Ali is the GREATEST. I just couldn't imagine boxing being so great as a career without Ali. Ali gave boxing a style that no one else did. Now 30 years later i still hear people talking about him whenever there is descussion about boxing and there is Ali. I know there were so many other great boxers but NO ONE LIKE HIM. Ali had a speed as a boxer that no one had. I agree with coments; to be a heavyweight and have an amazing speed like Ali did was just incredible. GIVING HIM 5 STARS STILL NOT ENOUGH. HE IS NOT JUST GREAT HE WAS SUPERB. Thank you

he fought against some of the best heavyweights of his generation. he had his prime taken away from him. he came back after some of his speed was taken away from him and still fought in and won in some of the best hw fights of all time. frazier, foreman. had he not fought past his prime, frazier wouldnt have beaten him.spinks, holmes, berbick. those were all past his prime. if he fought in his prime, no one would have beaten him. NO ONE. the only loss that he would have had was norton, and that was even past his prime. lets assume that he would have made three defenses of his title a year, that 10- 12 fights that he would have won. if he retired at the right time, his record could have been 66-1, 66-0. he wasnt just known for his unbelievable boxing skills, he also made an impact on regular people that didnt follow boxing. he is one of the best sportsmen of alltime. he sacrificed the best years of his boxing life, for doing what he felt was right. no one in boxing has done that. on is boxing accomplishments alone he should be the greatest, but he transcended boxing and made an impact, a big impact outside the ring, thats what makes him the greatest. the pound for pound best.

I have been watching classic fights on ESPN and I would have to say that ALI would beaten Marcian and given Joe Louis problem; Joe never fought anyone who could move like that. Incredible he did all he did after a 3 and a half year lay off. No one thought he would beat Foreman--truly incredible. He totally beat up Liston in the first fight--go back and watch the film you either too young or blind myopic yahoos1

Undoubtly the Greastest Boxer of All Time, he finish his last fight standing, never been counted out, uncomparable heart, chin & stamina, if he werent suspended during his prime he could have made 30 defenses, he's so quick, u cant see heavywieght move like a welterwieght more often.

WAY OVERRATED. JACK DEMPSEY AND JOE LOUIS ALONE WERE BETTER FIGHTERS.

He was good, but I can't help thinking that if he and Joe Louis had been the same age and fought each other, Ali probably would never have become all that well-known.

WAY OVERRATED WHAT IS ALL THIS CRAP ABOUT HIM AND ROBINSON. '''HELL TYSON, MARCIANO, JOE LOUIS WOULDVE POUNDED HIS BUTT INTO SUBMISSION. LOL.

yes he was great, sugar ray robinson is considered by almost everyone to be the greastest ever but Ali was either the best or 2nd best heavyweight depending on who you ask. too bad he fought a few too many fights, and he did do a lot of holding behind the head. but no one in the heavyweights moved like him. personally I would say joe louis is the best heavyweight only by his record of 12 years holding the belt and something like 26 consecutaive defenses of the title.

Did more for the sport of boxing than anyone

Just a mouth that ran from big punchers until they were tired of chasing him. Smart? in out walking the punchers yes. Ali on the other hand, threw some of the weakest punches ever

Muhammad Ali, is my favorite fighter of all time. He revolutionized the sport with his speed, agility, and grace. He perhaps has the biggest resume of any other fighter in any division. So many greats, Cooper, Moore, Patterson, Liston, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Chuvalo, Shavers; all are if not already, potential Hall of Famers. He never ducked any opponents, and had his best years taken away from him. He had the best ring savy this side of the original Sugar Ray, and although maybe not the best technician; always had a game plan to beat his opponents. Fought in some of the best fights ever, during a timultuous time in America he became an icon and transcended his sport. He is not the best of all time, that label goes to the master of the sweet science Sugar Ray Robinson, but he's pretty damn close to being the best. However, he is the greatest heavyweight of all time, and also was and is a champion of the people.

