Memory Lane: Ali’s Cruelty To Frazier

January 12th, 2009

By Scoop Malinowski

Muhammad Ali is universally loved and revered as a boxing champion, social activist and leader of the black community but his particular treatment of Joe Frazier left a lot to be desired in the compassion and sportsmanship departments. Here is a small sampling of some of the verbal put downs Ali used against Joe Frazier during their boxing careers…

“I’m sick and tired of you living on my name. I’m gonna whip you like I’m Willie Pep, you Uncle Tom.”

“He (Frazier) talks out of one side of his mouth to blacks and the other side to white folks.”

“If Joe Frazier whips Muhammad, I am gonna get on my hands and my knees in Madison Square Garden right in the ring and crawl all the way to his corner, look up at him and say, You are the greatest, you are the true champion of the world.”

“You the white man’s champ, you the white man’s champ and they got them other champs. George Foreman is the other champion. James Ellis is the other champion. Joe Frazier was the other champion. I’m the real champion with the people.”

“That shows how dumb you are. People don’t go to the hospital to rest. See how ignorant you are?”

“I’m gonna whip you, boy.” [Frazier stands from his chair on 'The Mike Douglas Show', then Ali backpedals and says], “I said, Roy.”

“It’s ‘going to’ man, it’s not ‘I’m gonna.’ It’s ‘going to.’ Talk intelligent.”

“Ain’t no Baptist gonna beat no Muslim.”

“I told him he was dumb and he jumped me, like an animal. That’s what he is, really. He goes around wearing big diamonds on his fingers, buying Cadillacs, has a leopard skin rug in his gym and a brain about the size of one of the rings he wears. He won’t come on a television program anymore because it embarrasses him when there’s a meeting of our minds. Mentally, my diction is so much more educational. Besides, he’s ugly.”

“All night long, this is what you’ll see. Come on gorilla, we’re in Manila. Come on gorilla, this is a thrilla.”

“I’m going to hit you on the head and straighten out your nose. Joe Frazier’s so ugly his face should be donated to the Bureau of Wildlife.”