Poll
65%
35%
Well, its actually quite difficult and rather inaccurate to compare him to other boxers from different generations. It's like trying to compare Shaq to Chamberlain. Sure, Shaq is huge, but how can you argue with Wilt's 50 pts/game and 30 boards.
Also, it's tough to compare boxers from different weight classes. B/c pound for pound Ali might not be the best boxer, but he could obviously beat any other boxer that stepped in the ring with him.
What you can say quite safely however, is that Ali was the greatest boxer of his generation and weight class.
Originally posted by Joker1237
Nope not Ail.Suger Ray Robinson
FOLLOW by Joe Gans
Than Benny Lenard
Harry Greb
than Barney Ross
Henry Armstrong
Willie Pep
Sandy Saddler
Peter Jackson
Jack Johnson
MAn there are sure a lot of fighters that are ranked over Ail pound for pound.
Benny had done things on Film that Ali could never do, Ali had NO answer for a simple Jab, That was one of his biggest weakness.
I have film of Gans, vs Herman, and Nelson, and man I was amazing at his skill, They far surpast Ali's Gans slug it out with Nelson when he could not out box him(Ali Fraizer??)
Gans even has the power unlike Ali, to keep Nelson off of him. And he drop Nelson about 7 or so times in that 43 round fight.
Ali COULD not go 45 rounds. He would be gas out after 15 rounds.
Ali may have more skills than Greb, MAYBE, But Greb was iron though, and he could thown non stop punchs, He be all over you from round 1 to 15 or 25 or what ever the end of the round was.
Only man to beat Tunney, and he is the Greatness pound for pound fighter EVER. Ali manage like 50 fights, and Greb has 264 wins, 23 losses with 12 draws,
And he was in a WAR with Walker, I dont see Ali measuering up to Greb pound for pound.
It takes heart mostly to win in boxing, and less on Skill. Evey Wallcott was a more COMPLETE fighter than Ali, Ali did lack a defense, he could not bob and weave like Benny did, Ali would have to run away and not get hit.
Jack Johnson could stay in the center of the ring, and NOT get hit.
The mob had no controll of Rocky's fights, They wanted Marciano to have a clean image, so they played no part in the out come of Marciano's fights.
And other thing, Marciano did not needed protection because well, Marciano ko a lot of people, and more often than not, they were OUT.
When Marciano ko Rex Layne in 6 rounds, Marciano shatter Layne's teeth. He broke bones in the arms of Roland Lastsa, He smash Lee Sovol's jaw and face, and turn Ezzard Charles's face to pudding. Oh yeah and he ALMOST killed a guy in the ring, after the guy got out of a coma, He was so damage, he could never fight again. The mob did not need to protect Marciano, Marciano could fight.
Also early in the Rock's runing start, He was thown in to the lions, When Rocky was 3-0. He face a guy that was 26-0 and the Rock ko him in 1 round.
Marciano had no mob protection, but he did have Wile who guildied him into a title shot with Walcott, who was a mob fighter.
Well to separate the lines I believe it's important to distinguish between the 'greatest' and the 'best'.Just because you are considered the greatest doesn't make you pound for pound the best or the most technique.Many people will argue Eric Clapton or Jimmy Hendrix are the greatest guitar players to ever live but that certainly doesn't make them the best.Any day of the week a guy like Joe Satriani or Yngwie Malmsteen would tear apart either one of those guys note for note.But that does not make the the greatest or the most popular.
What makes an athelete considered the greatest in his sport doesn't nessacerily depend on how much better he was then the other champions to hold the title before him.What makes them the greatest is what he did while he was the champion.What did he stand for?How much noise did he make under his reign?While I think there are probably plenty of boxers who probably could have taken Ali,I think their are few to none that have been remembered the way he is.