I do not see why this guy is considered in the same class with Michael Jordan as the best athlete of all time. He left the sport a total mess and now he can hardly talk and walk... what in the hell does that tell ya??? I gave him 1 star, YES 1 star. Because that is all this idiot deserves. He should have retired at the right time. There are plenty of retired greats out there right now that can talk and walk normally because they knew when to quit... this moron kept going, therefore he payed the consequences. Case Closed.

UPDATE: To Harry Greb, you may or may not like the fact that Muhummed Ali would be rated higher than Robinson, but to rate an item merely to manipulate it's standing is not being honest, and goes against what RIA is all about. That is not rating that is manipulation. If you felt Ali truly deserved a 1 that would be differant, but by your own admission you say Ali should Rank 3 or 4, if that's true then he deserves a five. Be honest and RIA will work as it's supposed to. ORIGINAL COMMENT: Pat Riot, I have to agree with you. Ali really was the greatest. He did bring out the best in his opponents, especially Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, both gave him his toughest fights. He fought all the best fighters of his day. He fought a few from the bum of the month club too, but who hasn't? We may never really know just how great he was because of his exile. But as it stands, he's still the greatest. On a personal note, my family and I met Ali in 1991, just as his Parkinson's desease was starting to take affect, but hadn't yet become debilitating. He shook my hand and gave me a mock punch to the chin, while giving his famous scowl. I won't soon forget that. Also, it's good to have another boxing fan on RIA.

Don't all of you go crazy about the low ranking. I ranked him low to offset how overrated he is on this site. RAY ROBINSON is the greatest fighter ever and Ali has admitted this on tape in the 1970s. Anyone who disputes that fact should keep their comments to themselves and go rate ping pong player because they are ignorant of the sweet science. Ali should be #3 or #4 based on his ring career alone. As a sports figure on the world stage he is #1. Easily. Ali faced good, not great competition before he lost his license. The Liston fights are too shady to really count because Liston threw at least one of them and didn't train for the first bout. Ali never fought during his prime and while that is unfortunate, it should count against him. He lost against Frazier, couldn't handle Norton, and got several gifts (the Henry Cooper was won by trainer Angelo Dundee's cunning because had Dundee not been there to stall after Ali's knockdown, Ali would have been knocked the hell out). Ali was a great athlete in the ring --great timing and rythym, and of course, speed. He was also a great warrior, but he was not a technician and that hurts him. His infighting was nonexistent, he couldn't handle left hooks, he held far too much but refs let him slide (except for Mercante in Frazier-Ali I, which Ali LOST), and his defense was weak. Ali was a GREAT FIGHTER but The Greatest of the heavyweight champs? I honestly don't know. Joe Louis's 12 year reign of terror keeps making me wonder...

He's not the single greatest boxer of all time, but maybe the greatest heavyweight of all time. His greatness also comes from the fact that his personality and place in history (Civil Rights, Refusing the Draft, Ali Boombaya in Zaire, battle with Parkinson's) transcends his boxing prowess. It's a close race, but Ali is the most significant historical boxing figure, ahead of Jack Johnson, and Mike Tyson (for all the wrong reasons). Ali was not a flawless fighter by no means. I always thought that he kept his hands too low and he really didn't have a true knockout punch. But his combination of size, welterweight speed in a heavyweight body, and the ability to take a beating made him formidable. I just can't see him -- in his Cassius Clay prime -- losing to any other heavyweight. I do remember in 1970, he actually fought Rocky Marciano. A computer determined how the fight would have transpired and they acted out the fight, punch by punch. The computer determined Marciano would win by knockout. Ironically, just days after it was televised, Marciano died in a plane crash.

Unreal quickness and mobility in the ring.Unmatched stamina and determination.Contrary to what Weiszeil Bum says, he had a tremendous chin.I would have to say he is the best of all times.

