not at all sharks, just reminding you that you can't just spread such stuff without me saying something. I'm gonna defend the man, you know that from our past little quarrels. Like i said, you act like he did something to you, you never even met the man more than likely.
Have we really quarreled about Ali in the past, Moz?
Shoot, besides a discussion we had quite some time about Ali getting knocked down in sparring and the legitimacy of those knockdowns (where, I think, you blew them off as him acting), offhand I honestly don't recall any other discussions between us when it came to Ali.
But speaking of sparring knockdowns, have you read this account from Ali, which was on page 351 of 'My Own Story' and was said to have happened while sparring Blue Lewis on the last day of training for the Quarry fight?
"Now I see a blow like that coming. It starts out for the pit of my stomach, but suddenly curves and crashes into my ribs. The pain is like a terrible toothache shooting through bones, up the spine, up the back of my head. I hang there, my back against the ropes, while he sends telegrams of more to come crushing into my side. Then I slide slowly down the ropes to the canvas."
That's a short version of what Ali was talking about, as he goes on and describes how his camp thought he was joking, all the pain he was in, the doctor visit, etc., etc., as well as a similiar incident where he got knocked down by Ellis with a rib shot just previous to the Liston fight.
What do you think, Moz...More play acting on Ali's part?
Anyways, no Ali never did anything to me, but believe it or not (and it may be tough with some of my long wided rants on here), personally I'm a very quiet and reserved type of guy, whose generally turned off by things like mocking, bragging, clowning, etc., no matter whose doing such things, whether it be a boxer like Ali or someone else like a Sean Avery for example*. He had a polarizing personality, in the ring and out, that not all are going appreciate and enjoy, so while you may think of him as someone to worship or whatever you may do, not everybody is going to view him the same. I also don't care much for how he was given so much leeway, in the ring and out, during his last few years in boxing, whether it be from the judges or other boxing officials (like the ABC's who kept giving him a pass, and doing so by breaking there own rules), as well as Ali's own hypocritical stance on some things.
But whatever, he was a friggin fantastic fighter for most of his career in the ring, and if I cared enough to compile such things, I would still consider him one of the two greatest heavyweights in history despite what I think of the personailty he showed. He & Louis are basically 1 and 1A as far as I'm concerned.
*Here, I'll let Ali describe a fighter who I do think more highly of as a person to illustrate the type of personailties I more appreicate. It also expands on the first quote I gave in this thread;
"Rocky was quiet, peaceful, humble, not cocky or boastful. I can't stand heavyweights who talk too much."
