Who is the greatest person in boxing

there is only one answer possible.
Ali. and the reason why is quit simple. to the general people in the world the heavyweights take the most attention. a lot of people just know who's the heavyweight champ nothing more or they just watch the heavyweights.
and there hasn't been a champ like ali not just because of his fights but everything around it. predicting in what round his opponent would go down. the flashy talks, the big mouthing, the funny interviews, everything.
i was born in 71 and i still remember how my father took me out of bed in the late 70ties to watch ali fight on tv late at night.
i think ali turned a lot of people into boxing fans who if it hadn't been for ali never would have become boxing fans.

 

Joe Louis, Max Schmeling,Gene Tunny and Rocky Marciano had dignity and class and inspired many...Barney Ross, Willie Pep, Camine Basilio, Al" Bummy Davis died for a friend getting held up and George Foreman is a good man

 

P.S. you shouldn't take those polls to seriously. in russia, when they voted for the greatest russian, joe stalin ended up in the top 3. that says something of the intelligence (or lack off it) off the people who particepate in those polls

 

During the Yeltsin run, they had a large nationwide poll that concluded Stalin would beat Boris in an open election. Those people miss the good old days.

As far as greatest person in boxing, Jack Dempsey requires some mention, though what he accomplished had more to do with elevating boxing than society, a la Johnson and Ali.

Floyd Patterson was a hell of an individual from everything I have heard and read.

 

IMO, take Tyson out of your post and you hit the nail on the head:good

 

Their can't actually be any arguement here, the answer is simply: Ali. Pre-Ali then perhaps Joe Louis, SRR or Jack Johnson?

 

I'll throw Archie Moore's name in. From what I've read and heard he was always a gentleman and carried himself with a lot of dignity. He also was involved with a charity that helped kids, Any Boy Can.

 

Evander Holyfield

 

My apologies, but I believe Jack Johnson should be getting mentioned a little more here.

Jack Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion. That was no easy accomplishment. I live in a white majority, rural area. Johnson's task may be daunting here, even if it were today. I can only imagine his time.

I don't think it is a negative that he didn't just "stay in his place." Johnson shattered the myth that white people are supreme to black people. Johnson also did it with a "**** you" attitude, and this defiance was needed to deliver the message to his immediate audience. Johnson may have set back a black person's career, or so, with his defiant attitude. Johnson empowered a minority nation with his individualism.

The only real knock I see against Johnson was a supposed abuse of women. If being racist is a forgivable sin for Sullivan and Jeffries, why is being sexist unforgivable for Johnson? Johnson was just a product of his time.