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Did stripping Muhammad Ali of the title save the Heavyweight division?


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by Jim Amato

 

When the powers that be took away Muhammad Ali’s title for refusing to enter the Armed Services it robbed Ali of three years of his boxing prime. Regardless of anyone’s feelings on Ali’s decision, everyone knew he was the BEST heavyweight in the world in 1967. The hastily put together eight man elimination tournament set up to decide Ali’s successor was not going to change that.

 

The elimination tourney was scoffed at then and even today it is still scrutinized. What if the Vietnam War would not have wanted or needed Ali ? What if Ali who had already “cleaned up” the division had remained active ? Remember Ali defeated Patterson, Chuvalo, Terrell and Mildenberger before he was forced to abdicate. He then won two out of three against Frazier and two over Quarry. He beat Patterson and Chuvalo again. He also whipped Bonevena and Ellis after a three year hiatus. Let’s say Ali remained active through 1970. He might have met Frazier as early as 1969. Joe would have been facing a lean, active and sharp Ali not the slower and somewhat rusty version he met in their 1971 epic. Also remember Joe would have had two years less experience then what he carried in 1971 . In 1969, Frazier was not yet the polished fighting machine he was to become. In my opinion the Frazier of March 8, 1971, would have given any heavyweight in history a life and death struggle including a prime Ali. The Frazier of 1969 was not yet ready for Ali.

 

Read more: Did stripping Muhammad Ali of the title save the Heavyweight division? - - Boxing News - Ring News24

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What do you think of Jim's article on this topic? Did it make the division better?

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Re: Did stripping Muhammad Ali of the title save the Heavyweight division?

 

--- The strippage and Vietnam controversy and subsequent Supreme Court victory made him much bigger than he had been.

 

Nothing wrong with the tourney that featured many Ali had not fought who were better than many he fought. The problem with the Frazier fight was joe obviously several grades above Ali's previous comp with a difficult style he never could solve. He logged 17-18 rds of tuneups before Frazier and everyone agreed he was bigger, stronger, with more fans and the moral righteousness to win, yet failed.

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Re: Did stripping Muhammad Ali of the title save the Heavyweight division?

 

--- I would also add in 1968 Joe beat undefeated Buster Mathis, Alex Ramos, and a better version of Oscar Bonavena that gave Ali holy hell, so by 1969, especially with the experience against Mathis who was bigger, stronger, and just as fast as Ali and a damn fine boxer with a first rate trainer in Cus D'amato, Joe would have been chompin at that bit waiting to get at Ali.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re: Did stripping Muhammad Ali of the title save the Heavyweight division?

 

Even after he came back after that long layoff, he still beat everybody. To imagine how it could have been, had Ali not been stripped, he would have been dominant as hell.

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