Top 20 Sportsmen of All Time

Everyone of those top sportsmen list type programmes on tele always put Mohammed Ali top of the list. I watched the 2 fights he had with Joe Frazier and in both he looked second best. He once knocked Frazier down. He also tried to show off and while he was good it was ineffective. In the trilla in Manila the fight was stopped by Frazier's corner even though Ali was in a worse off state and even collapsed after the fight. The fact that Frazier fought even though he was blind in one eye makes him the better boxer to me. He had a head like a rock, you could break 2x4's across it. He also had one hell of a punch.

True a tough nut but he didn't have Ali's swagger and style out of the ring as well as in it. Think of it he turned a nation in Africa against Foreman or Frazer making out that they were trying to be white people and so on.
Ali was the complete showman and also the only man or at least the first man to win the world heavyweight title back 2 times ( 3 in total) in an era when there was fighters.

Frazier beat Ali , Ali beat Foreman and Foreman beat Frazier.

I think they were all good in their day in what was the golden age of boxing along with the 90's. To me the Heavyweight title is the only boxing title worth having as they are the true champion. How would Mayweather fair against klitschko? I don't think the stars are around anymore to make the Heavyweight title popular again.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Marion Jones
Lance Armstrong
Michelle Smyth
Dwain Chambers
Stephen Roche
Maradona
Ben Johnson
Barry Bonds
Marco Pantani
Lassie Viren
Florence Griffith-Joiner
Adrian Mutu
Linford Christie
Ronnie O’Sullivan
CJ Hunter
Martina Hingis
Rene Higuita
Michael Phelps
Edgar Davids
Greg Rusedski

You wouldn't want to try and get that lot through customs!

6inarow wrote:
You wouldn't want to try and get that lot through customs!

But imagine what a team they'd make .... I mean the sheer chemistry!

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

6inarow wrote:
You wouldn't want to try and get that lot through customs!

But imagine what a team they'd make .... I mean the sheer chemistry!

They would want to cool it a bit though, they are a bit too pumped up for my liking.

Was at this event at Sydney 2000 and was lucky enough to meet the great man after. Fantastic fella altogether!!!

Come on Loyal, Joe Namath? He'd do well to make the top 20 quarterbacks of all-time!

Mine would be...

1. Jim Thorpe (Athletics/American Football/Baseball)
2. Carl Lewis (Athletics)
3. Diego Maradona (Soccer)
4. Tiger Woods (Golf)
5. Michael Phelps (Swimming)
6. Sugar Ray Robinson (Boxing)
7. Michael Jordan (Basketball)
8. Eddie Merckx (Cycling)
9. Paavo Nurmi (Athletics)
10. Mohammed Ali (Boxing)
11. Haile Gebreselassie (Athletics)
12. Roger Federer (Tennis)
13. Kjetil Andre Aamodt (Skiing)
14. Jessie Owens (Athletics)
15. Babe Ruth (Baseball)
16. Wayne Gretzky (Ice Hockey)
17. Lester Piggott (Horse-racing)
18. Jack Nicklaus (Golf)
19. Johnny Weismuller (Swimming)
20. Juan Manuel Fangio (Motor-racing)

JimWexford Yesterday at 6:34 pm
Who was the first irish black man to play at wembly? don't see him on any of your list.
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Yes indeed Jim, Phil Lynott just missed my Top 20.

These are my top fifteen – all great role models, which I consider important.

Eddie Keher - artist
Brian Mullins – proved himself over two careers
Pele - genius
Sugar Ray Leonard – most stylish of them all
Tiger Woods – simply the best
Michael Johnson – class on and off track
Ruby Walsh – can’t recall seeing better
Brian O’Driscoll – all-time legend
Mick Kinane – for consistency
Roger Federer – has it all
Michael Jordan – unparalleled
Eddie Macken – did it all.
Sean Kelly – man of steel
Sergei Bubka – great athelete
Ian Botham – awesome all rounder

Jayo Cluxton wrote:These are my top fifteen – all great role models, which I consider important.

Eddie Keher - artist
Brian Mullins – proved himself over two careers
Pele - genius
Sugar Ray Leonard – most stylish of them all
Tiger Woods – simply the best
Michael Johnson – class on and off track
Ruby Walsh – can’t recall seeing better
Brian O’Driscoll – all-time legend
Mick Kinane – for consistency
Roger Federer – has it all
Michael Jordan – unparalleled
Eddie Macken – did it all.
Sean Kelly – man of steel
Sergei Bubka – great athelete
Ian Botham – awesome all rounder

Yeah Brian Mullins was Sugar Ray's role model.

Joe Frazier did OK against Ali although I thought he lost all three fights.

However, Joe was DESTROYED by George Foreman, down 7 times in three rounds.

So Joe may be brave and admirable, but a long way down the list for "great" heavyweights.

patrique wrote:
So Joe may be brave and admirable, but a long way down the list for "great" heavyweights.

I'd agree with that. At his best (the first Ali fight in Madison Sqaure Garden), Frasier would have been a handful for anyone, but I don't think he can be remembered as one of the greatest ever. Certainly in the top 12, maybe top 10, but no higher.

It is also a mistake to just assess the '70s version of Ali, as he was actually past his prime by then. The Ali before his 3 year ban was on a different level to just about everyone else, with the arguable exception of Joe Louis.

Or the immortal Jack Johnston, who many claim to be "the greatest".

And in the 1970s Ali was a different fighter, flat footed, hit harder but also easier to hit.

Ali was the bravest fighter I ever saw, and had the best chin I ever saw, a fact many forget.

I think it was sheer pride that kept him going in many a fight.

patrique wrote:Or the immortal Jack Johnston, who many claim to be "the greatest".

And in the 1970s Ali was a different fighter, flat footed, hit harder but also easier to hit.

Ali was the bravest fighter I ever saw, and had the best chin I ever saw, a fact many forget.

I think it was sheer pride that kept him going in many a fight.

Aye proud as anything - as his Olympic medal incident proves. And the 'ability' to keep getting hit is why he is where he is - unfortunately.....

Yes indeed, Ali's bravery and his phenomenal chin led, in no small part, to the problems that he has suffered from in the last 25 years. His best rememberred fights (Frasier, Foreman, Norton) are remberred because they were great battles, whereas it is hard to imagine the Ali of the 60's taking so much punishment from any of those men.

Jack Johnson was a great fighter (any black man who held a world title in those times was). From what I have seen or read, I wouldn't rate him as highly as Louis or Ali, but he was a powerful and very skilled fighter, and alongside Dempsey and, possibly, Foreman or Sonny Liston, at a level just below Louis & Ali.