Its very rare that a Heavyweight beats a 'great' in their prime

[Punisher136]

How can Ali be past it,when he beats Foreman a year after Frazier beat him?
And how can Frazier be past it when Ali beats him a year after the Frazier fight?

Sorry, say that again

The clarified version of that is:

One year does not a decline make.

[Trainer Monkey]

How can Ali be past it,when he beats Foreman a year after Frazier beat him?
And how can Frazier be past it when Ali beats him a year after the Frazier fight?

Sorry, say that again

Just edited
If Foreman/Frazier was two greats in their prime
Ali beats Foreman 1 year after Frazier/Ali 1
So Frazier/Ali 1 would logically be two greats in their prime
And if Foreman/Frazier was two greats in their prime
Ali/Frazier 2 happened a year after it

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

What a difference a year makes, or so the saying goes

Na, its all about getting the beating of your life and never really recovering from it.

Just ask Iron Mike

[Trainer Monkey]

What a difference a year makes, or so the saying goes

Na, its all about getting the beating of your life and never really recovering from it.

Just ask Iron Mike

Which is of course why Frazier wiped out former titlest Jimmy Ellis and perenial contender Jerry Quarry in his next two fights after Ali/Frazier 2
He was only 32 when he packed it in,these days that would be a spring chicken

[amat]

Ali - Foreman was definitely a great heavyweight beating a prime heavyweight. It's hard because anytime anyone loses, people are going to say that they weren't prime because the general feeling is that prime fighters just don't lose bouts. Some people say a fighter's prime last one bout, I think that's a peak not a prime.

But I definitely think the Frazier Ali beat was prime. The Foreman he beat was certainly prime.

Johnson had had the title for like 8 years before losing to Willard, and he was slow. He was good, but he wasn't prime. I'd say that the Tyson Buster beat was prime. We know Mike or his corner wasn't ready for a fight, but he was still considered unbeatable and had he knocked Buster out in that fight, we wouldn't have pointed to that as not being a prime Tyson.

[Trainer Monkey]

Id certainly add Homes/Cooney

[amat]

That was a great fight, one of my favorite ever in fact and while Cooney hit hard as hell, I'd stray very far from calling him a great fighter.

[beerjelly]

Its very rare that a Heavyweight beats a 'great' in their prime


Of course it is because whoever the fighter is, as soon as they lose people will say he wasnt in his prime. Its the first excuse you hear after any high profile popular fighter is beaten.

[amat]

Its very rare that a Heavyweight beats a 'great' in their prime


Of course it is because whoever the fighter is, as soon as they lose people will say he wasnt in his prime. Its the first excuse you hear after any high profile popular fighter is beaten.

Exactly my point. CC.

[Trainer Monkey]

That was a great fight, one of my favorite ever in fact and while Cooney hit hard as hell, I'd stray very far from calling him a great fighter.

At that point though Cooney was 25-0,and had just scored succesive knockouts on Ken Norton,Ron Lyle,and Jimmy Young,matter of fact he won his next 3 fights by KO,until finally sucumbing to age and Michael Spinks in 87

[Drama]

the problem is some fighters (lewis) get credit for beating past it greats and some don't!

[Taeth]

Bowe/Holyfield

Douglas/Tyson sort of.

[gyrokai]

cc JimB

Lennox Lewis lost to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, during his run... especially Rahman, who he never should have lost to.
Well, he redeemed himself in the rematch.

Holyfield lost during his run in prime years too.

[Mr140]

Think Ali beat a old Liston he was like 35-38 maybe even older then that not taking anything away form Ali but in my book if you are 35 or 38 you are not a prime fighter anymore.

[Kev]

I agree with you Jim Boogie, Ali's beating of Foreman was probably the only time a 'prime' heavyweight was defeated. However others could argue that Foreman hadn't fully developed his skills at that point becuase he was so used to knocking people out.

Ultimately it's a self fufilling prophecy, a fighter loses, there is ALWAYS a reason or excuse.

But imo Tyson was destoyed by Douglas in his prime. I mean how old was Tyson then? 26?

No way you could argue he was past it.