Critical Ali career bout

[Longhhorn71]

Ali lost to Frazier in March of 1971.

He then came back 4 months later in July 1971.

He fights his former sparring partner Jimmy Ellis.

Let's say Ellis puts a whupping on Ali....which was
not out of the realm of possiblity (I think Angelo Dundee
might have actually been in Ellis' corner)

Would Ali then have retired for good?

[spion]

I don't think so. Ali's ego was too big for even this daunting scenario to cause him to retire alltogether. He would redouble his efforts to once again regain the crown.

[Bokaj]

I think he said before the fight that he would retire if he lost, but it's doubtful if he'd done so. And yes, Angelo was in Ellis's corner that night.

[markedwardscott]

I think he would have fought on. His draft evasion conviction was before the Supreme Court at that time. He needed money.

[Bummy Davis]

Ellis was there to lose

[groove]

explain?

[My dinner with Conteh]

Dundee referred to Ali as "Clay" throughout the build up to that one. :yep

[kenmore]

Ellis was there to lose

Exactly. It was well known that Ellis stood no chance against Ali, even though Ellis himself was still a very good fighter. Ali's superiority over Ellis had already been established through countless sparring sessions, as the two fighters were both from Louisville and both trained under Angelo Dundee.