Boxing Vale Muhammad Ali / Cassius Clay

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Demosthenes

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Honestly thought he was already dead. I remember seeing him rolled out to light the flame at Atlanta '96, and he was an absolute shell of a man. If you'd told me then that he'd live another 2 decades, I'd have said we needed to legalise euthanasia.

Pretty unpleasant personality in a lot of ways, but have always thought criticism of his arrogance has more than a whiff of "uppity black man doesn't know his place" about it. Growing up in the civil rights era, if he didn't have a big ego he probably wouldn't have had the drive and self-belief to back himself and succeed.

I've always maintained it's an absolute tragedy that a man of his intellect had to make a living with his fists - hopefully if he was born these days he'd grow up with more options in life.
 

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Their was a lot to like about Ali, but a lot more to dislike, not a particularly nice person in my opinion.

Bradman's head was fairly up his own arse.

Besides, Cricket is a pass time....like bowling or darts.
 

Furn2

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Little piece I wrote lol

not sure why since I'm a scientist but just started a post and kept going, so anyway ...


My dad missed my birth to watch an Ali fight.

He was a coloured man, who moved to the UK in 1964 and Ali was more than just a sportsman but a hero to him. That was clear by the time I was born in 1973. At least it seemed that way.

Such were the stories I was told, that when I first saw footage of an Ali fight (and it was my first exposure to Boxing) I was suprised that he got hit at all and that all his opponents didn't fall meekly before his power.

And that was Muhammad Ali to a tee.

The legend was so immense that the man could never live up to it, no matter how great he was.

And by God was the man great.

By far, the best fighter in the most famous division, in the greatest era that boxing ever saw.

For those who compare Tyson, Ali faced down a bigger badder version in Sonny Liston, and despite dubious tactics from Liston's corner. Ali tore such shreds from the beast than he quit in his corner after 7 rounds, rather than face any more torture from the young upstart.

For those who compare the undefeated Mayweather, yes Ali lost
but Ali fought every few months and fought the very best, politics took his best years away from him and yet he came back and beat all time greats in fights he had no right to win. His resume speaks for itself.

So why is Ali really the greatest ?

Well mostly because he told us so, and it was just so dam hard to argue with him.

Where there better fighters ?

Maybe.

Where there better sportsman ?

Probably.

But there's only one "The greatest".

He changed not just boxing, but transcended the sport to become
someone that was simply unforgettable.

There's a reason Floyd Mayweather calls himself TBE, the best ever.

Because Muhammad Ali is, and always will be the greatest.
 
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For those still wondering where to place him in sports lexicon of immortality. He was chosen over many many athletes and swimmers and multi-gold winning Americans to light the flame at Atlanta . Gave me chills to see him do that. Still brings emotion to the surface



muhammad-ali-with-atlanta-1996-torch.jpg
 

crownie

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Just for those not in the know.

Ali is the greatest because he told us so.

It was his persona, his character, and he more than backed it up
In the ring.


But today is isn't the day for sporting comparisons.

Ali is and always will be the greatest.

im glad you actually cleared that up and thats actually why he's referred to as 'the greatest'

some flog here had no clue bringing up Don Bradman :rolleyes:
 

bkozican

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R.I.P Ali...

THE Greatest HW boxer to ever lace up. Also a man that stood up for what he believed in and didnt let anyone tell him otherwise...If you hate on that then well...Sucks to be you.

Sad day...Will go down in the history books.
 

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Wasn't a fan personally. I mean sure he was great at his chosen sport but he bragged way too much for my tastes. His head seemed constantly up his own arse. I prefer my sportsmen and women to be a little more humble.

I see him as the sporting version of Kanye West in terms of arrogance.

Considering your team and avatar, this might actually be the densest, most idiotic post on this site.
 

Craze

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Ali's longevity in the sport, his speed, his footwork, his ability to slip a punch, all superb. He wasn't really a knockout fighter, but he inflicted damage on his opponents often resulting in stoppages. I can see why people would say that Tyson was superior (Mike knocked out a hell of a lot of opponents early in fights), but I think over the course of their careers Ali was superior in most areas (other than power). In fact I'd have Foreman and Louis ahead of Tyson.

Young people do yourselves a favour and watch Ali's professional fights, virtually all of which are on Youtube.

