Joe Frazier has,(though I hope not always), been overlooked because of what Ali represented to many during the Civil Rights struggle. Ali was never a spokesman but the Nation of Islam saw in him a symbol they could use to promote their questionable idealogy.

History should forgive Ali for his unreined exuberance. More importantly we should sing the praises of a truly great fighter, because Joe you deserve it.

Plus his connection with the Nation of Islam movement who are complete racists has to be questioned. If a white boxer associated with a similair (white) movement, he would rightly be challange over such connections.

There is this myth like memory of Ali, which does not reflect the real life. As for all that Uncle Tom stuff with Frazier, that is sickening.

Please no-one call me a racist, I am both a black American and a hard-core boxing fan.

I am mentioning these facts because people tend not to know them. I love Ali and Pacman but first Sugar did things that Ali only can dream about & he did it with tremendous speed and power. Pacman has done a lot for boxing but there is no way that Sugar would consider fighting a bigger man by asking him to meet him.
He routinely gave up many lbs and still kicked serious ass. He retired and came back too many times and fought in his late 30′s and mid 40′s when most guys quit around 36, except for ARchie Moore who fought til almost 50. He also was a big ladies and party life man who often did not train for fights and still kicked ass.
Ali was and probably will always be the biggest boxing personality )Jack Johnson was the 2nd) who crossed over into mainstream. This had political, social and humane overtones but importantly, he also was a great boxer.
He came along at the right time when the civil rights movement was taking course and at the same time took a stance on the Nam War. At first it was unpopular but as the deaths started to mount and the Us was also losing, he gained national and international support.

Ali was a very proud man; somewhat articulate and with street smarts, he was not however formally educated. Simultaneously, he was used by many people to further their causes. Reporters also loved him because he would playfully give them quotes, many of which were misquoted.
It is a fact that Frazier supported his cause and wanted him to fight again. Of course Frazier (my favourite heavy of the 70-’s) had dual reasons. As a black he knew it was for social change and as a competitor, he knew Ali was a challenge he had to face to enhance his legacy.
I truly believe that Ali did the taunts to get an edge over his opponent, but he went too far at times and especially against Frazier. The least he could have done was to privately admit that to him and years later, to publicly say that. Frazier was forever haunted by this First he took ALi’s “0″ and Ali was at that time already an iconic figure. He also destroyed the mythical man who also now accepted by poor whites and most educated young folks. Ali was not perfect but he was perfect for America at the time and his aura, his personality were large.
He was Jack Johnson but without the mostly biased media coverage. He was Jackie Robinson, Michael Jackson and all the black superstars who either opened doors. Who proved that despite unfair treatment and the constant obstacles placed in front of them, they could find a way to not only let their greatness and ability shine, but also lay the foundation to destroy ridiculous myths of racial stereotypes and inferiority. Ali was not perfect but in the eyes of those who cared to open them, his arrival was perfect.
Rgearding the idiot who feels that the lumbering
giants and robots that are heavyweights, i.e. the Klitchkos, puhleeezzzzeee. Smell the salts and wake up to reality. Big and ponderous they are but Ali was by far the fastest heavyweight ever. He may not have had their power, but he always was in the best condition, physically & mentally. Both Klitchskos are not in that league. Ali would cut them both to shreds with tremendous speed and accuracy, using that little blade he used to hide so no one could see (ha,ha)! Again, he was not perfect but he always found the perfect game plan which he customized to beat each opponent.
I wish to emphasize this; who among us could handle that type of pressure that he faced at that time? He was not perfect as a boxer, look at his record. He was not perfect as a husband nor a father. He was not perfect as a businessman nor as public figure. Who is?
But when you take a retrospective view of his achievements and the indelible mark he has left in our minds and psyche, not to mention his place in history, who cares if he was perfect in these areas we mortal humans wish to grade him in.

I wish to close by saying: here is a mere mortal man from whom perfection was demanded by those who loved and hated him in just about everything he did or conceived. He delivered in most but the more he delivered, the more people expected and demanded.
The Bible tells us there was only one perfect man and mankind destroyed him. Ali was not perfect, heck he almost single handledly destroyed himself tying to be perfect in our eyes.
He himself would be the first to admit he was not perfect but let us not judge him on whether or not he was perfect. Let him judge him by normal standards and the obstacles he overcame. On that basis, he still was not perfect but damn well, ALMOST!

monoliknock them downobliterate US started to lose fight. he was the greatest too fights in his he went fighting at welter