Was Muhammed Ali really greatest of all time?
Ali fought lots of bums, and struggled with some of them, like Leon Spinks, Evangelista, and Jimmy Young. He received gift decisions in his two “wins” against Norton, and was lucky not to be credited with losses in all 3 fights. Historians like to point to his victories over Liston and Foreman while neglecting to acknowledge that both Liston fights ended under very suspect circumstances, and given a competent ref, he would have been disqualified against Foreman for excessive holding behind the head ( I counted 26 times in one round before giving up in disgust). He was a slapper, and got away with a lot of bending of the rules because the refs were just as delusioned by the “Ali mystique” as the left wing media was. What he was, however, was a master showman with a big mouth, fast hands, and a good chin. He was a great entertainer to some, and a total jerk to others. He deserves a spot in the top ten heavyweights of all time, but I’m not sure if he belongs in the top five.