Sultandadi you wanka. Ali is the most overrated fighter in history. 1. because of his height 2. beacause of his ape like reach 3. you like him. 4. he has a glass. jaw. 5 hes made outta playdoh. 6. Marciano, dempsey, tyson , simpson, foreman, frasier, norton , spinks, bowe, tunney, louis,hagler, leonard, duran, kosta tsui, bruce lee, dolph lundgren, steven seagal, jackie chan, ivan drago, hearns, aekibono, bob sapp were all better fighters than him.7. the Liston fights were rigged.

You have to give him a 5 yeah he lost some but who hasn't Micheal Jordan, Wayne Gretsky, Tiger Woods are arguable the greatest of their sports but they loose it happens, but not many people can change the way people view a sport the way Ali did. Unbelievably tallented and never held anything back. Took boxing where it is today no matter how hard Mike Tyson seems to tarnish it.

Not many boxers are models of humility and civility. If that's what you're seeking, you should pick another line of work. Ali, was the greatest heavyweight of his era, and arguably the greatest of all time. In his prime, the man was unbelievable, and he brought a credit to the heavyweight division that it took the likes of a Mike Tyson to discredit.

What made him the greatest heavyweight was his speed. He's very quick for his size and is a good boxer, too.

Ali was the greatest fighter ever, who else do you know could knock-out a George Foreman in his prime, win 2 out of 3 of his great fights with Smokin Joe Frazier, humiliate a much-feared boxer like Sonny Liston, outbox Floyd Patterson, decision Ken Norton with a broken jaw and beat one of the hardest hitters of all time - Earnie Shavers. He didn't win all his fights but thats because he fought in the most competitive era in boxing history and he carried on too long . Truly, he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Quite simply The Greatest

overrated . marciano is the greatest.

The Greatest! Brought out the best in all his opponents, cause they knew they had no other choice. Lost a couple fights during his prime (at least the prime he was able to salvage, after it was stolen from him ), BUT remember he fought during the GOLDEN age of the heavyweight division, by most boxing experts accounts. Ali fought the best, and he beat the best, and occasionally even lost to the best. Marciano, while certainly desrving of accolades, cannot make the same claims. His sad final years in the ring were hard to watch, and are not factored in to my rating....

muhammad ali is the all tiem greatest i believe he woudlbeat rocky marciano so would rate ali 1st marciano2nd

the greatest fighter of all time !! period!! when he fought cleveland williams and or zorra folly he was like a well oiled machine. he was just reaching his pinnicle. then the establishment took away the best 3 1/2 years of his prime. can you imagine how great he would have been for those 3 1/2 years?? unstoppable !! he would have had the whole world calling him the greatest. but he was so great that even after taking away his prime he came back as a different version of ali and still was the best !! i didnt see tyson regaining anything from his layoff? ali was so damn good that we had to force him to a 3 1/2 year layoff so we could see great fights with joe, george, and kenny. without the layoff he was just too good!! he was ahead of his time boys, the man above gave him to us too early. he should be born now, and we could watch the greatest take the world by storm in 2025 !! the greatest fighter who ever lived with the biggest heart!! that was, and is MUHAMMAD ALI !! real fans would not insult themselves with negative comments. maybe figure skating fans like tallcuteguy & oaoaoaoaoaoaoa ..idiots !!

1. beated by fraiser 2. beaten by norton 3. beat a 45 year old foreman 4. lost to spinks 5. beaten by rocky

Ali is the best that simple.

what else can be said about the greatest

he was great, i would put him at 1 or 2 on an all time list (i might lean towards a prime joe louis), i'm Italian and i must say two things about marciano.....he was the best of his era not all time.....and if marciano wasn't Italian, 99% of Italians out there would say he fought abunch of bums and almost got beat by a few has-beens (who got tired and ran out of gas)....clay/ali had speed, agility like no other HW ever.....good power and a great chin.....he also beat some serious talent IN THERE PRIMES....and beat sonny liston after the liston corner tried blinding his vision....a gut feeling tells me however than a prime joe louis would still win

