Ali vs Holmes: what could have been!

[johnmaff36]

Ali its definite now, Ferdie Pacheco has said that a doctor from Nevada came out 6 weeks before the fight to Ali's training camp and began giving Ali injections in the thigh. Wali Muhammad his dear friend and Angelo Dundee both asked Ali what it was and Ali said "it was my vitamins". But later in the week Wali Muhammad approached the Nevada doctor who was coming every 3 days to give the injections and asked what it was. The doctor told Wali that it was thyroid medication, and that Ali appeared to have a swollen thyroid gland. The injections were only going to continue for 2 weeks. But after receiving the first 3 injections during week one, Ali complained to Dundee that he could no longer jog more than a mile without stopping or getting winded. And in the 2nd week, Ali twice had a hard time getting up the steps for 2 sparring sessions. He was also really getting hit hard and often in sparring and was unable to block or parry half of the blows atleast, according to Dundee. After the 2 weeks of injections, the same doctor then gave Muhammad ali roughly 2 dozen thyroid pills called Pure synthetic thyroxine (T4), and is taken twice a day. The dosage will vary by patient. The branded forms of T4 are Synthroid®, Levoxyl®, Levothyroid® and Unithroid®. Ali continued calling them his "vitamins" when questioned, and refused to stop taking them. He said to Wali that part of his psychological strategy to psych out Holmes was to appear as he did at age 25, when he weighed 215.

Totally drained and dehydrated, I thought he fought rather well. What could have been had Ali not done this horrendous thing to himself? Would he have had a shot at beating Holmes? I would definitely increase his chances. He was shot by the 6th round, had a great 7th round, totally outclassing Holmes in the 7th round, it was sad to see him pull up from out of nowhere enough energy to win that round and outclass Holmes in the 7th. Really sad to imagine what might have been in that fight. Watch the 7th round, it is heartbreaking to see him win it, Holmes was embarrassed in that round and got really pissed of afte3r Ali landed so many double jabs snapping Holmes' head back.

Outclassed Homes in one round ? from my memory Holmes destroyed him in every single round, and if Ali did win a round it was because Holmes let him because he had too much respect for Ali, he actually went easier on him.

No version of the 70's Ali would beat Holmes IMO, especially not the version that needed 2 fights to beat Leon Spinks. Does the 60's Ali have a great chance ? yes i think you'd have to make Ali a slight favourite. But the 70's version ? i don't think so.

Well Ali made a case in point by giving larry a whupping in 1 particular sparring session around 74/75 after he got word back that larry had been badmouthing him. So the 'no version of 70s Ali wins' theories out the window.

I agree with the rest of your post though. It was sending a lamb to the slaughter. No what coulda beens about it, Holmes at that time was always gonna beat a shell of Ali. Great fighter Holmes was and the more stories ive heard about him from people who have trained at his gym, the more i like him. Apparently hes a real decent guy although you wouldnt know it with some of the interviews hes done. But Ali was the better fighter, gave rematches, unified the titles and didnt do non-title fights as champion, 3 things that go against larry in my opinion