Could Muhammad Ali had developed into a power puncher?

[boliodogs]

I could not voted in the poll because of the options you gave. Power is part natural and part learned. Anybody will hit harder once they are taught the proper way to punch. Nobody is born with perfect punching technique. They have to be shown how to throw the different punches and then practice them and perfect them. A certain amount of power you are born with such as hand speed and coordination and balance but that can also be improved with practice. Ali was a boxer from age 10 or so. He perfected all his skills to the max including his power. I saw Ali working the heavybag when he was a young fighter training at the main street gym in L.A.. He hit hard and was working on his power. No, Ali could not have hit any harder than he did and that was pretty hard. Just ask Foreman or any other of Ali's many KO victims and they will tell you he hit pretty hard.

[Skittlez]

Punchers are born not made, its not just about power, it's a combination of speed, technique, power, timing and a lot to do with a fighters mentality. True punchers like McClellan, Jackson, foreman, hamed didn't want to box, they believed in their ability to score knock outs and went searching for them, abandoning there boxing skills

But I read somewhere George Foreman was developing into a boxer towards the end of his career prior to his emotional melt down? So if a puncher can develop into a boxer? Why not the other way around?

Do you think that Ali with his dedication could have become a p4p puncher?

[S. Saddler 1310]

he had a decent dig on him when he sat down on shots.

[New England]

your poll is actually the reverse of your thread title



this isn't an opinion based poll, anyway. there's a right answer.

the answer is no.

a p4p great puncher? no.


ali did have some steam on his right hand. all natural HW with talent have power in their punches, especially the tall guys with right hands. he had the most skilled jab i've ever seen. he could never develop into a sit down tnt puncher at HW. he didn't have the right type of muscles or the bone structure for that

[Skittlez]

your poll is actually the reverse of your thread title



this isn't an opinion based poll, anyway. there's a right answer.

the answer is no.

a p4p great puncher? no.


ali did have some steam on his right hand. all natural HW with talent have power in their punches, especially the tall guys with right hands. he had the most skilled jab i've ever seen. he could never develop into a sit down tnt puncher at HW. he didn't have the right type of muscles or the bone structure for that

But how do you know this? No offense, but you are not the High Queen of boxing. You don't know the exact answers. Someone told me that Felix Trinidad was a soft puncher in the amateurs and was actually a slip and move guy who used a variety of boxing to win him fights?

But Tito ended up being a massive power puncher? So he developed into a power puncher?

How did Tito do this?

[Skittlez]

Ali is surely greater than Tito? If Tito can develop into a power puncher. So can Ali !!

[KingTito]

Nobody can answer if he could have been. I don't think he had the natural power of a Foreman, Tyson or Shavers, but he could certainly hit. His power is underrated. Who knows what he could have done had he hypothetically fought and trained differently? That's not the kind of fighter he was.

[S. Saddler 1310]

Ali is surely greater than Tito? If Tito can develop into a power puncher. So can Ali !!

a man's punching power can certainly be developed upon, but it's primarily a natural attribute. some men will always hit harder than others.

Ali was not a puncher, he possessed respectable power, but think of it like this - isn't Ali's quality as a fighter evidenced by his being able to do what he did without monstrous punching power? same for a guy like Pernell Whitaker. overall craft >>>>> power.

[S. Saddler 1310]

But how do you know this? No offense, but you are not the High Queen of boxing. You don't know the exact answers. Someone told me that Felix Trinidad was a soft puncher in the amateurs and was actually a slip and move guy who used a variety of boxing to win him fights?

But Tito ended up being a massive power puncher? So he developed into a power puncher?

How did Tito do this?

same story with Hearns. but they were young men who discovered punching power as they matured physically.

if Ali had had that kind of devastating power as a natural asset, it would have been discovered in the later stages of his youth and harnessed through coaching. his style would have been nuanced from that of the Ali we know (up to '67, when he was in his physical prime).

you're basically asking him to be something he wasn't. in that way, this thread reminds me a little of this old epic, http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4724

but maybe you were consciously evoking it, lol ;-)

[hweightblogger]

Ali is probably the most featherfisted of all HW world champs.

He ranks bottom #5:
http://www.heavyweightblog.com/2342/...s-muhammad-ali

And I can tell the most important reason why: Because of his light heavyweight background.

Former cruisers (let alone former light heavyweights) never develop good power, be it Michael Moorer or Adamek or James Toney. The only exception would be borderline cruisers who are natural heavies (around 205-210) who artificially lose weight for the weigh-in and fight at 199 lbs.

Additionally the division developed, even Earnie Shavers would be considered featherfisted today:
http://www.heavyweightblog.com/2318/...ed-featherfist