Is Muhammad Ali the #1 Heavyweight of all time?

[Japanese Boxing]

Its clearly Ali...

He beat better heavyweight opponents, fought in a much tougher era, has a better resume, and would beat louis H2H

Louis gets alot of praise for his long reign and plus the political surroundings of his era, but in reality, he reigned over a relatively weak era in heavy, and never fought the heavyweights the caliber of foreman, frazier, etc...

I don't think you know much about boxing if you think his era was weak. Walcott, Conn, Maddock, etc. Not exactly easy pickings.

[SBleeder]

Mike Tyson would have knocked Ali out lights out james toney lights out

[LacedUp]

Yes. Clearly.

He has the best resume of any heavyweight past or present.

[Daddy T]

I don't think you know much about boxing if you think his era was weak. Walcott, Conn, Maddock, etc. Not exactly easy pickings.

he's comparing to Ali's era and so is right to say it was relatively weak.

Foreman, Frazier, Patterson, Liston >>> Walcott, Conn, baer, schmelling etc
and do you mean braddock? Good fighter when not injured but again not exactly Mike Tyson or anything.

Joe was great and had a long reign but you can't possibly argue that he beat better heavyweights than Ali did.

[Sugarj]

Mike Tyson would have knocked Ali out lights out james toney lights out

The same way he knocked out fighters so vastly superior to Ali; like Mitch Green, Quick Tillis, Bonecrusher Smith or Tucker!?

Come on.........

[fight_professor]

On balance, I think Ali is the #1 HW ever.

Beat the best opposition, the most untouchable at his best AND as I think he UD's Louis h2h, I say Ali is #1.

[BattlingNelson]

Absolutely. Ali is the greatest.

[soul_survivor]

Ali...and good to see 99% agree.

Some dumb "fans" think Louis is somehow better but he isn't in any category what so ever.

The other greats in Foreman, Dempsey, Johnson, Frazier, Lewis, Holmes...well none of them are better either.

[Ray Corso]

It's obvious that Ali is the Greatest Ever!!!! However the Best Ever at Heavyweight is Joe Louis!
If you know Methods & Techniques then you know Louis did things better than Ali. Ali did many techniques wrong but his extraordinary athletic ability let him get away with some.
If you teaching any fighter how to put combinations together to the body and head Louis is the prime visual to use.
Louis had ALL the punches and had KO power in both hands along with the will to win. As Ali did!

Louis is the mold! Ali is the exception!

Both the best at what they did. Reading a resume can tell you a lot but if the opponents at that time were lesser talents than in other era's you need to know form and skill levels that a fighter displays along with the many intangibles that are needed to be successful.
There were some fighters that were outstanding without having great Methods & Techniques but the greater percentage of the "Bests" have them. Ray.

[soul_survivor]

It's obvious that Ali is the Greatest Ever!!!! However the Best Ever at Heavyweight is Joe Louis!

wtf does that even mean????