Muhammed Ali Over-rated?
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the only thing over rated is this myth of invincibility that Ali has..
he was vulnerable, he was after all human.
People swear that any fighter of any era could not beat Ali.
He deserves all the credit he gets though, he fought some great competition
and even made it look easy against a few of them.Comment
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You're entitled to your opinion but most boxing experts strongly disagree with you. It's generally agreed to be a toss-up who would win, prime for prime.
Ali is rated higher on more ATG lists than Louis mostly because he had the better résumé of the two, rather than for any other reason.
Ali had great skills, speed, reactions and overall athleticism, while Louis is generally considered to have had better accuracy, more power, and better boxing fundamentals. Ali relied on his reactions for his defence - his defence was technically very flawed, but he got away with it due to his extraordinary reactions. But if you rely so much on your reactions, you can get found out against the right opponent.Comment
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The Ring, Feb. 1967:
“The kid has speed and there’s no one around to outbox him, and the opponent who tries is in his grave. Especially in the middle if the ring. I’d see to it that Clay didn’t stay in ring center. No. He’d be hit into those ropes as near a corner as I could get him. If he stayed on the ropes he would get hurt. Sooner or later he’d try to bounce off, when he did he would get hurt more. I’d press him, cut down his speed, and **** him around the ribs. I’d punish the body. “Kill the body and the head will die”, Chappie use to tell me. It figures. Sooner or later he’d forget about that face of his and he would start dropping that left hand like he did against Mildenberger and Chuvalo. Those fellows got their openings by accident, and fouled it up. I would work for it and wouldn’t reckon to miss when it arrived. Cassius Clay is a nice boy and a smart fighter. But I am sure Joe Louis would have licked him.”
-Joe LouisComment
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It's hardly surprising that Louis thought he could have beaten him, Louis was a proud man.The Ring, Feb. 1967:
“The kid has speed and there’s no one around to outbox him, and the opponent who tries is in his grave. Especially in the middle if the ring. I’d see to it that Clay didn’t stay in ring center. No. He’d be hit into those ropes as near a corner as I could get him. If he stayed on the ropes he would get hurt. Sooner or later he’d try to bounce off, when he did he would get hurt more. I’d press him, cut down his speed, and **** him around the ribs. I’d punish the body. “Kill the body and the head will die”, Chappie use to tell me. It figures. Sooner or later he’d forget about that face of his and he would start dropping that left hand like he did against Mildenberger and Chuvalo. Those fellows got their openings by accident, and fouled it up. I would work for it and wouldn’t reckon to miss when it arrived. Cassius Clay is a nice boy and a smart fighter. But I am sure Joe Louis would have licked him.”
-Joe LouisComment
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Ali also did not seem as invincible during his prime years as people now often make him out to have been due to the Cleveland Williams fight. Even Ali himself said that people should not judge him based on his fight against Cleveland Williams because Williams was literally "shot".
Chuvalo and Mildenberger gave him a tough time. Folley made him look bad at times. The second Cooper fight was a bore.
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I do recall reading that, or something similar from Joe Louis a long while back. Joe was obviously a great fighter but he wouldn't have beaten Clay/Ali IMO. Ali boxed in the best ever era for heavyweights and was just too quick for Joe. Too quick on his feet, too quick with his hands, too quick with his head.The Ring, Feb. 1967:
“The kid has speed and there’s no one around to outbox him, and the opponent who tries is in his grave. Especially in the middle if the ring. I’d see to it that Clay didn’t stay in ring center. No. He’d be hit into those ropes as near a corner as I could get him. If he stayed on the ropes he would get hurt. Sooner or later he’d try to bounce off, when he did he would get hurt more. I’d press him, cut down his speed, and **** him around the ribs. I’d punish the body. “Kill the body and the head will die”, Chappie use to tell me. It figures. Sooner or later he’d forget about that face of his and he would start dropping that left hand like he did against Mildenberger and Chuvalo. Those fellows got their openings by accident, and fouled it up. I would work for it and wouldn’t reckon to miss when it arrived. Cassius Clay is a nice boy and a smart fighter. But I am sure Joe Louis would have licked him.”
-Joe Louis
Definitely not overrated.Comment
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Prime for Prime, Ali takes Joe Louis and knocks him out late. His power was nearly as good if not the same, speed is no contest, reflexes, footwork, reach, size. Joe Louis though great, and who i consider the second best heavyweight of all time would be no match for Ali. The style is just all wrong. Joe Louis had heart and determination, but Ali is extremely underrated in that department, plus he had a world class chin.You're entitled to your opinion but most boxing experts strongly disagree with you. It's generally agreed to be a toss-up who would win, prime for prime.
Ali is rated higher on more ATG lists than Louis mostly because he had the better résumé of the two, rather than for any other reason.
Ali had great skills, speed, reactions and overall athleticism, while Louis is generally considered to have had better accuracy, more power, and better boxing fundamentals. Ali relied on his reactions for his defence - his defence was technically very flawed, but he got away with it due to his extraordinary reactions. But if you rely so much on your reactions, you can get found out against the right opponent.
I have the utmost respect for Joe Louis. His record and accomplishments were great and his only three losses were to atg and hall of famers. But I just dont see him beating Ali. He just doesnt match up.
Thats just my opinion.Comment
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