who is the most popular boxer in history

You can go to villages where there is no electricity or plumbing and the people know of the legendary Muhammad Ali.

Ali is by far the most famous fighter of all time. No question.

 

Clearly Ali.

 

Ali & Tyson.

 

Unquestionably Ali, then Tyson.

 

Jesus! Are there still people over there who think refusing the draft was a bad thing?
You need to do some research into what your country did to people, meaning civilians, in that war and into the fact that you pulled out because of a report which concluded the entire US military was on the point of collapse. The G.I protest movement has been airbrushed out of history quite expertly. Soldiers were refusing to fight, others were fragging officers left right and centre, all the veterens were protesting the war. You had a bigger armed force, vastly superior technology and yet you lost because your troops didn't like the smell of napalm burning children in the morning.

 

At this point in time, most definitely Ali.

Tyson is notorious, sadly not quite the same thing as popular.