Quote:
Originally Posted by SBleeder
Heavyweights are getting bigger... but they're getting more unathletic.
There will never be a heavyweight champion against whom Ali would have no chance against.
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The very best larger heavyweights have been athletic though. Lewis, Bowe and Wlad at their very best were excellent technicians with good footwork and quick hands. Dare I say an in shape Buster Douglas too.
Prior to 1990 I can't think of too many 6'5+, 240Lbs+ guys in heavyweight history with the athleticism of these examples.
Don't get me wrong, much as I think Lewis, Bowe etc would give prime Ali problems.....I wouldn't expect them to beat him. But 50-100 years from now we might have 300Lb+ 7 foot odd heavyweights with 90+ inches of reach and a fair modicum of athleticism. When/if will we have to conceed that a 212Lb Ali might not be able to compete simply due to size differential? As good as Ray Robinson was, he wasn't going to be beating heavyweights. Size does have to play a part eventually.....and it would with Ali. Granted, Ali would decimate Valuev.....but in a few years guys of that size and bigger might well have quick hands and feet and much better workrate.
The days of the large heavyweight being slow, plodding and uncoordinated may be coming to an end. The likes of the Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Abe Simon stereotypes may end up firmly in the past.