When should Ali have hung up the gloves?

[dans]

I watched "Don King: Only in America" last night and it highlighted some portions of Ali's late career, it was sad. Getting battered by Holmes, losing to Spinks, etc. His mind and body were going down as his career did.

When was the logical time for Ali to retire?


IMO it was right after the 3rd Frazier fight.

[bojangles1987]

Totally agree, the Thrilla in Manila should have been it, maybe even before that, but certainly after the punishment he and Frazier took that should have been their curtain call together.

[The Stone Roses]

yeah, right after the 3rd Frazier fight...there was nothing left to prove....he was the greatest heavyweight ever after that fight...he didnt need to continue...i blame the people around him...**** them!!! money grubbing leaches....parkinsons disease robbed Ali of his personality....i would've loved to see what Ali would've done after boxing...imagine Muhammad Ali as a guest commentator...i would love it

[boxerca]

The third Frazier fight was a great opportunity to retire. If we're going before that, I would say after the Foreman fight.

[dans]

Totally agree, the Thrilla in Manila should have been it, maybe even before that, but certainly after the punishment he and Frazier took that should have been their curtain call together.

The question is, if he retired after that fight, would he still have the mental and physical problems? I think definitely, to an extent, but not nearly as bad. Fighting Holmes and other young HW after Frazier was a terrible idea.

[The Brahma Bull]

I watched "Don King: Only in America" last night and it highlighted some portions of Ali's late career, it was sad. Getting battered by Holmes, losing to Spinks, etc. His mind and body were going down as his career did.

When was the logical time for Ali to retire?


IMO it was right after the 3rd Frazier fight.

The Rock agrees but The Rock also says this. The Rock thinks Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton were still good wins. And although the beatdowns were bad The Rock thinks every fighter needs that one beating to know it's really over. The Rock also wants to know if Ali was aware of his condition. Rumor goes that the parkinson's disease had already started to develop during the later part of of his career....

[bojangles1987]

The question is, if he retired after that fight, would he still have the mental and physical problems? I think definitely, to an extent, but not nearly as bad. Fighting Holmes and other young HW after Frazier was a terrible idea.

He would certainly have physical problems but he fought quite a bit longer and took a lot of punishment after the 3rd Frazier fight, he would have been nowhere near as bad as he is now mentally. Physically he might be but not mentally.

[dans]

The third Frazier fight was a great opportunity to retire. If we're going before that, I would say after the Foreman fight.

I think if he retired after the Foreman fight, he wouldn't be remembered the same. He won 10 straight after Foreman until he fought Leon Spinks and lost. I think the third Frazier fight is by far the most logical.

[El_Cholo]

imo after the 3rd fight with Frazier.

He was butchered in that fight, even his doctor said it was the end of his career.

[dans]

The Rock agrees but The Rock also says this. The Rock thinks Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton were still good wins. And although the beatdowns were bad The Rock thinks every fighter needs that one beating to know it's really over. The Rock also wants to know if Ali was aware of his condition. Rumor goes that the parkinson's disease had already started to develop during the later part of of his career....

Agree Rock, they are good wins. And if Ali was to retire after one of those fights, that would've been fine too.

He should've never fought Larry Holmes. I think that was the one that finally ruined his life.