two or three years. But when he started no one could get close to him. Berbick was embarrassed and even the really good Michael Spinks was like a pansy. I remember thinking that Tony Tucker might get to him but he failed.

    I think Ali versus Tyson would have been the greatest contest ever seen.

    (BTW I don't think that there is any way that the Rumble in the Jungle was fixed. Foreman was throwing some serious haymakers in Ali's direction and it was only Ali's incredible level of skill that helped him survive the onslaught.)

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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    My martial arts teacher’s father-in-law was a boxer representing Wales in the same Olympics Cassius Clay won. He was a giant of a man, with fists the size of my head. I’ll never forget the look in his eye when reminiscing about the event. He gazed wistfully toward the horizon with a slight smile on his face and said to me…..

    “…..thank God I was in a different set of heats…”


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    Re: How good was muhammed Ali?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ste View Post
    Are you saying an Ali teleported through time and space from the sixties/seventies would have beaten Tyson or Ali given a year or two to get the benefit of improvements in training regimes and diet?
    Either I guess. Although if I was giving Ali the benefits of a modern training regime and diet I'd back him to beat Tyson a little easier than on points. Ali was more naturally gifted, with a more effective psychological approach. Also I feel that Tyson was made to look a lot better because at the time there were fewer fighters of that era who were true greats. How many other fighters of the Tyson era are still talked about, compared to how many from the Ali era?

    When Tyson came back to boxing after his enforced absence, he found it a lot harder. When Ali came back to boxing, he went on to take the title twice more.

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