Kind of like when a racist says , "I don't want to sound like a racist." It seems like you want to bring race into. The suspect is black. They don't want to prosecute a black guy because . . .
He was a very good fighter. May weather once said at the time he gave him his most difficult fight-thats says a lot right there about what type of boxer Augustus was. And the Ward bout was very close not to mention a great bout. So what if he had a lot of losses on his record-ask anyone that ever fought a prime Augustus if it was an easy task.
Anybody remember the gym legend about Kid Diamond beating Floyd Mayweather senseless during sparring when Floyd called him a chink?
Emanuel is big in Japan, apparently - not just among US fans who knew him from his long tenure on FNF and higher-profile challenges of elite competition (though, curiously, he never once contended for a single world title...at least not from a "major 4" org...he did hold the IBA 140lb championship at one point, and otherwise lost all his 12-rounders). He directly inspired a character (at least his in-ring style) in the wildly popular manga/anime Hajime no Ippo, named Masaru Aoki.
He beat Taliaferro and probably 3 of his first four losses - great story of him here - https://www.athletesquarterly.com/athletes/you-cant-keep-a-good-man-down/