didnt sonny liston slap ali

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I hear what you'er saying but here's my point. He may have had some fear up untill the point when he stepped into that ring and it was just him and Liston. He never fought scared. True, he was young but he knew and believed in his heart that it was his time to take the stage and he was ready. Not discounting what youer saying cause wasn't nothing wrong with it. Just expressing another viewpoint.:bbb:bbb

 

Everyone who's been out on deep water have experienced fear. No shame in that. With time people can learn to control that emotion somewhat - but, hell, Ali was something like 22 at the time and Liston was a bonafide mobster. Nothing wrong with being afraid of a guy like that - but he still knocked him out twice, fighting through dirty tactics and all. Only people who spend all day on the internet or reading comic books think that they will never be afraid of anybody. First time I had someone pull a knife at me at work I felt like my bowels fell into my feet, I was so scared. Somehow I handled the situation - not with violence, but with words and ended up getting the guy's horrible life story (he was a refugee who had been part a child soldier - I work in a refugee camp). Boxing machismo is one thing - reality is something else.

 

According to Hauser's book, Harold Conrad (promoter/publicist) recalled following the casino incident:

"...And Clay was scared. He walked; you better believe it. I asked him later, 'Were you scared?' And he said 'Yeah, man; that big ugly bear scared me bad'...he scared the **** out of him; you better believe it"

Later in the book, Ali refers to Liston as "scary" and "the scariest (fighter he faced). Off the top of my head I recall an interview from before the Foreman fight where Ali referred to him at 22 "running from Sonny Liston" (or words to that effect).

Absolutely no shame in that, and most fighters who are honest will admit to fear. Ali also hadn't yet realised how exceptional his chin/recovery was at that point; an older Ali would have presumably been more assured and willing to fight off the ropes.

Regardless of how scared Ali was, he was able to channel whatever fear was there and use it as a positive in the ring.