How am I an Ali hater? History is written by the victors, and in Ali's case he was the victor and history elevated him above where he actually was. Fact of the matter is, Robinson was a better and more skillful boxer, whilst Ali certainly doesn't win any medals for his character. So if that's the case, why does your own personal opinion that one weight division is apparently more important than any other weight division stand with more credibility than my assertion? It's a good thing that boxing is now a far more varied sport, and that many fans actually appreciate the skill of the lower weight classes as opposed to the brutality of the heavyweights (Ali and the old heavys are probably closer to cruiserweights anywy).
Just because the heavyweight division used to be the top divison, doesn't diminish other boxer's skills. Just because it was the most popular division doesn't make the other boxers any less skillful. Ali was a great fighter, and became a great man, but he wasn't always a great man, most of all when he was a boxer.
When people get ill, or old, it's easy to gloss over the negatives and only remember the positives. I see your part of the ignorant and rose-tinted brigade who stick Ali on a pedestal, when in reality he was a man with flaws like everyone else (see, being a knob is easy
).
I like how you've decided it's perfectly acceptable for you to decide Frazier had to forgive Ali? That was up to Big Joe. You don't see the duplicitous nature of Ali receiving help from Frazier whilst abusing him in public? You don't appreciate that Ali's showboating and attempts to sell fights is what sees the likes of Haye and Mayweather committing the same acts today?
Ah yeah, you're correct, it was Liston whom he led a media circus to his house. Barracking him from outside. Is that really acceptable behaviour? To go to someone's house?!? You have no idea what Uncle Tom means and the connotations it carried I presume, as to have called Frazier that was to essentially have called him about the worst thing imaginable to a black man at the time.
At no point have I said I'm an Ali hater, but people elevate him far above other sportsman who achieved as much, whilst not needing to abuse their opponents with a complete lack of respect
As I said, I've watched more documentaries on Ali than I can remember and read more old clippings and interviews than someone without an infinite amount of time should
You're welcome to your opinions that are clearly based on pro-Ali literature, just as I am having read a vast array of differing opinions. As I said, certainly some of the poor press comes from his conversion to Islam and the subsequent hatred of it in America, but there are two sides to every story and you apparently only believe the Ali one.