Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing is widely regarded by many boxing commentators and historians as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Boxing magazine The Ring named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras.^[3]

In 1999, The Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century.^[4] In 1999, Ali was named the second greatest boxer in history, pound for pound, by ESPN; behind only welterweight and middleweight legend Sugar Ray Robinson.^[5] In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis.^[6] He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.^[7]

Early career – Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing

Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing Clay made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, winning a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker. From then until the end of 1963, Clay amassed a record of 19–0 with 15 wins by knockout. He defeated boxers including Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, LaMar Clark, Doug Jones and Henry Cooper. Clay also beat his former trainer and veteran boxer Archie Moore in a 1962 match.^[8][9]

These early fights were not without trials. Clay was knocked down by both Sonny Banks and Cooper. In the Cooper fight, Clay was floored by a left hook at the end of round four, and was groggy when he got up at the count of three. However, the round had ended by the time he rose, and he recovered between rounds, going on to win in the predicted 5th round due to Cooper’s severely cut eye. The fight with Doug Jones on March 13, 1963, was Clay’s toughest fight during this stretch.

The number two and three heavyweight contenders respectively, Clay and Jones fought on Jones’ home turf at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Jones staggered Clay in the first round, and the unanimous decision for Clay was greeted by boos and a rain of debris thrown into the ring. Watching on closed-circuit TV, heavyweight champ Sonny Liston quipped that if he fought Clay he might get locked up for murder. The fight was later named “Fight of the Year” by The Ring magazine.^[10]

World heavyweight champion – Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing

Fights against Liston – Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing

Main article: Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing vs. Sonny Liston

Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing By late 1963, Clay had become the top contender for Sonny Liston’s title. The fight was set for February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach. Liston was an intimidating personality, a dominating fighter with a criminal past and ties to the mob.

Based on Clay’s uninspired performance against Jones and Cooper in his previous two fights, and Liston’s destruction of former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson in two first-round knock outs, Clay was a 7–1 underdog. Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight buildup, dubbing him “the big ugly bear”, stating “Liston even smells like a bear” and claiming “After I beat him I’m going to donate him to the zoo.”^[16]

Clay turned the pre-fight weigh-in into a circus, shouting at Liston that “someone is going to die at ringside tonight.” Clay’s pulse rate was measured at 120, more than double his normal 54.^[17] Many of those in attendance thought Clay’s behavior stemmed from fear, and some commentators wondered if he would show up for the bout.

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