Joe Calzaghe Names Muhammad Ali Greatest Ever

Unbeaten former champion points to Ali’s record and influence as the standard that still stands above the rest

Joe Calzaghe (46-0) has named Muhammad Ali as the greatest fighter in boxing history without hesitation. The unbeaten former champion pointed to Ali’s record and global impact as the benchmark that still hasn’t been matched.

The former super middleweight champion, who retired unbeaten at 46-0, pointed to Muhammad Ali as the clear greatest of all time in past comments.

Calzaghe built his own legacy across two divisions, holding the WBO title for more than a decade before unifying the 168-pound belts and closing his career with wins over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Even with that record, Joe Calzaghe didn’t hesitate when asked to name the best ever.

“In 1,000 years’ time, people will look back and say he was the greatest. He is the greatest boxing and greatest sporting icon of all time,” said Calzaghe to the BBC Sport about Muhammad Ali. “He was my inspiration, I tried to copy some of his moves as soon as I started boxing at the age of 10 or 11.

“Boxing is the hardest sport in the world, and in a time when he was champion, it wasn’t a great sport; it was on a bit of a downward spiral, but he transcended the sport with his personality and style.

“People loved him; he was someone completely different, he backed it up in the ring, and everybody wanted to tune in and watch him fight.”

When Calzaghe talks about Ali “transcending the sport,” he’s hitting on the fact that Ali’s greatness wasn’t just about the 56 wins; it was about the cultural weight he carried.

Calzaghe’s perspective is particularly interesting because of his own style. Joe was a high-volume, rhythmic slap-and-move specialist who relied on conditioning and speed, traits he clearly pulled from the Ali blueprint.

Ali’s record, influence, and global profile continue to set the benchmark, and for Calzaghe, there’s no serious argument to be made against him.

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