Quality Oppostion--ALi is the only 1 who had it

[undefeated]

Ali was the greatest in the golden era of boxing--imagine how good he would have looked in any other era's.
BUT--if ali was in any other era--he would not get the credit--some people would even call him a bum--every1 knows ali was the most skillfull heavyweight 2 put on gloves--however would ali with the same skills--still be considered great if he had beat an old man for the title such as walcott or braddock--or if his toughest opponent was max schmeling, ezzard charles or an old larry holmes--every era--other than ali'S is basically weak. so TYSON,MARCIANO AND HOLMES. will never get the full credit they all deserve. joe louis is on the top of most people heavyweight lists, ironically his opposition was just as weak as marciano an tyson's--louis said braddock was the toughest man he faced--and braddock was an old man. louis beats an old man and he's so great, marciano and tyson do the same -so there called bums--i just dont get it--ali is the only era king--who had absolute quality opposition

[The_One77]

Imo Ali's opposistion tends to get overrated from time to time, but the guy dominated 2 era's of heavyweight boxing....that imo, makes him one of the best P4P fighters of all time and easily the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.
Oh yeah, Marciano still sucks
J/k

[LawHoops]

ali did have the best opposition--and if u are gonna say ali's comp was overrated than i guess there was no era of heavyweight boxing that was worth a shit............right?

i mean frazier 2x , norton2x, foreman by kayo, liston by 2 kayos , patterson by two kayos too i think---all those guys are 1st ballot hofers

then u throw in solid solid guys like quarry, chuvalo, williams, shavers, bonavena.

and jurgen blin (kidding)--the rest of those guys were damn good

[LBSCFC]

ali competed in the best era of boxing while past his best. his prime was 65-67. the 3 and a half years out will never be retrieved. after his last defence against folley in 67 he was approaching perfection. (briefly visited against williams in 66). its arguable that the great heavyweights in 70s might have just been mere names on his record had the enforced retirement not happened. 60s is second only to the 70s in terms of quality aswell

[undefeated]

if holmes was in ali's era would he have been as succesful---id say no--i dont think holmes could beat a prime norton or a prime frazier--i think frazier would win 3 of 3 times and norton atleast 2 of 3

i always wonder y holmes comes along right after frazier, ali and foreman r out of the picture--im only saying this cuz holmes always says "he was the greatest 2 ever lace em up" holmes is an altime great--u cant argue 48-0,i have alot of respect for holmes and am in no way putting down this alltime great-- however he wouldnt have been able 2 do what ali did. so ALI is the greatest

a prime holmes would loose to a prime frazier
while a prime ali would toy around and destroy a prime frazier--remember when ali lost the 1st time--he didnt have enough rest between fights--was in no way in his prime--and the fight was pretty even and put frazier in the hospital

[undefeated]

if holmes was in ali's era would he have been as succesful---id say no--i dont think holmes could beat a prime norton or a prime frazier--i think frazier would win 3 of 3 times and norton atleast 2 of 3

i always wonder y holmes comes along right after frazier, ali and foreman r out of the picture--im only saying this cuz holmes always says "he was the greatest 2 ever lace em up" holmes is an altime great--u cant argue 48-0,i have alot of respect for holmes and am in no way putting down this alltime great-- however he wouldnt have been able 2 do what ali did. so ALI is the greatest

a prime holmes would loose to a prime frazier
while a prime ali would toy around and destroy a prime frazier--remember when ali lost the 1st time--he didnt have enough rest between fights--was in no way in his prime--and the fight was pretty even and put frazier in the hospital

i meant couldn't-

[cockey cockney]

Good points undefeated and i myself and sick of Marciano and Tyson always being put down for fighting bums.....people should be given credit for what they did and in there cases they did great things in the heavies.

[Taeth]

I think Evander Holyfield had harder competition than Ali.

[gyrokai]

I think Evander Holyfield had harder competition than Ali.

A 42 year old Foreman instead of a 27 year old Foreman? No, just kidding. :P

I have total respect for Holyfield,
even though I think my all-time favorite fighter, ALI, was The Greatest.

[chamiley]

I think Evander Holyfield had harder competition than Ali.

I think Holyfield had it stacked against him just as hard as Ali. Ali wasn't in his prime had and to face younger, more powerful opponents. holyfield was always fighting guyz bigger and stronger than him. Both of the guyz beat their opponents with their unshaken determination, they were mentally stronger than their opponents.

[X]

This is a bit unfair.

It's like saying - Good car, only the Bugatti Veyron is a good car , so all the rest are crap.

Ali DID have the best quality of opposition, but that makes his accomplishments all the better rather than demeaning the accomplishments of others.

[briggs]

ali was a champion boxer but he never won a kentucky derby which is a bit of a blemish on his career.

[SimonH]

The Heavyweights suck period.

But like all good rules, there is an exception, that was the 70s.

Ali is lucky, in that unlike all his peers, he had depth in quality of opposition to prove himself.

But that said, he still had to do it, and he did it, undoubtedly whilst 4 to 10 years past his best.

The reason IMO, the Heavyweights really do seem to stink at the moment, is because we are comming off the 90s, which in Heavyweight terms, is probably second best to the 70s in quality.

Fighters today IMO are a damn sight better than the Heavyweights of the 80s, with the exception of Holmes, Tyson and perhaps Whitherspoon... maybe not.

Granted they are two massive exceptions (all top 12 heavyweights), but the Heavyweights today do face a (historically looking) hard press.

For starters it is obvious the division suffers from not a World Champion, something that has been the case for nearly three years now...