What would happen if Klitschko called out Ali's opponents?

[brocktonblockbust]

the golden era had fighters who could take punches all night long and still come and knock your ass out.
the klitschkos are not in that league of grit and determinationa and devotion. And if Ali can be accused of outsizing his opponents than for sure so can the klitschkuntz.

[Max Power]

the golden era had fighters who could take punches all night long and still come and knock your ass out.
the klitschkos are not in that league of grit and determinationa and devotion. And if Ali can be accused of outsizing his opponents than for sure so can the klitschkuntz.

The golden era had fighters who, quote me, "could not punch through the surface tension of water" compared to modern opponents. Of COURSE they could take punches all night long. Were they to bring those chins along with their complete lack of defence into more powerful times they would mostly all be knocked out. It's just a fact mate! And it's a sign of the times. The 70's was a punch bag era. Unfortunately today the punches are so hard that a fighter cannot take that for rounds anymore, it is far easier to get KO'd today and that FORCES fighters to be better and more defensive today. They have no choice! If they make a mistake, they're gone! Back in those days, they literally stung like bees!

Most of those guys, only a few exceptions, would pose zero punch threat whatsoever to a modern HW.

George Foreman is the hardest puncher of the whole era encompassing the 60's and 70's to any reasonable person. His power was immense and I am certainly not knocking it. It's up there! But let's look at Foreman and bring him to reality. There is something peculiar about Foreman's KO's. He knocks his opponents down but they usually get back to their feet. His punches were not only arm punches but also push punches. They were not the grounded punches of Tommy Morrison or Mike Tyson nor were they the snapping punches of Wladimir Klitschko or LEnnox Lewis. When these guys strike the finishing shots, they REALLY knock their opponent the FO! They are concussed. So while I am not denying Foreman's total force in his shots, I think some modern HW's produce greater momentary impact force.

Who else hits hard like a modern heavy in the golden age? Liston? Shavers? Their power is rated against bums and cruisers period. They never knocked out a decent opponent who was not coming off losses with the exception maybe of Ken Norton and that was because he was a walking knockout and it's not surprising because skill wise Sonny and Earnie were terrible boxers. Even big George (6'4" 220lbs- not really that big these days) made his name by destroying mostly very um... "special" opposition indeed!

I've already established that Klitschko's only outweigh 50% of their opponents and their median opponent weight is about 10lbs less than themselves but still 30lbs heavier than the median opponent of Ali's! But since you pressed me it is true that the Klitschko's "out-tall" most all of their opponents and some declare their style and success depends on it.

Well to that I say "obviously" and throw it straight back to Ali. Do you think Ali's speed and footwork would have allowed him to cruise (and then later struggle) through his career were it not allied to his height and reach? I would argue that Jerry Quarry was just as skilled as Ali but because he was a little guy it didn't work for him as well. Obviously the only way Foreman could get away with wildly swinging at his opponents with no recourse to strategy or technique was because he was bigger and stronger than his opponents. Were he not, he'd be screwed!

[powerpuncher]

this is all coming from the guy that doesnt credit the opinion of any boxing historian or boxer if it goes against what he believes

[AdamGB]

I see little point to that long dribble of a post and what's there is completely moot, you can only be judged against the contemporaries of your era.

If 60s-70s heavies had access to the drugs, nutrition and training methods of today then they'd be as 'big' as guys today. What? You thought athletes being larger today is down to evolution?

The fact that you're even trying to compare guys who trained using half a century old sports science and nutrition (we'll ignore PEDs *cough* Vitali) to what we have TODAY says it all.

[imp]

I see little point to that long dribble of a post and what's there is completely moot, you can only be judged against the contemporaries of your era.

If 60s-70s heavies had access to the drugs, nutrition and training methods of today then they'd be as 'big' as guys today. What? You thought athletes being larger today is down to evolution?

The fact that you're even trying to compare guys who trained using half a century old sports science and nutrition (we'll ignore PEDs *cough* Vitali) to what we have TODAY says it all.

Good point