WBC convention 1983 -'aside from yourself, who was the best boxer of your time?' 9/14 said Ali

Boxers who attended the convention (20th WBC Anniversary held at the United Nation ;
Ali
Ken Norton
Joe Frazier
Sugar Ray Leonard
Alexis Arguello
Tommy Hearns
Roberto Duran
Eder Jofre
Carlos Monzon
Bob Foster
Jose Torres
Nino Benvenuti
Emile Griffith
Carlos Ortiz
Larry Holmes


'When the television cameras arrived, they focused on Muhammad Ali as if he were still the heavyweight champion. So did most of the people who wanted an autograph or a handshake. Muhammad Ali was still ''the champ'' to them, as well as to the other champions.'


Alexis Arguello's answer; (Chose Ali in particular pre exile)
''Ali gave all the other boxers who came along after him the chance to be what we are, he gave us credibility,'' ''But he was at his best when he was Cassius Clay, before his exile. He had more discipline, more boxing skill then. After his exile, he went to the rope-a-dope, things like that.''


Carlos Monzon (chose Sugar Ray Leonard) answer;
''Leonard was the best, a complete boxer and puncher,' He was valiant and he was also intelligent.''

Bob Foster (Chose Salvador Sanchez);
''Sanchez was like a machine, ''He reminded me of myself in that he took his time and set up his opponent. I liked the way he moved, he never threw a wild punch. There's no telling what he could have accomplished.''

Emile Griffith (chose Ali);
''Ali brought his own style into boxing,'' ''His best fight was in Manila when Frazier couldn't come out for the last round. That night both were really trying to hurt each other. Ali was never the same after that fight.''


Carlos Ortiz (chose Griffith);
'Griffith won five titles against the best fighters,' Ali was a great promoter with good boxing ability, but Griffith was a great all-around fighter.''


Nino Benvenuti (chose Ali);
''Ali created a new relationship between the boxers, the press and the spectators,' He went beyond the borders of boxing. But his best fight was one he lost, his first Frazier fight. He suffered that night, he was honest with himself and with boxing. When you lose, you show how big you are.''

Eder Jofre (chose Ali)
'Ali had the title three times,' He came back over and over again. He was at his best in the beginning but in Zaire he outsmarted Foreman, he used his brain, he astonished everyone.''

Tommy Hearns (Chose Ali);
''Ali inspired me to be a boxer, every time he jumped out there, he always put on a good show.''

Sugar Ray Leonard (Chose Ali);
''Ali took boxing beyond being a sport, Ali created an illusion that was reality - that boxing was entertainment. I always thought his best fight was when he recaptured his title in Zaire by knocking out George Foreman three years after he came out of exile.''

Roberto Duran (Declined to Answer)

Jose Torres (Chose Duran);
''Duran is smart, one of the few fighters to use his intelligence inside,'' Jose Torres said of the former welterweight and lightweight champion who will challenge Marvin Hagler for the undisputed middleweight title on Nov. 10. ''In his first fight with Leonard, he showed me everything, a perfect fight.'

Larry Holmes (Chose Ali);
''Ali fought everybody,'' said Larry Holmes, the current W.B.C. heavyweight champion who stopped an aging Ali in 1980 as tenderly as possible. ''Ali made boxing more special than it ever was before. I think his best fight was in Manila, the third fight with Frazier.''


Ken Norton (Chose Ali pre exile as his best incarnation)
''Ali was the best, but he was in his prime before his draft problem,'' said Ken Norton, briefly a W.B.C. heavyweight champion who broke Ali's jaw in the first of their three bouts. ''He had speed, hand-eye coordination and perception - he read his opponent immediately.''


Joe Frazier (Chose Ali but in particular FOTC Ali) "
'It's got to be the champ, he fought 'em all,'' Joe Frazier said, meaning Ali, then he grinned. ''But his best fight was 1971.''



Ali's answer;
When the ''champ'' himself was asked, Muhammad Ali spoke first of Floyd Patterson, twice a heavyweight champion from 1956 to 1962, saying, ''Patterson was scientific, he was fast.'' But then the ''champ'' himself shook his head.

''Sonny Liston, he hit too hard, he beat Patterson twice,'' Muhammad Ali said of the man he dethroned as champion, then he winked. ''I'm the only guy who beat Liston when he was good.''


https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/26/sports/ali-champ-of-champs.html

 

This content is protected

Jofre was 60's FOTD and he chose the Greatest of all time

Bob fOSTER choosing Saddler was a surprising decision.

 

Holmes was jealous because he was always under Ali's shadow, just like Ezzard charles being under Louis Shadow.