If Ali Fought John Ruiz Would It Technically Be a Hugging Contest?

[TheMagicMan]

Can you imagine if those two fought, both of them just grabbing trying to push the back of the other ones head down, I dont think you could technically call it boxing. Ali dancing around, Ruiz slowly plodding in and then boom a 30 second hug, rince and repeat.

[Schmerzen]

why r so many ppl obsessed by muhammad ali?
frankenfrank, knn and now this *** here.

[TheMagicMan]

good retort. I loved the part where you dodged the topic of how both Ruiz and Ali constantly hugged and pushed down on the back of their opponents heads and how refs who were threatened by the nation of islam never even so much as warned ali about his rampant clinching.

[steeluv]

ali would be too fast to need to do that! it was a past prime ali that did that hugging stuff.

[Sugarj]

Ernie Terrell was reknowned for his holding and tying up (the Octopus!), but there were very few clinches in his fight with Ali.

I think an Ali vs Ruiz fight would not look too unlike Ruiz vs Jones or Ruiz vs Haye, ie very few clinches!

[TheMagicMan]

Ernie Terrell was reknowned for his holding and tying up (the Octopus!), but there were very few clinches in his fight with Ali.

I think an Ali vs Ruiz fight would not look too unlike Ruiz vs Jones or Ruiz vs Haye, ie very few clinches!

YOu clearly never watched any Ali Frazier fights and sorry, that is prime ali, not the Ali who was floored by Cooper or beat by Jones and beat up old bums, light heavies, and gun shot victims. All of the 70's Ali hugged and hugged and whenever he fought smaller guys (90% of the time) he pushed down on the back of their head.

[Schmerzen]

to be hugged by ali is like winning the lottery, i bet ruiz would agree with me

[Sugarj]

I'll take it easy on you seeing as you are new in these parts and dont know me but I've seen all the Ali Frazier fights literally hundreds of times. In fact I cant think of many of Ali's fights from 70-81 that I haven't seen.

Yea Ali clinched, possibly more than I'd have liked in some fights......big wow. Frazier 2 was probably his worst fight for this. As for pushing down on smaller fighters, it wasn't always obvious and I'd argue not insessant. I cant remember any Ali opponents moaning about him pushing down on them...even Frazier!

But hell, find me a truely clean fighter from that era! Ali never hit a guy low, the only time I saw him rabbit punching was in jest against Wepner (who was shockingly guilty of that crime), he never butted anyone, elbowed anyone (that I remember). These are much more serious!!!!

But you're obviously not an Ali fan and you seem to be amusing yourself. I'd guess you are young or bored. Or both!

[Aut_72]

It would be May/Gatti all over again

[boxing boy]

Have you ever watched PRIME Muhammad Ali fight?

If you have, you saw that Ali hardly ever held or had to tie up or lock up his opponents.

It was after his 3 1/2 year lay-off that he started to clinch and tie up his opponents.But not until he got older did he have to start holding.