So why was Muhammad Ali so mean to Joe Frazier?

[Vsec]

He always teased and bragged against opponents, I know, but he went beyond calling people bears and rabbits with Frazier. I mean damn, did Frazier not help him during his 3 year exile? I never understood why he went so deep against Frazier. Was he just intimidated, trying to get into his head for the fight?

[Toney616]

He always teased and bragged against opponents, I know, but he went beyond calling people bears and rabbits with Frazier. I mean damn, did Frazier not help him during his 3 year exile? I never understood why he went so deep against Frazier. Was he just intimidated, trying to get into his head for the fight?

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=430276

[CarlosG815]

He always teased and bragged against opponents, I know, but he went beyond calling people bears and rabbits with Frazier. I mean damn, did Frazier not help him during his 3 year exile? I never understood why he went so deep against Frazier. Was he just intimidated, trying to get into his head for the fight?

Because deep down he was terrified of Joe Frazier.

[GF of Boxing]

He did this to hype the fight and to bring more money in. It was until the build up before the second fight when he notice that this got under Frazier skin. And he saw the results of the second fight. Personally I didn't like how Ali cut Frazier so deep. But with Ali's fighting style, it favors him for you to be angry, fustrated, and unable to think in the ring. Look at Ali's career. The fighters who gave Ali a tough time whether he won or loss were technical unorthodox fighters. Now the thrilla in manilla fight in my opinion is the greatest heavyweight bout in history and it was Frazier's hatred for Ali that carried him in through that fight.

[Barn]

Because deep down he was terrified of Joe Frazier.

I think this also.

[Thread Stealer]

Psychological warfare, and adding some hype for the fight.

[CarlosG815]

I find it hard to believe that Ali would have to act that way to sell a fight, especially the extent he took it. Any fight with Ali was a huge sale. Joe Frazier was a popular champion himself. Their first fight was huge, especially with the fact that Ali had just made his comeback after his layoff, so there was huge controversy there, and also Ali was still thought by many to be the champ as Frazier was the man who didn't beat the man to win the title....

Foreman admitted that he never feared any man like he did Joe Frazier. I believe Ali felt the same way and he was trying to project that fear into Frazier and the extent he took it shows how scared he really was. Ali had fought many black men in the past yet never felt the need to humiliate them to the extent he did Frazier and from a psychological standpoint, there is only one explanation for his behavior....

[young_robbed]

it wasnt so personal to him it was more about psyching him out

[Vsec]

http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=430276

I always have a hard time believing stuff like that about Ali man.

The sportsman of the century, at one point the most recognizable man on Earth, loved by everybody, and he was an ******* like that? I'm gonna check that book out.

[Vsec]

I find it hard to believe that Ali would have to act that way to sell a fight, especially the extent he took it. Any fight with Ali was a huge sale. Joe Frazier was a popular champion himself. Their first fight was huge, especially with the fact that Ali had just made his comeback after his layoff, so there was huge controversy there, and also Ali was still thought by many to be the champ as Frazier was the man who didn't beat the man to win the title....

Foreman admitted that he never feared any man like he did Joe Frazier. I believe Ali felt the same way and he was trying to project that fear into Frazier and the extent he took it shows how scared he really was. Ali had fought many black men in the past yet never felt the need to humiliate them to the extent he did Frazier and from a psychological standpoint, there is only one explanation for his behavior....

That's about all I can think of as well