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Ranking Ali (the timeless debate)

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When Muhammad Ali hit 60, a biopic of his life was released starring Will Smith.

Now that he's turned 65, it's Rocky's turn to hitch a ride on the Ali anniversary train with Sylvester Stallone - who is 60 himself - dusting off his gloves for a final hurrah in Rocky VI.

The Rocky plot is simple: computer simulates a bout between retired legend Rocky Balboa and the current champ; computer predicts Rocky would win; current champ is unhappy and issues a challenge; an unlikely match-up is born...

In real life, the "who would win" debate is rarely resolved in any satisfactory way. But it occupies boxing fanatics for hours.

And Ali (not Balboa) is always in the thick of it.

The "Louisville Lip" pulled off two of the biggest shocks in the history of the sport, first taunting and beating up Sonny Liston, a boxer as feared in his day as a prime Mike Tyson.

Then, after losing part one of an incredible trilogy with Joe Frazier, Ali headed off to Zaire to drop the "undroppable" George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle".

The resolve he showed that day under a barrage of pulverising punches was as formidable as I've seen from any boxer at any weight and in any ring.

And Ali followed up by avenging his loss to the great Frazier twice.

So where does Ali stand in the timeless "who would win" debate?

As a heavyweight, he would probably be severely tested by Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Larry Holmes and Jack Johnson (as he was in real life by Frazier, Foreman and Ken Norton).

But his ultimate rival would be Joe Louis.

My best guess is that their computer-simulated dust-up would be brutal with Ali having to drag himself up off the canvas in round three, before using his speed, guile and heart to win by 13th-round KO (just like Rocky).

But don't take my word for it. Ali said: "I'm the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots".

Pound-for-pound, things would be a bit different.

After slipping past Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Willie Pep and Henry Armstrong, Ali would finally face the one man he couldn't beat - the man he himself called "the greatest".

That man, welter/middleweight legend Sugar Ray Robinson, was simply too good in all departments and has to be considered the number one in pure boxing terms.

But I place a caveat on that. Taking into account influence and "x-factor", Ali is without equal in boxing or in any sport.

So, yes, I kind of end up on the fence.

But that's my honest view on Ali, Sugar Ray and Rocky Balboa. Share yours by ranking the post-war greats or by joining this debate.

Before laying into my opinions though, just remember... it's all in the eye of the beholder. Or should I say tiger...

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comment by JobyJak (U5992775)

posted Jan 19, 2007

Don't make excuses for him. Whatever the reason they formed part of his career. No other heavyweight legend had such pathetic defeats during their prime career.

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comment by Ta5 (U5739538)

posted Jan 19, 2007

Don't make excuses for him. Whatever the reason they formed part of his career. No other heavyweight legend had such pathetic defeats during their prime career.

*********

smiley

Buster Dogulas ring any bells?


also i dont think a fighter has ever aveneged a deafet so empathatically as Lewis did with McCall winkeye

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comment by JobyJak (U5992775)

posted Jan 19, 2007

Lewis should of dealt with Mccall like that the first time they met not after Mccall had tarnished his career.

You bring up 1 example of Buster Douglas which was Tyson's 1st defeat. I don't even rank Tyson in my Top 5 heavyweights of all time, Mohammed Ali, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey. I even rank Gene Tunney, Goerge Foreman, Joe Frazier, Max Schmelling and Sonny Liston above Tyson and Lewis. So your single argument of Buster Douglas is pathetic smiley

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comment by Ta5 (U5739538)

posted Jan 19, 2007

No other heavyweight legend had such pathetic defeats during their prime career


***

thats what you said, thats why i brought up Buster Dogulas.

you seem to like the word pathetic...

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comment by JobyJak (U5992775)

posted Jan 19, 2007

You probably rank Lewis 1st, Tyson 2nd and Bruno 3rd!

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comment by adamrobertk (U3555573)

posted Jan 19, 2007

Louis 1st, Ali 2nd, Marciano 3rd, Johnson 4th, Dempsey 5th.

Lewis is a hippocrite.

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comment by lordatomic (U3093324)

posted Jan 23, 2007

Ali not the greatest but in top ten

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comment by adamrobertk (U3555573)

posted Jan 24, 2007

This IMO all comes down to which Ali.

the 60's Ali is the most naturally gifted boxer in the history of the sport. He had everything

70's Ali lost that bit of magic.

60's Ali is number 1 easy.
70's is Number 5 easy (i would put Marciano, Johnson and dempsey ahead)

so i'll settle with number 2 or 3.

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comment by kakap06 (U7457889)

posted Feb 11, 2007

joby jak gd 1 bruno was pants

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comment by shelbyuk (U8145712)

posted Apr 1, 2008

First off, any man who repeatedly steps into any arena to meet his own fears is a great, but I do think Ali is the greatest boxer of all time because of his ability and accomplishments in so many aspects of the fight game. Perhaps he wasn't the hardest hitter, the fastest, the most agile, the strongest, the most dedicated, the most eloquent, the most entertaining, the most courageous, but surely there has never been anyone who ranks as high in every one of those areas as Ali. The overall is what makes him the man he is and certainly the most famous Boxer of all time. Long may he continue.

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