Why Muhammad Ali Was Often Despised When He Was Alive R. Mcphedran/Getty Images
By S. Flannagan/Dec. 29, 2020 11:39 am EDT
When boxing legend Muhammad Ali passed away in 2016 at the age of 74, few could argue with the nickname that was seemingly omnipresent in his many lengthy obituaries: The Greatest of All Time. But back in the early days of his illustrious career, Ali, then going by his birth name of Cassius Clay, attracted another, less desirable epithet: The Louisville Lip, according to AZ Central.
Yes, even before he was a boxing megastar, known around the world for his epic rivalries with fellow pugilistic luminaries such as Joe Frazier and George Foreman, the young Ali talked a big game. Though nowadays we are used to trash-talking sportspeople in the realms of boxing, mixed martial arts, and even the comparatively sanguine worlds of professional chess and poker, Ali s ringside rabble-rousing was highly unusual at a time when most boxers let their m