Um, boxing has been dead since Tyson
Actually considering boxing has the past 2 years had
record high viewings, attendance #s and PPV sales, I'd say thats far from true.
@Busty: I've seen that same documentary too, the one on HBO? Greatttttttttttttt one. You ever watch the fight? They have it on youtube (whole thing). I think the karma thing might not be TOO far off. You obviously know about how he would dominate his opponents mentally (both before and during the matches), and just relentlessly destroy them psychologically, sometimes in horrible ways.
One documentary (was it the same one?) talks a lot about how what ALI said to Frazier was RACIST in a sense, how they were basically calling Joe Frazier out for being the "white mans slave" all dressed up, whereas Ali was fighting for the black race.
But Ali got put in his place that match, even though he lost. He finally got a real challenger to take him (almost) the whole way. The quote after by Ali is epic and prob the first compliment the guy ever gave to Frazier, which should say a lot:
Joe Frazier, I'll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me. I'm gonna tell ya, that's one helluva man, and God bless him.
Immediately after he said this, he collapsed and had to be carried out of the ring.
Ali would have lost that match had Fraziers trainer not thrown in the towel. But Frazier and Ali also might've been even more fucked up permanently as a result (almost went perma blind). Might've changed their entire lives, considering Ali still has $ as a result of his shit talking and Frazier, the composed, respectable opponent who fought as hard as the trash talking poor sportsman now lives in the basement of a gym and makes some $
when he can.