What if Ali hadn't had the 3 1/2 year layoff???

[-KPB-]

But yet it's ok for him to live here? Umm ok twat.

Ali - legend in boxing
Ali - a mf coward in life.

Deal with it. Draft is a draft.

It absolutely is ok for him to live there...after all, his ancestors had no choice but to come to America to work as slaves.......why bring them to America, only to treat them worser than dogs.....

Oh...and they took his passport, so its not like he could move anyway.....lol

[4Corners]

That's just not true. Generally, they liked Clay and hated Ali, is more to the point. Liston was seen as a thug. Clay was funny and made faces and clowned and was seen at the time as less threatening. He was good for business -- Liston was bad for business.

Wow you couldn't be more wrong man. Ali even before the Liston fight was looked at as a cocky fighter, who had almost gotten knocked out by Henry Cooper. Once Ali was signed to fight Liston, everyone hopped all over Liston, and viewed him as a better option than Ali. And to say he was "handed" the title, man get real! It's like someof the people in white-america or Europe that can't admit Ali (at least for Heavyweights) accomplished more than any other heavyweight. He fought in the golden era of heavyweight boxing and beat everyone, regardless if he lost Larry Holmes in 1980. If you're using that against Ali's legacy and resume, you're a true Ali hater. The only heavyweights I see that could potentially beat or upset a prime Ali (1964-1967) were Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, and maybe Evander Holyfield with his style. Tyson, he was a 1980's version of Liston, even boxing experts have said that. Joe Louis, much to stationary and one dimensional. I know many people can't admit it, but can you imagine what a prime Ali would haved one to Joe Louis??? Won almost every round on his way to a UD. Rocky Marciano, the most OVERRATED fighter of all time hands down. The guy fought 35 fights or so against nobody! Then he beat past prime versions of Charles, Walcott, and Louis. He was placed at the right time for him to shine. He came along when Louis, Charles, and Walcott were fading, and right before Patterson came along. Ali in his prime would stop the rock on cuts.

The only point of this article was to examine what Ali would have been like in he didn't have the 3 1/2 year layoff, than people came on here talking about racist crap. I could careless that Ali avoided Vietnam, it was a dumb war anyway! Much respect to those who served in it and died for this country, but it was a dumb war. The MAIN reason Ali got off for it in 1971, was because public opinion about the war had changed by 71'. People seem to forget that.

[4Corners]

Taking 3 and a half years off in the 70s is not like taking 3 and a half years off in the 2000s. There have been advances in nutrition and sports sciences. Now athletes have better nutrition, training regimens, and take a lot less fights in between years. Now fighters can fight well into their 30s and even 40s because of these advances, that was not very common in the 70s.

Thank you! And I serisouly doubt the Klitschko's would have dominated int he golden era of heavyweights. The best thing Vitali has done in his career was beat a latter-prime Chris Byrd. The best thing Wladimir has done is beat a prime David Haye. They haven't had the competetion in their era, and it's not their faults. But it ulimately hurts their legacies. Also, let me make it clear that when I say something like, "Tyson would have killed Joe Louis in the ring and knocked him out", I am not saying Tyson is better All-Time than Joe. I would rate Joe Louis probably second on the list of all-time heavyweights, but there's plenty of guys from other era's who would have beat him. It's hard to compare different eras. Tyson, Frazier, Foreman, Liston, Lewis, Holyfield, the Klitschko bro's all may have beaten Joe Louis. But, to that era, Joe Louis accomplished a lot.

The Klitschko's wouldn't beat a prime Ali, I am sorry. and I truly laugh at the Europeans that say they would have knocked Ali out. Ali took punches from Liston, Frazier, Foreman, Shavers, and Lyle. Maybe a post layoff Ali may have lost to the Klitschko's but Ali in his prime??? Wishful thinking. Some Europenas have this obsession to compare the Klitschko's to Ali, and it couldn't be more undeserving. The Klitschko's have never fought anyone close to an all-time great, witht he exception of Vitali fighting a past prime Lennox Lewis. Not even close. How would a prime Lennox Lewis do against the Klitschko's??? Prime Tyson??? Prime Holyfield??? Prime Larry Holmes??? Really ask yourself that.

