“Yeah, he was called the greatest, but he’s not quite the greatest on this list,” Atlas said on his channel of Ali. “He’s damn close. But he was great. He was special. He was a pioneer. He was part of history. He did as much outside the game as he did inside the ring.”
Atlas credited Ali’s unmatched speed, his return from a three-and-a-half-year exile and his ability to regain the heavyweight championship after losing much of his athletic prime. He described the first half of Ali’s career as a showcase of extraordinary skill and the second as a testament to his determination.
For Atlas, however, Louis’ resume ultimately carried greater weight.
He called Louis the greatest finisher in heavyweight history, praising his balance, precision and ability to close the show whenever an opponent was hurt. Atlas also pointed to the historical importance of Louis’ first-round destruction of Schmeling on June 22, 1938, months before the outbreak of World War II.
“This man don’t only have to fight a guy who already beat him, he’s got to defend the world,” Atlas said. “The whole world was weighing on the shoulders of Joe Louis. He annihilated Max Schmeling.”
Atlas argued that no heavyweight has ever entered a fight under greater pressure than Louis, with the bout taking on enormous political significance as Nazi Germany promoted Schmeling as a symbol of its claimed racial superiority. Louis answered with one of the most decisive victories in boxing history, stopping Schmeling in just 2:04 of the opening round.
Atlas’ top five heavyweights are Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, Rocky Marciano and George Foreman. He also left an open spot on his list for Oleksandr Usyk, saying the Ukrainian has already earned a place among the all-time greats but should complete his career before being ranked.
