Let's start with one of the top, otherwise it would take too long to post and too long to scrutinize on your end. Since Muhammad Ali is generally thought of as the best heavyweight of all time, which is boxing's most glamerous division, it's fitting that we begin with him.


Ali's body of work (feel free to add to it, if I failed to list a notable opponent):
  1. Archie Moore
  2. Sonny Liston - beat him twice
  3. Floyd Patterson
  4. Ernie Terrell
  5. George Chuvalo
  6. Henry Cooper
  7. Karl Mildenberger
  8. Oscar Bonavena
  9. Ron Lyle
  10. Bob Foster
  11. Joe Frazier - beat him twice, lost once
  12. Ken Norton - beat him twice, lost once
  13. George Foreman
  14. Ron Lyle
  15. Earnie Shavers
  16. Leon Spinks
  17. Buster Mathis
  18. Jimmy Ellis
  19. Cleveland Williams
Considering that he beat Liston, Norton and Frazier twice, that makes 22 notable wins. Of course, some are much better than others, but we're talking body of work so I included a bunch. He also lost to Larry Holmes, Leon Spinks, Trever Berbick, Ken Norton, and Joe Frazier.

He was a world champion at heavyweight three different times.

He also competed (arguably) in the deepest era for heavyweights of all time.

Six of his opponents went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which makes 11 wins over Hall of Fame boxers. Foreman, Liston, Frazier, and Norton are typically thought of in the top 25 heavyweights of all-time.



How Floyd's body of work compares favorably with Ali's?

The following are a number of ways I think we analzye it, at the very least a good starting point.

How about first we list Floyd's best 22 opponents?

How do Floyd's best wins compare with Ali's best wins, such as Liston, Frazier, Foreman and Norton?

Then let's compare Ali's era of heavyweights with Floyd's era of welterweights/junior welterweights/lightweights.

Next, although it is impossible to be sure, let's talk about how many wins Floyd has over future/current Hall of Fame boxers.

After that, how about we consider how deep Floyd's era of welterweights/junior welterweights/lightweights etc. compares with Ali's era of heavyweights? In other words, since boxing's beginning, where would you rank the last decade of those divisions historically.

In the divisions he's campaigned in, how many wins does Floyd have over top 25 guys? For example, at lightweight how many wins does he have over boxers who rank in the top 25 of all time? etc.

Last, with Floyd's top victories, where would you rank the opponents on the list of all-time fighters in those divisions. Would you rank Diego Corrales with the best of all-time at junior lightweight. Is Castillo in the top of the division at lightweight? Cotto at junior middleweight? Hatton at welterweight?

I figure that's a good starting point. Of course, I'm open to other suggestions on how to compare them, as I'm sure I've missed a few.

Thanks for the discussion!