Would Ali have stayed undefeated if he faced the same opposition as Wlad?

[knn]

Wlad's height would mean his shoulders were approximately level to Ali's jaw whilst Ali would have needed to punch up to reach Wlad. That takes a bit off his reach as well as the power.

Exactly. People always forget that you have to add shoulderspan (= distance from left to right shoulder) and height to properly assess the final reach perimeter.

It all adds up. Ali bodywise was nothing special (6'3'', 210+ lbs). Was a standard Klitschko opponent with a substandard (= light heavyweight) background.

[knn]

Oh man....

You know you got owned when your only reply to FACTs are smilies.

[Guest]

I'm really not sure where to start with this thread, it's like wading through a mountain of manure. I'm sure some people here are just plain trolling, particularly suggestions that Ali would have lost to Sam Peter, a truly terrible fighter who only made things close with Wlad because of Wlad's confidence issues at the time (and even then he lost ten rounds).

The idea that Ali would definitely have beaten Wlad without any doubts (and that if you think otherwise you're a "bias euro" ) is also amusing. I've read in this thread that Ali has a granite chin, one punch KO power and that he fought the hardest hitting hw in history in George Foreman. Even if we believe that Foreman hit harder than the likes of Wlad, Sanders, etc., it's on record that Earnie Shavers hit harder than Foreman anyway.

That's Earnie Shavers, the guy who almost KO'd Ali in two rounds and had him dazed for the entire fight. (On record, Ali's own words).

While I DO think Ali would beat Wlad, and probably fairly comfortably, to suggest that a man who was out on his feet against a 186lbs Henry Cooper couldn't possibly be troubled by a 240lb man with an 84% KO ratio?

Do we also think Ali, a relatively moderate puncher at hw, would be able to take Wlad out with single shots?

I can actually see Ali cutting Wlad and stopping him late, exhausted, but this isn't necessarily going to be a walkover.

Also, we have to ask the question: would any of Ali's opponents have beaten Wlad? Sure, they're all above a Ross Purrity, but on Wlad's best day would he be able to beat a Frazier, a Norton or a Wepner?

[Jim Jeffries]

If we're talking about a prime Ali, then the answer is yes. But that's a bit of a meaningless question. And yeah, I think a prime Ali beats Wlad, though it's anything but the walk in the park some here make it out to be.