Muhammad Ali was not the greatest. Is that insulting to Ali?
Muhammad Ali was not the greatest. Now, I’m sure you came to raise hell about somebody having the audacity to say something like that about Ali. I will attempt to explain my reasoning.
If you have a nice comfortable pair of slippers. These worn out, beat up, ragged slippers sitting at the foot of your bed become…well,….. lets just say..umm, familiar.
When someone tells you, HEY! Its time for a new pair of slippers, your reluctant to change them. I’m not changing them for a cheaper pair. You will not change them for a nicer pair.
You will not change because they are familiar, your comfortable. This is how advertising agencies develop Brand loyalty.
They drill you over and over with images and jingles until your FAMILIAR! Even when logic says one thing, familiar comfortability wins out.
You say something to someone or yourself enough times, and they, YOU start to believe it. OK so, are we gonna leave emotion at the door now?
Why Muhammad Ali was Not the Greatest Body Puncher. Was he just a Headhunter
For all Ali’s natural physical gifts, and there are plenty. You can still say Muhammed Ali was not the greatest. He had some loopholes like any other fighter. Ali was not a particularly great body-puncher.
As a matter a fact I think it is safe to say he wasn’t a body puncher at all. When you think of great body-punchers like Mike (The Bodysnatcher) McCallum, (Irish) Micky Ward, Julio Cesar Chavez, Alexis Arguello, and Muhammad Ali’s greatest nemesis, (Smoking) Joe Frazier, Ali just doesn’t rank. He was primarily a headhunter.
The man who has no imagination, has no wings
Muhammad Ali
Did Muhammad Ali have the best jab punch?
When you talk about specific punches like the universally accepted most important punch in boxing, the jab. It is common knowledge Ali’s jab was without a doubt laser sharp.
His jab could close eyes, set up combinations, and basically win fights by itself. But with that said, is there anyone that truly knows boxing that will say Ali’s jab was stronger and more powerful than Sonny Liston’s jab?
There are some that argue that Ali’s ex-sparring partner Larry Holmes actually had a more deadly accurate jab. Fighters throw the jab punch different. Some fighters have powerful jabs. Others have lightning fast jabs. Many boxers through their jab from different angles. Punchingbagskunk resident boxing expert and retired professional fighter Greg Townes shows you how in the informative article, “TEACHING THE JAB PUNCH, BOXING EXPERT”
It’s not bragging if you can back it up.
Muhammad Ali
Ali’s right hand cross was dangerous. And when he decided to use it as a lead, it was virtually unstoppable. He put Cleveland (Big Cat) Williams down with it as well as (Big) George Foreman and many others. But a solid argument can be made that Thomas (The Hitman) Hearns right hand was more explosive.
We can go to uppercuts, left hooks and do the same analysis and come up with one or two or more fighters that had a more effective punch than Muhammad Ali.
Did Ali have the best footwork? Float like a butterfly Footwork
There are very few who can argue that Muhammad Ali didn’t have the greatest footwork in the history of boxing. After all, a heavyweight who can move like that was never seen prior to Ali.
And to this day there is absolutely nobody who can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Drew (Bundini) Brown nailed that one solid.
Now if You want to say guys like Pernell (Sweetpea) Whitaker or even (Sugar) Ray Leonard had better footwork, you will lose when you take into account Muhammad Ali could put them both in his pocket and dance around the ring. Ali, hands down winner.
It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as i am
Muhammad Ali
Was Ali’s Confidence his best fighting asset?
An old boxing sage once said, ( I think it was Cus D’Amato who said it), if you got two fighters evenly matched in every category.
The only thing that separates them from each other to determine who wins their fight is heart.
Who wants it more. I believe what made Muhammad Ali the greatest fighter to ever live had nothing to do with his skill or even physical gifts. What made him the greatest is his belief.
When he said I’m the greatest, he believed it. It was not lip service.
Look up some of Ali’s famous quotes and you will see. Example: (I AM THE GREATEST, I SAID THAT EVEN BEFORE I KNEW I WAS. Example: I HATED EVERY MINUTE OF TRAINING, BUT I SAID, DON’T QUIT. SUFFER NOW AND LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AS A CHAMPION).
DID MUHAMMAD ALI BELIEVE HE WAS THE GREATEST?
