Where I am from Cruising means riding down the boulevard in a sharp ride looking for hot chicks. I was born in the 1950's, we did not do the Al Pacino thing like in the movies. I do not cruise anymore, I am 62 years old, a family man, married for 22 years with a 20 year old son. Thanks for your interpretation of Cruising.
As a Flyweight, Muhammad would have never gotten past Liston, who would have showed up with giant flyweight swatters.
He wouldn't be even close to as popular and the 60s/70s flyweight division was freaking ridiculous. 6 of my top 15 all time flyweights fought in those decades.
Any flyweight who beat Sonny Liston (twice), Joe Frazier (twice) and George Foreman would be the #p4p Greatest without debate.
I’m from Australia too and cruising always meant to mean taking it easy in my part of the country. “How’s things with you mate?” “All good mate I’m cruising along here” for example. As Aussies do it’s been abbreviated to “cruisey” over the years “yeah works cruisey at the moment” etc etc…. I’ve never heard that context for it in Australia except in the old Al Pacino movie which made me think it was a US term used in a particular sub-culture of the time. Whatever it’s interesting.