Does anyone come close to matching Ali's 10 toughest fights?

[Boxing_1013]

Just was looking at it again

And Liston 2x...Norton 3x...Frazier 3x...Foreman...and I'll say Holmes even though Ali was done at that point...but you could easily add Foster, or the first Patterson fight, Shavers, Lyle, Young.

I just can't think of anyone else who took on that level of competition in like 10+ fights, vs top fighters all in their relative prime physically...a lot of them in pretty neutral venues/not just one venue. Just crazy.

[hugh grant]

All you can do is be at all the beasts of your day. Holyfield fought everyone as did lewis.

[KillaMane26]

Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley

[JakeTheBoxer]

All you can do is be at all the beasts of your day. Holyfield fought everyone as did lewis.

Sorry, Lewis didn`t fight Foreman, Bowe, Holmes, Moorer.

So, no, Lennox didn`t fight all the best.

[meat_abstract]

Nobody else has ever become HW champ, cleaned out the division and beat everyone, then come back after a long layoff to do it all over again 10 years later. The only other HW that even comes close is Foreman, and he was pretty choosy in both his runs.

[xxlefthookxx]

Just was looking at it again

And Liston 2x...Norton 3x...Frazier 3x...Foreman...and I'll say Holmes even though Ali was done at that point...but you could easily add Foster, or the first Patterson fight, Shavers, Lyle, Young.

I just can't think of anyone else who took on that level of competition in like 10+ fights, vs top fighters all in their relative prime physically...a lot of them in pretty neutral venues/not just one venue. Just crazy.

He was in some great fights. The problem I have is that we know that Liston 2 was rigged, he lost to Frazier, and very well could have lost to Norton 3x. That is 5-4-1 in those 10 bouts.
Lewis beat prime Tua, Klit, Ruddock, Bruno, Holyfield 2x, Mercer, Morrison, Tony Tucker, blasted out Golota, Grant, Botha, Rahman in revenge match...

[JakeTheBoxer]

He was in some great fights. The problem I have is that we know that Liston 2 was rigged, he lost to Frazier, and very well could have lost to Norton 3x. That is 5-4-1 in those 10 bouts.
Lewis beat prime Tua, Klit, Ruddock, Bruno, Holyfield 2x, Mercer, Morrison, Tony Tucker, blasted out Golota, Grant, Botha, Rahman in revenge match...

Lennox is top 10 hw, but nowhere near Ali.

Norton was a great fighter himself, so having 3 close fights with him is nothing wrong.

I don`t know If you even know Ali also beat Patterson, Chuvalo, Lyle, Shavers, Quarry, Folley, Bonavena and so on.

[xxlefthookxx]

Lennox is top 10 hw, but nowhere near Ali.

Norton was a great fighter himself, so having 3 close fights with him is nothing wrong.

I don`t know If you even know Ali also beat Patterson, Chuvalo, Lyle, Shavers, Quarry, Folley, Bonavena and so on.

I am well aware of those victories. Head to head, each on their best day, LL beats Ali. The eras are different, but LL beat a very respectable list of opponents. The guys you listed were good fighters, but would not be favored to beat LL or even some of his victims. As heavyweights, one punch can change everything (as LL experienced). But Ali wasn't a big puncher, and most of his fights were vs come forward brawlers. Did he have to pursue a boxer and risk the right hand that decapitated Rahman? Nope.

[xxlefthookxx]

Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley

Truth is spoken here.

[PRINCEKOOL]

To be a great champion you have to face every possible contender in your division, and beat them 'Or duel with them'. That is what Muhammad Ali did, that is what Lennox Lewis did and even Wladimir Kiltschko.

The only championship holder doing that today is Anthony Joshua 'This is why I don't rate Tyson Fury as a champion, he is the number 1 heavyweight right now but? As soon as he going gets tough, he wants to get out of he game'.