Can ANYBODY in history defeat 1967 Ali?

[El Kabong]

Yes he is greater

BTW i am sure you know this when I say great I was not saying it because it was Ali's saying it was all that he achieved in the ring.

25 Consecutive Successful Title Defenses...a measurable statistical accomplishment greater than ....wait for it.....wait for it....ANY.OTHER.HEAVYWEIGHT.CHAMPION.....let's put that in a time frame.....EVER.


I rest my case

Great thread. I’ve said in the past that I don’t believe he is the GOAT as a Boxer. Obviously the total impact he had was iconic , possibly more than any other human let alone sportsman.
But when you narrow it down to Ali in ‘67, I don’t think anybody does beat him.
But even more intriguing, if there had been an “Ali of ‘68 & ‘69”, I truly think there would be absolutely no argument whatsoever. Shame really.

Let us not forget that Joe Louis lost years of his prime as well.....and again 25 title defenses in a row

[Primo Carnera]

Yes he is greater

BTW i am sure you know this when I say great I was not saying it because it was Ali's saying it was all that he achieved in the ring.

25 Consecutive Successful Title Defenses...a measurable statistical accomplishment greater than ....wait for it.....wait for it....ANY.OTHER.HEAVYWEIGHT.CHAMPION.....let's put that in a time frame.....EVER.


I rest my case

Great thread. I’ve said in the past that I don’t believe he is the GOAT as a Boxer. Obviously the total impact he had was iconic , possibly more than any other human let alone sportsman.
But when you narrow it down to Ali in ‘67, I don’t think anybody does beat him.
But even more intriguing, if there had been an “Ali of ‘68 & ‘69”, I truly think there would be absolutely no argument whatsoever. Shame really.

Let us not forget that Joe Louis lost years of his prime as well.....and again 25 title defenses in a row

Not gonna discount Louis obviously. But he was a bit before my time and I haven’t seen much of him. Although Louis’s record was clearly phenomenal, The way Ali changed the face of HW Boxing is unrivalled. Big guys never had speed and skills like him.

[Fatboxingfan]

Size usually matters, I hate it but let's look at some examples where size really did mattered:

1. First based off Lennox Louis's destruction of everybody he ever faced (let aside for now his to knockout losses with HE REVENGED in a devastation-style), he only struggled against Klitshko. He really laid a whooping down to Ray Mercer and Mike Tyson, even though they are so powerful, Lennox size dominated.

2. Now Klitschko as the examples, he dominated everyone and his size was the big factor, but moment he faced the guy the same size as in AJ, and also in Fury, he choked in both battles. Because this size was bigger than his size.

3. Ruddock Bowe destroyed everyone he faced and was undefeated because he was always the biggest fighter. That is why he tried to avoid Lenox Louis. Finally when Bo faced a fighter his own size, Andrew Gollota, he got a butt whooping 2 *.

4. See how Foreman knocked out Frazier two times. Frasier can never win that fight. Why? Because size matters.

5. Least but not least, Valuev could not be beat, due to SIZE.

[mikeeod]

1. Wladimir had the size, athleticism, and skill to give Ali trouble- bad style matchup for Ali.
2. Lennox and Riddick were both big men who had the jabs and ability to beat a prime Ali.
3. Larry Holmes in his prime gives Ali trouble with his jab.
4. Fury is a horrible match up for Ali.
5. Frazier and Ken Norton have Ali’s number and bad style match ups- they could pull the win out.

Ali is favored vs all of those listed, but I think they all are capable of pulling off the upset vs the great Ali.

[Fatboxingfan]

1. Wladimir had the size, athleticism, and skill to give Ali trouble- bad style matchup for Ali.
2. Lennox and Riddick were both big men who had the jabs and ability to beat a prime Ali.
3. Larry Holmes in his prime gives Ali trouble with his jab.
4. Fury is a horrible match up for Ali.
5. Frazier and Ken Norton have Ali’s number and bad style match ups- they could pull the win out.

Ali is favored vs all of those listed, but I think they all are capable of pulling off the upset vs the great Ali.

@mikeeod Mike that is a great analysis. I totally agree. Especially with your number 1 and number 2 and number 4. And youre wright Frazier in Norton both had his number