Ok this is heresy but was Ali actually a total knob?

[El Kabong]

Put the Limbaugh down and step back

When was the last time a liberal got in trouble for saying something stupid?

[kid_thunder]

ok but back then no one had choices like we do now i mean u where force to go but now we can go if we want that why ali put out a fight cuz he felt that he should be his choice which is fine but as for joe frazier ali felt he would try to promote to get out of going to the army and remember ali saying what did the veitcon do to me they never keep me from going to a hotel

[El Kabong]

Whatever, Ali is a hero to some but not to me....he was a great fighter but he's no hero of mine

[kid_thunder]

mabe not but he did make boxing what IT IS TODAY

[holmcall]

He knew how to mess up an oponent's mind perhaps better than any fighter in history. He also started "trash talk" as we know it today. However, his stuff with Frazier and Ernie Terrell was jsut plain cruel. No need to postion Joe as an "Uncle Tom." That was vile on Ali's part. Also, his beat down on Patterson was unnessary. He had a real cruel streak to him.

[El Kabong]

I think Jack Johnson and John L. Sullivan were big time trash talkers and they were around well before Ali

[holmcall]

I think Jack Johnson and John L. Sullivan were big time trash talkers and they were around well before Ali

True, but they didn't start it as Ali did. That's the diffrence. Could you ever imagine guys like Quarry or Foster or Louis or Lyle doing this back in the day? Of course, Galento did sau he would "moider the bum."

[holmcall]

He also started "trash talk" as we know it today

[El Kabong]

I don't know the "I'll whip any son of a bitch in the room" seems to be pretty timeless trash talk.

Johnson did a lot of the taunting which Ali brought back into style for the black athlete.

And after given a $10,000 Championship belt by Richard Fox(reporter) Sullivan was quoted as saying "I wouldn't put that thing around the next of a God damn dog"....seems to me he knew how to take someone down a notch be it who he was fighting or just a reporter

[holmcall]

Well, I guess we have to agree to disagree then.

[Beanflicker]

Dude Ali got his persona from Gorgeous George and other pro wrestlers. He was amazing in front of a microphone, but he's not as original as u claim.