If Ali never came back...

[sonnyboyx2]

Foreman was not down against Young he stumbled forward and brushed his right glove on the canvas which was called a knockdown

[GJC]

Foreman was not down against Young he stumbled forward and brushed his right glove on the canvas which was called a knockdown

That rings a bell, you have made me want to watch this fight again!

[StarshipTrooper]

Foreman was not down against Young he stumbled forward and brushed his right glove on the canvas which was called a knockdown

According to the rules used in most jurisdictions if your glove touches the canvas it's officially scored a knockdown.

Poet

[JAB5239]

According to the rules used in most jurisdictions if your glove touches the canvas it's officially scored a knockdown.

Poet

While this is most certainly true, its irrelevant. George needed a ko to win in my opinion. But.......rules are rules.

[sonnyboyx2]

yes i totaly agree that if a glove touches the canvas it is a knock down, yet many who have not seen the Foreman vs Young fight are of the impression that George was put down on the canvas.. i have watched the fight several times and always come to the same conclusion that Foreman won that fight 7-4-1

[cfang]

Very interesting. Some would rate Ali as the greatest ever still but he just wouldn’t be as popular or as iconic. It’s likely he would be considered as an untested champ.

frazier would have taken over ofc and then Foreman takes him out. I think foreman would have lost sooner or later mostly as not being totally committed. Probably to Holmes. Then we have the same playing out.

[The D3vil]

Ali would exist as more of a myth than anything else if he never comes back.

The myth might be even stronger.

If we never say him lose to Frazier, Spinks, Holmes, Norton, etc. . .

If he retires in '67 & goes around the world as a political/cultural figure, he might be even more well-regarded.

There'd be nothing to pick apart about his resume at that point, except with the most ardent boxing historians, but to the public, he might be even more revered.

[Eff Pandas]

EVERYONE who leaves boxing early from a high level with a sexy record is overrated &/or overhyped.

That said as Ali's resume played out with some huge fights that probably isn't the case with him. And I mean how would he even be more rated if he had never boxed again when the consensus is he's #1 at HW.

[Willie Pep 229]

He needs the Foreman win to become legendary.

If he's done in '67, it becomes what would have been not what was. Some supporters, some not.

For a few years, people would have argued who was better, Frazier or Ali? But once Foreman destroys Frazier Ali's stock slips and there is no event to bring it back.

He drops from the conversation in the face of Foreman's awesomeness and there is no reason to talk about him after '73. Whoever takes Foreman's title gets that attention.

Ali ends up on most top ten list but likely not #1.

Much arguing, like Marciano.

[kara]

He needs the Foreman win to become legendary.

This right here.