When Joe Frazier fought Ali in 1971, Frazier Destroyed Ali, Ali was stumbling around on his feet in the last round, one more round Joe would have KO'ed Ali. At the end of the fight on one judge's scoreboard Joe won 11 rounds! Even though Ali was much better in 1966 I think Joe would still have a good chance in winning against a '66 Ali,
A '66 Ali would be too much for Foreman as he would dance around the slow Foreman landing jabs and devastating hooks.
A '71 Joe Frazier wouldn't survive with George Foreman, Foreman would KO Joe Frazier as he wouldn't let him get inside
The '66 version of Ali would take something like a 12-3, or possibly 13-2 decision win over Frazier, and a 11th round kayo of Foreman, though it wouldn't shock me if he did it in 8th rounds.
Muhammad Ali as heavyweight champion, fought a now unheard of FIVE TIMES in 1966, winning them all, 4 by KO/TKO, the only man that survived was the tough as nails George Chuvalo. His KO/TKO victims included Henry Cooper, Karl Mildenberger, Brian London and Cleveland Williams.
In 1973, Frazier just fought ONCE against Ali, winning by UD capped by that famous late round knockdown. The reason he fought just once that year was because although victorious, he suffered the most damage from that hard. gruelling fight held March of that same year where he was hospitalized for a much longer time. He would no longer be the same fighter after that fight. Ali on the other hand fought THREE MORE TIMES before that year was over,, winning over Jimmy Ellis by TKO, Buster Mathis by UD and Jurgen Blin by KO.Frazier would get back to action in 1972 and fought easy, obscure opponents as Ron Stander and Terry Daniels as he nursed himself back to form. Frazier would lose his heavyweight title by 2nd round TKO to Foreman January of 1973.
In 1973, Foreman fought just TWO TIMES, beating Frazier in January and defending the title against an obscure, overmatched Joe King Roman by first round KO in September. He will blast Ken Norton in his only other fight in 1974 before losing his title to Ali by 8th round KO in October of the same year in Zaire.
Go figure those facts and statistics if any of Frazier or Foreman could have beaten the younger, best of his prime Ali of 1966 given their performance before, during and after their fights with the older Ali who also had to shake off more than three years of ring inactivity.
My verdict is NO---none of Frazier or Foreman could have beaten Ali then still unruffled by the pressure and harassment from the authorities in 1966.
interesting. the '66 version of ali, possibly ali at his peak, easily outpoints frazier and outworks foreman (not utilizing the rope-a-dope), stopping george by round 13 (more than likely in an indoor, air conditioned building).
I think 1966 Ali would have been much for Foreman, I can see him dancing around, pumping the jab into into his face stopping him via KO but im not so sure about Fraizer. Given he caught Ali with one of those heavy hands then its good night Muhammad in my opinion.
How would the Ali of 1966 do against the Frazier of 1971 and the Foreman of 1973? The younger Ali would be faster, but would have less punching power than his 70's ego. Many say that Ali was at his peak when he won against Cleveland Williams in 1966. I think a prime Frazier would trouble him, no matter at what age. And Foreman has a comparable chin, but way more punching power and less stamina than George Chuvalo, who gave Ali a very tough fight. Please don't come up with "rope-a-dope", because that would've worked only once against Big George.
