So What
"Did" Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier "Really" think of Women's Boxing
...in...ah...1978? by
Sue TL Fox - June 8, 2001
Source: Video tape of a documentary on Cathy "Cat"
Davis---one of the most recognized and controversial women boxers of the
1970's.
The documentary was about Cathy "Cat" Davis' boxing career, and
it also had many interviews of other persons.
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier were interviewed and asked
their opinion about women's boxing.
I was surprised to hear their responses, considering that they were given
the opportunity to do what they loved to do--- which was "box."
Joe Frazier was the first to comment on how he felt about the sport.
Frazier's Comments: "Well, I would just "LOVE" to
see the girls get into the 'sports' --maybe that would straighten out some
of the situations that they have. Because women think that they can do being
the things that "Men's" can do, but I don't really think
so...."
Muhammad Ali's Comments: "Women are not made to be hit in the
breast, and face like that... the bodies not made to be punched right here
(Ali pats the breast area of his chest). Get "Hit" in the
breast..... 'hard' ....and all that."
The commentator then asks Ali about in spite of what he had just said
about women's boxing, that what was his opinion of Cathy "Cat"
Davis, a woman boxer who had 15 KO's and who was "prettier" than
him.
Muhammad Ali's Comments: "She?.....Is it a
"She"?..... It's a she.. SURE it's a she?......I don't know her,
not saying anything about her, I never heard of her. BUT, women who fight
those type of physical sports, they do most everything like
men...."
Yes.... that was my favorite male boxer, Muhammad Ali, saying that
about women's boxing when I was also struggling in the sport in 1978.
Documentaries often include interview clips or
archival surveillance footage to tell a true story with
a narrative structure.
Home security
cameras and CCTV cameras often catch evidence on film or
record comments by people when they think no one is watching
or listening.
Sue TL Fox - June 8, 2001
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