‘I Had Animosity Towards…’: Muhammad Ali’s Daughter Laila Ali Details Her Joe Frazier ‘Regret’ in a 2017 Interview

Boxing great Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier shared one of the most talked about rivalries in boxing. The two legends squared off thrice inside the boxing ring during their careers. Apparently, even their daughters followed in their footsteps and became boxers. Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali, once shared one of her biggest regrets related to Frazier and his daughter. 

Laila Ali is regarded as one of the best female boxers of all time. She retired with an outstanding record of 24-0 and even got inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame. While she was in conversation with Tom Bilyeu back in 2017, she was asked about her rivalry with Joe Frazier’s daughter, Jacqui Frazier. 

The Hall of Famer recalled her clash with Jacqui and mentioned that she feels that her performance was not at par as she wanted a knockout victory, and she didn’t get it. She said that although she won fair and square; she had the flu at the time, which might be the reason for her subpar performance. But she also mentioned that she cannot make an excuse. It was a much-anticipated fight as Jacqui and Laila’s fathers also had a fierce rivalry, and fans expected the same from their daughters.

DIVE DEEPER: ‘I Had a Really Dysfunctional Family’: Muhammad Ali’s Daughter Laila Ali Detailed Struggles She Faced When Emotionally Abused Mom ‘Pretty Much Abandoned’ Her in a 2017 Interview

Laila further added, “And I did not take her seriously’, there’s a whole story there, you’d have to read the book. But I was just like, I cannot wait to just get her out of my way, dust her off, and go for these championship titles. Because she started boxing after I started boxing and I had animosity towards her.”  

Laila Ali recalls her fight with Jacqui Frazier 

Laila had revealed that she wasn’t interested in fighting Jacqui, and she felt the latter was just doing it to capitalise on their names. But the audience wanted that fight to happen, and she then decided to go for it. It was a tough fight for her, as she ended up getting sick. 

She stated, “There was so much energy in that room. I was like ready to fall out, but there was no way I was going to stop. But I had no power in my punches, so I couldn’t get her out of there. I won the fight and then I regret that we didn’t have a rematch because I was young and had so much to prove. I was like, ‘I’m not fighting her again’. That’s like one of my two regrets in life is not having a rematch with Jackie Frazier.”  

WATCH THIS STORY: Boxings Greatest: 5 unforgettable Muhammad Ali Knockouts

The 24-0 boxer also added that her opponent bought a lot of anger inside the ring, and their fathers’ rivalry fueled the animosity even more. Although Laila emerged as the winner at the time, she still regrets that she didn’t have a rematch with Jacqui Frazier.