The Story
“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”
Sonny Liston was the most feared fighter of his time, considered unbeatable -- until Ali defeated him and claimed the championship crown.
Ken Norton was a relentless powerhouse who broke Ali’s jaw in a one fight and seemed destined for the world title – until Ali derailed him, beating him at both the LA Forum and Yankee Stadium.
A list of the athletes Ali defeated looks like an all-star roster in boxing history – Sonny Liston, Archie Moore, Henry Cooper, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, Earnie Shavers.
But it isn’t just his athletic ability that makes Ali the Greatest of All Time. He’s been a crusader for peace and social justice. He’s worked as a United Nations Messenger of Peace on international diplomatic visits, and been awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.
And then there is his wit. “I’ve seen George Foreman shadowboxing and the shadow won…Frazier is so ugly he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wildlife…[of Floyd Patterson] I beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.”
Athlete, humanitarian, comic genius. Muhammad Ali has a personality demanding to be represented in at least 3 dimensions.