Ok, lets start on you guys. To say Ali was overrated is retarded. Did you ever see the sports century on ESPN in 1999 on number 3 All Time Athlete Ever Ali? Watch it, i guarantee you that you will be in tears seeing this. In fact i was, and my father was because that was his hero. To a man that was beligerent to others and people hated him just ask all the children who are adults now whose lives he touched throughout the years. If you would of told me back in 1971 that the very sight of Ali at the Olympic games holding a torch would bring people to tears; you would have won a lot of bets-Bryant Gumbel. This man changed the way we felt about life, and the way we took it for granted. His influence is matched only by his ring talent which is saying a whole hell of a lot he beat 5 Boxing Hall of Famers in his career you cant say that about Jack Johnson, Joe Louis or Marciano (who did Marciano exactly fight anyways besides a decrepit Joe Louis? Dont say Ezzard Charles or Billy Conn because ur wasting your time) He beat Norton, Patterson, Liston twice, Joe Frazier twice, George Foreman. Hell even at 38 and 39 he gave Holmes and Berbick all they could handle. The Best Ever. There will never be one like him.

Easily the best boxer of all time!

1 - because he was the most overrated boxer in history. As a heavyweight alone, Joe Louis and Jack Johnson were better.

There is Ali .... and then there are the rest of the great Heavyweights. He does'nt need to be in the Hall of Fame. The rest need to be in the Hall of Ali.

Way to overrated........

In his day,he was sure something to watch.Artful,graceful and packing a wallop!

COCKY JACKASS WITH A BIG MOUTH.

Bruce would have broken his legs. Marciano would have knocked him out to oblivion.

Okay but talks too much.

OVERRATED BIG MOUTH

Not even half the man Marciano was

BIG MOUTH WHO STINKS

Big mouth who would have been creamed by Tyson,Bob Sapp,Marciano and Foreman in a rematch (now)

way overrated

He was definitely a rare breed. For people who say that he could outsmart his opponents, Ali couldn't outsmart a brickwall. He just had extremely quick hands and feet with a very long ape-like reach. He was not a hard enough puncher to take out some of the other all-time greats in boxing, but he is in the top 5 for sure.

I'll put it this way: Muhammad Ali wasn't the greatest heavyweigt champion ever (because Joe Louis was). But he was DEFINITELY the greatest heavyweight fighter ever. And as great a champ as Louis was, Ali would have outsmarted the Brown Bomber. As is, Ali was poetry in motion and proved being pretty was more than a saying.

ali was the greatest! he talked the talk and walked the walk. and when he talked the talk, not only did he back it up (sumthing most fighters today never do), he was funny as hell when he was cussing out one of his opponents. ali was the master of trash talk. he bragged only because he needed to show the press that he never doubted himself and to gain a psychological advantage over his opponent. the only thing about ali that i dont like is he didnt have a whole lot of power. about him being a draft dodger: 1. it was against his religion 2. wut did the vietcong ever do to him? 3. america had NO PLACE in vietnam and neither did ali or any other american 4. 58,000 american soldiers died cuz of that war, ali was entertaining and u know it! ali had a greater chance of getting killed in that war than coming out alive and u would never see him fight again and he would be remembered more as a loudmouth than a great and legendary boxer 5. there was an equal amount of people who were behind ali for not fighting in the war just as much people were calling ali a draft-dodger. as for ali's fighting, he was just as much an entertainer as he was a boxer. and out of his five losses, two cuz of old age, and three because of a lack of training. his heart was big and his balls were even bigger. he faced hard hitters like joe frazier, sonny liston (while ali was blind), george foreman, and earnie shavers, and he soaked up all of thier power punches and beat them all. summary: ali said that he was the greatest and he proved himself right again and again.

the greatest of all time

ALI was a good fighter and beat many top contenders and became a 3 time world champion the first to do so. But he had 5 losses and was always clowning and never took fights serious enough. He was a fan favorite with the media so he got lots of extra attention I give him a 4 because of the 5 defeats and he is a top 5 heavyweight of alltime heavyweight history

Ali was possibly-and-not without competition-the greatest heavyweight. But inch for inch- he just doesn't measure up to physically smaller fighters.

the greatest fighter of all time!