Muhammad Ali is known for many amazing elements of his game, as plenty of boxing fans would label him the greatest of all time.
One of the things ‘The Greatest’ was best known for was his slick and evasive footwork as a heavyweight.
Unlike other fighters in his division, Ali was far more than just a big puncher. Bringing unique approaches to his fights, this is just one of the ways in which the legend changed the game.
However, despite having his skillful footwork, legendary coach Teddy Atlas feels there is one fighter who bests Ali in this sense.
Oleksandr Usyk, Floyd Mayweather, and Shakur Stevenson included in all-time footwork list
Speaking on his YouTube channel, The Fight with Teddy Atlas, the former trainer ranked the 10 fighters with the best footwork in boxing.
Although Ali received a high ranking from Atlas, there were plenty of modern greats included in the top 10 list from the coach.
Active fighters Oleksandr Usyk, who recently defeated Daniel Dubois, and Shakur Stevenson kicked off the list in the 10th and ninth spots, respectively.
Former unified bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (23-3) was given the number eight spot. The Cuban fighter won two Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004, and retired as a professional in 2024.
Jersey Joe Walcott was placed at number seven in the list. The former heavyweight champion faced the likes of unbeaten Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis in his career, before retiring in 1953 with a 49-21-1 record.
Floyd Mayweather is another modern great who was included in the list, placing sixth.
The aforementioned Joe Louis had the fifth-best footwork of all time, according to Atlas. The former heavyweight champion had a 66-3 record when he retired in 1951.
Another all-time great was mentioned by Atlas in the list in the shape of Sugar Ray Robinson. Retiring with a 174-19-6 record in 1965, Robinson held titles at both welterweight and middleweight.
Muhammad Ali and Vasiliy Lomachenko miss out on all-time footwork top spot
Ali and Vasiliy Lomachenko are the fighters who were given the number two and three spots respectively.
Recently retired Lomachenko was often compared to a ballerina in the ring, due to his incredible footwork and agility. However, his abilities were not as good as Ali’s and one other fighter according to the coach.
Earning the top spot on Atlas’s list was Willie Pep, who retired in 1966. Pep had a remarkable 241 fights to his name, winning 229 of those bouts.
Pep was known for his elusiveness and is often hailed as one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. Before retiring, the American was able to earn world titles in the featherweight division.