Muhammad Ali, in crafting a strategy to defeat his archnemesis Joe Frazier, took aim at Frazier’s mind, the ultimate center of gravity for any individual. Before every fight, Ali would get under Frazier’s skin, riling him up by calling him an Uncle Tom, a tool of the white man’s media. He would keep going during the fight itself, taunting Frazier mercilessly in the ring. Frazier became obsessed with Ali, could not think about him without bursting with anger. Controlling Frazier’s mind was the key to controlling his body.
