When Ali pummeled Ernie Terrell into submission in 1967, the press was attacking Ali for what he did. And in addition to the whole Vietnam thing, Ali was made out to be some kind of heartless monster.

But the fact is that before the fight Terrell refused to call Ali by his name. He insisted on calling him Cassius Clay, when in fact most people called him by his newly acquired muslim name. Even the fightcards called him Ali! What Terrell did was wrong, and he disrespected and humiliated not only Ali, but all muslims. Ali afterwards told him and the press that he was going to punish him mercilessly and make him say his real name. In that case, criticizing him after the fight doesn't make sense, since he said he was going to do it anyway. What the press should have been talking about was the multiple fouls Terrell committed during the fight. He was hitting him behind the head (rabbit punching), holding him and hitting him at the same time, and hitting him on the break all illegal and subject to the deduction of points. In and interview with Howard Cosell on ABC not long after the fight, Muhammad Ali apologized for talking to Terrell throughout the fight, and saying "what's my name" then hitting him. However he said he did it so Terrell and other people would respect his religious beliefs. Terrell ended up saying "Muhammad Ali", and rightfully so.

The bottom line is that Ernie Terrell got what was coming to him in my opinion. What do you think?