Retirement

[MC Paul Barman]

Originally Posted by mozfonky

I have a ring magazine from around 76' in which Ali was still not included as being able to beat most of the greats. So, I don't believe that had he never fought again after the 60's he'd necessarily be thought of as great as he is today. He never fought better than he did but the competition wasn't anything like Frazier/Foreman/Shavers/Norton It would have been an incomplete career. Salvador Sanchez gets a lot of credit because he died young, we never got to see what losses he may have had later. It could go either way though. At any rate, most fighters aren't thought of accurately in their own time, Ali had already beaten all the best fighters he'd beaten by 76 and he wasn't thought of unanimously as great yet. It's really surprising to look back at those articles. Depends on the fighter though really, RJJ destroyed a lot of his clout after Ruiz, Holyfield did to after beating Bowe and Tyson, had he retired he would have been thought of as greater than he is now. But by and large, most people understand that performances of a 40 year old Sugar Ray (either one) or a 37 year old Joe Louis does not affect their achievements at all.

What did you just say?

[mozfonky]

Originally Posted by MC Paul Barman

What did you just say?

i guess, in short, that most great fighters are not judged by the fights at the end, they are defined more by comp faced than talent shown for the most part. but some fighters are exceptions don't get scared now.

[amhlilhaus]

option a combined with them not blowing their money.