The Greatest of All Time

Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers ever to step into the ring and, in many ways, also one of the most important political figures of the 20th Century.

He was a tremendous fighter, who was absolutely unbelievable when he was young--quick as a cat with skills not normally associated with a Heavyweight. He lost his prime time years as a boxer, too, because he was man enough (and I believe it was because he was a man and NOT a coward) to stand up for what he believed in with the Army and Vietnam.

He could have been a poster child and never done anything but he refused and he has always, to me anyway, been a man of great character who has stood up for people and given a lot of people hope for a brighter future.

His gift for language, his looks, his speed (FAST--like a GREAT middleweight) were incredible. Ali was an artist in the ring--not some big killing machine like Liston but a brilliant fighter who could adapt and box however he needed to in order to win.

His stuff with Cosell, his poetry, the Ali Shuffle. I love Leonard and I loved Hagler as a pure fighter and there are many fantastic fighters but I am old enough to have watched him when he was young and there is nobody like him.

I believe he is bigger than boxing, but judged only as a fighter he is one of the very best. Ever.

To me, he is the GREATEST of all time.