Who did Ali Miss??

[Willow The Wisp]

Muhammad Ali, in spite of being forced to sit out what would likely have been his peak moments between April 1967 and September 1970, he arguably did the best job of “keeping his house clean” of unattended to contenders while he was champion, of any Heavyweight World Champion since the reign of John L. Sullivan (1882-1892). To expand it out to include his entire career from his debut in October 1960 until his retirement after regaining the title from Leon Spinks, announced on June 27, 1979 (The horrible 1980's comeback we try to forgot); who were the top heavyweight who Ali missed?

Even the best guys who emerged during his absence, he would circle back and bean nearly all of them (Frazier, Ellis, Quarry, Bonavena, Mac Foster, Mathis, Blue Lewis, etc.)




My personal short list illustrates how completely dominant Ali was in his clean sweep:




Teofilio Stevenson

Bob Cleroux

Mike DeJohn

Duane Bobick

Leotis Martin




Who else??

[Rockybigblower]

Half the Vietnam army.

[Willow The Wisp]

Half the Vietnam army.

That's a sig worthy response there.

[Ivich]

Muhammad Ali, in spite of being forced to sit out what would likely have been his peak moments between April 1967 and September 1970, he arguably did the best job of “keeping his house clean” of unattended to contenders while he was champion, of any Heavyweight World Champion since the reign of John L. Sullivan (1882-1892). To expand it out to include his entire career from his debut in October 1960 until his retirement after regaining the title from Leon Spinks, announced on June 27, 1979 (The horrible 1980's comeback we try to forgot); who were the top heavyweight who Ali missed?

Even the best guys who emerged during his absence, he would circle back and bean nearly all of them (Frazier, Ellis, Quarry, Bonavena, Mac Foster, Mathis, Blue Lewis, etc.)




My personal short list illustrates how completely dominant Ali was in his clean sweep:




Teofilio Stevenson

Bob Cleroux

Mike DeJohn

Duane Bobick

Leotis Martin




Who else??

Cleroux was ranked 61 and 62 Ali was ranked from 61 they could have fought.
DeJohn dropped out of the ratings in 61 when Ali entered.
Martin was ranked in 68& 69 When Ali was barred from fighting. Bobick was ranked I believe 75.76,77Ali beat everyone ranked above him.

[Willow The Wisp]

Cleroux was ranked 61 and 62 Ali was ranked from 61 they could have fought.
DeJohn dropped out of the ratings in 61 when Ali entered.
Martin was ranked in 68& 69 When Ali was barred from fighting. Bobick was ranked I believe 75.76,77Ali beat everyone ranked above him.

Good research.
https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/T...Annual_Ratings

DeJohn was finishing up but carried on till late 63'. As an overlapping former contender, would have been yet another feather (like Ali needed any). Ali was matched tough pretty early for a skinny kid. Martin, of course had health issues.
But......Mr. Man, that wasn't the question, was it?
In there anyway building your launch, you might just as well have said "Eddie Machen".
But not you Ivich.....Ohhhh, No! Not You. Lol.

[Ivich]

Good research.
https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/T...Annual_Ratings

DeJohn was finishing up but carried on till late 63'. As an overlapping former contender, would have been yet another feather (like Ali needed any). Ali was matched tough pretty early for a skinny kid. Martin, of course had health issues.
But......Mr. Man, that wasn't the question, was it?
In there anyway building your launch, you might just as well have said "Eddie Machen".
But not you Ivich.....Ohhhh, No! Not You. Lol.

Perspective my Dear WTW.
Actually Machen makes more sense than either DeJohn or Stevenson, don't you think?

[Willie Pep 229]

Perspective my Dear WTW.
Actually Machen makes more sense than either DeJohn or Stevenson, don't you think?

First off I agree he is the most worthy of those missed.

But it would have been like giving a 'contender' a shot becuse he was around for so long.

After a tremendous beginning Machen became one of those fighters who always came up one fight short of getting the next title shot. E.g. Johansson, Folley, Johnson, Liston.

It is kind of like never winning an Oscar but they give you a lifetime achievement award.

IMO Eddie Machon should have gotten one of those 'Bum of the Month' shots.

He deserved one big payday even if he didn't quite earn it.

[Willow The Wisp]

Eddie Machen was a super talented contender who peaked at the same time as Liston, Patterson, Johansson, Williams and Folley, a great cluster of talent between 58' and 63'. A sad story, he suffered debilitating mental illness and was doped up on lithium by the time Ali was ready for him.

[QueensburyRules]

Muhammad Ali, in spite of being forced to sit out what would likely have been his peak moments between April 1967 and September 1970, he arguably did the best job of “keeping his house clean” of unattended to contenders while he was champion, of any Heavyweight World Champion since the reign of John L. Sullivan (1882-1892). To expand it out to include his entire career from his debut in October 1960 until his retirement after regaining the title from Leon Spinks, announced on June 27, 1979 (The horrible 1980's comeback we try to forgot); who were the top heavyweight who Ali missed?

Even the best guys who emerged during his absence, he would circle back and bean nearly all of them (Frazier, Ellis, Quarry, Bonavena, Mac Foster, Mathis, Blue Lewis, etc.)




My personal short list illustrates how completely dominant Ali was in his clean sweep:




Teofilio Stevenson

Bob Cleroux

Mike DeJohn

Duane Bobick

Leotis Martin




Who else??

- - Point Uno- Stripped immediately by WBA for rematching the now disgraced Liston, ie not cleaning house, but house getting busted up and washed away.

Point Dos- Had to flee overseas to make fights vs a cast of lesser Euros' easy fodder save for Mildy the left footed/handed soccer player who had him on the brink. Meanwhile Joe was busy cleaning out the rest of the domestic division with Oscar, Machen, Mathis who had been Cus' special project designed to specifically derail Ali.

Point Tres- Massive Donald Quack Quack Duck of the record Big George Rematch Purse, Disgrace of the Century, DOY!

It's OK to worship the ground Ali floated over, but rather unseemly to gush over what U know not.

[Willie Pep 229]

- - Point Uno- Stripped immediately by WBA for rematching the now disgraced Liston, ie not cleaning house, but house getting busted up and washed away.

Point Dos- Had to flee overseas to make fights vs a cast of lesser Euros' easy fodder save for Mildy the left footed/handed soccer player who had him on the brink. Meanwhile Joe was busy cleaning out the rest of the domestic division with Oscar, Machen, Mathis who had been Cus' special project designed to specifically derail Ali.

Point Tres- Massive Donald Quack Quack Duck of the record Big George Rematch Purse, Disgrace of the Century, DOY!

It's OK to worship the ground Ali floated over, but rather unseemly to gush over what U know not.

Challenge to point Dos

Ali oddly enough must have had a true love of the fight game and much respect for Louis.

He wanted, by his own admission, to follow Louis's lead and be a 'fighting champion with his own "bum of the month" club.'

So I believe the European excursion was part of a dream: he wanted to fight often, fight everyone, and as a reward become not merely a national icon, but respected World Wide.

I believe he was willing to fight anyone anywhere, that he actually believed he was 'a U guy' (unbeatable).

10 cent analysis: Ali loved Ali, Ali loved being Ali, Ali loved people.

I.e. Europe was a fulfillment not a duck.