George Foreman Names The Only 3 Heavyweights Better Than Muhammad Ali

For many boxing lovers, Muhammad Ali was the best to ever do it, but not in the mind of his former opponent George Foreman.

Ali was famously nicknamed ‘The Greatest’ and was the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1974 to 1978 while also holding the WBA and Ring belts later in his career.

He was as much talked about out of the ring as in it, not least for his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War, and had famous battles with fellow greats like Foreman at the epic Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire in 1974, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton.

However, when Foreman – who holds the record for being the oldest ever heavyweight world champion aged 45 – listed his own Top 10 heavyweights, Ali only came in fourth, though with plenty of praise.

“Put him down as the GREATEST MAN to ever box, and a hero bigger than boxing. Once Ali lost his speed, it only showed that he’d never developed a great defence.”

The first black world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, again a trailblazer outside the ropes, was third.

“A big brave cat, because he’d do whatever he wanted and get out of the way.”

Rocky Marciano – the hard-hitting heavyweight champion who famously retired undefeated after 49 bouts – was second.

“Just look at Rocky Marciano’s record. Nobody beat him. You can’t take that from him.”

And Joe Louis, with 25 world title defences and a 12-year reign as champion, got the top spot.

“No one is even close. Joe Louis was in a class by himself.”

Right now it is Oleksandr Usyk who sits at the top of the heavyweight division. He is yet to lose a professional fight having been undisputed cruiserweight king in 2018, then undisputed in the banner division in May with his victory over Tyson Fury.