Just going to chuck some fights that never happened out there and see who you guys think would win and why. All fighters are assumed at their absolute prime, and for arguments sake the same weight. So a little imagination maybe needed, as you'll see in my second pick. I'll start with 2 at a time: Nigel Benn v Carl (the defensive p-4-p King!) Froch. Pacquiao v Naseem Hamed - at 9 stone obviously. (Think about this one. On first glance it looks a stupid fight, but a prime 126 pound Hamed was something special).
In comment to mentioning Nigel Ben, my fantasy fight involving him would be for him and McClellan to be able to finish their fight without him getting hurt. I wanted to see the end of that and it ended in tragedy. I always wanted to see: Ann Wolfe vs. Leila Ali Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson Tommy Morrison vs. Mike Tyson
That's undoubtedly the #1 Fantasy Fight of all time. Ali's footwork and blitheness vs Tyson's Mad Dog Homicidal... But wait! Haven't we actually seen that already? Well, sort of... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0qsQmZ2TLg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0qsQmZ2TLg[/ame] With a 9 inch reach advantage keeping Tyson at bay, with no way to get inside and deliver his primary weapon - the uppercut, Tyson would be no real match for Ali. Sounds fun from a distance but it would be a heavy-side win for Ali. I'd think better match-ups and less predictable outcomes would favour Ali vs Joe Louis and Tyson vs Frazier.
You seem to be overlooking the fact that Frazier beat Ali for the world tital in 1971. So it wouldn't necessarily be the foregone conclusion that you are assuming.
I thought about that but decided it didn't fit my agenda; so I didn't bother with the qualifier. Thought this thread in somewhat a light-hearted vein.
I tried to stay away from the usual Ali-Tyson, Leonard-Mayweather, etc, fights that get mentioned. But as Tyson-Ali was mentioned, I'll go with the flow. I think this should be Clay v Tyson, both at 20-21 years old. Seeing that Ali struggled 3 times against Frazier, someone who I think was a little predictable, I can't really see him holding off a young hungry Tyson. Frazier really, should have been made for Ali. Smallish, not particularly quick, and fought the same every fight. If he troubled Ali, imagine what a nightmare Tyson would have been. I think Ali was about 14 stone for the Frazier fights wasn't he? Clay though, non-stop movement, was different. I almost think of Ali and Clay as different fighters. (A side thought: If you showed a person just getting into boxing Ali v Frazier, then showed them Frazier against Foreman, imagine trying to tell them that if Ali fought Foreman he'd win by KO. They'd ask you what you have been taking!). For Tyson, I would have loved to see him with a young David Tua. Two wrecking balls going at it! Who would budge first? Or Tyson-Liston maybe? Talking of heavyweights, how about Ike Ibeabuchi v either Bowe or Lewis? Or Tyson actually. As for Benn-McClellan, I think they gave us all the answers we needed in that fight. Benn was just a maniac. It was like something out of a film. McClellan wasn't a popular guy, and a lot of people weren't unhappy about what happened to him, terrible though that may sound.
So you see a Cassius Clay/Frazier bout being significantly different from Ali/Frazier? Interesting point
I think when he was younger he was just more fluid. He really did "float like a butterfly" in the ring. His hands were a blur. Not to say when he came back after exile he wasn't quick. But then, I guess Cooper, put him on his ****, so, I don't know really. I'm starting to argue with myself here. It's a difficult one. But yeah, I liked him better as Clay.
Hmm... I was speaking of Ali in his prime, it had not occurred to me to mention the "Clay" name to indicate I was talking about his absurdly fast days. I think Tyson would of had a hell of a time trying to hit Clay. Tyson's footwork was come straight at your guy and start pelting him. Clay would never let that happen. It had not occurred to me to mention Morrison vs. Ali. If Frazier could connect with his left hook Tommy certainly could of with his. The difference is Frazier's hook hurt. Tommy's hook generally ended the fight. And Tommy's was considerably faster.
I suggest you watch a few fights back and take a look at just how good Tyson's footwork was. Even on the bag Tyson's incredible movement is evident.
I am not saying Tyson had bad footwork. His head movement and ability to duck was incredible. I do need to watch more of him, however I still think vintage Clay would keep him at bay. For the record, Tyson agrees. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF17mkqyf44"]Mike Tyson vs Muhammad Ali - Who Wins? - YouTube[/ame]
Ya, even being a Tyson fan, I forget sometimes just how good he was early on. He did have marked success against taller opponents with longer reaches. Later on, after he lost his trainer, he devolved into that plodding forward style that Combat Sports speaks of, but early on - he'd given even CC a run for his money. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-22RvoxJU_I"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-22RvoxJU_I[/ame]
Tyson may well agree, but you said he had a straight on straight at you guy style, I disagree. Maybe you have to have done some boxing footwork to see the subtleties. To many he looks like a wild, untamed thug, but for me he was one of the most technically skilled heavyweights ever.
Please let me clarify. I don't mean straight on straight at you like say Rocky Marciano. I mean that he (at least in the fights that I saw) was aggressive and forward momentum oriented, he was still precise. And he didn't need to dance around because his head movement and defense was so good that he didn't need it. His counter punches were devastating. He didn't just come in wildly swinging. I just don't think he could catch Ali. No I don't feel that way at all. I just think stylistically what worked for him would not work on CC.
I'd like to see Haggler against almost anyone at middleweight. My grandad boxed at bantamweight I believe, so I'd actually like to see him fight for no other reasons than personal Mitch
Hagler Vs. Monzon,winner takes on Robinson....and loses.Robinson then fights Burley. But for sheer thundering fun,Tyson vs. Shavers.
What about a bash-up between two punchers, for a change of pace? Sonny Liston vs George Foreman? (in their primes, remember) Foreman 76-5-0 with 68 KO's
What a fight that would be! Good shout! The interesting thing here would be that these are two fighters who traded on intimidation as well. Would one be able to intimidate the other?
At this point i'd like to see Hagler vs. Golovkin, or when Hopkins was prime at MW. Hagler would have found Bernard an extremely difficult fight IMO.
