Muhammad Ali ~ "Best vs. Best, Joe Frazier Would Beat Me"

[Bill Paxtom]

Muhammad Ali

If we were both at our best, Joe Frazier would beat me.

I think he may have stopped me. Not knock me out, but probably
by a late TKO.

I looked at his earlier fights, and he was unstoppable. He walked
through punches like a Knife through Hot Butter.

I think Joe was at his best in 1967 thru 1969, and may have peaked when
he destroyed Jimmy Ellis in early-1970.

I looked at his bout with George Chuvalo {July 19, 1967}. I saw this little
23 1/2 year-old guy {5' 11" and 204 lbs.} fight with such ferocity. He looked
like a combination of Rocky Marciano/Henry Armstrong/Jack Dempsey.

There was no fear in him, and he threw punches with 'bad intentions'. It was
frightening.

The first time I saw Joe was up in Massachusetts back in November 1964. He
just came back from the Olympics in Japan. He looked like a little man, and I
swear he looked short {5' 9"} and couldn't have weighed much more than 190 lbs.

I told him to drop down to Light-Heavyweight, and that he'd get destroyed in
the Heavyweight Division in the Pro Ranks.