1. Skill - he had a style all his own: quick left jab, lightning fast combinations, slick movements and great footwork.
2. Athleticism - no other fighter was that fast for his size (6'3", 210) and his speed and reflexes were almost inhuman.
3. Ring savvy - his ring instincts was unequaled.
4. Toughness/fighting heart - would go to the depths, even to the extent of dying, just to win or at least finish a fight on his feet.
5. Competitiveness - would try to win at all cost.
6. Principles - made known his beliefs and fought for it to the extent of losing everything.
7. Generosity - shared his blessings with others.
8. Friendly - with fans and media; never refused an autograph or a photo op.
Still clueless Clueless? LoL -Im gonna try a different answer as these folks have already had outstanding answers.
What made Ali a great boxer?
Ali just like other great people knew when to be born. He's that genius. Try to look at this side of coin. If Ali would of fought in our time and there were only the Klitsko brothers up to the challenge, will he be that great? Ali fought in a time the heavy weight was laden with so much talent and Ali stood tall and proud.
Well for one thing reach is an amazing thing to have in boxing. The person with the longer reach has an advantage which is normally the tallest person. Also Ali was a very strong defensive fighter who moved like no one in his weight class. The main thing that made him standout in his time is he was great outside and inside the ring. Ali was good, but he wasn't the best of his time he just had a lot more publicity. Sugar Ray Robinson is just one of a few boxers ranked higher then Ali.
Several things made Muhammad Ali great.
Inside the ring; Muhammad Ali was great because of his super fast hands [especially his snapping jab], his great footwork and athleticism and his great ability to absorb punches made him great.
Stylistically Muhammad Ali was very flawed, but this made him very awkward to fight.
These things helped him defend the title as heavyweight champion a total of 19 times.
Outside the ring; Muhammad Ali was great because of his outspoken character & his controversial tendencies. Muhammad Ali was a black Muslim during the civil rights movement, this combined with his outspoken character against the establishment made him globally famous like no other athlete EVER.
Name me any athlete who performs between enemy nations? Muhammad Ali, an American superstar who lit the Olympic torch & won USA a gold medal in the Olympics, made exhibitions in Moscow [nothing to do with the Olympics] during the height of the cold war. Ali frekin met high Kremlin officials LOL
A ton of things. He fought AND beat one of the greatest Heavyweight competitions in boxing history. He possess the uncanny abilities of becoming so fundamentally incorrect that he can still get away with it with his speed and perfect balance. Ali was able to regain his professional boxing license after bravely OVERCOMING THE US GOVERNMENT during the draft. He simply THE Greatest Heavyweight boxer of all time and a Top 5 ATG Boxer P4P.
Ali was a revolutionary. He was a heavyweight that fought quick and slick like welterweights do. He had the combination of speed, power and reach. Mentally, he understood it was entertainment and had the commitment (hardwork) and self belief to be great. He also for something bigger than himself...bigger than boxing.
Edit: Also, he had great opponents to measure himself against.
He had a good chin, and was the fastest heavy weight I have ever seen. His speed allowed him to have poor technique when compared to what we considered good form, but it did not matter he could hit you with his hands held at his waist and you could not hit him.
Head movement, flair, hand speed, footwork
what makes him great?!
his rivals... and how they fought.... thrilla in manila is the most legendary.
you can claim to have the best skills, tools, arsenal, defense....but w/o those who puts it to the test.. how will the future b able to talk about it?... specially if you avoids those who can put you to the test and continuuesly picking your opponent til you retire,
His Dad abused him horribly.
What makes any great boxer?
I find it interesting at how tall Ali was yet he could compete with shorter boxers. Also barely ever did he cover up his head and just took the punches if they actually landed.
Why was he so good? What the hell makes him stand out from the rest of boxers in his time?
Was it his footwork etc?
