Why Was Muhammad Ali Disrespectful To Joe Louis, But Respectful Of Rocky Marciano

Ali and younger black at the time viewed Louis as a sell out.

 

To be fair Ali didn't show no respect to a fellow "Brother" in Joe Frazier either who gave him money when he wasn't boxing during his suspension.

Some people like to claim Ali/Frazier rivalry wasn't as bitter as people made it out to be but people around Frazier in the last few years of his life will tell you that's not true. Frazier even bragged about Ali's condition being thanks to him in an interview.

 

I believe Joe was running around saying he would ko Ali. Ali didn't like that and I don't blame him. There was literally not an Ali fight, press conference, or anything else that Joe didn't show up at. I think he thought the people were all there to see him

 

He said Ali was would have been part of his Bum Of The Month victims. Rocky always showed Ali respect. I would add Ali as he got older buried the hatchet with Louis.

 

Joe was very scornful of Ali early in his career which jarred with Muhammad. When they met, Joe was very aloof and Ali felt slighted. When Ali and Marciano spent time together filming the notorious computer fight, they got on extremely well and found they had much in common.

 

When Ali was getting treated for his Parkinsons he was asked to visit an old man in the hospital. Ali asked the man if he knew who I am. The man said Joe Louis. Ali didn't correct him. He said if it made the old man feel good he was fine with it.

 

Rocky also got along with Belinda. He predicted Ali's demise when he told her Ali will never quit boxing because he had the "bug".

 

I once read, maybe true, maybe not, that Ali seemed to show his white opponents more respect, or at least didn't give them as much hassle before a fight.
I'm a bit half and half on that. I'm trying to think of one of the white guys he bad mouthed or took the mickey out of.
Chuvalo maybe?

 

It seems most of his white opponents post exile, including Chuvalo were genuinely fond of him. Of the Washerwoman sobriquet Ali said that was intended as a compliment because Chuvalo was so tough.

 

He genuinely disliked Jerry Quarry before their second fight. Jerry had complained that all the top black Heavyweights were boycotting him. That really wound Ali up.

 

He probably liked him even less after he tried to lift him out of the ring. Jeane Pierre Coopman kissed him, so did Joe Bugner when they got older. Ali was a bit taken aback. Bugner told him that was a Hungarian tradition. His children went to school with Ali's children when they both lived in Beverly Hills/Hancock Park.

 

Bugner's kids ? Never knew that.

 

Bugner and Ali were relatively close with their children attending the same school in Los Angeles but the tyranny of distance and Ali’s Parkinson’s disease meant contract was sporadic.

Bugner recalls that the last time they were together was 16 years ago at the Sydney Games, and he has another funny tale to tell from that meeting.

“The last time he and I spent time together was at the Sydney Olympics and it was frighteningly funny in a sense because I could have got killed,” Bugner said. “I gave Ali a kiss in front of about 19,000 people and he had two lovely ladies on each side and Muhammad went to me: ‘Joe Bugner, you haven’t turned ***** on me have you?’ I said: ‘Muhammad, I haven’t see you in years. I just wanted to show you a bit of affection.’ (Ali goes) ‘Yeah, you did’.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/boxing...i/news-story/a6d96cc67a0b8864174b55d7d9d65635

Bugner was at a party in Vegas with Elvis prior to his first match with Ali and Elvis disrespected him. That made me feel bad when I read it because I like all three men. Bugner was a good fighter. There were eras where he would have been better than in his own.

 

I have always taken Bugner's side in those bar room debates. He wasn't a natural Fighter but through hard work and no little courage, he turned himself into an excellent Heavyweight who held his own in the division's true golden age.