Was Muhammad Ali really the best

[Shamrock]

I love the 'who was the best ever arguements and the 'who would have won between fighters from different era's' they display both knowledge of boxing history and and an understanding f different fighters styles.

The truth is though they are as pointless as they are interesting. I've argued both topics a million times and rarely if ever has someone changed their opinion . No one can ever be proved 100% conlusivley right and that means that almost everyone's opinion deserves respect I guess.

For me it's virtually impossible to call between (and in particular order) Ali, Johnson, Louis and The Rock.

I wonder what it says about our sport though that a boxer from modern times is hardly ever even considered as challenging for one of the top spots (apart from maybe Tyson) ?

[Trainer Monkey]

I love the 'who was the best ever arguements and the 'who would have won between fighters from different era's' they display both knowledge of boxing history and and an understanding f different fighters styles.

The truth is though they are as pointless as they are interesting. I've argued both topics a million times and rarely if ever has someone changed their opinion . No one can ever be proved 100% conlusivley right and that means that almost everyone's opinion deserves respect I guess.

For me it's virtually impossible to call between (and in particular order) Ali, Johnson, Louis and The Rock.

I wonder what it says about our sport though that a boxer from modern times is hardly ever even considered as challenging for one of the top spots (apart from maybe Tyson) ?

Naww you could make arguments for current fighters,just not at heavyweight
I cant stand Mayweather,but a case could be made pretty easily
B-hop
Calzeghe
Roy Jones
Oscar,the way he's been able to shunt weight classes is stunning

We've gotten to watch our share of legit greats

[Mr140]

Look Ali is at the top but he is over rated people try to meake him a god.

[Mr140]

1.Muhammed Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Larry Holmes
4.Lennox Lewis
5.Goerge Forman
6.Evander HolyField
7.Mike Tyson
8.Sonney Liston
9.Rocky Marcieno
10.Gene Tunney

Thats pretty much my list i have had for a while but it changes after the top guys.

[El Kabong]

...I don't understand how Lennox and Holmes could top Foreman but hey it's your list and not mine, so more power to you.

Liston and Tunney didn't have long reigns as champion either...they were really good, at least Tunney was IMO.

[ICB]

...I don't understand how Lennox and Holmes could top Foreman but hey it's your list and not mine, so more power to you.

Liston and Tunney didn't have long reigns as champion either...they were really good, at least Tunney was IMO.

Well Holmes and Lewis dominated there era when Foreman didn't, remember Foreman only made two title defenses then lost to Ali, and never held the title again until 1995. And after he won the title against Moorer he only made 1 defense against Axel Schulz in a controversial fight so all together he only made 3 defenses in his entire career, he was stripped of the title for not defending against Tony Tucker or not giving Schulz rematch can't remember which.

I just remembered he was stripped of WBA Title after the Moorer fight for not defending against Tony Tucker, then he was stripped of the IBF title for not giving Schulz a rematch.

[El Kabong]

Well Holmes and Lewis dominated there era when Foreman didn't, remember Foreman only made two title defenses then lost to Ali, and never held the title again until 1995. And after he won the title against Moorer he only made 1 defense against Axel Schulz in a controversial fight so all together he only made 3 defenses in his entire career, he was stripped of the title for not defending against Tony Tucker or not giving Schulz rematch can't remember which.

I just remembered he was stripped of WBA Title after the Moorer fight for not defending against Tony Tucker, then he was stripped of the IBF title for not giving Schulz a rematch.

Holmes and Lewis didn't have much legitimate competition in their days as champ. The fighters that would have taken them to the top 10 status for me were too old when Holmes and Lewis fought them...just my opinion, but they were definently great.

Foreman not only beat the undefeated undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in a devistating fashion in Joe Frazier....but he took a looooong layoff and came back to beat Michael Moorer when George was 45 years old. That's impressive, but once again just my opinion.

I am not disagreeing with you I am just saying I see it slightly differently

[brucelee]

1.Muhammed Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Larry Holmes
4.Lennox Lewis
5.Goerge Forman
6.Evander HolyField
7.Mike Tyson
8.Sonney Liston
9.Rocky Marcieno
10.Gene Tunney

Thats pretty much my list i have had for a while but it changes after the top guys.

I'd put Lewis at number 10.

[ICB]

1.Muhammed Ali
2.Joe Louis
3.Larry Holmes
4.Lennox Lewis
5.Goerge Forman
6.Evander HolyField
7.Mike Tyson
8.Sonney Liston
9.Rocky Marcieno
10.Gene Tunney

Thats pretty much my list i have had for a while but it changes after the top guys.

