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

[chaosisme]

Carl Froch. Starting with the Pascal fight, that was a serious gauntlet with the exception of the Mack fight.

[Boxing_1013]

Yes, Ali never ducked anybody. And he won his fights late in his career with an iron chin, and wearing down his opponent. Very different from how he won fights early in his career. And that is an incredibly rare thing in an athlete.

If both Liston fights were fixed (good chance they were), is it possible that Sonny Liston was the best heavyweight of the era, and one of the greatest of all time?

Certainly arguable, if that were the case...I don't know enough about those fights to comment on whether or not they were fixed...though the rematch did seem odd.

With Liston dying, and with the uncertainty about his age, I don't think he was really in Ali's era anyway...more like the era before.

[meat_abstract]

That Ali had to come back form defeat is part of the reason he's the GOAT. After the losses to Frazier and Norton, everyone thought he was finished, an also-ran. He went into the fight with Foreman as something like a 7 to 1 underdog and won by KO. One of the reason's Fury's comeback is such a story is because of the parallels with Ali's comeback - it's the drama people love.

Sure, if you dig into Ali's second title reign you can find some controversial wins and serious cherry-picking opponents. But almost every champ has some "controversial wins". The ones that don't were either cherry-picking bums, or they weren't champ for very long because they lost!

[Boxing_1013]

That Ali had to come back form defeat is part of the reason he's the GOAT. After the losses to Frazier and Norton, everyone thought he was finished, an also-ran. He went into the fight with Foreman as something like a 7 to 1 underdog and won by KO. One of the reason's Fury's comeback is such a story is because of the parallels with Ali's comeback - it's the drama people love.

Sure, if you dig into Ali's second title reign you can find some controversial wins and serious cherry-picking opponents. But almost every champ has some "controversial wins". The ones that don't were either cherry-picking bums, or they weren't champ for very long because they lost!

Ali beating Foreman is just probably the best win ever in my book...considering the circumstances...Fury does have a bit of Ali in him, I think that is true...both very smart fighters in the ring.

[GhostofDempsey]

At least 1 and arguably 2 fixes versus Liston, 1 and possibly 2 gifts versus Norton. Patterson was washed up and he still fought him twice. Foster was a light heavy. Gift over Young, and some argue Jones.

Quite a few fighters out there who had ten opponents and performances that were more impressive.

[famicommander]

Floyd fought, consecutively:
Arturo Gatti
Sharmba Mitchell
Zab Judah
Carlos Baldomir
Oscar De La Hoya
Ricky Hatton
Juan Manuel Marquez
Shane Mosley
Victor Ortiz
Miguel Cotto
Robert Guerrero
Marcos Maidana
Marcos Maidana
Manny Pacquiao
Andre Berto

15 straight world champions to end his career (I don't count the McGregor or Nasukawa nonsense)

[QueensburyRules]

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.

- -That U can't think describes the limitations of U assertion.

Just crazy!

[Boxing_1013]

At least 1 and arguably 2 fixes versus Liston, 1 and possibly 2 gifts versus Norton. Patterson was washed up and he still fought him twice. Foster was a light heavy. Gift over Young, and some argue Jones.

Quite a few fighters out there who had ten opponents and performances that were more impressive.

Not really arguing about what his record should have been...Patterson was only 30 the first time they fought though...and was 9-0 even before the rematch with Ali.

Foster an ATG light heavy as well...I don't really see one anyone can hate on that 10+ fight opponent wise for Ali.

Floyd fought, consecutively:
Arturo Gatti
Sharmba Mitchell
Zab Judah
Carlos Baldomir
Oscar De La Hoya
Ricky Hatton
Juan Manuel Marquez
Shane Mosley
Victor Ortiz
Miguel Cotto
Robert Guerrero
Marcos Maidana
Marcos Maidana
Manny Pacquiao
Andre Berto

15 straight world champions to end his career (I don't count the McGregor or Nasukawa nonsense)

Man I assume you're a Floyd guy....and don't get me wrong, he is a great boxer...I don't take that away from him...but to be honest I just don't really know how people look at that list you gave, especially considering the ages/form of some of those guys, and any weight/home field advantage restrictions...and come away saying 'wow, look at how impressive this was'...sorry just don't really see it.

[meat_abstract]

Floyd fought, consecutively:
Arturo Gatti
Sharmba Mitchell
Zab Judah
Carlos Baldomir
Oscar De La Hoya
Ricky Hatton
Juan Manuel Marquez
Shane Mosley
Victor Ortiz
Miguel Cotto
Robert Guerrero
Marcos Maidana
Marcos Maidana
Manny Pacquiao
Andre Berto

15 straight world champions to end his career (I don't count the McGregor or Nasukawa nonsense)

Just for fun, lets pick this apart to illustrate how basically anyone's record can be made to look "questionable":

Gatti was never that good, and he was a slugger that was tailor-made for Floyd.

Judah had already lost to Tszyu, Baldomir, and Cory Spinks, and his consistency problems were well known by the time he fought Floyd.

Baldomir was never that good and his improbable run was going to get exposed anyway.

De La Hoya was old.

Hatton was a hype job with hardly any good wins coming in.

Marquez had to go up two divisions for the fight and got weight bullied.

Mosley had already been through a ton of wars and was shot.

Cotto was never the same after Margarito and everyone knows it.

Maidana was a no-skill brawler.

He waited for Pac to pack on mileage before he fought him and he was injured.

Berto was a cherry-pick who had already lost to other guys Floyd had beaten.

There's ways to throw shade on anyone's accomplishments.