Do you think Wilt Chamberlin could have beat Muhammad Ali in the ring?

Question

There had been serious discussions of this potential fight for a couple years in the '60s and eventually Wilt was talked out of it, but he had a 13 inch reach and 65 pounds over Ali. Wilt was one of the greatest atheletes ever, he actually worked out with the KC Chiefs and they said he could have been one of the greatest wide receivers in history with his speed and reach. He was a superb track star in college and a well conditioned athlete. If he had any boxing skills, he might have had a chance against Ali, I think (if you look at that famous photo, you really have to wonder). I'd like to think Ali would have probably won and I think it was one of Wilt's good friends that eventually talked him out of the fight, but if they had actually fought, (and Wilt was supposed to have six months of rigorous training by a couple of the great boxing coaches of the day), do you think Wilt could have had a chance?

Answer 1

No.........don't matter how long your reach is, if you are out cold it won't matter any way.

Answer 2

I imagine Wilt's friends talked him out of it to save his life.

Answer 3

Wilt had a lot of the tools to be an athelete in most sports.  The ONE thing he DIDN'T have for ALI was confidence.  Wilt, like most tall people in society, was used to people viewing him in awe.  Once he met someone who wasn't fazed by his height he ''cracked''.

The "Fight" went all the way to the Press Conference stage.  Wilt never really cared much for ALI,  or anyone else who got more attention than he did.   He was a great ball player but NOT necessarily a great person.  

Like OJ  (another Fragile human and poor excuse for a black man)  Wilt was used to having his way.  He was great at what he did and poor at everything else.  He had the AUDACITY to think he could challenge another man in HIS domain.   Hershall Walker had the same stupidity in mind when he wanted to Challenge Mike Tyson.  I SO wanted to see that fight.    

Wilt was full of himself.  ANYONE who would brag about having slept with over 20,000 woman has some REAL "Self worth" issues.   Besides the fact that it's NOT HUMANLY POSSIBLE,  it just goes to show how shallow he was as a man.  20K strong and you cant find ONE you would want to have a relationship with?  He even wrote it in a book.   Just goes to show you can sell anything in this country.  

The story about Wilt's friends talking him out of it is only PARTLY True.  ALI took all the Hot Air out of Wilt's baloon the first few minutes of the press conference.   Wilt walked in the room and ALI, sitting at the table,  yelled  "TIMBER!"   Wilt,  SHOCKED that this Little 6'3'' man showed NO FEAR of him, turned, studdered a few sware words and left the room.  

Fight's off.

Answer 4

Actually Too Tall Jones won all of his professional fights, against no bodies he did not lose any fights.

The talks about the Wilt/Ali fight got some hype and they publicized it, but Wilt wanted 1 million after taxes, which no promoter at the time would do.

Wilt would not have had a chance in a fight that lasted more than 1 round.

It doesn't matter how good athlete, they can not become world class in different sports.

Michael Jordan tried to play baseball, and could not.

Boxing is much harder to learn, and less forgiving than baseball.

Answer 5

Chamberlain no more would have beaten Ali at boxing than Ali would have beaten Chamberlain in basketball.  Oh of course Chamberlain has physical advantages but Carnera was bigger than Baer and Louis and what happened?  Willard and Firpo were physically bigger than Dempsey and were knocked out.  What did Chamberlain know about boxing and how would he have reacted to a hard punch to the jaw?  A few months training for Chamberlain would never have prepared Chamberlain to fight the great Ali.  This would have been more of a circus sideshow than a genuine fight.

Answer 6

Boxing is a craft that has to be honed over many years of practice.  While I'm certain Wilt would have been a good boxer, he had as much chance of beating Ali as Ali had of posting up Wilt.  

I often wonder how much all-round athletic ability plays into the equation.  I seem to remember Joe Frazier pretty much embarrassing himself in those cheesy competitions in the 70's.  None of the all-around traits of athleticism include the ability to take a punch, react to a punch, and, tops in my opinion, give a punch.  Giving a punch, knocking another human out is a form of sadism that few folks have.  To debilitate your opponent, and then to keep hitting him until his brains turn off.  I could never do that, but I think that's perhaps the biggest quality in a fighter and it's immeasurable.

Answer 7

This is funny you said Wilt would have had 6 months to train to fight the greatest heavy weight champion of all time. I could not stop laughing when I read that it would have taken 6 months for wilt to clime through the ropes to fight Ali basketball shape is not boxing shape when your shooting a hoop no one is hitting you in the mouth with a baseball bat. Ali would have took it straight to Wilt the fight or massacre would have lasted about 90 seconds after Wilt through his first punch it would  have been all over I can hear Howard Cosell now saying Timberrrrr! Do you remember a guy named TOO Tall JONES HE WAS ABOUT 6-10 HE WAS ALL PRO DEFENCIVE END FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS GOT KNOCKED OUT BY A NO BODY IN HIS FIRST FIGHT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A athlete from another sport to cross over and become a successful boxer and there will never be one