You see, he believed in himself. Anybody can say something, but do you BELIEVE it?
That faith of knowing he was put here on this earth to be great is the nucleus of the energy source that even in its embryonic stages, was enough to convince a young Ali that he was special. Convincing him that there was nobody like him.
If you have no natural talent and you work hard, you can become good, maybe even a champion. If you have natural talent and don’t work hard the worst you can BE is good.
But if you have Natural talent and work your butt off you ascend to that special room of greatness.
You need natural talent to be great, but it’s not a lock, because it can be squandered by lackadaisical work ethics.
Ali was GREAT because he was meant to be GREAT. Surviving a self imposed 3 year lay-off, from a sport that eats individuals that have the audacity to take even one year off tells you the level of confidence that was in this man called MUHAMMAD ALI.
WHO IS MUHAMMAD ALI?
Muhammad Ali [3] born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.;[4] January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer, poet and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century, and is frequently ranked as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.[5][6][7] In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.
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Ali , openly said Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest . To this minute his record and skill is unparalleled . Greatest package in one man ever.
I agree with you 100% People don’t even know that Robinson was one Ali’s first idols. He wanted to dance around the ring like Sugar Ray. Robinson could bang with both hands, knockout power. Your right champ. Stay in touch, its nice to chat with someone who is not an idiot. lol
I totally agree with you my friend. Ali always said Robinson was the greatest. Early days he patterned his style after Robinson a little. You definitely know your boxing. Thank you very much for leaving comment.
Stay in touch.
THE GREATEST THERE EVER WAS.
The comparisons you make regarding body shots are (Frasier aside) are all lighter weights. As for the jab, it’s possible Holmes had a better one but if so, it was marginal and Holmes may have had the best jab in the history of HW boxing. Taking specific aspects of the game and sticking up fighters who were better at some reveals your ignorance of the sport. This whole thing’s clickbait and, truth be told, I’ve fallen for it. Robinson is credited as Pound-for-Pound the best there’s ever been but HWs aren’t generally included in pound-for-pound lists. Ali’s ring achievements, while unparalleled, are only part of what made him ‘The Greatest’ and denying him that is as futile as… well, this article.
I appreciate your wisdom. Of course I don’t agree AT ALL. I can dive in and shred your logic because I see blaring hypocritical inconsistencies. Some of the theories sound mysteriously like some casual boxing fans who are good at articulating scenarios they never did, or would never have the…….umm how can I say this in a kind way, courage to do in real life. It’s funny to me when people challenge my boxing wisdom. I’m a retired professional with over 100 amateur fights, double digit pro fights, and countless street fights as well as sparring sessions. Experience equals WISDOM, knowledge is just knowledge. I get it, knowing something is cool. Anyone can Google something. Let me put it another way. If you have to drive in a car at speeds of 200mph. Would you like the driver to be a guy who drove in the Daytona 500, or some jackass that just read or googled how to drive 200mph?
If this sounds like I’m questioning your ability to determine what greatness really is in a fighter, your right, I am.
Who are you to talk all that foolishness to me. You don’t know me.
You sound to me like some snobby Ivy League,, part time boxing fan. Don’t feel the need to tell me your boxing resume if you decide to reply. I’ve heard all I need to know already. In closing, I didn’t deny Ali ANYTHING. If you knew me you would know that I rank Ali as the #1 Greatest fighter period.
Peace out homeboy
Ali is in a class all by himself and he was and is the greatest boxer of all time. You can try to pick apart Ali’s style, lack of this and that, but no one fought the top quality opponents Ali did and he beat them all.
Let me say that again… he beat them all until he was too old and sick to fight. Ali took on all comers… style be damned… good for him/bad for him… he showed the heart of a champion. “Pre-exile” Ali was the fastest heavyweight that ever lived and was poetry in motion. No one in the history of the sport could have beaten him.
“Post-exile” Ali was a lesson in ring IQ and generalship that will benefit fighters for the next 1,000 years. I don’t just say it… hell, I’m nobody… but EVERY REPUTABLE BOXING HISTORIAN AND FIGHTER THAT FACED HIM IN THE RING said it. Nothing you say is going to change history, my friend. Ali is the greatest of all time and if you think any different you better wake up and apologize.