Was Muhammad Ali really the best

[Master]

[quote=Lyle;516045]

Its all good, thats your opinion, stop going on about it, no ones trying to change your opinion so stop trying to make it look like that. I think your just looking for an argument which is quite sad truth be told.

In my opinion i wouldnt have Marciano in the top 20 never mind top 3 imoa but there you go its my opinion.

Personally i thin ali's win againts forman outdoes anything that marciano did in his whole career combined imoa

Posters wouldn't make a huge deal about my rankings if they didn't want them changed.


Your ratings and your opinions are fine.....you just have a very poor arguement.

Lyle no one is trying to change your opinion but the reason why you perceive that everyone is trying to change your opinion is that your argument is open to criticism and you fail to recognise it. From someone who is a very good poster, you seem blinkered that your reasoning stands up to scrutiny but unfortunately it does not.

Ali was the best heavyweight ever and you do have to be a sheep to admit that. His record speaks for itself, he had an unbelievable chin, excellent jab, heart of a lion, beat 3 great heavyweight champions, and he inspired more people around the world and transcended boxing like no other fighter has ever done.

[leftylee]

He himself said so, didn't he? and I ain't in any mood to argue with him.

Have some rep, I needed a chuckle after a long hot day.

The weather in Liverpool is awesome ATM, 23 degrees. Reminds me of Lanzarote

[El Kabong]

Lyle no one is trying to change your opinion but the reason why you perceive that everyone is trying to change your opinion is that your argument is open to criticism and you fail to recognise it. From someone who is a very good poster, you seem blinkered that your reasoning stands up to scrutiny but unfortunately it does not.

Ali was the best heavyweight ever and you do have to be a sheep to admit that. His record speaks for itself, he had an unbelievable chin, excellent jab, heart of a lion, beat 3 great heavyweight champions, and he inspired more people around the world and transcended boxing like no other fighter has ever done.

#1 Joe Louis - Max Baer, Jim Braddock, Max Schmelling, and Joe Walcott
Rocky Marciano - Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott, and Joe Louis

#2 Joe and Rocky both had: Unbelieveable chins, hearts of lions, and inspired people.

#3 Joe Louis did more for this country than Ali could EVER do and that's not said because I don't agree with Ali's politics, it's said because Joe Louis really did do so much for this country and for his people.

I think what everyone needs to realize is I am not taking Ali's achievements down a peg it's I think Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano's accomplishments are THAT good....it doesn't diminish what Ali did. I never said Ali wasn't great, I never said anything bad about him but I get lectured to like I have just taken a big steaming crap on his legacy and that's not the case at all.

[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.

[Beanflicker]

Rocky Marciano - Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott, and Joe Louis

Yeah and how old/far into their careers were those guys when Marciano beat them?

[El Kabong]

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

[El Kabong]

Rocky Marciano - Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott, and Joe Louis

Yeah and how old/far into their careers were those guys when Marciano beat them?

Rocky fought anyone and everyone, it's not his fault they were old, they were still good and Rocky wasn't picked to beat them either.

[Youngblood]

Rocky Marciano - Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott, and Joe Louis

Yeah and how old/far into their careers were those guys when Marciano beat them?

Well into their primes, as I read yesterday.

When Marciano knocked out Louis, he was reflective of the fighter he just beat. Remembered idolizing Louis as a kid, Louis once tossing him a dollar as he stood on the sidelines watching his hero pass by. After the fight, Marciano was said to have went to Louis, hugged him, said he was sorry, and then left in tears.

[Master]

Rocky was not picked to beat an old Joe Loius

[El Kabong]

He wasn't picked to beat Rex Layne

[Trainer Monkey]

Oh cmon Lyle,its obviously the politics with you,Ali was a force of nature in his prime

[pacfan]

He himself said so, didn't he? and I ain't in any mood to argue with him.

Have some rep, I needed a chuckle after a long hot day.

The weather in Liverpool is awesome ATM, 23 degrees. Reminds me of Lanzarote

You guys call 23 degrees or so hot It's something like 35 degrees here.

[SweetPea]

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

I'm sorry that's ridiculous to rank Marciano over Ali. He had I think 7 title defenses and none of them were anything stellar. That's absurd Lyle and I love Rocky Marciano. Ali more or less dominated the best era in heavyweight history I would have him as my top heavyweight but have no problems with Louis being regarded as the greatest.

Agree 100% amat. Ali would have run circles around Marciano. Marciano was a great champ but people get mesmerized by the fact he had 0 losses, and forget that his era wasn't nearly as competitive as Ali's era.

To answer the thread question.... yes, Ali was really the best.

[El Kabong]

Oh cmon Lyle,its obviously the politics with you,Ali was a force of nature in his prime

No it's not the politics.....and I never said he wasn't a "force of nature"


As per Ali running circles around Louis and Rocky....who cares, it's not a who can beat who match up it's who's the greatest and I figured out my top fighters by what they did for their whole career and how successful they were and maybe you disagree about the greatness of Louis and Rocky but you cannot knock their success in the ring.


I AM NOT QUESTIONING ALI'S GREATNESS

You're not going to change my opinion on this matter and yes I am justified in having my top 3 the way it is.

[The Fightfan]

Call me crazy but I think a prime Larry Holmes would beat every fighter mentioned so far.