Could Muhammad Ali had developed into a power puncher?

[Skittlez]

Is power natural? Or could Ali have developed into a power puncher. I often felt that if Ali had sat down on his punches more.. he could have been a p4p punching monster. He definitely had the calves to generate massive power.

[Skittlez]

This is an interesting theory because people said the reason Tua and Lennox and Foreman and Tyson had so much power was because they had big calves and could generate more off the calves.

The weaker punchers in the heavyweight division always had smaller calves.. but Ali had massive calves and I never seen him put his full force behind his punches. He had deceptive power.. he knocked out Prime Foreman .

I think he could have become a power puncher and what a sight that would have been.

[prinzemanspopa]

Ali did sit down on his punches more often in the 70's, and he still showed himself to be a relatively mediocre puncher.Yeah, he stopped durable guys like Bonavena and Foreman, but exhaustion/fatigue was more a factor in those stoppages than Ali's power.


If Ali sat down on his punches and fought more flat-footed at his peak, he would have been caught more often, because it was his footwork that generally allowed him to avoid getting caught consistently with clean, flush shots.

[Skittlez]

Originally Posted by prinzemanspopa

Ali did sit down on his punches more often in the 70's, and he still showed himself to be a relatively mediocre puncher.Yeah, he stopped durable guys like Bonavena and Foreman, but exhaustion/fatigue was more a factor in those stoppages than Ali's power.


If Ali sat down on his punches and fought more flat-footed at his peak, he would have been caught more often, because it was his footwork that generally allowed him to avoid getting caught consistently with clean, flush shots.

But did you think that Ali could have trained himself into becoming a p4p power puncher?

If he just stop worrying about being so fleet footed?

[B-Bomber]

It's not only about calves, or any single muscle, power is usually created by balance and coordination, legs, hips, shoulder, the position of one's arm.

Tyson is a very good example of it, while a guy like Foreman had that amazing "clubbing" power which allowed him to reshape punching bags, even if he seemed to only use his arms to create power.

As for Ali, it was a compromise. In order to land big punches one needs to have both feet firmly planted on the ground, while Ali liked to dance, be mobile, box.

I don't think he'd have been as great if he tried to brawl and land big punches, but I agree, his power is underrated, he was a good puncher.

His K.O. win against Foreman though was more the result of accumulation and weariness than pure power.

[Capaedia]

Originally Posted by Skittlez

If he just stop worrying about being so fleet footed?

Hmm...

.....

[Skittlez]

Originally Posted by B-Bomber

It's not only about calves, or any single muscle, power is usually created by balance and coordination, legs, hips, shoulder, the position of one's arm.

Tyson is a very good example of it, while a guy like Foreman had that amazing "clubbing" power which allowed him to reshape punching bags, even if he seemed to only use his arms to create power.

As for Ali, it was a compromise. In order to land big punches one needs to have both feet firmly planted on the ground, while Ali liked to dance, be mobile, box.

I don't think he'd have been as great if he tried to brawl and land big punches, but I agree, his power is underrated, he was a good puncher.

His K.O. win against Foreman though was more the result of accumulation and weariness than pure power.

But how come Ali didn't try to become a power puncher?
He is so fast with his hands.. his punches will feel like sledgehammers but twice as fast as other guys who's punches feel like sledgehammers.

Do you think Ali could have became a p4p puncher?

[Skittlez]

I don't care about what was 'best' for Ali..

I'm not stupid or a retard.. I know Ali's style is dancing and prancing and being nimble and floating.

I'm asking if he COULD have become a brawler+power puncher and a come forward slugger

[Light_Speed]

Originally Posted by prinzemanspopa

Ali did sit down on his punches more often in the 70's, and he still showed himself to be a relatively mediocre puncher.Yeah, he stopped durable guys like Bonavena and Foreman, but exhaustion/fatigue was more a factor in those stoppages than Ali's power.


If Ali sat down on his punches and fought more flat-footed at his peak, he would have been caught more often, because it was his footwork that generally allowed him to avoid getting caught consistently with clean, flush shots.

His power was definitely not mediocre, it was good but not great. Anybody who's not a one-punch knockout artist has mediocre power now? lol

[Skittlez]

Originally Posted by Light_Speed

His power was definitely not mediocre, it was good but not great. Anybody who's not a one-punch knockout artist has mediocre power now? lol

Could he have become a power puncher though? How will you rate his power? From 1 to 10?
Could he have just gave up on the dancing during his prime and focused on power punching?

I have this image of Ali coming forward with his granite chin and with 35 extra pounds of muscles and just walking through any heavyweight in history.