Personally not a fan of all the crap he hung on Joe Frazier (a lot of which was racial), but it did a lot for the sport of boxing.

A sad loss, he was a great man.
 

hey shorty

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Was there a greater fighter ?? The Sugar Rays probably have some big claims, Roberto Duran perhaps and early Tyson.

But thats just half of the story. He had the best years of his career taken from him because he dared to fight for a cause that many didn't have the guts to do. I often wonder if he had those years if he would've ended up going through to 81. Could he have stopped before the serious damage was done ?? Who knows and we will never know.

I'd just started watching my dads old boxing tapes before that 96 Games and I've never seen him tear up, except for that morning. Ali had his faults, he did go too far with Frazier IMO although Joe did too, from reports he wasn't a great husband before it became too late and he was far too stubborn to be told to stop. But almost all of that pales into the background compared to what he did so right. He fought and beat many of the greats when he had no right to do.

He shook up the world, he floated like a butterfly and he was The Greatest.

RIP Champ
 
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It's tough to argue that anyone could have embodied the 60s and 70s better than Ali when he refused to fight in the Vietnam War. By 1967 Muhammad Ali was probably the most famous man on Earth. This was a time of such cultural change that the Beatles, James Bond and the swingin' 60's were at it's height. If someone asked you to name the greatest boxer of all time, it'd probably take you all of three seconds to come up with Muhammad Ali even if you've never watched a boxing match in your life! He was an icon to black and white Americans at a time when the country was still struggling with the civil rights movement, and he spoke for a nation at war when he told the U.S. draft board, in no uncertain terms, to go forth and multiply. Ali created the "superfight", he transcended sports and became a cultural icon recognized globally, you can debate the "greatest of all time" with any number of boxing aficionados all day and all of the night, Louis, Tyson, Holmes, the Klitschko's (ha!) You cannot argue with his nickname "The Greatest". In 1964 Ali talked himself into a match with the big ugly bear Sonny Liston, he wasn't even ranked number 1 at the time, but he had total belief in his own abilities, he saw Liston's weaknesses and pounced like the fast moving "Cat" he was. He lost the prime of his career (67-70) due to his stance on Vietnam and he was scheduled to fight Frazier in late 1967 or early 1968, it's a good thing for Smokin' Joe that did not happen. Ali was invincible at the time of his forced retirement. He then repeats the Liston miracle 10 years later against George Foreman a man who had destroyed Joe Frazier and Ken Norton with such brutality that many people feared for Ali's life before he fought him in Zaire. Ali was no dummy, he had a cunning plan and the amazing thing is he practically told big George what it was before the fight...."here comes George with a left, (yawns looks at his watch) here comes George with a right", he told the press pre fight. Ali thought big George was too unrefined and way too slow to catch him and thus came up with the rope a dope, George punched himself out. Not only that Ali boxed his ears off anyway in the preceding 8 rounds. What really shocked George was Ali was as tall as he was and had a very long reach which he used to great effect with the unorthodox method of a right hand lead that was shoved in big George's face all night. Ali shocked the world knocking Foreman out in the 8th and his legacy was forever set in stone. I wish he had retired after the brutal 1975 Thriller in Manila 3rd fight with Smokin' Joe. Ali was never the same man again. R.I.P. to a great man.
 

hey shorty

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TiM on ESPN now.

The most brutal fight there ever was and those 2 warriors were never the same and Ali should've stopped after it.
 
Greatest athlete? I don't think so, Greatest boxer, yes. RIP, Cassius Clay

*Muhammad Ali. He changed his name for a reason.


An amazing athlete and an icon for his people inside and outside of the ring. RIP legend.
 

crownie

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For those who compare Tyson, Ali faced down a bigger badder version in Sonny Liston, and despite dubious tactics from Liston's corner. Ali tore such shreds from the beast than he quit in his corner after 7 rounds, rather than face any more torture from the young upstart.

its funny how its always Ali vs Tyson as the dream match.

Maybe boxings fan are to casual to realise Joe Louis even existed.
 
its funny how its always Ali vs Tyson as the dream match.

Maybe boxings fan are to casual to realise Joe Louis even existed.

It's an obscene comparison.

I grew up when Tyson was the Baddest Man on the Planet like a lot of people here, but comparing him to Ali, particularly post-Liston, pre-banning Ali is bloody madness. Ali would have slaughtered him.
 
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