Boxing’s Greats of the States | Kentucky: Muhammad Ali

Boxers come from every corner of the globe. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring styles prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best boxer of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it. For example, heavyweight legend Joe Louis was born in Alabama, but he is identified almost universally with Detroit. ***
It was the easiest debate that could have been undertaken in the “Greats of the States” series. In fact, there really was no debate. When it comes to Kentucky, one man owns the boxing discussion. Muhammad Ali is not only the most accomplished fighter to ever emerge from “The Bluegrass State,” but he is considered by many historians to be the greatest boxer of all-time.

Ali did it all in the ring and for years dominated the heavyweights. No one could keep up with his blinding speed as a young Cassius Clay, and when he returned from his forced exile after changing his name, his cunning and fighting ability allowed him to carve out a career virtually nobody can rival.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, on Jan. 17, 1942, Ali took on the best of the best from his era and beat them all, from Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and George Foreman to Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Jerry Quarry. He ruled the heavyweight division when it was at its peak, during a golden age of boxing that likely will never be matched. Ali retired following a unanimous decision loss to Trevor Berbick in 1981, finishing with a career record of 56-5.

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