Evander Holyfield also measured himself against Ali’s legacy. “To be like Ali, I had to be the best,” he said, referencing his own run of success. Even then, he made it clear where Ali stood. “Ali was the best.”
Ali himself was open about the opponents who troubled him the most.
George Foreman stood out because of his power. Ali called him a “monster” going into their fight in Africa and admitted to his corner that if he was knocked down, he might not get up.
Sonny Liston brought a different kind of fear. Ali, then still Cassius Clay, used loud talk before the fight to mask it. He later admitted he had nightmares before facing Liston.
Joe Frazier pushed him harder than anyone. “Fighting Joe was like fighting a machine,” Ali said. After the Thrilla in Manila, he told his corner it was the closest he had come to death.
Ken Norton gave him three difficult fights, including a broken jaw in their first meeting. “Fighting Norton took years out of my career,” Ali said.
Larry Holmes was the one he didn’t want to face. Holmes had been his sparring partner and knew his style. “I taught him how to fight,” Ali said. “Now he’s going to destroy me.” By the time they fought, Ali was past his best, and Holmes struggled with what he was doing in the ring.
Ali later admitted he wasn’t the same fighter. “I was old,” he said, knowing the result would show it.
The respect between fighters ran both ways. Even in defeat, Ali’s opponents often spoke about him with a different tone than anyone else they faced.
