Ali gets credit for inventing the rope-a-dope?! No he doesn't, what are you on about?

It's common knowledge that he got that from Archie Moore.
Moore called it. 'The Turtle', Ali named it the 'Rope-a-Dope'... Ali and his famous tongue just gave it a better name, but nobody thinks that he pioneered the tactic.

As for expecting a tall fighter with a much longer reach to attack a short, pressure fighter who is most dangerous when throwing short punches, instead of tying the short man up when he's close and keeping his feet moving - no, why fight your opponents ideal fight? .

Please tell me you're not a trainer? You'll get somebody hurt.

You talk like being taller and slightly heavier makes you stronger, ignoring the fact that a shorter fighter of similar weight is likely more compact, stronger and can punch with better leverage at closer range.

If you'd rather watch a fight than boxing then go to a rough bar.

As much as I love Cooper, he caught Ali because Ali was messing about and underestimating Cooper, once he tasted that hook and realised that Cooper could punch, he tore his face to ribbons in minutes.

He panicked because he was fighting blinded against one of the most feared heavyweights ever in his FIRST title fight and then his corner calmed him down? Why do you think cornermen are there in the first place? Reacting like that in your corner is hardly uncommon.

You seem to be under the impression that Ali is highly regarded for having a mastery of scientific boxing?

He had speed, toughness, reflexes, athleticism, stamina, charisma, determination, adaptability and above all self belief... He had these things in abundance and that is why he is so highly regarded, he had some boxing IQ, but certainatly not the highest on the list of talents that he had, I've never heard anybody say that Ali is the greatest because he possesed masterful, textbook boxing skill... You seem to be imagining this, much like you've imagined him getting credit for creating the rope-a-dope.