According to many, Muhammad Ali will go down as the greatest heavyweight, if not fighter, of all time.
Ali was a three-time heavyweight champion and was the undisputed ruler from 1974 to 1978. He faced the likes of Joe Frazier, Sonny Listen, and George Foreman during his 61 fight career.
His fight against Foreman, billed as ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’, is perhaps the most legendary night in all of boxing. Going into the contest as the heavy underdog, Ali showed off his famous rope-a-dope tactic until ‘Big George’ tired himself out and was stopped in the eighth round.
In his penultimate fight before hanging up the gloves Ali faced former sparring partner turned champion Larry Holmes. With Ali well past his best and, it was later revealed, medically unfit to fight, Holmes dominated from the opening bell and became the only man to stop the people’s champion from Louisville when he retired at the end of the tenth round.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Holmes believes his heavyweight record is second to none and that he, not Ali, should be considered the greatest of all time.
“Everyone said I was just a copy of Muhammad Ali, just because I idolised they guy, he hit, boxed, moved around and looked good, I like his style, I copied some of his styles, his jabs and moves and whatnot and I bettered it.
I don’t get the recognition that I should get, like a Mike Tyson. Hey listen, I had 20 title defences, Mike Tyson had three or four and lost, I was champion for seven and a half years, he was champion for seven months, they don’t want to recognise me. Ali don’t have the fight record that I have with defending the title, he didn’t hold his title for seven and a half years. Why can’t I fit in that box, why does Muhammad Ali have to be the greatest, he can say he’s the greatest, you can say he’s the greatest, but I know different, I’m the greatest.”
Aside from Ali, Holmes beat the likes of Gerry Cooney, Trevor Berbick, Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton during an incredible 75 fight career.
