Greatest athlete ever - Choose one.

[GonzoStyle]

I would have to say Ali, maybe because I love boxing more than any other sport. But no one man in my opinion did more for a sport, and more for atheletes in other sports than Ali. The only person who comes close is babe ruth, I agree with galt though, while ruths skill was enormous, I never viewed him as an "athlete".

Ali taught athletes that they were their own best promoters, he taught athletes that instead of making thousands, they could make millions. Ali was more than an athlete, he was an icon.

But beyond that, the amount of "Wars" he went through, the amount of top name champions he fought, is mind boggling. He fought in his career, from 1964-1980: Sonny Liston (2), Ken Norton (3), Joe Frazier (3), George Foreman, Ingemar Johansson, Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson (2), Henry Cooper (2), Ernie Terrell, Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks (2).

All of whom were champions, former champions, or top contendors.

He did all of this while also missing 3 and a 1/2 years of his prime career. From 1967 to 1970, ages 25, 26, 27, 28. Prime years for a fighter, yet he still managed to accomplish so much in his fabled career. He always defied the odds, and he set the standard.

Plus to watch him was not just to see a fight, it was like a ballet, the way he moved, the way in his 20's he was basically unhittable, moved like poetry. He was more than an athlete, he was a god.