Prime Muhammad Ali vs. Prime Larry Holmes.

[Ritz Kola]

Prime Ali was the 60s. Prime Ali was also dropped in fights. Prime Ali also didn’t have good inside fighting or defense outside of range/movement (footwork)/clinching. Those were his glaring weaknesses.
For that reason I’ll be the odd one out here as Ali is higher than Holmes on that AtG list BUT I see him losing to Holmes prime vs prime.
Holmes could fight on the inside. Ali has a quick, flickering jab. Holmes had a laser focused jab that he used to do multiple things with from discerning range to head control to distance control and more.
This will be a jab vs jab fight in which I see Holmes with the superior jab. Coupled with Ali not having terrific inside fighting. I see Holmes edging out a decision.

[Granath]

There's no chance that Holmes wins and there's little chance it's even competitive. Ali would treat Lar like a speedbag.

[The Old LefHook]

We have a few halfwits, of course. The kind of speed difference between these two is something that cannot be overcome. Period.

[Rusty Tromboni]

We have a few halfwits, of course. The kind of speed difference between these two is something that cannot be overcome. Period.

Right because Norton beat Ali by beaing faster... it had nothing to do w/ the use of his jab.

I do believe Ali wins, but I think the problem w/ him never facing a prime Liston or Holmes is that we get away with assuming Ali would be too fast. Their jabs were better than Norton's. Maybe Norton applied it better? Maybe Ali pre-exile would have left Norton in the dust? I am willing to consider those questions, but there's no arguing that Ali struggled with opponents in his prime. And even some of his best wins weren't flawless victories.

I think Ali is too strong and too fast for Holmes, but Holmes can work an angle against Ali like Spinks worked Holmes: playing spoiler who works his strengths to Ali's deficits. Let's assume the judges get it right, though: Ali via narrow UD. Ali surely has many moments of brilliance, but in no way is this a shut-out.

[lopez12]

Good Stuff Here! Completely Agree with you on this one. Bravo

[BFH]

Whoever came up with this ridiculous question obviously has more spare time than working brain cells. C'mon man! Prime Ali versus Prime Holmes? Holmes couldn't beat Ali in his prime if Ali had been dead for a week

[QueensburyRules]

- -Understand that Lar the same age as Big George and trained by Ali and Angelo in his beginnings, yet never in the mix when Ali, Joe, Ken, and George were fighting each other in a golden age for hvys.

The giant sucking sound that followed was the Lar era, the beginnings of the multi belt era that Tyson cleaned out and later the Klitschko bros.

[Rusty Tromboni]

- -Understand that Lar the same age as Big George and trained by Ali and Angelo in his beginnings, yet never in the mix when Ali, Joe, Ken, and George were fighting each other in a golden age for hvys.

The giant sucking sound that followed was the Lar era, the beginnings of the multi belt era that Tyson cleaned out and later the Klitschko bros.

But Holmes was fighting a quality of opposition that a promising dude on his way up shouldn't have to fight. He reminds me of Hagler, in that way. They both were already champions even before the belt was around their waste. They had faced the best challengers.

Holmes also had a legacy those guys didn't because he went to the trouble of developing skills they lacked. He never got KO'd like Frazier and Foreman. He never dropped decisions to guys like Young, Norton and L. Spinks. Look, he doesn't have the physical advantages those guys had, but he more than compensated by becoming a complete Boxer-Puncher who could manage the strategy and tactical engagements w/in the ring.

I think Ali shows how strong he actually was in this fight, and his speed advantage (while ultimately decisive) is largely off-set by Holmes' more refined skills and versatile punching repertoire.

[just the facts]

I'll take Ali in a fairly close fight.

[EDDIE SPERM]

Ali easily.