Fights "won" BEFORE the fight

[Master]

Ali just could not say no. Just shows you how durable Ali was that a young hungry contender could not stop him.

[TitoFan]

In retrospect, WHEN should have Ali retired?

IMO, and with the benefit of hindsight... it should've been after Shavers.

Ali had fought "The Thrilla in Manila" two years prior to Shavers. Then he fought Ken Norton a THIRD time. Then came the murderous puncher Ernie Shavers.

Ali should've retired right then and there. WTF did he need to fight Spinks for?? Spinks was a relative nobody. Ali at even 80% of his peak self would've wiped the floor with Spinks. But he lost. Then he avenged the loss.

Then the spent shell of Ali fought Holmes in 1980, and Trevor Berbick in 1981. Stupid fights... both of them.

Holmes was a greedy bastard who was paid blood money to beat the crap out of an already sick old man.

Berbick added insult to injury.

Shame on both of these dudes! As well as the organizations that allowed the fights.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

I find his best years to be from 1964 to 1967. Amazing how well he fought on March 8, 1971. He was IMO already just 85% of the boxer who fought Liston 6-7 years earlier. Understandably.

So I feel after ANOTHER loss (Norton 1), it is beyond amazing he whipped Foreman THREE AND A HALF YEARS after the first Frazier fight. I can then see him avenging Frazier and Norton but that should have been it. So I'd say he shoulda hung the gloves up after beating Norton and Joe in the rematches. No rubber matches, tho we'd've then missed The Thrilla.

[Big J]

The Foreman fight would have been a crowning moment to go out on
At the very least The Thriller in Manila. Neither boxer should have fought again after that fight