Was Muhammed Ali really a champion?

Question

I read a question about Ali and it had me thinking.....Several facts about the paper-champion

1. He fought in an era of rampant fixing. This was a time when the mafia controlled boxing. Sometimes it makes you wonder if he was tied to the Gambino or Genovese Crime families.
2. He exposed himself to punches, sometimes it seemed like he would jump into the opponents fists purposely
3. He was a draftdodger. Cant deny this folks, in real life he was a coward.
4. back to question 1.

Should we really consider him a "champion" ?

Answer 1

hes definitily overhyped. he was also pretty stupid too if you want to know the truth. all this ali invented rap garbage just reaffirms the fact that he ran his mouth nonstop saying dumb things and a few would come out wise sounding. boxing is a white controlled sport now anyway. enough of the animals that won before and didnt respect anything.

Answer 2

A lot of things about boxing have been suspect throughout the years, but as an insider I'll say it...yes he was a true champion..yes, he was legit. I have questions about the Liston fights to this day, I do admit...but the record stands. Klitschko & Maskaev are oversized tomato cans surviving in an era of heavyweight bums. Neither could have found Ali if Ali were radio active and they had geiger counters. Neither were worthy to lace his gloves. Yeah, I disagree with his stance on the draft, but I'm not so sure it was cowardance or convictions. He probably would never have seen combat duty. BTW, while the mafia had it's hand in boxing, it did not "control" the sport.

Answer 3

San n ~
You're entitled to your questions no matter how many people including myself, are left wondering if you're serious or you accidentally took the wrong medication on your to the "Cross Lighting". I feel that you ask these questions because you truly have no idea and you're looking for some peoples opinions on the subject at hand and since you've been so kind to grace us here with ever important questions, I would like to offer you my opinion if I may.

All eras of boxing are subject to fight fixing. Jake LaMottas loss to Billy Fox was evident but there have been so not evident fixes too. I honestly couldn't think of one fight with the exception Liston fight with the infamous "Phantom Punch" that you would even think the fix was in. After watching that fight (Liston vs Ali) 100's of times in slow motion, backwards and forwards Ali clearly landed a short crisp right hand. Now there was a fight where Ali's corner cheated, but there was no fix, Ali was fighting Henry Cooper and Cooper hurt Ali when the round was over Ali went back to his corner and HIS Trainer Angelo Dundee cut Ali's glove to give him time to recuperate while the promoter found new gloves.

It does seem like when Ali came back after his Suspension from boxing he spent the first half of his career avoiding getting hit and the second half showing he could take it. The truth of the matter is his Suspension robbed him of his best years when he was able to "Float" when he did come back he was just a tad bit slower.


The reason for his Suspension was not as you wrote "He was a draftdodger" it was because he stood there before the Draft Board and for all the world to see and refused induction into the Armed Services of the United States of America on grounds that it violated his relgious beliefs. He faced the music, he didn't run, he didn't hide he said "Do to me what you want." The man stood up to what for what believed, he didn't go to Canada, he didn't burn his draft card and he didn't go missing like thousands of other men that were going to drafted.

Now I lost my Father in Nam and I just lost a brother in Iraq and I think this affords me the right to question anyones patriotisim, but part of being an American is your right to choose and he chose not to go and he payed his price his best years of boxing were stripped from him and we are left to think of what could have been.

We, you and I don't have to consider Ali anything, History is OUR proof and the man was the Heavyweight Champion of the World and there's nothing that can take away that fact.

Thanks for your question San n.

Answer 4

............

Doesn't take a smart guy to say you're an american...
1- You're free to accuse him, but most of his opponents knockouts were serious lasting injuries...
2- Disagreed, dunno where you get that impression
3- He was stripped of his title, as for real life...there was a show -don't recall the name- in which they released huge thugs intending to attack fighting celebrities who all ran away (Van Dam, Steven Segal etc..) while M.A. attacked them head on. punched one of them in the chest who immediately fainted while all the others ran away...
Later it showed in the X-ray fingermarks in the thug's ribs
4- Yes he is truely a champion for winning back the title stripped from him, if mafia ran the show no one would've been "stupid enough" to allow him winning after draftdodging...actually this should answer all your accusations really...

Answer 5

I just want to say "nice job" Santana D, I'm glad to see you're taking a different approach. Especially, when looking at the obvious nature of this question and most, if not all of the questions asked by this particular user. Their "MO" is obviously to instill animosity and discontent. Looking at the majority of responses, they've accomplished their goal. But, you were the voice of reason and that's what I was trying to say in my response yesterday. If I was too blunt, you have my sincere apologies. And to just address the little tidbit you put after you chose the "best answer" I'm not one of the people who had problems with you or you with them. Just a city girl who likes pugilism.

Answer 6

he was the greatest champion of all time!!!! he would fight anybody anytime anywhere. I bet you come from a line of cowards!! I'm sure its in the blood.......if you grew up in the 60's you could under stand. Vietnam war was stupid so is the Iraq war to many young people getting killed for nothing.....in both wars they are not fighting for there country!!!!f-bush f-Cheney those are two cowards.............

Answer 7

Well as current records go, yes. However, there was alot of corruption in that era.

Answer 8

Muhammed Ali is/was a fraudulent coward. He was never the best and never has been. He could never defeat a prime Wladimir Klitschko or Oleg Maskaev.

Answer 9

Not only was he a Champion, he was THE GREATEST!

Answer 10

TO san n - SOMEONE JUST E-MAILED ME AND SAID THAT YOU THOUGHT BUTTER BEAN WAS THE GREATEST HEAVY WEIGHT OF ALL-TIME.