How long before Ali recedes to being a #2 or #3 heavyweight, except for boxing hipsters?

Why didn't they beat him then ?? He lost 31/2 yrs of his prime too thanks to purely political reasons. He's still The Greatest !! My greatest moment in boxing was when I got to shake his hand

 

Cause in his prime he faced:
- weak opposition: Terrel, Folley, Williams (a shot boxer), Chuvalo, Cooper etc.
- ATGs who were either injured, unprepared and/or past their best: Liston, Patterson.

 

By that criteria, he's definitely top 5 all time with ease. For me, no. 1.

 

Can I ask how old you are? Because you sound like a very young person. To call those fighters injured, old & past their best is ludicrous the hw's today wouldn't live with them.
Name me one person Ali ducked? you cannot

 

I guess Uysk is #1 now cause be beat Joshua without being a fat diabetic?

 

According to Ring Magazine Ali cleared out two divisions 10 years apart. Not many boxers can say that

1963 Ring Magazine rankings

Sonny Liston, Champion

1. Cassius Clay
2. Doug Jones
3. Ernie Terrell
4. Cleveland Williams
5. Zora Folley
6. Eddie Machen
7. Floyd Patterson
8. Karl Mildenberger
9. George Chuvalo
10. Brian London

1973 RIng Magazine Rankings

George Foreman, Champion

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Joe Frazier
3. Ken Norton
4. Jerry Quarry
5. Ron Lyle
6. Earnie Shavers
7. Oscar Bonavena
8. Joe Bugner
9. Jimmy Ellis
10. Chuck Wepner

1. 
   
   

 

I'd have him top #10 for sure. He might sneak into my 5, hard to say. There wouldn't be much between him and a handful of other guys for me. Ali's #1 of course and i'd probably have Lewis #2 by a whisker. It gets muddied then with the likes of Foreman, Holyfield, Holmes, Tyson, Louis, Liston etc.

P.S. I'm not interested in you telling me how bad the likes of Louis etc are.

 

I'm close to 40. And it ain't ludicrous at all.

First of all, Liston was way older than stated.
Second of all, after he won the title, Liston began a party binge, and he was spending his time drinking, partying and playing golf. He underestimated Ali and did not prepare properly for their first fight. He also got injured during that fight.
He took a dive in the second fight.

Patterson had an injured back going into the Ali fight.

And I never said Ali ducked someone, I said his opposition was poor, apart from those 2, who I already explained.

 

So really you are saying there were no good heavyweights around during Ali's time ? LOL
Tell me Can you imagine either Floyd, Canelo, Ward or any of todays supposed superstars stepping up & facing the man everyone was scared of, Sonny Liston, the man that allegedly pushed Wayne Bethea's front teeth up into his gum with a straight left jab & twice destroyed Floyd Patterson??. No way Jose
Ali is , was & always will be The Greatest !!! in my book

 

No, I'm saying there were only 2 great ones, both of whom were either injured, poorly prepared and/or past their best.
Floyd, Canelo and Ward are too ****ing small to ever take on someone like Liston, so your example is extremely stupid.
Plus, I never denied Ali's courage, I just said he did not beat aprime versions of Liston and Patterson.
Not that it matters, but prime vs prime, I give Ali the edge against Liston and Patterson, even if they were at their best, but even so, that would only leave Ali with 2 good wins in his prime. The rest of the guys he beat were poor, average at best.

 

I just used Floyd & Canelo because BOTH chickened out of fighting their peers
Remember Floyd sr saying " I'm not going to let Little Floyd fight Pacquaio his health is worth more than $$$$$$" LOL
Don't mention Canelo ducking GGG & handing his bogus WBC belt back because he was afraid to fight him. The great Mexican fight fans disowned Canelo naming him El Pollo Rojo.
It wasn't until both were assured by Vegas boxing & the NSAC that they would not lose, that they eventually did fight
Both Floyd & Canelo got decisions they in no way deserved.
Can you imagine Cassius Clay sr saying " I'm not going to let my little Cass fight that beast Liston his health is worth more than $$$$