Frazier beat him that first fight to teach him a lesson but he lost the second.
In my book Joe Frazier was the better man in every way, Ali was a great fighter buy was sadly lacking in any maturity and class.””
Frazier was definitely a better man as was George Foreman. Many people said Frazier also beat Clay in the second fight as well. Clay was never anything but an obnoxious jackass.
We have all been subjected to a avalanche of Ali coverage all weekend. Coming off as some great hero, which I don’t believe.
What really gets me is all of these young reporters who know nothing of Ali, his life, and the great controversies of Vietnam and his draft problems.
Where was all this coverage 5 years ago when Joe Frazier died? Frazier had a much more compelling story of coming from nothing to be the World Champ. With out Joe Frazier giving Ali a title shot, would he have ever been the champ again? That answer I don’t know, but I do know Frazier did not have to give him one, ever!
One more thing, I suspect also that without Howard Cosell’s constant reporting and pushing for Ali he might not have gotten that title shot and public rehabilitation he desperately needed.