You do realize that we're talking about two entirely different weight classifications, one nowhere near the other. You will likely get a lot of answers that state that they're in different weight classes. The question really doesn't make a lot of sense so I will try to make some sense of it.
If you could possibly create a bridge between ALI and Mayweather, you would have to create the smallest ALI possible, while creating the biggest Mayweather. You have to do this, taking every fighter ever known and creating the best of both.
Let's look at the actual first.
ALI: 6'3"/215 lbs.
Mayweather: 5'8"/147 lbs. (I'm not sure if Mayweather really is 5'8". In person, he appeared to be a bit shorter.
Bringing them together, ALI would still be about three inches taller than Mayweather. He would also have a few pounds on him. This is because ALI is a bit taller than the average heavyweight of his era, while Mayweather is just below average for a welterweight.
I could take the easy way out and just put Sugar Ray Robinson in ALI's place, since Robinson is the closest thing you can get to an actual middleweight sized ALI. I would have to reduce Robinson's power a bit as ALI wasn't the KO puncher that Robinson was. I guess I could make Chris Byrd a right-handed fighter, to get Mayweather, but I'd be selling Floyd short. As you can see, finding a heavyweight Floyd would be a bit more of a challenge. I could also use Roy Jones. He has power but ALI is bigger and Roy is actually faster than both.
But I won't cheat. I'll create my own. The "ALI-Clone" would stand 6'1" and weigh 185 lbs. The "Floyd-Clone" would stand 5'11" and weigh about 172 lbs. I know ALI is bigger but this is in comparison to their respective contemporaries.
Looking at the opponents, Jimmy Young is the closest thing to a heavyweight Mayweather that ALI ever faced. Mayweather has never faced an ALI equivalent in any of his weight classes, though welterweight is where we compare. Zab Judah was the fastest but if you ever hear me mention Judah and ALI in the same sentence, please have me drug tested and committed.
Floyd would have trouble early with ALI's jab. ALI would have trouble with Floyd's defense. It's more likely that Floyd would force ALI to become the aggressor early on. However, with the jab, his balance and speed, ALI would change that by the middle rounds. Once Floyd realizes he's falling behind on points, he would pick up the pace and become more aggressive.
The problem is that Floyd would have trouble landing more than one punch at a time. He has near perfect balance but he can not match ALI's foot work. ALI covers more space in a shorter time. He also lands more with his reach. Floyd goes to the body but that doesn't help much because, again, ALI isn't there. Think of the early rounds between Leonard and Hearns.
The difference here is that Floyd doesn't have Leonard's "killer instinct" and ALI wouldn't need it. What boils down is that it's a very tactical fight with no one hitting the canvas. ALI wins the early rounds. Floyd finds answers in the middle rounds, only to have ALI change the script again and takes the last two rounds and a close points win.
ALI W15 UD
Ali weight was 230 , Mayweather is 150 , Ali would have to make at least 160( meaning he would have to drop 80 pounds to fight Floyd) not going to happen.. Terrible Question. They have weight classes for a reason
Cassius Clay couldn't even speak clearly at 36 years old. Little Leon Spinks beat him and when Clay won the rematch, it was close. Clay NEVER won another fight again. So to say 36 year old Mayweather could not beat a 36 year old Clay is silly. That is to say that the Mayweather we saw last Saturday could not beat Leon Spinks and his AMAZING record of 6-0-1, lol.
Yes, if they were both 36, Mayweather wouldn't hurt Clay, but would SERIOUSLY outwork him over 12-15 rounds.
With their size differences no. If they were the same size then yes.
