This week 52 years ago, a young guy from Kentucky staged one of the biggest upsets in boxing history to become World Heavyweight Champion.
From there, Cassius Clay, later to be known as Muhammad Ali, went on to become one of the most prolific sports stars in history.
Known as The Greatest, Ali is still regarded today as one of the best heavyweights in the history of sport, but is he the GREATEST?
I've had some great debates about this over the years, and whilst its hard to compare apples with oranges, there's a few other sporting greats that equally deserve to be held in the same esteem as Ali.
DON BRADMAN
The greatest batesmen in the history of world cricket - hands down. No one will ever eclipse his batting average of 99.94. Like Ali he spent 20 years at the top of his game and drew respect from around the world. If his sporting record is not better than Ali's, it's every bit as good
MICHAEL JORDAN
The most recognisable sportsperson of the 1990's, Jordan was a global brand, and in part, that's what gets him a mention here. Whilst his resume of a 6 time NBA Champion and Finals MVP is very impressive, it was what he did for the sport that turned him into international superstar. He was great at his sport and he made his sport great
JACK NICKLAUS
Whilst Tiger came close, its the record and longevity of Jack that's impossible to ignore. 18 Majors and 19 runners up over a 25 year period. In an era shared with greats like Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus shone through and inspired many to take up a round of golf.
ROGER FEDERER
Again, Rod Laver could easily make the cut here but it's hard to argue against the greatest player of the modern era. Here's a guy who spent 302 weeks as the World No 1, has won Olympic Gold and has done more to promote the game of tennis than most. He's raised millions of dollars in charity including the Rally For Relief that helped to raise 1.8 million dollars for victims of the 2011 Queensland Floods.
I'm sure there's plenty of others worthy of a mention. Who do you think deserves similar recognition?
