His first fight with Liston was phenomenal. He even fought through half of one round blind. However mention must go to his fight with Cleveland Williams as Ali looked unbeatable in that fight. He possessed the perfect blend of speed and power.
second frazier fight... i think people underestimate how well he fought this one.. on his toes, accurate with the jab... i only gave frazier a few rounds and frazier was still one hell of a fighter
Foreman. Pre-1970 Ali relied on his amazing gifts as a boxer, his movement and speed. But against Foreman he relied primarily on his boxing knowledge, smarts and experience. He completely outsmarted and out strategized George, and not just with the rope a dope. A truly brilliant performance.
I believe that his preformance against Cleveland Williams was magical. He had the perfect mix of speed and knock out power. He was truly unbeatable that night. I think the first Frazier fight was incredibly well fought as well. He was in prime condition, and had that been any other heavyweight besides Frazier, he would have knocked them out. That was a lot of punches.
His best overall performance factoring in level of opponent I think would be Ernie Terrell. Taking that out it's Cleveland Williams.