Prime Video’s The Greatest puts a young Muhammad Ali center stage

There’s no shortage of documentaries, films, books, and TV specials about Muhammad Ali, so another biopic had a lot to live up to. The Greatest, Prime Video’s eight-part limited series about the early years of one of boxing’s most celebrated figures, makes a pretty good case for revisiting the story.

The plot: The series picks up in 1960, when 18-year-old Cassius Clay (Jaalen Best) returns home to Louisville with an Olympic gold medal and his sights set on the heavyweight championship. Over the next four years, we follow his rise through professional boxing, from training in Miami under legendary coach Angelo Dundee to his eventual victory over Sonny Liston. As Clay navigates his newfound fame, family tensions, racism, and his growing interest in Islam, he begins to find his voice beyond the ring. The series explores the experiences that helped shape him into the Muhammad Ali the world would come to know.

What we liked: Best knocks it out of the park; aside from his uncanny resemblance to Ali, he puts heart and soul into his performance, embodying Ali’s cadence, showmanship, and charisma without veering into impression or parody territories. Everyone else on the cast kept up too. Michael Ealy brings emotional nuance to Malcolm X, and Dana Gourrier shines as Ali’s mother, Odessa. The casting feels carefully considered across the board, with the costume department’s work being the cherry on top. The boxing sequences are well choreographed, but the show’s real action happens outside the ring. Its portrayal of 1960s America doesn’t shy away from the racism Clay faced, even as his hometown celebrated him as a sporting hero.

The verdict: The Greatest may not reveal a side of Ali that hasn’t been explored before, but it’s a well-paced, finely crafted look at the formative years of a remarkable life, anchored by a charismatic performance. For longtime Ali fans and newcomers alike, it’s a worthy addition to your watchlist.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can stream The Greatest on Prime Video. Check out the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:39).