Who is the greatest athlete in history? My top 3 picks are Muhammad Ali and...

[Billo_Really]

Muhammed Ali has one of the greatest quotes I've ever heard...

"A great man knows his faults; my only fault is, I don't know how truly great I am!"​

 

[rightwinger]

Carnera was beaten by Max Baer
It was in Cinderella Man

It was the Joe Louis fight I was thinking of. Carnera shot off his big mouth and Louis made him pay.

I think Joe’ s quote was......The bigger they are, the harder they fall

 

[Papageorgio]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

 

[Polishprince]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

 

[rightwinger]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

 

[Unkotare]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

 

[rightwinger]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Mayweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Mayweather doesn’t have a resume like that

 

[Polishprince]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Meriweather doesn’t have a resume like that

Floyd fought the people who were available for him to fight and beat them all. He masterful destruction of the Big Show, the World's Largest Athlete, was remarkable

 

[shockedcanadian]

Impossible to say without knowing the criteria. For me, I would suggest dominance in their sports and the ability to succeed at high levels at different sports or athletic situations. And dominance against tough and constant competition.

I think of Bo Jackson and Michael Phelps right off the top of my head. Also, a little known Russian (since I used to wrestle at a high level in high school) named Alexander Karelin was dominant at the highest levels and toughest competition. If you consider the strength, balance, power, tenacity and really every human athletic quality needed, wrestlers need to be in the conversation. Do this research on this guy, he's the real life Rocky running in the snow during training. He wrestled 889 times in his career and lost only twice!!

As I do some research now after trying to spell his name correctly, sadly, he is political in Russia, might even be close to Putin when he entered politics. That should not be a consideration. I grudgingly have immense respect for his talent and athletic prowess.

I have a special place in my heart and appreciation for wrestling, since, it's a close feeling as to a "fight or flight situation" and in all the sports I've played, and done fairly well at (including team sports), I feel roman greco wrestling is the most taxing and "raw" in terms of athletic ability needed. Plus, like some of these others, it's an individual sport. I was not surprised to see former wrestlers do well in MMA and other sports for instance.

Usain Bolt also has to be mentioned and he's even trying soccer now and his dominance at a sport where even a slight miscalculation or flinch can cost you a gold, it's truly amazing he dominated for so long.

It's probably some decathalon athlete, but I don't know much about the sport to say.

P.S Oh, not sure if anyone mentioned, but Carl Lewis deserves mention for h

 

[rightwinger]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Meriweather doesn’t have a resume like that

Floyd fought the people who were available for him to fight and beat them all. He masterful destruction of the Big Show, the World's Largest Athlete, was remarkable

So did Larry Holmes

But part of being the GOAT is winning against an “unbeatable foe”
Ali did it against Liston, Frazier and Foreman
Leonard beat Hearns, Duran and Hagler

My biggest memory of Mayweather is that he ducked Pacqaio in his prime and finally faced him when he was washed up

 

[rightwinger]

Impossible to say without knowing the criteria. For me, I would suggest dominance in their sports and the ability to succeed at high levels at different sports or athletic situations. And dominance against tough and constant competition.

I think of Bo Jackson and Michael Phelps right off the top of my head. Also, a little known Russian (since I used to wrestle at a high level in high school) named Alexander Karelin was dominant at the highest levels and toughest competition.

I have a special place in my heart and appreciation for wrestling, since, it's a close feeling as to a "fight or flight situation" and in all the sports I've played, and done fairly well at (including team sports), I feel roman greco wrestling is the most taxing and "raw" in terms of athletic ability needed. Plus, like some of these others, it's an individual sport. I was not surprised to see former wrestlers do well in MMA and other sports for instance.

Usain Bolt also has to be mentioned and he's even trying soccer now and his dominance at a sport where even a slight miscalculation or flinch can cost you a gold, it's truly amazing he dominated for so long.

It's probably some decathalon athlete, but I don't know much about the sport to say.

I think Decathletes are overrated. They do ten events and are not particularly great in any of them
They call it grueling but I did one in HS and it was anything but grueling

Look at someone like Carl Lewis who WON events like the 100 meters, 200 meters and Long Jump and set world records

 

[DGS49]

UNK! For the First Time, I actually AGREE with you (about Ray Leonard)!!!

 

[toobfreak]

Don't forget Roberto Clemente.

 

[rightwinger]

UNK! For the First Time, I actually AGREE with you (about Ray Leonard)!!!

Floyd Mayweathers father actually fought Sugar Ray Leonard

 

[Unkotare]

Jordan, Ruth, Ali, they all changed their sport.

Floyd Meriweather was in the top ten of his sport and as a human being he was a complete failure.

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Meriweather doesn’t have a resume like that

Floyd fought the people who were available for him to fight and beat them all. ...

Including his girlfriend. He’s a fucking punk.

 

[Polishprince]

Meriweather's boxer vs. wrestler match against the Big Show was a lot better of a fight than Ali vs. Inoki back in the 1970's.

As far as an entertainer Meriweather is just lot better IMHO.

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Meriweather doesn’t have a resume like that

Floyd fought the people who were available for him to fight and beat them all. ...

Including his girlfriend. He’s a fucking punk.

I know he has been convicted of domestic violence, but how bad could it have been? He was never expelled from the World Boxing Association or the World Boxing Council or stripped of his titles for his alleged crimes. These august organizations would have refused to sanction his matches if he was truly offensive. The NFL has thrown people out for this kind of thing.

 

[rightwinger]

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Meriweather doesn’t have a resume like that

Floyd fought the people who were available for him to fight and beat them all. ...

Including his girlfriend. He’s a fucking punk.

I know he has been convicted of domestic violence, but how bad could it have been? He was never expelled from the World Boxing Association or the World Boxing Council or stripped of his titles for his alleged crimes. These august organizations would have refused to sanction his matches if he was truly offensive. The NFL has thrown people out for this kind of thing.

You don’t know Boxing

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

I think Decathletes are overrated. They do ten events and are not particularly great in any of them
They call it grueling but I did one in HS and it was anything but grueling

Look at someone like Carl Lewis who WON events like the 100 meters, 200 meters and Long Jump and set world records

Yes. Look at Carl Lewis. Lewis: 'Who cares I failed drug test?'

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

I may have to reconsider my choice of Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain and Bobby Hull and replace Chamberlain with Bo Jackson.

 

[Papageorgio]

Sugar Ray Leonard was more entertaining

Leonard was a talented boxer, but he wasn’t a fighter.

Took out Duran, Hearns and Haggler
No Mas!

Meriweather doesn’t have a resume like that

Floyd fought the people who were available for him to fight and beat them all. ...

Including his girlfriend. He’s a fucking punk.

I know he has been convicted of domestic violence, but how bad could it have been? He was never expelled from the World Boxing Association or the World Boxing Council or stripped of his titles for his alleged crimes. These august organizations would have refused to sanction his matches if he was truly offensive. The NFL has thrown people out for this kind of thing.

How bad could it have been? Ask the women who he has beat the shit out of, he has beat women for several years. There is no one central boxing organization, so he wouldn’t be banned nor will it be and if money is involved they would be sanctioned.

It has only been the last few years that the NFL started banning players for a few games, nothing long term. No player has been banned permanently by the NFL.

As far as a boxer, not one list I looked at, rates Mayweather over Ali, Louis, Marciano, Tyson or Sugar Ray Robinson. Pretty much a scum of a human who was lucky most of his opponents were women.