MUHAMMAD ALI, THE ORIGINAL TRASH TALKER

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the number one boxer pound-for-pound in the world today is the number one trash talker in boxing, too. In the age of social media he also used the internet through his Twitter and Instagram to taunt his prospective opponents especially Manny Pacquiao. But when there were no world wide webs and when radio, TV and newspapers were the only means of correspondence, the most popular trash talker in the prize fighting business was Muhammad Ali.

Ali revolutionized the sport through arduous attraction and influence of his personality. He entertained his audience with outrageous and oftentimes ridiculous ranting at his opponents. During those times, most of the managers would do the talking for their fighters. But Ali would grab the spotlight of every interview and press conference to the extent of being vocal even on issues not related to boxing.

Calling himself the "Greatest," Ali regularly taunted his opponent with sarcasm before and even during the bout itself. He would amuse his fans with pre-fight dramatics all made to promote interest in the fight. But most often it is too degrading to his foes and aimed at affecting him psychologically to lose focus on the bout.

He called Joe Frazier "too dumb to be champion." He threatened to whip Sonny Liston "like his Daddy did." He called Ernie Terrell as "Uncle Tom" and Floyd Patterson a "rabbit." Ali was a master of insult and indignity, and when he fought Liston, he reversed his underdog tag when the champion was disturbed by his anger. Still Cassius Clay at that time, he called Liston as "the big ugly bear." "Liston even smells like a bear," Clay said. "After I beat him I'm going to donate him to the zoo."

Referring to Ali's unique but successful strategy, one sportswriter commented that "the most brilliant fight strategy in boxing history was devised by a teenager who had graduated 376 in a class of 391."

In the lead-up to the "Thrilla in Manila" and on each of their other two previous encounters, Frazier received several verbal insults from Ali but he was able to withstood them. Ali called Frazier "The Gorilla" and he always chanted it in a rhyme "It will be a Killa and a Thrilla and a Chilla when I get The Gorilla in Manila." He did this as he punched a gorilla doll who he symbolized as Frazier.

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