ali would be killed had he lived in johnson's era!

[Pugnacious_Z]

Ali was a smart guy, he wudnt have talk like he did if he knew of any chance of assination

[Keleneki]

keleneki, if you notice in that show featuring ali commentating on many of the old fighters in comparison, he gets noticably more humble and not as boastfull as the show furthers.

Yup. I somehow missed that show when it was new (maybe I was just an infant or not born yet lol) and was quite pleased with the humility that Ali showed in that program when I saw it a couple of years ago. What great character Ali showed in being humble and giving respect and credit to the giants who walked the earth before him. I sure hope that they show it again one of these days.

[LondonRingRules]

londonringrules, that gaggle of white **********s he was transporting across state lines - was his wife who had used to be a sporting women.

Big NewsFlash: Johnson often traveled with more then one **********, up to a "gaggle." Look, Johnson's guilt has never been in question, even Ken Burns can admit that. One may argue over the government's motivation, but then one has to also question why the government went after Frank Lloyd Wright and Luis Firpo for the same offenses?

[mECHsLAVE]

The main dislike much of the public had for Johnson was that he ran with white whores, and did so publicly, including marrying one.

Ali, on the other hand, was as opposed to interracial marriage as any devout KKK member. Ali was also opposed to forced integration. The public really only turned against him when he refused Vietnam, because of the Black ******s, which (someone correct me if I'm wrong) weren't even around in Johnson's day. As a matter of fact, there was no Georgeous George in Johnson's day either, who Ali credits with giving him the idea for the predictions, brash comments, egocentric behavior, and playing up being "pretty." And most of all, there was no SRR back then, so I mean, Ali would have been a completely different fighter in the ring, maybe even not a successful one (or maybe a more crowd pleasing one?). I just don't know how far you want to carry the "what if's" but I doubt seriously if Cassius Clay would have been assasinated if he had lived in Johnson's day and chosen to become a boxer unless you want to give us some more evidence that I've not considered.

[BigDozer260]

Ali fought during the civil rights movement. He wouldnt have been like that in the 00s.

Very great point, he was empowered by the presence of Malcom and Martin who he knew both personally.

[supaduck]

Just like Jesus... :/

[QueensburyRules]

==========i've been thinking=========

** That seems to be your biggest problem. This is a dumb thread. I don't think much of the way Johnson conducted his fight career, but outside the ring he was doing stuff that he could have been shot or lynched on the spot for.

Ali was never transporting a gaggle of white **********s across state lines, frequenting white cat houses, and speeding through local munis at high speeds in his sports cars like Johnson was doing during the Jim Crow era. Other than his Vietnam draft snafu, Ali was a very upright citizen although he did affiliate with a controversial political/religous cult which might have gotten him assassinated.

In Johnson's day that cult did not exist, nor did the Vietnam War, so Ali would have been one of those upstanding Christian black preachers speaking out against the evils of Johnson.

- -Yeah, bit of a Alice in Wonderland leading question.

I'm amazed much more over JJOHNSON private life than his boxing career.

[cfang]

I actually think they would oddly have fitted in better in each other's eras. Ali was about segregation in the 60s which wouldn't have been as frowned upon as Johnson being with white women. Johnson's party lifestyle would have been ok in the 60s.

[Dariusz]

Johnson was doing that, while fight, asking his white women what round should I knock this fellow out, and they say, knock him out in the 5 round, and Johnson would knock him out in what ever round they ask.

I wonder what he asked them during his fight against Willard.
Being a bigheaded **** never pays off as we all know.

[The Old LefHook]

Butterfly is lost again. Johnson's routine in 1910 took a lot more guts than than Clay's in 63-64