Not sure about the age factor here , but when I was twelve or so in the early 60 's , a lot of people disliked Clay's brashness in the early days , I'd say a majority . It took a few years before who he was became clear and to be beloved by almost all people . " A majority of One " is how I eventually seen him and he actually had a berring on my life of trusting my instincts which I will be eternally greatfull.
Well Dai, its all opinion I suppose but one well documented opinion is that Marciano was a paper champion, bought and paid for by the mafia who controlled his fights and his opponents for gambling purposes. That's not an opinion really, its a well documented fact. Many of the raging bullshits fights and most of his wins have been attributed to Mafia and gambling cartel interference.Maybe you got Marciano mixed up with DeNero?? This is the 'Best of Marciano' , count the fat boys and has beens. One of Marcianos big 'Title Fights' was against an actor ffs. I reckon our own Joe Calzaghi would have done him in a fair fight, Sugar Ray Leonard would have cut him to shreds and Hernes and Hagler would have knocked him into space and they weren't even heavyweights. Of the heavyweights there's thirty or more that would knock him out, Joe Frazer would have beaten him up for fun, George forman would have hit him into next week, Ken Norton too and Ali beat them all in spectacular fights that will be shown over and over into the next century. They were boxers, Marciano was an act. The greatest first round of boxing I've ever seen, 9 minutes of intense boxing Marciano wouldn't have got near the Greatest of all Time
Maybe right roof, I watched him after his ban was lifted, I was too young to remember him boxing before that, so I missed his first incarnation.
Excellent summery of one of the greatest fighters , who knows who would have done what to whom ,you can only fight whats in front of you and when you consider that the reputation of the heavy weight division virtually died when Ali finished then it gives a reflection of what the man was about .He fought his bums as do all fighters but did so with style and panache .
I guess this site if about opinions , as bad as they are sometimes . Mine is no matter who else , and in their prime , none would last more than a round or two rounds with Mohammed Ali when he was in his prime before the Vietnam fiasco
Not at all. just different fighters.....in the old days they would box 15 rounds......Ali was a great fighter and was born at the right time when the rules were improved....He would never have got away with his play acting and dancing around the ring which were smaller in those days as the older boxers likk Joe louis, rocky and tommy farr would have knocked him out in very quick time. but in his time he was good as anyone.....he was very lucky the bell saved him against cooper though as a minute longer and cooper would have finished him off.....
The weekends events and discussions have reminded me of the fantastic history Wales has in the sport of boxing. Been reminiscing of two fantastic boxers sadly no longer with us and taken far too early, the Matchstick Johhny Owen and Cefneithin's finest Bobby Dickie. Also the great Colin Jones and more recently of course Joe and now Nathan. But not to try an de-rail the OP, Ali transcended all sport didn't he, a complete one-off!
It took the U.S. Government to bring Ali down a notch by kicking him out of boxing for 3 years , when in fact the U..S government was the one who should have been kicked out of somewhere . Besides being the " Greatest " fighter ever IMHO , he was one of the greatest " Good Guys " to walk this earth , and I'm a Catholic talking about a Muslim . The death of this man hurt me more than anyone I've lost outside of my family. These shoes can never be filled. I followed this guy from the early sixties from a boxer to a non political world leader . It doesn't surprise me that the Iranians let that media guy go they were holding soon after a gentle nudge fron Ali . God Bless Him and his.........
In 10 years + time Floyd Mayweather will be viewed as one of the best of all time, perhaps even the best.
Why? Floyd Mayweather has been the undisputed/linear champion in multiple weight divisions. His record in all divisions is superior to every fighter before him. Nobody has a record that comes close.
90s? The heavyweight division yes, but not the rest. RJJ, Calzaghe, Watson, Benn, Eubank, Toney, Hopkins, Floyd, Hatton, Pacman, SSW, Gatti, Barrera, Del la Hoya, Mosley, JJM. The list goes on.
I'm sure you and a lot others can come up with a bunch of names , doesn't change the fact that boxing went south since the early 90 's . Most people who followed boxing before then , would recognize very few names after .
People have been saying boxing is dying since the 1920's. MMA is a bit 2010, UFC has huge problems. I believe boxing is the most followed sport on the internet.
