Why is Muhammad Ali HW ATG #1 and not Joe Louis?

There are a good number that have Louis as nr. 1 and that's very reasonable.

There are only two arguments you can make for Ali resume wise, as I see it: undefeated in his prime and beat better fighters (if one believes he did). Because in terms of consistency against top fighters Louis has him beat. Not by that much, but still.

 

Louis is number one to some but generally people feel Ali beat tougher competition overall, and that losing several years of his prime to exile due to his refusal to be drafted makes his achievements even more impressive.

If Louis' comeback had gone a little better, had he beaten Charles and/or Marciano, then I think he clinches number 1 but to me Ali is the number 1 heavyweight champ.

 

Really a lot of boxing rankings are a matter of opinion.

I also have Ali as #1 because of the quality of his wins but he could drop much further down the list if I decided that Norton should have won against him, that Ali beat Cooper through essentially cheating with the glove story, that Liston took a dive, that Frazier was actually just a little guy that wouldn't hack it against modern superheavies. Like anybody, even his resume can be torn up.

I'd say that Louis and Lewis could be interchangeable with Ali as #1 depending on the criteria that you used. Somebody that valued technical skill and sound boxing might put together an argument for Holmes.

 

Me! Me! Me! JOE FREAKING LOUIS! Number ONE! Yeah! Hahahaha.

 

Cause Ali was larger than life

 

Ali is the more popular pick, but Ali or Louis are perfectly justifiable.

I think it comes mostly down to criteria.

 

Ali should have retired after Kinshasha at 45-2 with no unavenged losses. Nothing he did after that burnished his resume, IMHO, and I am painfully aware of the Thrilla In Manila. All his swan song did is give his detractors something to nitpick. It did show he had immeasurable courage.

 

I just need 1 Word: Competition!

 

You could say that's the reason many, mostly non boxing fans, have him as nr 1 p4p, but his resume certainly makes a good argument for nr 1 HW by itself, nothing more required.

 

Many reason, but 3 in particular:

- He reigned during the HW golden era when the ranks were teeming with ATG and true contenders

- He lost 3 years in his prime FFS and his resume is still second to none!

- As stated he was larger than life inside AND outside the ring.

Everybody knew Ali, not just boxing fansbut also "casuals". Never ever before a boxer has been so well kniown, discussed, admired, criticized, loved, hated, despissed, supported, etc. as Ali was.

Back then I remember everybody in the schoolyard knew who Ali was. Me and my dad will get into heated discussions about how Ali managed to win the RITJ. Heck, my mother was a typical 70s housewife and she was a big Ali fan never missing a bout. When Ali was fighting on TV it was like the Superbowl, the whole town just stopped.

Thus, as good as a boxer JL was, for me it is no contest: Ali is the GOAT

 

Ali did beat a better calibre of opponent if we weigh it all up. Muhammad and Joe are quite justifiably rated numbers 1 & 2 on all time heavyweight lists by a lot of serious boxing fans. I put Ali at number one but I totally understand anyone who plumps for Louis.

 

Ali’s competition was better is the simple answer. They’re both rightfully overall rated 1 and 2. No one else came close as those two to beating the amount of quality guys they did

 

I think within my lifetime, Lennox Lewis will likely be generally ahead of Joe Louis in these lists, and those that put Joe Louis up with Ali will increasingly be looked at the way people that have Jeffries high up in the top 10 are.

 

Not by serious fans, I don't think. Sure, fantasy h2h you can have it any way you want, really, and I understand those that have Lewis high in this regard. He looks good in most departments. But resume wise no one will likely come close to either Ali or Louis in our life time. Jeffries resume is not on that level.