What makes muhammad ali great

Chuck Wepner's gutsy performance in a loss to Ali became Sylvester Stallone's inspiration for the movie "Rocky", which launched a successful movie franchise. Here's a visual breakdown of the list by gender, sport, country and social media following. LeBron James is back in the Finals for the sixth straight time, hoping to end the Cavaliers' title drought, while Stephen Curry and the Warriors seek a repeat after a comeback in the West finals.

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Sting like a bee. I said that even before I knew I was. Impossible is nothing. The Ambassador Ali fought on four continents during his career, beginning his international travels with fights in Europe and visiting Asia and Africa later in his career. The Strategist Ali's wins weren't all the result of power and speed. Illustration by Yann Dolan. Boxing info from CompuBox and BoxRec. NBA Finals preview LeBron James is back in the Finals for the sixth straight time, hoping to end the Cavaliers' title drought, while Stephen Curry and the Warriors seek a repeat after a comeback in the West finals.

Another mark of greatness is the ability to evolve and in Ali's case there were four distinct ages: Olympic champion Ali, the innocent boy with a grin; pre-exile Ali, when his feet were a whir, his hands were a blur and nothing could touch him; post-exile Ali, a thicker, slower version with courage to burn; fading Ali, an empty shell of a man whom none of us wanted to see.

Ali reigned in arguably the most talent-rich era of heavyweight boxing, winning the title from the fearsome Sonny Liston in , winning it again from the even more fearsome George Foreman 10 years later and beating greats such as Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier and Ken Norton in between. Even Ali Marque 4 had enough to win the title for a third time from a youthful Leon Spinks. Ali gave us the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla in Manila and many iconic moments in sport.

But if anyone wants proof that athletic achievement is about more than a win on the record, I suggest they rewind all the way to Ali Marque 2, particularly his fights against Cleveland Williams and Zora Folley. Boxing allows for greater feats of heroism than other sports. Kicking a ball around with opponents trying to kick you and thousands looking on might get the ticker going, but it's hardly on a par with being attacked by a 17st man with wrecking-ball hands.

Like men born at the wrong time and forced into wars, in some respects Ali was an accidental hero. Liston was the most hated heavyweight champion in history and considered almost unbeatable.

People genuinely thought Ali might be killed by Foreman. Ali claimed he almost did die in his third fight against Frazier. But accidental or not, heroism garners great respect. Even those that hated him for his political and religious views - and the fact he refused to be forced into a war he never asked for or agreed with - had to admit: "This black Muslim who talks too much - he sure has got gigantic cojones. I will give him that. Heroism and charisma go hand in hand: with less talent and without the great wins over fearsome men, Ali might have been just another loose-lipped, wise-cracking boxer with a couple of mentions in the history books.

Indeed, Ali would have been like his younger brother, Rahman, a mediocre fighter with little of importance to say and famous only because of his connection to Ali. Which is not to say all sporting greats have charisma: entering a room full of people and inducing silence simply because you are famous is not the same. Take Sir Donald Bradman, without question the greatest cricketer ever, of whom it was once written: "One thing I have noticed is that he can sit still.

Ironically, it was also written of Ali that he was able to sit still: when the cameras were off and the pens were sheathed, he could apparently be a peaceful presence. But other times he was throwing parties for local kids on his front lawn; reciting poetry; baiting opponents; pouring forth on politics and religion.

It wasn't always nice and it didn't always make sense, but it was always irresistible. One of the reasons Ali was charismatic was because he was funny. Genuinely funny, not "presumably this must have been funny back in the day" funny. He also did slapstick. Follow cnnsport. A conversation about Muhammad Ali could go on for hours before even beginning to touch on the sporting legacy he left in the ring. His charisma, charm, quick wit and ability to turn a phrase were just some of the qualities that made him a truly global icon.

He transcended boxing. Read More. It says a lot about him that many sporting icons look up to Ali in much the same way as his hordes of "ordinary" fans. He's an inspiration to all boxers. Pacquiao said Ali's death, at the age of 74, following years of ill health was "a big loss for boxing," but that his legend would live on.

While mourning is inevitable when someone of Ali's stature passes away, it also has served as an opportunity to celebrate his life.

All about Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali's best quotes. Three-time heavyweight champion. Many boxing fans and journalists might tell you Ali isn't the best boxer in history -- that honor often goes to Sugar Ray Robinson. But comparing boxers across different eras and weight classes is a fruitless exercise. More Videos David Haye: Ali too great to be humble His unorthodox style, quick feet and lightning-fast reflexes saw Ali crowned world heavyweight champion an unprecedented three times and won him legions of admirers along the way.

Ali took on all challengers -- even when onlookers didn't give him a chance -- and beat most, recording just five losses over the course of his professional career. Most laughed at the idea of a year-old Ali defeating the fearsome and hard-hitting Sonny Liston, but that's what he did when the fighters met in -- and then again a year later.

But Ali's athletic achievements didn't define him -- they were just part of a package and it was perhaps what he did outside of the ring that turned him into the man we know. Photos: Rumble in the Jungle: More than 40 years later.

Was it the greatest sporting occasion of the 20th century? For many, the world heavyweight championship between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman -- dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle" -- is the most compelling contest of all time. More than 40 years after this legendary bout, which took place in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, , we look back at a night that went down in history.

Foreman arrived in Africa as the undefeated world champion, Ali as the challenger. Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam War had resulted in a ban from boxing and the stripping of his world title, while Foreman had risen to the top of the sport following a gold medal at the Olympic Games. Both Foreman and Ali arrived in Zaire -- now known as Democratic Republic of Congo -- long before the fight to acclimatise to the conditions in Kinshasa.

The fight was staged in Zaire with the aim of boosting tourism in the country, and it was accompanied by a three-day music festival.

Ali's mother, Odessa Lee Clay, tends to her son three days before the fight. The weigh-in for the hotly anticipated bout took place on October 29, Foreman was the favorite for the fight, with Ali's business manager Gene Kilroy concerned about how he could deal with his friend should the worst happen.

How good are the hospitals in Zaire? What would we have to do? A crowd of 60, packed into the 20th of May Stadium to see Ali, renowned for "dancing" across the ring, change his tactics for the fight, a move which ultimately undid the powerful Foreman.

Ali's tactics bamboozled Foreman, who struggled to get on top of the challenger. The decisive blow came in the eighth round.

A flurry of punches ended with a right hand that sent Foreman sprawling to the canvas. Before the fight, Ali had famously claimed to have "handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail," while also saying, poetically, "floats like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see. In the aftermath of the "Rumble in the Jungle," Ali named his price for his next fight.

In , Ali's refusal to be inducted into the U. Initially reviled for his anti-war stance, Ali was branded a traitor but began to gain sympathy during his exile as criticism of the Vietnam War intensified.

Ali famously claimed, "I have no quarrel with the Viet Cong," and by the time his boxing ban was overturned in , most of America didn't either.

Muhammad Ali: Boxing legend and activist. Controversial anti-war stance. Ali was born in in Louisville, Kentucky, during a time of severe racial segregation. The fighting in Vietnam saw young, black men lose their lives and Ali used his position as a prominent figure -- earned through his success in the ring -- to denounce this.

That statement is what makes him stand out from any other sportsman in history.