One of the all-time greats, and certainly “The Greatest” of his era. RIP.
I didn’t agree with his politics, but I respected him. I’m sad.
Just as far as his boxing abilities are concerned, he had incredible hand speed, reflexes, accuracy, and athletic ability in general. He also had an enormous heart and a granite chin (which might’ve contributed to his health problems later on).
On the downside, his defense was very shaky, at best — he relied on his reflexes and rather than on sound technique. That fact might’ve gotten him in big trouble against heavyweight greats like Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and even a prima Mike Tyson or Larry Holmes. Unfortunately, we’ll never know. A round-robin tourney that included the top dozen or so heavyweights of all time would be most entertaining.