[4Corners]

Taking 3 and a half years off in the 70s is not like taking 3 and a half years off in the 2000s. There have been advances in nutrition and sports sciences. Now athletes have better nutrition, training regimens, and take a lot less fights in between years. Now fighters can fight well into their 30s and even 40s because of these advances, that was not very common in the 70s.

If he didnt have the lay off he would have fought Frazier earlier and lost and he never would be even more brain dead today. Ali lost to norton only after having 13 tuneups from his layoff and being the ripe old age of 31...ie. right when most hw's hit their prime. I love Ali fans trying to argue he wouldn't have aged as much if he hadn't had 3.5 years off. Such garbage. Vitali has 4 years off due to a serious injury from having a previous career as a kick boxer...Ali fans claim he wasnt prime because he once was kicked in the shins by a wrestler and took 3.5 years off just chillen...

Well, I will isten to George Chuvalo, who fought Ali during his prime and right after his layoff. He said "Ali wasn't the same fighter. He lost his stamina, his speed." I am pretty sure that man knows more than you, or anyone on here for that matter. To compare taking 3 1/2 years off int he late 60's to the 00's is ridiculous in itself. You can see the progress atheltes throughout time. Ali was not even close to the same fighter after his layoff, but he was still great. Leonard was able to take a few layoffs before it hurt him big time and that was in the 80's. Heavyweights hit their prime at 31??? Alright. I believe it if you do! Prime's all depend on the fighter, as they vary with every boxer. Look at Ali, he was not the same fighter by age 28 when he returned. You can't deny taking almost 4 years off effected Ali big time. You can't! Just watch him in 1967 and than watch him in 1971. Better yet, watch the first round of Ali-Frazier 1. He was fighting flat footed after half of the first round. You think a prime Ali woud be doing that??? Hell no.

Look at Sergio Martinez, he's arguably better than ever at age 36! Look at Hopkins. He's not prime, but he's still a really good fighter at age 46! Look at Mayweather, he came back at age 32 and looked as good as before he left two years earlier. It's a completely different game for athletes today, simply because of how far the world has come in nutrition and health in general. I can guarantee that if Mayweather had fought int he 60's and 70's, and tried to take his layoff after Hatton, he would have looked like crap against Marquez. And if he tried to do it again at age 34, Ortiz would knock him out probably.

[Canelo Phresh]

That would be wrong. He's just a baby.

hahahahaha thats hilarious.

[-Lucas-]

Wow you couldn't be more wrong man. Ali even before the Liston fight was looked at as a cocky fighter, who had almost gotten knocked out by Henry Cooper. Once Ali was signed to fight Liston, everyone hopped all over Liston, and viewed him as a better option than Ali. And to say he was "handed" the title, man get real! It's like someof the people in white-america or Europe that can't admit Ali (at least for Heavyweights) accomplished more than any other heavyweight. He fought in the golden era of heavyweight boxing and beat everyone, regardless if he lost Larry Holmes in 1980. If you're using that against Ali's legacy and resume, you're a true Ali hater. The only heavyweights I see that could potentially beat or upset a prime Ali (1964-1967) were Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, and maybe Evander Holyfield with his style. Tyson, he was a 1980's version of Liston, even boxing experts have said that. Joe Louis, much to stationary and one dimensional. I know many people can't admit it, but can you imagine what a prime Ali would haved one to Joe Louis??? Won almost every round on his way to a UD. Rocky Marciano, the most OVERRATED fighter of all time hands down. The guy fought 35 fights or so against nobody! Then he beat past prime versions of Charles, Walcott, and Louis. He was placed at the right time for him to shine. He came along when Louis, Charles, and Walcott were fading, and right before Patterson came along. Ali in his prime would stop the rock on cuts.

The only point of this article was to examine what Ali would have been like in he didn't have the 3 1/2 year layoff, than people came on here talking about racist crap. I could careless that Ali avoided Vietnam, it was a dumb war anyway! Much respect to those who served in it and died for this country, but it was a dumb war. The MAIN reason Ali got off for it in 1971, was because public opinion about the war had changed by 71'. People seem to forget that.

Agreed........

[-Lucas-]

But yet it's ok for him to live here? Umm ok twat.

Ali - legend in boxing
Ali - a mf coward in life.

Deal with it. Draft is a draft.

WTF...you do realize he was stripped of his passport......what kind of argument is that.....