Ali "getting inside the heads" of Liston, Frazier and Foreman. MYTH ?

he certainly got into Liston's mind. Ali convinced Liston that he was crazy before the first fight. By the time the bell rang for the Lewiston return,Liston had become intimidated.

 

Intimidated in the sense that he was up against an opponent whom he could n' t figure out. Liston was comfortable with a fellow hardman,as it was simply a matter of "Let's see who can hit each other the hardest" Sonny was ok in that sort of scenario. He simply could n't understand the mystery wrapped in the enigma that was Clay/Ali.

 

Liston legitimately thought Ali was "crazy" and unpredictable, and explained that his unwillingness to get up from the canvas in their second fight was due to his fear that Ali would hit him while he was defenseless. Before the first fight Liston mainly treated Ali as a pest who constantly harrassed him. He did not think too much of him, but it took his confidence away after he saw how good Ali truly was. Of course it was Ali's skills and not the mind games that won him the fight, but the second fight indicates that Ali got to his head.

With Frazier, Ali said he actually wanted to bring the best out of him, only to prove that was superior still. Frazier also agitated Ali though not nearly as much as Ali agitated Frazier. But it didn't have a negative effect on Frazier's ability to fight, exactly the opposite.

Foreman went in with great confidence and seemingly cared little for Ali's pre-fight talk, claiming he would "kill" the man who had already been beaten by two men that Foreman destroyed. During the fight though, Ali got to him gradually both with his fists and his mouth, constantly talking, and afterwards, Foreman went wild from the mere sight of Ali as seen in the circus against five men.

 

Ali was more glib than these guys and maybe he outdid them in the prefight banter..with Frazier he was downright nasty and vindictive..the **** about "getting into their heads" has always sounded like lefty sportswriter **** to me..like a herd of sheep that's what they all went along with. Liston, Frazier and foreman just wanted to shut his mouth maybe but the sportswriters psychobabble is just part of their Ali worship fan boy cult ****.

 

None of his talk and antics had any effect at all on Norton, to name one example here.

 

His "mindgames" to be honest probably had more of a negative effect.

Frazier fought like a man possessed because of it.

 

Remember pre-fight Ali-Liston 1, Ali was jacking with Liston at the gambling tables in Las Vegas, and Liston slapped Ali around.

Ali said said "Why did you do that?", and left.

 

Chuvalo thought Ali was just trying to promote the fight with his "Washer-woman" stuff.

 

He tried running his mouth to Liston at the casino and Liston slapped him.

Ironically the guy that broke his jaw was an ex marine who served in Vietnam.

Liston was too old and too slow, and Foreman merely ran out of gas. Even if Ali stayed quiet throughout these fights, the result would still have been the same.

If anything i think Ali talked alot to psyche himself up. A bit like Tyson in his post prison career.

 

Well Frazier felt like Ali really backstabbed him. All the **** he was saying Joe probably isn't over it to this day. I mean Ali probably could have done a lot better had it none been for the trash talking.

Liston was simply not used to a guy talking so much and being so crazy. I think Liston was intimidated.

George was also rattled up, especially since everyone was PICKING George, but in Zaire the crowd was totally with Ali.

 

Yes.......Muhammad's style too.