In Muhammad Ali's newest biography, Eddie Futch says something along the lines that Ali was carried for most of his career but occasionally he'd have to bite his tongue and go after the likes of sonny liston, frazier, and Foreman. Am I only one who finds this funny considering Ali fought Liston x2, Frazier x3, Norton x3, and the much younger Foreman?atsch
Ali fought everyone there was to fight in his era. I can't think of a single significant fighter he didn't face or 'ducked'. He fought everyone who had to be fought, win or lose.
Maybe it's just envy. That he's got to train Joe who is leagues behind Ali's popularity and charisma even though they snagged the first fight. Maybe the fact that he so surely predicted that Foreman will stop Ali, and him eating crow afterwards got him so mad. Futch is one of the wisest man in boxing. But he's still human. When humans let emotion takes over, crazy stuff comes out.
Muhammad Ali's resume was second to none for a heavyweight. It's crazy to look at the list of guys he's fought. Larry Holmes George Foreman Joe Frazier x 3 Sonny Liston x 2 Ken Norton x 3 Jerry Quarry x 3 Floyd Patterson x 2 Bob Foster Archie Moore Earnie Shavers Ron Lyle George Chuvalo Oscar Bonavena Trevor Berbick Cleveland Williams Zora Folley Henry Cooper Jimmy Ellis Jimmy Young Leon Spinks x 2
Even some of the secondary contenders, like Karl Mildenberger, Joe Bugner, Mac Foster, Buster Mathis, et al weren't that bad. He's probably got the best resume of any heavyweight in history.
ali carried? look at his early resume on the way up when still a young pro.he never fought a guy with a losing record. when he became a contender in the early sixties right the way through his carreer onwards to 1980 it's difficult to find a top contender he didn't face.whatever you think of ali,and opinion varies,and of course when champion he had his share of easy defences.he was probably the least carried champion in heavyweight history,or at any other weight for that matter.
Eddie Futch was a Detroit Golden Gloves Champ. He would've turned pro but didn't due to a heart Murmur. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Futch:deal
Eddie Futch probably had sour grapes, since he handled Frazier, and Norton. Plus, Joe Frazier probably still had a grudge against him concerning Manilla, so that probably added in to it.