Was Ali ever hurt in his fight with Foreman?

[Southpaw Stinger]

Originally Posted by Dr. Ironfist

Ali had to cheat to beat a 188 pounder, Henry Cooper...Took smelling salt to revive, what a joke he was.

By Ali, you mean Dundee used the then legal smelling salt?

[Princemanspopa]

Most fighters will always deny that they were hurt,even when it appears they were hurt but Ali usually admitted when he was hurt such as claiming Shavers had him hurt numerous times throughout their fight rather than just that one right hand that shocked the hell out of him.

Originally Posted by Southpaw Stinger

By Ali, you mean Dundee used the then legal smelling salt?

I don't believe it was a legal smelling salt but such tactics aren't limited to Angelo Dundee.As late as the early 1980's,commentators would openly discuss trainers using smelling salts for their hurt fighters.

[bojangles1987]

Ali probably got dazed and hurt a few times, pretty sure he said so. Dude was just so damn good at the mind games he never let Foreman see it.

[masta]

I don't doubt it.

Foreman was one of the most devastating punchers to ever grace the heavyweight division. Ali took some pretty good shots that night so it's possible he was hurt. But he certainly didn't show it.

[JAB5239]

Originally Posted by Dr. Ironfist

Ali had to cheat to beat a 188 pounder, Henry Cooper...Took smelling salt to revive, what a joke he was.

Nope, he never cheated. Smelling salts were perfectly legal then.

[blacklodge]

Imagine my suprise in 1990 or so when I first saw this fight. I had read about it being this punishing fight for Ali, that Foreman had Ali against the ropes and just laying punch after punch on him, dominating the fight and then suddenly Ali comes off the ropes and puts him down and out. This is why you don't trust most boxing history. I would be hard pressed to find a round that Foreman won.
In any case, I don't think Ali was hurt. I don't know that I would define Foreman as actually hurt as opposed to just spent and quit.

[Silencers]

Ali said a punch in round 2 I believe it was, was a punch that had bells ringing in his head.

[THE REED™]

He said it was the closest to death he's ever felt, so I'm gonna imagine he was hurt, he just didn't show it.

[Barnburner]

Originally Posted by THE REED™

He said it was the closest to death he's ever felt, so I'm gonna imagine he was hurt, he just didn't show it.

That was for the final Frazier fight.

I guess Ali would have been hurting but never seriously hurt in that fight. I had Ali up in a boring fight at the time of the stoppage. Foreman couldn't catch him flush consistently despite wailing away manically but the body shots that did land did look gruesome. Ali just used the right hand all night and popped him with it until he was too worn out by his stupid gameplan and had absorbed too many.

[THE REED™]

Originally Posted by Barnburner

That was for the final Frazier fight.

I guess Ali would have been hurting but never seriously hurt in that fight. I had Ali up in a boring fight at the time of the stoppage. Foreman couldn't catch him flush consistently despite wailing away manically but the body shots that did land did look gruesome. Ali just used the right hand all night and popped him with it until he was too worn out by his stupid gameplan and had absorbed too many.

I am to be corrected. I knew it was one of the two, I thought it was the Foreman fight.

Theres no way those body shots didnt hurt him.... though Im unsure if TS meant visibly stunned.