‘The Greatest’ Series Review: An Engaging Portrait of Muhammad Ali’s Early Years

One of the most polarizing figures in American history is getting an eight-episode series premiering November 4 on Prime Video.

The Greatest, starring Jaalen Best as a young Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), chronicles the life of the legendary boxer and global icon from winning the Olympic gold medal in 1960 to beating Sonny Liston for the undisputed heavyweight title in 1964. Ben Watkins (Cross) is the creator and showrunner, with Lonnie Ali (Ali’s widow), Michael B. Jordan, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), and a long list of others executive producing it.

The series opens with Ali walking through the streets of Rome, Italy, making his way to the Colosseum. It then quickly cuts to Ali as a kid, sitting in the locker room, waiting to fight as an amateur, while his father, Cassius Clay Sr. (played by Omari Hardwick), stands by the door and Ali’s mother, Odessa Clay (played by Dana Gourrier), looks into her son’s eyes and tells him he is the greatest. The scene transitions to Ali’s 1960 gold-medal bout against Poland’s Zbigniew Pietrzykowski.

Ali wins the gold medal, and the first two episodes follow him as an 18-year-old celebrity during a time when racism was still publicly displayed with no repercussions. America was different back then, and this series is a welcome reminder of how far we’ve come as a country. More importantly, the show goes inside Ali’s household, exploring his on-again, off-again relationship with his father and the close bond he had with his mother and brother. As an admirer of Ali and his career, I wasn’t too familiar with this part of his story, but it adds to the reasons why he would ultimately become this larger-than-life persona.

Where things got really interesting for me was when Sonny Liston was introduced in the series, played by Amin Joseph (Snowfall, Dope). After Ben Watkins introduces Liston to the audience, he runs a parallel storyline between Ali and Liston, which was unexpected but very well done. Everyone knows Liston’s story and his affiliation with the Mob at the time, but Watkins humanizes him, and there are scenes that make you feel sorry for him. This wouldn’t work without Joseph’s outstanding performance, which makes you believe you’re watching the real Liston. In a way, Ali and Liston both fought against society, but in different ways, and the series showed that beautifully throughout.

While Joseph delivered a stellar portrayal of Liston, Jaleen Best did a great job playing Ali and captured the innocence of a young man who believed his accomplishments on the world stage would change how society viewed him in his home country. Boxing fans have already said on social media, based on the trailer alone, that “he doesn’t look anything like Ali,” which I disagree with, but that’s not what we’re discussing. What should be praised is how he transitioned from a young, slightly naïve man to an overly confident young man who became the undisputed heavyweight champion. Best naturally fit the shoes of Ali and did it effortlessly.

The show itself won’t be praised by boxing purists, nor should it be. People who were around during the Ali era won’t be streaming this series on Prime Video. This series is based on a historical figure, made for an audience and generation that may only know Ali as a great fighter and global icon. This series, with its hip-hop score from today’s artists, feels fresh, not documentary-style, which wouldn’t be widely accepted, since that kind of content is already available. The music and scenes that reveal what certain characters are thinking give it a Creed feel, which worked for me as I watched the series.

In the end, The Greatest preserves the core elements of Ali’s story: the battles at home, with society, and in the ring. It’s a great series that keeps you engaged and helps you appreciate Ali’s story over four years.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is a 2x award-winning writer, International Boxing Hall of Fame voter, founder and publisher of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms, including online, network TV, and promotional companies. He is an alumnus of an American Public University and a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, and contributed to The Ring Magazine, FanSidedMMA, and ProBoxTV.

See author's posts