Thomas Hauser Ali Quotations

Throughout a lot of the black community, he was an object of derision and scorn because of the way Ali treated him. It was cruel.

There has been sort of a selective amnesia. If you look at the Will Smith movie 'Ali,' it virtually washed away Ali's history in the Nation of Islam. People are being told that Ali stood up for his beliefs, but they're not being told what those beliefs are.

Now, if Ali was still going around saying those things, I don't think he would be as beloved as he is today. By the same token, this country as a whole has become much more understanding of the terrible prejudice and bigotry that existed and has come to recognize the underlying validity of Ali's demand for racial justice and equality.

There are certain points in time where you can look back and say 'That's when Ali should have retired,' ... He clearly should've retired after Manila. When you've taken a beating like he had taken in Manila and you know you're not the fighter you once were, that's the time to get out.