Muhammad Ali ya shahara wajen masu sharhi akan dambe da masana tarihi a matsayin babban kwararren 'dan dambe na kowane lokaci. Mujallar Dambe ta The Ring ta sa masa suna na daya a cikin matsayi na manyan masu nauyi daga kowane zamani a shekarar 1988. A cikin shekarar 1999, Kamfanin Associated Press ya zaɓi Ali a matsayin lambar babban nauyi na karni na 20. A shekara 1999, an nada Ali babban dan dambe na biyu mafi girma a tarihi, pound for pound, ta ESPN ; ta baya kawai nauyi mai nauyi da matsakaicin nauyi Sugar Ray Robinson . A watan Disambar 2007, ESPN ta jera Ali a matsayi na biyu a cikin zaɓin manyan masu nauyi na kowane lokaci, bayan Joe Louis . An shigar da shi cikin Babban Dandalin Dambe na Duniya a cikin aji na farko na 1990. Clay ya fara wasansa na ƙwararru a ranar 29 ga Oktoba, 1960, inda ya ci nasara a kan yanke shawara zagaye shida akan Tunney Hunsaker . Daga lokacin har zuwa ƙarshen 1963, Clay ya tara rikodin 19 - 0 tare da nasara 15 ta bugun bugawa.