Ali Shuffle

[norma1250]

hello all, I wanted to know what fighters and fights was the "Ali Shuffle" used?
Also what fighters displayed the best footwork, and in which fights?
THANK YOU

[BattlingNelson]

hello all, I wanted to know what fighters and fights was the "Ali Shuffle" used?
Also what fighters displayed the best footwork, and in which fights?
THANK YOU

Ali used his shuffle often. Vs. Liston, Williams heck I guess vs. all of his opponents in his first reign. He also used it in the first Frazier fight.

The shuffle had nothing to do with footwork but was only a gimmick. In fact it was dangerous because it keeps the fighter off balance and in bad positioning to throw punches for seconds. The psychological impact on the opponent is perhaps another story. Ali used it to show arrogance to an 'inferior' fighter.

The shuffle was later used by Ray Leonard in the Hagler-fight as well as others. Leonard also borrowed a gimmick-punch, the bolo, which was first used by Beau Jack or Kid Gavilan (one of them. Ain't sure which one though.)

[Sugarj]

Yea the worst example of Ali giving his shuffle was in the second Liston fight (the one Ali wins that same round!) he starts a shuffle and gets hit with a Liston jab!

I dont remember Ali doing his shuffle in the first Liston fight until after he'd won.

The best example was against Cleveland Williams, Ali was magic in this fight and did the shuffle several times before landing devestating combinations.

In his first reign I dont remember seeing it against Patterson, Cooper, Terrel or London but think that Zora Folley, Chuvalo and Mildenberger may have had the shuffle in their fights.

In Ali's comeback I dont remember seeing the shuffle in the first Frazier fight but he did it twice against Frazier in the second fight (rounds one and Twelve if I remember rightly although it wasn't as fast as it had been in his prime).

The last time he used it was in the return against Spinks just before one of the rounds started.

One of the fastest shuffles I remember was the one Leonard did in the return with Duran in the no mas round and for a full round of shuffling watch Naseem Hamed against Jose Badillo (round five I think). Naseem was such a distraction for the timekeeper that the round was accidentally cut to two minutes.

Roy Jones used the shuffle frequently in his peak too!

[wmute]

Jersey Joe Walcott is the fighter Ali took the shuffle from.

[Flawless]

Greatest sight in boxing.

[Sugarj]

Quite right Wmute, 'The Walcott Shift', although Walcott didn't do as many shift moves at once as in the Ali shuffle. Walcott also had the 'Walcott waltz'. Many thought he was even more graceful than Ali.

[AntonTheMeh]

[butterfly1964]

Ali used his shuffle often. Vs. Liston, Williams heck I guess vs. all of his opponents in his first reign. He also used it in the first Frazier fight.

The shuffle had nothing to do with footwork but was only a gimmick. In fact it was dangerous because it keeps the fighter off balance and in bad positioning to throw punches for seconds. The psychological impact on the opponent is perhaps another story. Ali used it to show arrogance to an 'inferior' fighter.

The shuffle was later used by Ray Leonard in the Hagler-fight as well as others. Leonard also borrowed a gimmick-punch, the bolo, which was first used by Beau Jack or Kid Gavilan (one of them. Ain't sure which one though.)

Actually, Ali did use the shuffle as a part of his fightplan. It was to distract the opponent and then quickly score with rapid-fire combinations. He used this beautifully in the Cleveland Williams fight.

[Konstantin]

I think that Gatti was the most recent person to use it on TV in his last fight.