Muhammad Ali once revealed the greatest opponent that he shared the ring with during his storied career.
Known more commonly by his moniker ‘The Greatest’, Ali is widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest fighter to have ever laced up the gloves.
He would go on to become a three-time world heavyweight champion during his 21-year tenure, racking up victories over the likes of Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and ‘Big George’ Foreman amongst many others.
His 1974 showdown with Foreman, which was dubbed as ‘The Rumble In The Jungle’ is often regarded as being one of the most memorable moments in the sport’s history by fans and analysts around the world.
Another man that had no less than three memorable encounter with Ali is ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier, who actually handed ‘The Greatest’ the first defeat of his career back in 1971.
Speaking in an interview after their third and final clash, Ali paid homage to his fellow countryman as he claimed ‘Smokin Joe’ was the best opponent he had faced.
“That was the closest thing to dying that I know. Why would I want to go back and see Hell? He’s the greatest fighter of all times next to me.”
After he was beaten by Frazier in their memorable first battle. Ali would go on to get his revenge in their second and third bouts in 1974 and 1975 respectively, defending his undisputed heavyweight championship against him when they met in their trilogy bout in the Philippines, putting an end to one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
