George Foreman said Muhammad Ali wasn’t the best heavyweight ever when naming his top 5

Muhammad Ali was placed at number five on George Foreman’s list of the all-time greatest heavyweight champions.

‘Big George’ compiled his top-10 list in 2022, long before he sadly passed away earlier this year, and was only too happy to justify his reasoning.

The American had, of course, gone toe-to-toe with Ali in 1974, entering their thrilling battle in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, as a sizable favourite.

But despite his formidable punching power, Foreman was ultimately unable to break the spirit of Ali, who tired ‘Big’ George before securing an eighth-round stoppage victory.

Based on that, many would have expected Foreman to place his old foe at the top, or at least somewhere in the top-three, of his all-time heavyweight list.

But instead, the former wrecking machine decided to award Joe Louis, who reigned as the world heavyweight champion throughout much of the 1940s, with the top spot.

“Joe Louis is greatest of all time heavyweight as far as a boxer is concerned.”

Making up the rest of his top-five, meanwhile, is Rocky Marciano, John L Sullivan, Jack Johnson and Ali, with Foreman not even putting himself in the top-10.

In the interview with SunSport, Foreman addressed his placement of Ali, explaining that ‘The Greatest’ was named as such not only because of his credentials in the ring, but also due to the impact he had outside of it.

“To talk about Muhammad Ali from a pure boxing perspective is a put down.

“He was greater than that. Everybody’s life has been better because of Ali.”

It is therefore from a strictly boxing perspective, rather than any thoughts on his wider legacy, that Foreman chose to place Ali below the other four heavyweight greats.