Is Ali a bit overrated ?

[Toda Caine]

Ali fought Moore, Cooper 2x, Liston 2x, Patterson 2x, Frazier 3x, Norton 2x, Spinks 2x, Forman, and Holmes. Plus, he was a voice to a group of people. I wouldn't call him overrated even though he never threw a body punch and didn't have a defense. The man fought the best.

[Tiozzo]

Ali fought Moore, Cooper 2x, Liston 2x, Patterson 2x, Frazier 3x, Norton 2x, Spinks 2x, Forman, and Holmes. Plus, he was a voice to a group of people. I wouldn't call him overrated even though he never threw a body punch and didn't have a defense. The man fought the best.

****Norton X 3

...and he fought Bonavena, Quarry, Williams, Bugner, Lyle, Chuvalo, Shavers, Young, Ellis, Foster............

[da beatdown]

I havent seen too many HW from back in the day but growing up ****** I was exposed to ali. How many other boxers made poems about their opposition, what round they were gonna finish them and sometimes did it! thats what legends are made of! Intangibles like that and giving up ya title in ya prime then coming back and still beating the best out there make u "The Greatest"

[Tiozzo]

He was an incredible fighter whose personality and antics (inside and) outside the ring took his fame to another level. What irks me is that he is the boxing equivalent of The Beatles: if you ask someone who doesn't really know much about music who the best band of all time was, they always say "The Beatles" - completely disregarding the fact that their alleged best albums (Revolver, Sgt. Pepper) both had several very weak tracks on them.

It's the same with Ali: he's a safe answer for non-boxing fans to throw out there.

Don't get me wrong, I like the guy. An awesome fighter. But he had his share of lucky breaks and opponents he struggled with just like any other fighter.

He was not super-human, he was just a very good fighter.

People too often get carried away by hyperbole when it comes to assessing him.

nice way to put things in perpective

[Tiozzo]

I havent seen too many HW from back in the day but growing up ****** I was exposed to ali. How many other boxers made poems about their opposition, what round they were gonna finish them and sometimes did it! thats what legends are made of! Intangibles like that and giving up ya title in ya prime then coming back and still beating the best out there make u "The Greatest"

his great persona definitely made him a bigger and greater boxer than he might be

he is like a mythical, legendary figure

[RayLeonard82]

Norton fought a old fading Ali. Not the Ali before the layoff. Prime Ali from the 1960's could box on his toes all night long, had much better energy because he was younger, NO LAYOFFFS, and was quicker than the Mid 1970s Ali.

Ali slowing down so much is why Norton gave him trouble. Prime Ali beats Norton by wide UD

[check hook]

He was an incredible fighter whose personality and antics (inside and) outside the ring took his fame to another level. What irks me is that he is the boxing equivalent of The Beatles: if you ask someone who doesn't really know much about music who the best band of all time was, they always say "The Beatles" - completely disregarding the fact that their alleged best albums (Revolver, Sgt. Pepper) both had several very weak tracks on them.

It's the same with Ali: he's a safe answer for non-boxing fans to throw out there.

Don't get me wrong, I like the guy. An awesome fighter. But he had his share of lucky breaks and opponents he struggled with just like any other fighter.

He was not super-human, he was just a very good fighter.

People too often get carried away by hyperbole when it comes to assessing him.

you sir have hit the nail on the head........it's just the default answer in popular cutlture...........

[Tiozzo]

What most fans today fail to understand is that once Ali started fighting on a high level he only fought the best out there. They were all top 10 fighters and champions. I don't think there is many fighters in the history of boxing who can say they fought everyone and beat most of them.

I even saw a poster in the history section who knew much more than me write a long statistical write up about it. I was very impressed and will never question Ali as the Greatest again.

I would like to see it.

[talip bin osman]

No he ain't...

His resume and charisma is there staring at you...

[Tiozzo]

Norton fought a old fading Ali. Not the Ali before the layoff. Prime Ali from the 1960's could box on his toes all night long, had much better energy because he was younger, NO LAYOFFFS, and was quicker than the Mid 1970s Ali.

Ali slowing down so much is why Norton gave him trouble. Prime Ali beats Norton by wide UD

...but prime Ali fought only 29 times and against lesser opposition than not prime Ali

and you have to give Norton credit, he was a good fighter

so at the end of the day, we have to judge Ali more for his second career as not prime Ali when he beat all those great fighters than for his first career