Take The Thrilla. Ali thought he figured Frazier out- jab and grab. Well the ref disallowed it from the jump. He had to devise a strategy on the fly. He used his reach advantage to hold his right hand straight. He still took hellacious punishment but it mitigated some of Joe's attack. Frazier called it his "feather duster" but knocking it down was a distraction and prevented him from doing other things.
This part is indelible to Ali. I truly rate his chin the greatest in history of the division. Ali's chin seemed limitless. He was prone to flash flood knockdowns from left hooks, granted, but still he took bombs from the strongest and most precise punchers in the divisions history.
His ability to read a fight and adjust was elite. Often fighters need a rematch to reflect and work out the kinks and correct strategies. Doing these adjustments mid-battle demonstrates high ring IQ. This is a quality that I know Floyd doesn't get enough respect for. His mid fight adjustments, even in between round adjustments are amazing.
His chin is up there but no, not the absolute best in the division. He was excellent at absorbing punishment and making his opponent hesitate. His biggest, most underrated quality was the ability to take body shots. Liston, Chuvalo and Foreman lit him up. He took a bodyshot like nobody's business. For one shot chin durability, McCall, Foreman, Cobb and Chuvalo rank higher. I would argue that Tyson took a better single shot when in his prime. Ali was just better at dealing with incoming barrage of shots and of course, surviving the onslaught and coming back than most.
Ali was definitely better technically than given credit for. (Same with Jones Jr ) But his extreme athletic gifts also hid many faults most men who put the gloves on for real competition could get away with. Pulling back instead of slipping. Reliant on reflexes instead of hand placement and fundamentals, little real leverage on his jab, and especially his left hook , would suggest a very fundamentally unsound fighter. That Ali was able to be that unsound, and get away with it , especially in the 2nd part of his career, is truly an indication of of how great he was. A example? Look a no farther than Jones Jr and Ray Leonard when their reflexes began to dim severely. Leonard was much more sound fundamentally than Ali ever was. The multiple layoff hurt him tremendously.
The guy you're replying to, I'm thinking he must have a short man Napoleon complex or something because he takes digs at heavyweights almost every opportunity he gets. I wouldn't take him too seriously.
I know you're trying your best, Mark, but I was talking about political influence and martyrdom, not fame.
Occasional fun sparring isn't really training as you should know. Just imagine what Ali could have accomplished had he not been banned from fighting for 4 years??