Was Muhammad Ali really the best

[rene69]

1. Joe Louis
2. Rocky Marciano
3. Muhamed Ali

Ali would have schooled and humiliated both Marciano & Louis.

[El Kabong]

...and Ali could have flown a rocketship to the moon too...doesn't have anything to do with what we're talking about.


And no Ali wouldn't have had an easy time with either of those fighters even in HYPOTHETICAL fights. Joe Louis 25 title defenses, Rocky Marciano 49-0-0....what concrete evidence do you present on Ali's behalf

[amat]

...and Ali could have flown a rocketship to the moon too...doesn't have anything to do with what we're talking about.


And no Ali wouldn't have had an easy time with either of those fighters even in HYPOTHETICAL fights. Joe Louis 25 title defenses, Rocky Marciano 49-0-0....what concrete evidence do you present on Ali's behalf

Marciano's 49-0 has absolutely nothing on Ali's 50-5. Ali had as many great fighters on his resume that anybody ever has. You may think he is overrated and that his legend is exaggerated but you can't be serious with Marciano.

Ali's record is mindblowing because of how many good fighters he beat. It's a long list so I won't bother we all know it.

[jmbtandy]

...and Ali could have flown a rocketship to the moon too...doesn't have anything to do with what we're talking about.


And no Ali wouldn't have had an easy time with either of those fighters even in HYPOTHETICAL fights. Joe Louis 25 title defenses, Rocky Marciano 49-0-0....what concrete evidence do you present on Ali's behalf

Marciano's 49-0 has absolutely nothing on Ali's 50-5. Ali had as many great fighters on his resume that anybody ever has. You may think he is overrated and that his legend is exaggerated but you can't be serious with Marciano.

Ali's record is mindblowing because of how many good fighters he beat. It's a long list so I won't bother we all know it.

Nobody is doubting his record, but he was fortunate a few times and lost in his prime

[MIKAY]

I think Ali is the greatest, not just because of his in ring performances but as a man himself, havnt seen charm and inteligence in boxers before and past him. He beat fighters with twice his punching power with just sheer inteligence and knowledge of the game. He also made the biggest impact in boxing history with some legendary fights and he totally changed the playing field with his movement and boxing skills whilst other boxers around that time were one dimensional sluggers.

All i know is when im old and gray when my kids and grandkids asks me about boxing, the Ali tapes are going in.

[Tito BHB]

Now the thing is he was "The Greatest"

Not neccesarily the best.. In my opinion you have to consider not just the way he fought and who he fought, but his character.. the time in which he was about.. and the circumstances surrounding him during the years in which he was in the publics eye..

He was entertaining, A poet, a comedian.. A heavyweight with fast hands, dancing feet, decent power.. A big mouth.. Plenty of great opposition to make him the legit name he became.. The circumstances of him refusing to go to war, became a muslim.. All of it together is just the story of a legend really..

And you kinda wish you knew as much about joe louis and sugar ray robinson so that they had as much publicism as ali and were as renound for theyr amazing skills..

But although greats themselves they couldnt have been as bold and demanded attention quite like ali..

But yeah i think he probably is the greatest.. In a literal sense.. But not specifically the bestt.

[El Kabong]

Hell Jack Johnson did everything Ali did only 50 years earlier

[DaxxKahn]

Hell Jack Johnson did everything Ali did only 50 years earlier

If you ever see footage of Jack...(What little there is of it).....He sure the hell was a slick ass fighter especially considerig when he was in an era where guys really just beat each other senmseless rather then box....

Public wise...I guess you could say Jack had problems with what Ali called the "White man"...He had to take some time out of the country...fight abroad....There are a lot of simularities

[ICB]

Record wise yes if we ignoring his gift decisions but IMO he is still overrated, he drew against Doug Jones IMO, he got lucky against Cooper having smelling salts which were illegal in UK at that time, he lost to Young, he lost to Shavers, he lost to Norton x2, And someone mentioned that Louis would get slaughtered by Ali because Louis was flat footed, but then i ask that person how did flat footed fighters like Jones and Cooper give Ali so much trouble ??

[amat]

Record wise yes if we ignoring his gift decisions but IMO he is still overrated, he drew against Doug Jones IMO, he got lucky against Cooper having smelling salts which were illegal in UK at that time, he lost to Young, he lost to Shavers, he lost to Norton x2, And someone mentioned that Louis would get slaughtered by Ali because Louis was flat footed, but then i ask that person how did flat footed fighters like Jones and Cooper give Ali so much trouble ??

The fight with Shavers was close, could have gone either way lots of close rounds but that was an older Ali and he had already delivered his last great hurrah. Same with Jones and Cooper.

And fighters legacies aren't defined by fights fought before they won the title. Roland Lastarza by many accounts beat Marciano when they fought before Marciano won the title but it does nothing to Rocky's legacy nor should it.

[DaxxKahn]

Record wise yes if we ignoring his gift decisions but IMO he is still overrated, he drew against Doug Jones IMO, he got lucky against Cooper having smelling salts which were illegal in UK at that time, he lost to Young, he lost to Shavers, he lost to Norton x2, And someone mentioned that Louis would get slaughtered by Ali because Louis was flat footed, but then i ask that person how did flat footed fighters like Jones and Cooper give Ali so much trouble ??

The second Norton fight was close but I still give it to Ali and the third Ali won hands down....

Your the only one I ever heard say Ali lost to Jimmy Young

[rene69]

And someone mentioned that Louis would get slaughtered by Ali because Louis was flat footed, but then i ask that person how did flat footed fighters like Jones and Cooper give Ali so much trouble ??

It was me and you're talking about a 20 yr old Ali had hadn't even entered his prime yet. But the real question is...was he beaten? No he wasn't.

[jmbtandy]

Now the thing is he was "The Greatest"

Not neccesarily the best.. In my opinion you have to consider not just the way he fought and who he fought, but his character.. the time in which he was about.. and the circumstances surrounding him during the years in which he was in the publics eye..

He was entertaining, A poet, a comedian.. A heavyweight with fast hands, dancing feet, decent power.. A big mouth.. Plenty of great opposition to make him the legit name he became.. The circumstances of him refusing to go to war, became a muslim.. All of it together is just the story of a legend really..

And you kinda wish you knew as much about joe louis and sugar ray robinson so that they had as much publicism as ali and were as renound for theyr amazing skills..

But although greats themselves they couldnt have been as bold and demanded attention quite like ali..

But yeah i think he probably is the greatest.. In a literal sense.. But not specifically the bestt.

Like it agree totally

[Beanflicker]

I'm not a huge fan of Ali, I think he was overrated as a PERSON and his exploits outside the ring are greatly exaggerated/romanticized because he is so beloved.

That being said giving the #1 spot of all time to anyone else is, IMO, rediculous. He was the best in the best period of HW boxing. Look at his record, its a who's who of the mid 60s to late 70s. NOBODY in the history of HW boxing has the quality of wins Ali has. Of course there were guys in history who would give Ali fits and possibly beat him, but if you look at everything - skill, accomplishments, heart, physical attributes - there was no one better.

Marciano was an ATG no question and one hell of a fighter, but there is no comparing his 49-0 record to Ali's 56-5. If Marciano fought the quality of opposition that Ali did, I gaurentee you he would not have that pretty undefeated record.

[El Kabong]

And how about Joe Louis' 69 (55 KO)-3