It is fully two decades since Muhammad Ali’s movable feast, at least the one which served up large portions of violence, came to a halt in a thoroughly depressing affair in Nassau. Yet the memories of what Ali did as a fighter are etched far too deeply to ever fade and, even though his presence on the world remains vivid, two decades is perspective enough to allow us to attempt to answer the question asked by his own nickname: Was Muhammad Ali truly the Greatest?
While the exponents of Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep, Benny Leonard and a few others do disagree, for the majority of fight followers the question of the foremost fighting man in history is a straight choice between quicksilvers Ali and his mentor Sugar Ray Robinson.
In the second In This Corner Patrick Kehoe argues that, if in-ring achievements alone are considered the former welterweight and five-time middleweight champion was greater than the Greatest, then Anthony Evans takes up the counterpoint. After reading both sides of this continual and historical disagreement, SecondsOut again invites readers to speak up on one of boxing’s most ageless arguments: Click here for their arguments >>
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