Ali easily gets into the top 10 all time pound for pound lists by pretty much every boxing journalist ever. Easy to say his skill was exaggerated but when the experts disagree you're going to struggle with creedence.
A completely subjective question so no answer is right or wrong. You can name the top however many and then after that it's just personal taste. For me he's the greatest boxer because of what he did in and out of the ring for boxing and because he changed the world outside the ring. It's why I'd say Lennon or Bowie are the greatest musicians of all time. Because they were bigger than music itself.
Cant argue there mate. Its all subjective. I have little regards for his outer ring stuff. But fully acknowledge he was a great boxer.
I think he was right to turn down the trip to Vietnam. I think he was right to speak out against how the US treated blacks at the time. Did a lot of good in my eyes. He was abrasive as **** but I think the world needed it.
He may have not been the greatest, as he claimed. But he transcended a worldwide sport. And of that time, during a global revolution in media, not many did or could. He was head and shoulders above all. When he spoke, people listened. He made mistakes. His insult to Joe Frazier was dreadful, and Ali knew he'd overstepped the mark. Yet Joe forgave him, and they became closer later in life. The badge of respect can only be given by own's contemporaries, no one else. And he was given them, in multitude.
There are a lot of guys with opinions as to who was better than Ali, but none of them have answered post #17. Some have resorted to the lower weights (Hagler, etc.) but none have answered the question for the heavyweight division, 1900-2000.
The sad thing is that they banned him for almost 4 years when he was in his prime...To come back after that and win it all over again just proves what a legend he was..
Says something when Bill Clinton is delivering a eulogy at Ali's funeral on Friday. He is the ex-governor of Arkansas which was one of the historically segregated states in America. Clinton had the benefit of being white so his quality education was guaranteed whereas negroes were barred from higher or college integration.
Not by me. Nor would he ever be. Nice speech blunham. I will accelt CLAY as a boxing great name and a great tv character. Nothing more.
Well have a think about that before you even consider taking the piss. If ir has flown over your head, you are not worth this conversation. Go watch a black and white CLAY fight.
No piss take and your comments were not lost as you are obviously choosing to see both men's failings or weakness over their achievements. Both are Southern Boys whose lives are comparable but defined by the skin colour. Clinton was brought by his grandparents who had a small shop that sold to any customer regardless of colour and he learned from that. Ali was born into a relatively good family and could have stuck to boxing to have a good life. Where they came together was in their opposition to the Vietnam war, but because of his academic achievements Clinton was not drafted whereas Ali may not have been as world champion, he felt that as a negro he would stick with his own. Hence he was stripped of his titles leaving him open to the draft which is why he made his stance and adopted Islam. Both men had their downfalls overall but they did more good than harm, and their achievements stand above their so called weaknesses. And since Ali is the subject of the thread he is worth remembering as more than a boxer bearing in mind the times he lived in.
From what have read. The draft. Clay didnt meet the IQ standard first of all. It was only when it was reduced that he got drafted. Anyone confirm this? Ps. People get slated and cast as potential terrorists these days for converting to Islam (rightly or wrongly). But because Clay could box, its ok for him.
