How would the Chamberlain-Ali fight have gone?

[sentax]

[The Old LefHook]

Chamberlain needs a basketball court sized ring to have any chance of surviving.

[Joe Beamish]

There was nothing about Chamberlain that was a fighter. One of the greatest athletes who ever lived, and one of the strongest men. But not a fighter. Even with a year or two of training, I can't see him digging down and really hurting someone, even if he could gain the kind of skills necessary to stay in the ring with Ali and hold his distance.

Ali would have easily closed in and had a feast of target practice. Stoppage in a couple three rounds.

[HOUDINI563]

Lead right hand ends it within five rounds. Ali is a fighter. Wilt was a basketball player.

[TBear]

Ask Too Tall Jones how easy it was. And Abraham Yaqui Meneses was no Muhammad Ali!

[The Old LefHook]

As the Greatest himself said, "Timber!"

[Dempsey-Louis]

If Chamberlain ever developed a jab his following right cross would have been devastating; maybe impossible to stop completely. If he ever developed an over-hand right like Monzon he would have killed people.

If he had fought Ali in '76 he would have looked foolish.

In the photo above he is in a 'south paw' stance; if you ask a right-handed eight year old boy to take a boxers stance he will naturally put his dominate hand forward (take a south paw stance) - I wonder if it is a sign that he knew so little or if he just adjusted for the camera?

[The Old LefHook]

I believe Beamish is right--Wilt could not have found any killer instinct within himself for boxing. But Chamberlain dedicated to the decathlon may have put records out of reach for a long time. I shudder to think what he might have done in the discus and javelin. The Fosbury flop may have made it possible for a man of Wilt's dimensions to do well in the high jump too. He could possibly have been a great volleyball player as well. He would have been too vulnerable for football, unless he was a quarterback whose line was good enough to protect him at all times from tacklers. In baseball he could have played any position but catcher.

I believe Wilt did compete in track & field in college. I don't know how well he did or if he took that part of athleticism seriously by that time.

[QueensburyRules]

--- Wilt didn't even like basketball save his Harlem Globetrotter year where he could unshackle his abilities.

He was accomplished as a collegiate high jumper, in the shot put, and 400meters.

Cus was training him to fight Ali. I'll take Cus' off the shelf HOF credentials as to his fighting acumen over your Ali worship.

The powers that be conspired to kill the fight...the way it was...

[HOUDINI563]

Queen believes a basketball player would beat Ali. His patter has not changed in 20 years.