I'd put Lewis at number 10.

1 Muhammad Ali
2 Joe Louis
3 Jack Johnson
4 Larry Holmes
5 Lennox Lewis
6 George Foreman
7 Rocky Marciano
8 Jack Dempsey
9 Evander Holyfield
10 Mike Tyson

[Shamrock]

I love the 'who was the best ever arguements and the 'who would have won between fighters from different era's' they display both knowledge of boxing history and and an understanding f different fighters styles.

The truth is though they are as pointless as they are interesting. I've argued both topics a million times and rarely if ever has someone changed their opinion . No one can ever be proved 100% conlusivley right and that means that almost everyone's opinion deserves respect I guess.

For me it's virtually impossible to call between (and in particular order) Ali, Johnson, Louis and The Rock.

I wonder what it says about our sport though that a boxer from modern times is hardly ever even considered as challenging for one of the top spots (apart from maybe Tyson) ?

Naww you could make arguments for current fighters,just not at heavyweight
I cant stand Mayweather,but a case could be made pretty easily
B-hop
Calzeghe
Roy Jones
Oscar,the way he's been able to shunt weight classes is stunning

We've gotten to watch our share of legit greats

It's the heavweights I'm talking about TMonkey... Other weights we've had our share of greats but at heavyweight we've had little if anything to shout about. Some good heavweight fights but no real contenders for breaking inot the top 4 of the best ever heavweight fighter ever.

[Trainer Monkey]

I love the 'who was the best ever arguements and the 'who would have won between fighters from different era's' they display both knowledge of boxing history and and an understanding f different fighters styles.

The truth is though they are as pointless as they are interesting. I've argued both topics a million times and rarely if ever has someone changed their opinion . No one can ever be proved 100% conlusivley right and that means that almost everyone's opinion deserves respect I guess.

For me it's virtually impossible to call between (and in particular order) Ali, Johnson, Louis and The Rock.

I wonder what it says about our sport though that a boxer from modern times is hardly ever even considered as challenging for one of the top spots (apart from maybe Tyson) ?

Naww you could make arguments for current fighters,just not at heavyweight
I cant stand Mayweather,but a case could be made pretty easily
B-hop
Calzeghe
Roy Jones
Oscar,the way he's been able to shunt weight classes is stunning

We've gotten to watch our share of legit greats

It's the heavweights I'm talking about TMonkey... Other weights we've had our share of greats but at heavyweight we've had little if anything to shout about. Some good heavweight fights but no real contenders for breaking inot the top 4 of the best ever heavweight fighter ever.

This is why Ive been advocating a super-heavy weight class for years now. These guys are massive,but if you dont make weight,guess who your playing with next

[El Kabong]

A superheavyweight class would only make the heavyweights the new cruiserweights. Besides Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Tye Fields, Julius Long.....there are a loooooong list of guys who were big and didn't do SHIT in the division and Marciano, Charles, Walcott, Tyson, Dempsey, Moore, etc that were small and did a bunch in the division

[Trainer Monkey]

A superheavyweight class would only make the heavyweights the new cruiserweights. Besides Jess Willard, Primo Carnera, Tye Fields, Julius Long.....there are a loooooong list of guys who were big and didn't do SHIT in the division and Marciano, Charles, Walcott, Tyson, Dempsey, Moore, etc that were small and did a bunch in the division

Its getting ridiculous now thou,youve got guys like Valuev and Lewis lumbering around the ring,and all they have to do is land a single punch. The weight classes need some restructuring,and thats the easiest fix

[MIKAY]

Ali was and still is the greatest.

Rocky Marciano fought more bums then i have ever seen, just another sven otke if you ask me.

Joe louise was great and on par or just below Muhammad Ali, but Rocky's just a shoe shiner in comparison.

[El Kabong]

Its getting ridiculous now thou,youve got guys like Valuev and Lewis lumbering around the ring,and all they have to do is land a single punch. The weight classes need some restructuring,and thats the easiest fix

Yes but Chagaev who is FAR from a super heavyweight ( 6'1 228 )beat Valuev(7'0 319) and hell you could make a case for Monte Barrett hurting Valuev because he did...and Taras Bidenko too


Lennox Lewis was one thing, but right now the Lewis', Bowe's, and Klitschko's of the world don't come along very often and even if they did they don't stick around very long.


I think if you put Joe Calzaghe or Kelly Pavlik in with the right heavyweight they would win