Just watched Muhammad Ali vs Oscar Bonavena,Ali was close to losing!

[El Kabong]

Which means for normal posters he should be number 1.

...you have no regard for my rating system

[Jody Lane]

Which means for normal posters he should be number 1.

...you have no regard for my rating system

Lyle, you have a top ten list somewhere?

[Jody Lane]

Actually I have Ali and Joe Louis tied for #1. For those who wonder why Louis when he had problems with 169 pound Conn, well they didn't breed these steroid wooly mammoths over in Europe like Valuev back in the 1930s. Conn moving up to heavyweight would be like say uh, Haye moving up to heavyweight from cruiserweight now.

[El Kabong]

Well I have a top 3 which are ALMOST inseperable and then there is everyone else.

1. Joe Louis - 25 successful title defenses, HOLDS A RECORD
2. Rocky Marciano - never defeated, HOLDS A RECORD
3. Muhammad Ali - the top of one of the greatest heavyweight eras, WAS LUCKY TO FIGHT IN A CERTAIN ERA

[Master]

Well I have a top 3 which are ALMOST inseperable and then there is everyone else.

1. Joe Louis - 25 successful title defenses, HOLDS A RECORD
2. Rocky Marciano - never defeated, HOLDS A RECORD
3. Muhammad Ali - the top of one of the greatest heavyweight eras, WAS LUCKY TO FIGHT IN A CERTAIN ERA

That era being one with potentially the best heavyweights in history.

[johnmaff36]

Well I have a top 3 which are ALMOST inseperable and then there is everyone else.

1. Joe Louis - 25 successful title defenses, HOLDS A RECORD
2. Rocky Marciano - never defeated, HOLDS A RECORD
3. Muhammad Ali - the top of one of the greatest heavyweight eras, WAS LUCKY TO FIGHT IN A CERTAIN ERA

Could you elaborate on that last part about Ali?

[El Kabong]

Well fighters can PERSONALLY affect a lot of things but they cannot pick and choose which era they are in...Ali got a deep era and ended up at the top of it and on account of that his record is very flashy, loads of big names on there, hall of famers. Who is to say someone like Larry Holmes couldn't have done that, if he was given that level of competition?

Also Ali had big personality....meanwhile Joe Louis was VERY restricted in what he could and could not do, otherwise he might have had a bit more charismatic. Ali earned "cultural icon" status for his brashness and his political views...and I think calling him the greatest based on his success in the ring paired with how adored he is, is doing a great disservice to the likes of Louis, Marciano, and a load of others

[OumaFan]

I just really can't see the argument for Louis being number 1.

[Master]

Well fighters can PERSONALLY affect a lot of things but they cannot pick and choose which era they are in...Ali got a deep era and ended up at the top of it and on account of that his record is very flashy, loads of big names on there, hall of famers. Who is to say someone like Larry Holmes couldn't have done that, if he was given that level of competition?

Also Ali had big personality....meanwhile Joe Louis was VERY restricted in what he could and could not do, otherwise he might have had a bit more charismatic. Ali earned "cultural icon" status for his brashness and his political views...and I think calling him the greatest based on his success in the ring paired with how adored he is, is doing a great disservice to the likes of Louis, Marciano, and a load of others

No you are doing a dis-service to the feats of Ali in the ring and we are not dis-respecting Louis and others by stating what Ali did in coming out top in the 60's and 70's.