Muhammad Ali dead at 74

[DevilRedeemed]

But he lived to relative old age! I can only hope to get to 74. He was pretty damn healthy. It's sad but not tragic. One of the greats.

As for comparing old school boxers to the new. Money talks definitely. But these athletes are putting their lives on the line. Whilst I like a bloody fight as much as the next man (though some are just too brutal to enjoy) I can't blame these dudes for trying to stay in the game for the long haul, cherry picking many of their fights etc. There's a lot of skillful boxing out there though not at heavyweight, that's a thing of the past. Those where supermen. Shame

 

[90s]

The after effects of fighting into 1981 when he was past his best shows the tolls of what came later for Ali. The battering that he took from Larry Holmes, one of the most underrated Heavyweight champs of all time for 10 rounds was horrific. Then the Berbick fight a year later. Another aspect that isn't discussed is that Muhammad while having great head movement and ability to move back from shots, prided himself on taking his opponents body shots over and over and over again. The 3 fights with Frazier culiminating in the Thrilla, Ali took SEVERE body assault from Joe. Joe was a body snatcher, breaking fighters down.

The Foreman fight with the rope a dope, Foreman is one of biggest 1 punch heavyhanded boxers of all time. Doing the rope a dope, again he took a battering to the body. He fought a who's who, The Bear Sonny Liston, Earnie Shavers (one of the hardest punching light heavyweights ever who moved up), Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young, George Chuvalo (greatest chin of all time IMO), Henry Cooper, Bob Foster (Another hard puncher and all timer), and on and on.

Most list Ali as the Greatest Heavyweight of all time, others list Joe Lewis. I lean a little bit more on the side of Joe Lewis, more because of the meaning of what Lewis-Schemling 1 and 2 meant to the world at the time and the aftermath. Ali is 1B IMO but it makes no difference since he transcended his era and sports at the time as still to this day. Very sad day for me. RIP Champ!

Awesome post.

Body punching is one of the reasons I love boxing; I feel this is pretty much missing from MMA. JCC is probably my favourite body puncher.

I agree that Larry Holmes is underrated. I also like the drop kick he gave Berbick(?) in a parking lot.

While I think Ali was more talented than Joe Lewis, Lewis was the bigger puncher and I can see how meaningful Lewis' win against Schmeling was. Just as a boxing fan, it was exciting and a bit sad to see how brutalized Schmeling was in the second fight; Lewis was like a lion tearing at a gazelle. Its a shame the new arena in Detroit won't be Joe Lewis arena anymore.

I'm wasn't a big Ali fan, but I recognize his influence and greatness. I have always been more of a fan of big punchers and knock out artists, which Ali routinely made look ineffective. Some of the things he said about Joe Frazier and George Foreman seemed hurtful to me. Still, the man was great fighter and influential.

This also reminds me of how prominent boxing used to be, and how being the heavyweight champion of the world use to be important, and a platform to achieve other things as well.

At least it looks like Ali' passing is getting the attention it rightfully deserves; its all over the sports and news networks here.

 

[90s]

I would imagine that boxing takes quite a toll on the body. I watched a documentary on ali a couple months back that after one of the big fights (forget which one) he was back in the locker room in pain and pissing blood because of all the body shots/shots to the kidney's that he took and went straight to the emergency room. I'm sorry but that's fucking insane.

I'm sure it happened to Ali many times, but legend goes that when Ali came to fight George Chuvalo in Toronto, after Ali handily won the fight, he checked into the hospital while Chuvalo went out dancing with his wife.

 

[Ip Man]

he was more than a sportsman, he is a historical figure. may he rest in peace.

 

[Jibbajaba]

Always thought it would be cool to have ali (in his prime) take on tyson.

Dude Mike Tyson was only a little kid then. Ali would have fucken killed him by the third or fourth round, max.

 

[Rot]

Ali was a legend...

A TRUE legend... not like some of the poofters who claim to be "special"...

...My thoughts go out to his family...

xROTx

 

[cat]

Agree with rot the term legend is bandied about far too often but not with this fella a giant in and out of the ring.
I'm a massive boxing fan and it really breaks my heart to see a guy like tyson fury with world heavyweight belts, cheapens what was once the most prestigious division in boxing.
Ali's era (ish) will alway's be the halcyon time in the heavyweight division, norton, frazier, foreman, spinks, holmes, so many greats and so many fantastic fights.
Have to say though that smokin joe was always my favourite out of the heavyweights, dynamite puncher, strong as an ox and as tough as they come, lol you could say that about all of them back then though.
But still rate the marvellous one as my all time favourite pound for pound boxer.

 

[famicommander]

I thought Joe won 2/3 fights with Ali rather than the other way around but if any of those three fights happens to be on television it derails my entire day
I'll sit and watch them all the way through.

 

[cat]

I thought Joe won 2/3 fights with Ali rather than the other way around

You'll get no argument from me on that Famicommander.
There was real deep bad feeling between him and joe frazier and i think it shows in the fights, the actual strength of will to win in the two men is phenomenal, neither wants to lose to the other big time.

 

[Syn]

What a bummer. Rest in peace.

Edit: Excuse the goofy video, love the Song Black Superman.

You're not the only one sister!

 

[F4U57]

R.I.P

An absolute legend!

 

[Xian Xi]

Are all of us saying we lost a lot of legends this year, are we all between 37-42?

 

[Endlessnameless]

Dude Mike Tyson was only a little kid then. Ali would have fucken killed him by the third or fourth round, max.

Nah, perhaps I need to clarify what I meant. It's like a dream match per se that never could have happened but would like to have seen. I meant it would have been cool to see both ali and tyson both in their prime in the ring. Actually this came up in conversation at work, we were talking about who our favorite heavyweight fighters were which eventually lead to do you think ali could have beat tyson. I wasn't really into sports/boxing when tyson was big so I had no idea how powerful of a boxer he was in his prime. Ali is my favorite hands down but could he beat tyson?


Discuss

 

[famicommander]

Ali was too smart for Tyson.

 

[Xian Xi]

If we go by the way people "compare" based on previous fights(which is retarded) Ali lost to Larry Holmes, Tyson knocked him out.

Both in their prime would have been a sweet fight, they both had amazing head movement but Tyson had the power BUT not much stamina. If Tyson fell for the rope-a-dope then Ali easy. Tyson would always have a puncher's chance, Tyson most times only needed one punch to get through.

 

[Arcademan]

 

[Jibbajaba]

Nah, perhaps I need to clarify what I meant. It's like a dream match per se that never could have happened but would like to have seen. I meant it would have been cool to see both ali and tyson both in their prime in the ring. Actually this came up in conversation at work, we were talking about who our favorite heavyweight fighters were which eventually lead to do you think ali could have beat tyson. I wasn't really into sports/boxing when tyson was big so I had no idea how powerful of a boxer he was in his prime. Ali is my favorite hands down but could he beat tyson?


Discuss

Thanks for clearing that up.