It's Jarring how much Athleticism Ali lost after his layoff

[EBK String]

I've been watching his fights in the 70s and he is a a completely different fighter. It looks like he lost 50% of his speed and reflexes. His footwork, jab and everything is nowhere near what it was in the 60s.

I dont believe that was all due to aging and had to be early onset of Parkinsons. Dudes like Larry Holmes and Foreman still were atleast 70-80% of what they were well in to their 40s. While Ali was done by his mid 30s. Those fights with Norton and Shavers he absorbed so much punishment and really lost most of the fights even though he got the decisions in all but one.

Even in his fight with Foreman he was a shadow of himself and simply took punishment and got in Foreman's head.

 

[2 Up 2 Down]

Big difference between pre and post draft Ali, imo. Those three or so years out of the ring and putting on weight really affected him.

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Big difference between pre and post draft Ali, imo. Those three or so years out of the ring and putting on weight really affected him.

huge differnce even though ali did his dance and moves but not fluid enugh..#

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Big difference between pre and post draft Ali, imo. Those three or so years out of the ring and putting on weight really affected him.

fukking US government!!

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

I've been watching his fights in the 70s and he is a a completely different fighter. It looks like he lost 50% of his speed and reflexes. His footwork, jab and everything is nowhere near what it was in the 60s.

I dont believe that was all due to aging and had to be early onset of Parkinsons. Dudes like Larry Holmes and Foreman still were atleast 70-80% of what they were well in to their 40s. While Ali was done by his mid 30s. Those fights with Norton and Shavers he absorbed so much punishment and really lost most of the fights even though he got the decisions in all but one.

Even in his fight with Foreman he was a shadow of himself and simply took punishment and got in Foreman's head.

Good thread.

All of the above, but also just inactivity plain and simple. Less training, less sparring, less fights + more soft weight = less speed.

The longer you aren't training/fighting, the slower you get.

But it's true, it's a shame we got robbed of that younger, pre Viet Ali. He was just blistering with feet and hands for a fighter that size.

When old timers are stubborn on why he was the greatest they should show youngins 60's bouts of Ali.

Old vs New fighter comparisons are always fraught with danger due to the sport being so different in every decade (rules, training methods, aerobic capacity, peds, diets etc).

But in young Ali case it's different, he stands out of the crowd, irrespective of the era.

 

[patscorpio]

post exile Ali is where his legend was solidified and had his greatest fights and wins

the worst thing about post exile ali was the fact he discovered he had a GOAT level chin and recovery powers and he fought killers

 

[NormanConnors]

I've been watching his fights in the 70s and he is a a completely different fighter. It looks like he lost 50% of his speed and reflexes. His footwork, jab and everything is nowhere near what it was in the 60s.

I dont believe that was all due to aging and had to be early onset of Parkinsons. Dudes like Larry Holmes and Foreman still were atleast 70-80% of what they were well in to their 40s. While Ali was done by his mid 30s. Those fights with Norton and Shavers he absorbed so much punishment and really lost most of the fights even though he got the decisions in all but one.

Even in his fight with Foreman he was a shadow of himself and simply took punishment and got in Foreman's head.

Very underrated remark

 

[Rev Leon Lonnie Love]

Probably just the brain damage settling in during that layoff which affected everything athletic about him.

 

[desjardins]

fukking US government!!

They tried to make an example out of him because of his outspokenness
Like are there any other examples of prime entertainers or athletes actually being drafted back then? I think Elvis was
The thing I don't get is why the boxing commissions stepped in. Ali was free the entire time iirc and would have been a revenue source for them. Biting their nose to spite their face

 

[KingOFKings]

Forget boxing and boxing skill for one moment. You have to remember the era in time as well. That was a long time ago in regards to sports science. These days an athletes’s “prime” can be extended, and we’re seeing that more across all sports.

The average Joe with access to the internet today has more knowledge on sports science and all aspects of strength training, diet, recovery, than the best did in that field back then. That was the 60s/early 70s. Even in the 80s/90s people thought drinking raw eggs in a cup was some type of magical steroid.

We’ve come a long way.

 

[FreedMind]

They tried to make an example out of him because of his outspokenness
Like are there any other examples of prime entertainers or athletes actually being drafted back then? I think Elvis was
The thing I don't get is why the boxing commissions stepped in. Ali was free the entire time iirc and would have been a revenue source for them. Biting their nose to spite their face

I don't know about drafted, but I think Joe Louis served if I'm not mistaken.

This is not to say that the US Gov't didn't have it out for Ali, fukk them.

 

[patscorpio]

They tried to make an example out of him because of his outspokenness
Like are there any other examples of prime entertainers or athletes actually being drafted back then? I think Elvis was
The thing I don't get is why the boxing commissions stepped in. Ali was free the entire time iirc and would have been a revenue source for them. Biting their nose to spite their face

they werent drafted but there were a good many champions, not just heavies, that did serve

the gov't had it out for ali though..esp when they changed the draft criteria from which Ali originally was already considered unfit first time around

 

[julesocean]

I dont believe that was all due to aging and had to be early onset of Parkinsons. CTE

Fixed

 

[EBK String]

Fixed

He didn't have CTE. He was very clear minded and personality remained intact.

 

[julesocean]

He didn't have CTE. He was very clear minded and personality remained intact.

I'ma make a separate thread because I read an article awhile back that changed my mind on this. I need to find it.