Wlad probably would've beaten Ali

[DreamFighter]

Wlad, would beat Ali....so would many other fights, Ali doesn't have the power to knock out Wlad or Vitali and he doesn't have the size to get pass their jab

Cory Sanders punched way harder then Ali...so its no comparsion..

damn right theres no comparison between the ATG number 1 and HW and a retired nobody who did nothing all his career past reaching sub-contention level.

Wlad got poleaxed instantly basically by someone that in that time Joe Bugner would have beaten out of contention on his rise up for a title shot. And thats being generous to wlad.

why you turning the facts upside down?

[drunken fist]

Ali have beaten HOF caliber opponents. Who have Wlad beaten in the same magnitude to claim such a bold statement?

[Boksfan]

I would favor Wlad to beat the likes of Ali and Frazier but he would probably lose to guys like Foreman and Tyson due to styles.

Maybe, he was a better athlete then all of them for sure.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Stylistically, it's not a good fight for Ali, for sure. Wlad's range and ability to control it would give Ali problems and really, problems he may have never had in his career. I don't recall him facing a guy as big as Wlad while also being as talented and skilled. I don't know who I'd pick, but it would be interesting.

[Thraxox]

Wlad would have beaten Ali. Ali wouldn't be beating Wlad by boxing him, nor would he have the style to aggressively knock him out. Ali was never the power puncher fighter, he breaks you down by boxing you outside but that doesn't work against Wlad.

[Simurgh]

Prime Ali beats prime Wlad.

[Sheldon312]

Stylistically, it's not a good fight for Ali, for sure. Wlad's range and ability to control it would give Ali problems and really, problems he may have never had in his career. I don't recall him facing a guy as big as Wlad while also being as talented and skilled. I don't know who I'd pick, but it would be interesting.

Ali has the superior resume.but this is one of those cases where resume doesn't matter due to styles. It's kind of like Lewis vs Foreman. Lewis was the better boxer and had the better resume but he never fought a fighter like Foreman who provides constant pressure and can hit like a truck

[Sheldon312]

Prime Ali beats prime Wlad.

Based on what? He never fought a big HW like Wlad who had great technical ability and power similar to Foreman.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Ali has the superior resume.but this is one of those cases where resume doesn't matter due to styles. It's kind of like Lewis vs Foreman. Lewis was the better boxer but he never fought a fighter like Foreman who provides constant pressure and can hit like a truck

Yeah, man. So true. We really won't know about some guys, how they could handle certain types. I honestly think Thomas Hearns would have been a nightmare for most welterweights throughout history. Leonard got the better of him but it cost him an eye almost. He crushed HOFamers Duran and Cuevas. Now, what would he have done with Robinson, who could box and hit and possibly break his rhythm and all, I don't know. Robinson had the chin edge for sure and possibly stamina, but you just don't know. Interesting to speculate on though.

[sunny31]

It's possible because of the size difference, but Ali was so versatile and skillful if boxing wasn't working he might have been able to walk Wlad down.

It's almost another weight division now though. So it's basically pointless to compare heavyweights today to the 70s (or before) in terms of head to head. I think going back to the 90s is fine because there you had Bowe and Lewis, probably the first two proper elite super-heavyweights, and then you had strong stocky guys who were able to compete with that kind of size in Holyfield.

From the mid 90s on we have definitely seen 6 4"+ and 230+ become more normal.

In his era Ali fought tall and long because his dimensions and his opponents dimensions dictated that, e.g. Frazier was 5 11" 205lbs. But nowadays 6 3" 215 you would almost automatically assume that fighter would be more of a pressure fighter type. So the goal posts have definitely moved.

The only intangible I would say is that none of these guys including Wlad had Ali type of talent, skills, so he might have been able to make up the difference.

Here is the scary thing though, I think eventually a guy will come along who is between 6' 5" - 6' 9" and does have close to that level of speed, coordination and talent. It's a matter of time.