Comments Thread For: Muhammad Ali - Boxing's Greatest is Gone, 1942-2016

[GGG Gloveking]

Rest in peace, Champ.

The REAL TBE!!

[BostonGuy]

Sad day for boxing. I became a boxing fan back when I was 12-13 years old after my dad bought me a VHS copy of the "Thrilla in Manilla." That fight embodied Ali's heart, courage and perseverance and made him one of the most legendary fighters in history. RIP Champ

[punchr]

The legend, the man, the greatest died, whether you agreed with his ways or not is no way to talk about a man who just lost his life, show some respect you ignorant buffoon

What? Just because I don't want to sugarcoat the truth? Why is it wrong to call out the people calling him a cultural hero and civil rights leader? The truth is the truth.

I respect Ali as a boxer only. He was a toxic, divisive leader who misled people and did a lot of harm to black-white relations in America.

[punchr]

A man has many motives. Some he's aware of, some he's not. Does imperfection negate Ali's contribution in its entirety? He was all those things that you state but he was also much much more.

As a counter balance to idolatry? I appreciate your need to interject but you are only focusing on a part of the whole. A part that diminished as the man matured.

On a larger scale, Mandela was a wife beater. That doesn't mean his contribution should be dismissed. Nor should Ali's because of his narcissism.

Okay, I'm listening. What was his most beneficial contribution? I don't put Ali on a pedestal like most of the guys here. I see through the bullshit and glorification of a racist loudmouth who got his jollies off by calling forth division and encouraging violence and hatred toward fellow man.

[Bandman]

No such thing as heaven or hell.

If he's buried - he'll simply decompose over time...

I shouldn't have said my true feelings about Ali after his passing, though.

I just think he gets a pass, where nobody else would, for the extremely virulently hateful, and racist comments he made.

if u factor in the times he lived in, nothing he said was really "hateful". .seeing blacks get lynched and denied service at restaurants, him calling whites blue eye devils is not really racist, it made sense in his era. .nation of islam preached that, and they were the ones that instilled in Ali confidence and pride in being black..later on he changed with the times of course.

[Dean_Razorback]

i know we all have to go sometime... but damn

[turnedup]

Rest in peace champ. In a way i'm relieved because it seems he was being exploited a bit much later on in life with all the parading him around and shh. He had his negatives but he also had a lot of positive effects on people. He will be missed.

[punchr]

if u factor in the times he lived in, nothing he said was really "hateful". .seeing blacks get lynched and denied service at restaurants, him calling whites blue eye devils is not really racist, it made sense in his era. .nation of islam preached that, and they were the ones that instilled in Ali confidence and pride in being black

That is no excuse for racism. You letting Ali off the hook like that, I'm guessing you're a closet black supremacist.

later on he changed with the times of course.

Bullshit.

In his thirties -- when he was showing early signs of Parkinson's disease -- Ali adamantly expressed his desires to keep women's bodies and faces covered in full-body veils.

He also talked about blacks who were fighting other blacks to stop fighting each other for one moment to join forces against the white man.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Ali had a slew of stupid, repressive views.

Ali never changed. His Parkinson's just shut him up, and people misinterpreted that as his political views evolving. He was a cracker-hating racist to the grave.

[Bandman]

Why? Ali was an overrated boxer and pseudo/repressive cultural leader. He was a master manipulator and narcissistic attention whore. The sheeple let it slide cause he was charismatic. Anyone with a brain saw through his bullshit.

Ali overrated? I guess you're right he's only the greatest heavyweight to ever live. .michael jackson was overrated too.

[Cinci Champ]

RIP champ greatest inside and outside the ring my favorite athlete of alllll times. By far and away the reason I'm a boxing fan today all because as young teen I came across an Ali marathon on ESPN Classic.