When do you think Ali should have called it quits?

Ali's legacy is one of the best in boxing history, and your suggestion would have resulted in a lesser one in my opinion.

The people that detract Ali's victory over Norton and his ones over Shavers, and the so called bad performances he put in. It's all bull****. All of those fights came way after the man's prime, and he still found a way to win. Floyd Mayweather was never a great spectacle, and this is in his prime, but nobody criticises him. Also, people saying Ali got lots of gift decisions is bull****. A gift is when you get the decision after being clearly beaten. Ali was only ever clearly beaten against Frazier 1, Spinks 1, Norton 1, and those two horrific fights when he was a zombie: Berbice and Holmes. All of those fights he lossed, but he came back to do Frazier 2 -1 and Norton 2 - 1 and beat Leon too. Come on now guys, the guy avenged every single loss he ever was delt, except for Holmes and Berbick, a time in which I could have beaten Ali. The man's legacy is ridicliously good, and people who don't see that are ******ed.

 

Dude, I don't question Ali's legacy as a fighter. It's probably, as you said, one of the best in history. I just made up a story in which he is more worth of being called a legend and a role model that he is in reality IMO (not that in reality he's not worth of it at all).

In my story he gets mature and stops being so narcisistic and lacking of self critisism. He doesn't focus on calling himself "the greatest" every time he opens his mouth. He doesn't care that much about it any more. He respects people and doesn't think he's any better than for example Joe Frazier. He doesn't risk his health that much too.

The part about not coming back until challenging Foreman, then retiring is ofcourse a pure fantasy that just feels very impressive, but I'm serious about what I wrote in this very post. IMO Ali wasn't as great human being as people in general seem to think about him.

In real life I think he should quit the latest after "The thrilla in Manila". I guess that when he felt he was close to death, he should take it as a sign to call it a career.