How good/bad was Ali's footwork?

Bud Brunner used to tell a story that Joe Martin took a young Cassius Clay to see a kangaroo box a man. He said Cassius was very impressed by the kangaroo's moves, to the point that his eyes were wide open with admiration, and adopted some of those roo moves into his own footwork. In any event, a prime Muhammad Ali's ring footwork was second to none, at heavyweight, in my opinion.

 

his footwork is the best ever. A heavyweight who moved like a middleweight

 

I don't worship Ali, and certainly don't consider him the "greatest fighter of all time", but his footwork is second to none, period.

 

I think Muhammad Ali had the best feet in the history of boxing in his prime.

 

Ive never seen any fighter with better footwork so my answer would have to be NO to that question.

 

It is insulting to Ali to suggest his footwork may have been second to Walcott's.

 

His movement around the ring was not always spot-on, he would move so fast and so much he'd often dance himself into a corner, it wasn't neat tight circling. But he was so fast he could usually get himself out of it, assuming he wan't deliberately going to the ropes.
He was just so damn fast and so damn mobile/agile for a heavyweight, it's hard to judge his "footwork" compared to the footwork of other heavyweight greats.

 

It helps if you're as fast as bloody lightning, I'm sure. It was beautiful. I revisited Holmes versus Micheal Spinks today, and when I do and realize that Ali was the same height as Holmes...well, he was an athletic talent to be sure.

What always struck me as strange is that Ali had a pretty "long" rythm when dancing (he changes up when he wants to flurry, but nevermind that) and made plenty of diagonally forward yet rarely seemed to overcomit and be stuck in no-man's-land. I have no idea why -- wether it was just God-given reflexes or some kind of intense focus (I'd guess the former). It clearly worked for him, even if not always clear how.

His ability to punch oppertunistically while going backwards was a marvel, too.

 

His distribution of power when punching while dancing was absolutely masterful.

 

Hard to point out a fault in his footwork other than maybe it diminishing his power a bit.

 

he did cross his feet pretty badly at times. but as people have stated he is almost wlays in a position to punch or in a position to defend himself. moving to his right i think he was a bit open. but his jabbing and lead right while dancing to his left is my fav things to see.

proof on how hard it is to replicate is in the thousands of young boxers trying to look flashy but end up just running rounthe ring. or even better when games try to replicate it it looks so awkward and disjointed. EA fight night making it look like he is hoping around the ring.