1967 Ali vs. 1971 Frazier

[1SILVA]

Do you think that the Ali that beat Williams, and Foley would be able to beat the Joe Frazier that beat Ali? I know a big part of the fight was that Frazier was motivated by anger. He wanted to kill Ali, and I'm not sure that even a pre-ban Ali could have beaten him in that first fight.

If I had to put money on it, I would probably bet on Ali, but I wouldn't risk much.

Your thoughts?

The Ali of 1967 would never lose to any Heavyweight, period!!!!!!!

[boxingbuff]

This would be a very close fight.Frazier wanted Ali BAD!

I believe Ali would win a close hard fought fight.

I see Ali winning the first five rounds,and Frazier coming on strong to make it a very close fight.

Ali's ability to take a punch,and take body punches might earn him a close decision.

[princemanspoper]

I cannot respond directly to the dynamite tit so I shall do so here.You whine and cry about people taking away fraziers performance and decision win over ali yet you then proceed to diminish ali's performances and decision wins over frazier whom he beat twice.

Frazier was never the same after the first fight? Is this not the very type of excuse you are trying to argue that ali fans use about ali no longer being the same after being suspended?

Ali won the second fight because of excessive holding and the fact that it wasn't a 15 round fight? So it had nothing to do with the fact that ali consistently beat frazier to the punch throughout the 12 rounds? the fight was not remotely close if judged on impartiality.You argue of ali's excessive holding yet you make no mention of fraziers ball busting(a far more serious foul)during the first fight

So the very thng you are trying to argue against in the same thing you are doing

All this does is make you a hypocrite and a fanboy and be a fanboy for all I care,I personally don't have much of a problem with fanboys(should they keep their ignorance at a limited basis)
However there is nothing worse than a hypocrite and you are one.

[Dynamite Kid]

This would be a very close fight.Frazier wanted Ali BAD!

I believe Ali would win a close hard fought fight.

I see Ali winning the first five rounds,and Frazier coming on strong to make it a very close fight.

Ali's ability to take a punch,and take body punches might earn him a close decision.

Ali could take a helluva punch.

Two things you cant question Ali for Heart and durability.

To me that is what defines the likes of Ali, Frazier and Holmes, they had so much heart.

Holmes was up against it a few times and either picked himself off the canvas, or rallied back to win, he was a Boxer but also a warrior when it came to hanging onto his title.

[boxingbuff]

I would like to have seen a 1969 Ali with no lay-off against a 1971 Frazier.

I believe this would have been the greatest fight between the two fighters.

BTW-How would Joe Frazier do after a 3/12 year lay-off aginst a Prime Ali?

[Vadrigar.]

Two words: legs and reflexes. I recently watched ali-folley and ali-frazier I side to side and I was cringing at the sluggisness and lag of ali in the frazier fight.

Al iwould have the legs to keep frazier off him for 12 rounds.

[boxing boy]

I think they would have fought 3 times,and Muhammad Ali would have won 2 out of 3 fights.All close hard fought fights.

[irishdude]

An 1967 Ali would have beat Frazier. Ali woulda kept on dancing, dancing, dancing for the full 15 rounds.

Frazier mightn't have even been able to land a hook for a couple of rounds at a time.

[boxing boy]

They used to say Frazier was a slow starter in terms of he used to lose the 1st round quite often. Don Dumphe said it.

Legs dont cover you all the while if you keep dropping your hands.

Ali was getting nailed by Carl Daniels and he got dropped or hurt by Banks, Doug Jones, Cooper, his defence was always pretty open.

Who has Ali decisoned that comes remotely close to Joe Frazier in terms of style ? no one pre lay off.

Chuvalo, Sonny Liston, Patterson, Cooper are totally different fighters to Frazier. Frazier closes distance fast and puts an unbelievable amount of pressure on you, and he does not give you the chance to THINK about what punch to throw. Liston and Chuvalo dont have the footspeed to close distance quickly and that is why they got picked off at will, they allowed Ali time and space whilst Joe denied him it.

It makes me sick how so many of you want to make excuses for Ali to try and take away from Joe's performances, dont give me that..........im not, its exactly what you are doing.

It's not an excuse.It's a FACT that Muhammad Ali just came off a 3 1/2 year lay-off,and looked terrible against Oscar Bonevena in a close fight.The fight right before the Frazier fight.

Let me ask you this:If Joe Frazier just came off an 3 1/2 year lay-off and fought a Prime Muhammad Ali(1966-67) how do you think he would have done? I will be waiting on your answer.

[Killer Angel]

I'd pick Ali to win but I heard Foreman and Norton in an interview once and they were asked this question,"what if Ali did not have a 3 year layoff,who have won in their March 8,1971 fight,they both answered that with the condition and mindset that Frazier had that night,no heavyweight great-past or present,would have beaten him.That night really belonged to Joe Frazier.If memory serves me right,Foreman and Norton made this statement in the "Champions Forever"video.If not,I'm pretty sure that I heard them made this statement in some other interview.