Is Muhammad Ali the #1 Heavyweight of all time?

[Build That Wall]

Not only is he #1 heavyweight.

He is #1 Best of all time period.

[MisterHardtop]

I’m a big fan of Joe - he’s the only heavyweight I’m a fan of to be honest - and I do prefer him as a fighter over Ali. He might be both the best all-round puncher in history as well as the most dominant champion.

Those are no mean feats.

But since this is about greatness, and resume plays the most important role - Ali should be #1.

I could have understood if you had chosen Louis if their resumes were neck and neck, but since Ali sits on the best resume in the division’s history, and it's better than Joe’s - not just a little, but with a fair margin - the preference-card is not an valid option anymore.

We can scream, dispute, and deny it as much as we possibly can and want - but it doesn't change the fact that the proof is right in front of us, and I simply don’t think it’s reasonable to hand over the crown to anyone else than Muhammad.

Sorry Joe?/div>

Very well written piece and as a kid, i was a massive Ali fan, probably the biggest in north London haha but as I've matured, I have come to appreciate Frazier a lot more, a man who put on far more exciting performances than Ali but he can never lay claim to the title of the greatest, neither can Foreman or Louis, nor Marciano or Lennox.

Ali had just about everything, an iron chin, the will to win, impeccable timing, speed and footwork along with reasonable pop. Add to that a resume that includes names from the heights of the 60s to the golden age of the 70s and there is no denying who is number one.

[AlisGoldDoco]

Ali was banned during the three best years of his professional career. You have to think if he was allowed those years, the momentum he was on would have allowed him to beat Frazier 3 - 0

[Stuntman Mike]

To tell you the truth,I'm the biggest Ali fan their is,but I'm starting to at least
consider Rocky Marciano as the greatest..Ali has admitted many times that
he didn't train as hard as he should have for many of his big fights,including
Frazier/Ali 1...this is a big turnoff to me..The greatest are serious all the time,
every time like Marciano was and Floyd Mayweather for example.When a boxer
doesn't have any other job in his life,I expect him to train 100% every time,
and if he doesn't it should be used against him.

riiiiiight lol I'm sure Marciano trained his brains out against Gino Buonvino


Training has nothing to do with who is ranked the greater fighter... resume,talent and H2H play major factors.. not how they trained lol

[toooooool]

No marciano is

The truth is that the undefeated fighters are the best..and Marciano is one
of them..Ali lost the biggest fight of his career against Frazier and he lost to
Spinks who only had 7 pro fights!...Marciano beat EVERYONE...no excuses at
all!!..He is the greatest.

[BattlingNelson]

The truth is that the undefeated fighters are the best..and Marciano is one
of them..Ali lost the biggest fight of his career against Frazier and he lost to
Spinks who only had 7 pro fights!...Marciano beat EVERYONE...no excuses at
all!!..He is the greatest.

Quit the trolling in this section.

[- Ram Raid -]

No. . .and undoubtedly, undeniably . . .yes.

As a corporeal craft boxing has an established repertoire of practices, accepted movements and standardised techniques that make up its core and are transmitted in a gestural, visual, and mimetic manner. Judged by a criteria that has that as its backdrop, Ali cannot be the number one heavyweight (that accolade, all things being considered, would go to Joe Louis). If you were schooling a child in the manly art of self defence you would never have him mimic Ali. He would get hurt. Ali only ever really had one foot planted in the actual craft of boxing, the rest of what he did was pure improvisation.

If we put that aside for a moment and gaze upon boxing as an art and use that as a backdrop to judge Ali's place, then we come to an altogether different conclusion. Ali was one of those rare beings that are so special that they refuse to be bound by all the pre-existing conventions and practices that govern form and technique. Louis practised those to the point of mastery and through them he accomplished. Ali acted as if they would be a hindrance to his self expression.

The fluidity of his form, his impeccable rhythm and timing, the grace of his speed and intelligence in the ring combined to make a heavyweight the likes of which had never been seen before, and now we're in the era of the super-heavyweights, I dare say will never be seen again.

He is unique and the ***el in heavyweight boxing's crown. In the craft of boxing, he may be bettered, but in the art of boxing, he is second to none.

[Dynamite76]

Yes, he is.Great fighter, fought all the competition there was around the time he was in(with the exception of Eddie Machen), and fought all over the world.Truly the man, and the whole crap he had to deal with during that 3 1/2 year period makes it even more amazing.

[Elroy1]

Achievement wise I'd say he's about number 5 under Larry, Lenny and both Klits.

H2H He'd be lucky to make a top 20 for me.

Too small to make serious impact with that style in later eras. Not enough power. Not enough chin when fast, too easy to hit when bigger and more durable. Never really able to dominate, probably should have 10 losses with all the gifts.

[LacedUp]

Achievement wise I'd say he's about number 5 under Larry, Lenny and both Klits.

H2H He'd be lucky to make a top 20 for me.

Too small to make serious impact with that style in later eras. Not enough power. Not enough chin when fast, too easy to hit when bigger and more durable. Never really able to dominate, probably should have 10 losses with all the gifts.

Interesting.

Im wondering what Lennox, Holmes or the Klitschko brothers have achieved that put them ahead of Ali?

Care to elaborate?