Ali's Greatest Performance Poll

...........lasting the last 5 rounds in FOTC.

 

Ali looks his best against Williams. Now Williams was (literally) shot to bits but Ali fought a beautiful fight and would have likely taken apart more live opponents, perhaps not as impressively, but impressively nonetheless. The movement, the jab to the body to set up combinations, the "shuffle", the punching power, everything was on display that night.

Terrell was one of his overall best performances. Terrell is mostly forgotten but he had piled up a good resume and was the legit number 1 challenger who was supposed to give Ali his toughest fight. Ali dominated him for 15 rounds, only a win by stoppage could have made it a better performance. He was penetrating Terrell's guard, he slipped the highly-regarded Terrell jab effortlessly and kept his opponent at bay. To look impressive against Terrell (a spoiler) takes some effort, and Ali managed it.

I feel the first Liston fight was somewhat close until the stoppage. Ali showed great footwork and handspeed in that fight though and was in control most of the time. It could have ended up being his most complete performance if not for Liston retiring in his corner, ending the fight a little short.

It's amazing how he took Foreman apart but I feel the above are more complete performances by him. Ali landed numerous right hand leads, defended himself well against the ropes and picked Foreman apart both mentally and physically. I just can't help but to feel that the action was a little sloppy on both parts, mostly on Foreman's, but still...

 

Very good post. I voted Liston 1, largely because he was relatively untested going in against a guy considered an absolute monster and still stuck very well to his plan (with some adaption) and dominated his feared opponent. I don't think this fight was close, and I think those that do so misreads it. Clay controlled it beautifully.

 

I have to say Williams, cause Ali show us the whole register of what he was capable to do. Also the first Ali fight I watched.
Otherwise the first Liston fight is great as well. the Foreman fight is different in many ways, not one of my favourites of his fight´s but still amazingly done by the Greatest of all time.
The predator

 

I chose the Williams fight. However it is neck and neck in my mind with the Terrell fight. He deliberately did not knock Terrell so that he could humiliate him. I think he was successful in that.

 

It was not as aesthetically pleasing as his fight with William, nor was it one sided as the Liston and Terrell fights, but Foreman was Ali's legend maker. The Foreman fight not only put Ali at roughly the same underdog status he first had against Liston, people were actually fearing for Ali's life. Without Foreman, Ali never creates his near immortal image.

 

Terrell is the most under rated name on Ali's resume. He had wins over Big Cat Williams, George Chuvalo, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones, and Bob Foster and hadn't lost in 5 years. 6'6 with an 82' reach too and with one of the best jabs of all time imho.

Ali simply took him apart and humiliated him, just a masterful display of boxing over 15 rounds and against a very capable opponent unlike against Big Cat...

 

Ernie Terrell. Ali is at or near peak and demonstrating great boxing against a live guy.

 

Pretty good insight there. Foreman at that time was like a formidable battleship. He wasn't supposed to lose. Ali was supposed to be used goods. This is probably one of Ali's greatest achievements, and at the same time a foreshadowing of his demise.

Ali used all his talent and guts to beat Foreman. This was also a phase of his career where he allowed himself to take punishment that prior to 1966 he would not have had to take in order to win. He was fading, but like his hero Ray Robinson he had the inherent skill to persevere and continue winning.

The same fate was working its way out for each of them as they began to take punishment from men who were not equal to them in anyway shape or form. In a sense Ali and Robinson probably fell victim to their greatness if you accept that Ali's Parkinsons, and Robinson's dementia in later years were caused by blows to the head.

 

I agree with what you're saying because I do think that Ali was in control, aside from the incident in round 5.

The fight was close on the scorecards though and Ali was not truly able to establish his dominance in the later rounds as I think he would have because of Liston retiring in his corner at the end of round 6. Thus my view of the fight ending a little short to call it his overall best performance.

I can understand why people would pick this fight though because Ali did look great against a great fighter (or atleast a very good one depending on your views on Sonny Liston).

 

The Foreman win was greater, but the Terrell fight was where Ali looked unbeatable.

It's like comparing Duran-Palomino to Duran-Barkley.

 

Yeah, you do have a point. I think Ali very well might have taken Liston out in 8, as predicted. Now that would have been something.

 

No Folley? Dundee claims this was his best performance or the closest peak we got of Ali.

 

Not a bad pick actualy.

I voted for Terrel because I feel that unlike Williams and Folley he was at the absolute peak of his powers.