10 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Really Was The Greatest

The next few years would see Ali at his imperious best, regardless of the controversy that constantly circled him.

First came a defense against Liston that would soon become infamous. Ali, never known for his single-punch power, dropped Liston – possessed of a sturdy chin – in the first round with a right hand, the ‘phantom punch’ of lore, and the fight was called off moments later; we will never know, definitively, what really occurred that night.

But Ali was definitively, unquestionably supreme in the couple of years that followed, besting the likes of Floyd Patterson, Henry Cooper, Cleveland Williams and Ernie Terrell with consummate ease. The latter two fights in particular stood out, though for different reasons.

Williams was a fearsome hitter, but he was utterly bamboozled by flurries of remarkable velocity and precision from Ali. It was the best of Ali, and the worst followed in his next defense.

Terrell had refused to call Ali anything other than Clay, and the champion insisted his opponent would pay for his impudence. That Terrell did, as Ali pummelled him over fifteen cruelly drawn-out rounds, whirlwinds of punches frequently punctuated by Ali indignantly shouting “What’s my name?” over and over again.

Ali circa 1965-67 was as fine a boxer as ever graced the heavyweight division. On 22 March 1967, Ali defeated Zora Folley over eight lopsided rounds. It was to be his last bout for three and a half years; Ali’s greatest challenge to date was nearly upon him.