What fighters, through one means or another, have incited mass amounts of people to hate them? And how'd they do it? Ali was both loved and hated. Jack Johnson more so hated, in his own time anyway. Foreman was absolutely loathed prior to his fight with Ali. Even the type of dog he brought over there was a breed that was used by the military to attack and keep the populace at whole in line. He literally basically had millions of people rallying against him. Who else, and why...?
... no one will outdo Johnson here. His complexion, arrogance, bravado, fearlessness, and boxing prowess combined with his timing (turn of the century America was racist beyond belief. Lynching was commonplace below the Mason-Dixon Line and probably increased after Johnson's whipping of Jeffries). The rest are really just unpopular fighters or love/hate kind of guys. Leonard has many detractors. Ali's detractors are few and far between now that he is enfeebled and quiet. Schmeling was hated, unjustifiably before the Louis rematch. Sammy Angott was often booed due to constant grappling and hit and hold style.
One man was found outside his house by the police with a rifle making a lot of threats against Johnson when questiomed. Remarkably he was released without charge. Once Johnson pulled over into a layby in his car to talk to fans and a lorry swerved sideways to hit him. He sustained injuries which almost called off the Jeffries fight. I think there might have been a couple more.
Larry was quite disliked during his time, a tough era having to try to follow Ali. As this successor he saw that he wasn't given a fair run or due respect and was publically bitter, which of course endeared him to the public even less and the whole situation compounded. I think as his career went on he did however win the begrudging respect of millions and many (Including myself) were actually on his side by the time of the Spinks rematch. Historically he is now given his due i think. Sugar Ray Leonard, one time American golden boy actually lost plenty of fanfare toward the end. I was both surprised and smitten to see the overwhelming admiration and support for Tommy Hearn's in the see-sawing rematch. Leonard's decline in popularity with fans can now be commonly witnessed in the way many now rate him with their hearts instead of their heads.
Sugar Ray Leonard, one time American golden boy actually lost plenty of fanfare toward the end. I was both surprised and smitten to see the overwhelming admiration and support for Tommy Hearn's in the see-sawing rematch. Leonard's decline in popularity with fans can now be commonly witnessed in the way many now rate him with their hearts instead of their heads.
