What was the most devastating shot Ali ever took?

[Sugarj]

Whereas we all know Frazier hit Ali with that left hook in the 15th.

I'm not trying to be a ****, but I think if Shavers hit the most celebrated fighter of all time with the most devastating punch of his career....it should be instantly recalled what round it happened in and what the punch looked like.

The Shavers punch was in a lower profile fight than FOTC and the fact that Ali stayed on his feet means that few jumped on the bandwagon. Its not a fight that has ever had a video/dvd/blu ray release. So only the keener fan will have watched it.

I've heard Ali say that Shavers hit him the hardest. Can that not be enough?

Ali said that 'Frazier is the greatest fighter of all times next to me', but he never to my knowledge said that Frazier was the hardest hitter or hit him the hardest.

Why does it mean so much to you that the Frazier punch had to be the hardest Ali was ever hit?

[jabsRstiff]

Fighters always tell you the hardest they were hit was by a guy they survived or didn't get dropped by.


I believe Earnie Shavers IS the hardest puncher Ali faced.....but that is not the thread topic. I think some on are are assuming because Earnie is a harder puncher in general than Joe...he must have hit Ali with a more devastating single punch.

It doesn't matter that Frazier-Ali is the more known and celebrated fight. Everyone on here is a hardcore fan and have seen all of Ali's fights so recall should not be effected in any way. I just think the punch that blasted Ali's head into orbit and his a*s onto the floor was a more devastating shot than the one you guys vaguely recall.

[Iceveins]

Ali took a lot of devastating shots.......................

Seriously...his own iron chin was able to withstand punches that his brain couldn't.

Some of the shots he took against Foreman just didn't make sense.

[Prince_Pugilist]

Since we're on the topic of Ali/Shavers, I find it to be one of the best heavyweight contests of the 1970s...and possibly ever.

[SBleeder]

Since we're on the topic of Ali/Shavers, I find it to be one of the best heavyweight contests of the 1970s...and possibly ever.

You lost me with this one. I thought it was a dud.

[StarshipTrooper]

Fighters always tell you the hardest they were hit was by a guy they survived or didn't get dropped by.


I believe Earnie Shavers IS the hardest puncher Ali faced.....but that is not the thread topic. I think some on are are assuming because Earnie is a harder puncher in general than Joe...he must have hit Ali with a more devastating single punch.

It doesn't matter that Frazier-Ali is the more known and celebrated fight. Everyone on here is a hardcore fan and have seen all of Ali's fights so recall should not be effected in any way. I just think the punch that blasted Ali's head into orbit and his a*s onto the floor was a more devastating shot than the one you guys vaguely recall.

Because knockdowns are spectacular. People remember knockdowns. They don't remember specifics on individual punches that don't have an eye catching knockdown tagged to it. Remember, it's not always the hardest punch that puts you on your butt, it's the the punch you don't see coming that drops you more often than not.

Poet

[Prince_Pugilist]

You lost me with this one. I thought it was a dud.

I enjoyed it a lot and it was the last time we saw Ali even close to his greatness. He took some sickening punches from Shavers and just kept coming, poking out his jab and dropping his right hand on Shavers, timing him almost as if he was 22 again.

[jabsRstiff]

Because knockdowns are spectacular. People remember knockdowns. They don't remember specifics on individual punches that don't have an eye catching knockdown tagged to it. Remember, it's not always the hardest punch that puts you on your butt, it's the the punch you don't see coming that drops you more often than not.

Poet

Look up the word "devastating".

The question isn't the hardest punch, but the most devastating punch. The punch from Frazier came closer to KOing Ali than any one shot from Shavers did.

[Daddy T]

I enjoyed it a lot and it was the last time we saw Ali even close to his greatness. He took some sickening punches from Shavers and just kept coming, poking out his jab and dropping his right hand on Shavers, timing him almost as if he was 22 again.

It was Ali's last great fight

[Daddy T]

Decide for yourselves, personally though shavers was the hardest hitter and hammered him with a bunch of big shots I think that frazier left hook definately takes the prize. It was a perfectly landed clean hook with all his weight and desire in it. Ali had no right to get back up from it ... and yet he did.

Cooper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgPiyMpeEQY

Frazier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBmO7voAEXk

Shavers around the 9.40 mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQ56hSXGV0