Muhammad Ali is not the greatest fighter who ever lived, but he?s by far the most famous and had the largest impact upon the world.
In honor of his 70th birthday Tuesday, here is my choice of the Top 10 moments from Ali?s illustrious career. I?m only choosing in-the-ring events, since his out-of-ring life could be worthy of a list, as well.
10. Win over Cleveland Williams on Nov. 14, 1966 ? Ali was two months shy of his 25th birthday when he stopped the veteran Williams in the third round in the Astrodome. Williams was a quality fighter with a 65-5-1 record, but this fight may have been Ali at his absolute peak. He was lightning fast, exceptionally accurate and his punches had significant impact.
9. Getting knocked down by Henry Cooper on June 18, 1963 ? Cooper floored Ali in the fourth round with a left hook. It was the first time in his young pro career he had faced adversity. Ali got up and then stopped Cooper in the following round, proving his mettle to all who questioned him.
8. Win over Jerry Quarry on Oct. 26, 1970 ? Quarry was one of the elite heavyweights of his day and would likely have won a championship had he come around at a time when there weren?t guys like Ali and Joe Frazier around. Ali faced Quarry in his first fight back after being refused induction into the military service and put on a spectacular performance that signaled he was, for certain, back in the hunt.
7. Knockout of Sonny Liston in rematch, May 25, 1965 ? Ali won by first-round knockout with the phantom punch that many to this day insist still didn?t land. Whatever, it marked the end of Liston as a serious contender.
6. Loss to Larry Holmes, Oct. 2, 1980 ? Anyone who saw it cringed at the site of an aged Ali unable to move and unable to compete against Holmes, an elite fighter in his prime. Several times, Holmes turned to referee Richard Greene and pleaded with him to stop the fight. When Greene didn?t, Holmes turned back to battering Ali in what was the saddest bout of his career.
5. Loses heavyweight title to Leon Spinks, Feb. 15, 1978 ? Spinks was a 1976 Olympic gold medalist, but he came into the fight with just a 6-0-1 record. He simply outworked Ali and won the title in one of the most significant upsets in boxing history.
4. Stops Liston to win heavyweight title, Feb. 25, 1964 ? Ali was a massive underdog and his behavior the week of the fight caused many to think he?d lost his mind. But Ali thoroughly outboxed Liston and, even when he got liniment in his eye and was unable to see for a round, he moved expertly around the ring and didn?t get hit. It was one of the most brilliant performances of his career against a man who, at the time, was every bit as feared as Mike Tyson was in his prime.
[Photos: Muhammad Ali through the years]
3. Stops Frazier after 14 rounds, Oct. 1, 1975 ? The Thrilla in Manila was simply one of the greatest fights in boxing history and, arguably, the greatest heavyweight fight ever. Ali may not have made it through the 15th round had Frazier trainer Eddie Futch not stopped it after the 14th.
2. Loss to Frazier, March 8, 1971 ? The most famous bout in boxing history pitted two undefeated men in their prime for the heavyweight title. Frazier outworked Ali in a classic bout and punctuated his win by dropping his rival in the 15th round with the most famous left hook ever.
1. Knocks out George Foreman to win heavyweight title, Oct. 30, 1974 ? Foreman was 40-0 with 37 knockouts and was establishing himself as the hardest puncher ever. He won the title by stopping Frazier in the second round, then defended it with a first-round knockout of Jose ?King? Roman and a second-round stoppage of Ken Norton. Ali came up with the ?Rope-a-Dope? strategy to lay on the ropes and let Foreman punch himself out. A major underdog, Ali?s plan worked to perfection and he knocked out a tiring Foreman in the eighth to become only the second man ever to regain the belt.
