1974 Ali vs 1963 Ali

[sleazyfellow]

cassius would of made the older ali look pretty bad, as he did with most of his opponents, his handspeed and footwork would b too much for the older slower ali..and like i said b4 in an older thread, cassius clay is a slave name and we all know ****** were tough mofos!

[butterfly1964]

I don't know 64' Ali was still a bit green while 74 ali had a bit more ring expierence and overall was smarter...On the other hand 64 Ali had more stamina and handspeed/footwork, while 74 Ali was a bit slower and tired faster....It's hard to tell honestly because its youth vs smarts...

74 Ali had a better chin (more physically matured), and arguabley more heart while 64 Ali had speed, stamina and all that....

64' clay would win a ud. Their chins were the same, because although 22yr old clay's chin wasn't 100% yet, 32yr olsd ali was starting to decline.

[Southpaw Stinger]

32yr olsd ali was starting to decline.

I don't know it couldn't have declined that much. He still fought a Manila and went 15 rounds with Shavers without being knocked off his feet.

[BKM-]

I actually think Ali's chin became better. Just like many figters like Foreman etc.

Clays chin wasnt even close to the Prime Alis chin.

[Southpaw Stinger]

Clays chin wasnt even close to the Prime Alis chin.

And Clay didn't take half as much punishment as he later did as Ali.

[K-DOGG]

Chins don't become better. A man may get knocked down early in his career due to lack of confidence or lack of determination; but the bones in his chin and the connecting nerves are the same. If anything chins get worse with time. Just as a Rock will disintergrate (sp) the more times you chip away at it with a sledge, so will a fighter's chin gradually decline with age and punishment.

[Southpaw Stinger]

Chins don't become better. A man may get knocked down early in his career due to lack of confidence or lack of determination; but the bones in his chin and the connecting nerves are the same. If anything chins get worse with time. Just as a Rock will disintergrate (sp) the more times you chip away at it with a sledge, so will a fighter's chin gradually decline with age and punishment.

Maybe it's got somthing to do with fighters being heavier and more flat footed later in their careers?

[BKM-]

Ok, so maybe its not genetic. but i still believe that somehow(Like you said, confidence etc) a fighters ability to take a punch can become better with time.

[K-DOGG]

Maybe it's got somthing to do with fighters being heavier and more flat footed later in their careers?

To quote Larry Merchant, George had the same chin at 217 that he had at 257....the chin didn't gain any weight.

[K-DOGG]

Ok, so maybe its not genetic. but i still believe that somehow(Like you said, confidence etc) a fighters ability to take a punch can become better with time.

Maybe; but I have no doubt that Sonny Liston was just as confident against Leotis Martin as he was against Cleveland Williams or Floyd Patterson.