So What DID Muhammad Ali and Frazier REALLY Think about Women’s Boxing..in Ah…1978?

WBAN has the video interview of the following transcribed story.

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.

Transcribed by Sue TL Fox – June 8, 2001