Quote Originally Posted by Lyle
Hello all, this will be sure to get me many of sad clicks but I don't give a F***.

Ali had skill HOWEVER no one every likes to admit he used questionable tactics at times...most of the time actually.
Here is a list of his favorite illegal boxing moves: backhanding the jab, holding and hitting, and leaving his jab extended for defensive purposes.

Those are illegal, he should have been penalized a whole lot more than he was...in fact I don't EVER remember him being penalized, I remember him being warned 50-60 times about holding and hitting though.

And now these fighters get picked on for their tactics that are similar to Ali's: Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Wladimir Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, and the list goes on and on.

I just want to bring Ali down from the pedestal everyone has him on...he was skilled but he did bend and break rules but don't ever F****** tell me "___ is not Ali" like it's OK for Ali to do those things just because he is Ali and those guys won't ever be him.

I think Ali is given special treatment partially because of his brilliance in the ring, his magnetic personality outside the ring and the fact that he is now crippled with Parkinson's Disease.

It's a fact that whilst in his current state of ill health nobody will publicly criticise the great man, but I'm sure within a few years of his death books about his darker side will be flooding out.

Personally I love Ali as a boxer and an entertainer. Sure he said some nasty things but that was his character, he needed to have a psychological edge over his opponents.

Regarding your rather scathing criticisms of Ali though, Lennox Lewis also called Frank Bruno an uncle Tom, whilst Ricardo Mayorga called De La Hoya a fag and a queer and said he wanted to stop the beating of his heart with his right hand.

Tyson said he wanted to eat Lennox Lewis' children (yes I know he didn't have any), whilst James Toney says no white man will ever be a heavyweight world champ.

My point is that boxing is an aggressive, violent sport where two people are literally expected to punch the life out of their opponent. Under such circumstances the ability to dominate the mental battle and undermine your opponent's confidence is paramount.

You cannot reasonably expect people to make a career out of beating another person up for your viewing pleasure but for them to still always remain respectful and polite about their rival's.

Boxing is an intense and brutal sport where you are competing for high stakes and risking your life. The other fighter in the ring with you is literally trying to smash your face in. He is your rival, your enemy. Under these circumstances it's not hard to understand that bad blood and nasty words can be exchanged.