---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge…"
description: "\"Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn on his opponent. Humiliated him. Joe had th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg"
---

#  Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived…

![“Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn on his opponent. Humiliated him. Joe had the heart of a lion but verbally he was out of his depth when Ali got going. One time, as fight day approached, Ali spotted Frazier on a hotel…” quote by Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg)

> “Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn on his opponent. Humiliated him. Joe had the heart of a lion but verbally he was out of his depth when Ali got going. One time, as fight day approached, Ali spotted Frazier on a hotel balcony, grabbed a security guard's gun and fired some rounds at him. Everybody knew it wasn't live ammo but it still startled the hell out of Joe.\] Go back in your hole, Gorilla, You gonna scare the people! Come out again and I'm gonna kill ya before time!””

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Ali’s aggressive taunts and violent threats illustrate the psychological warfare in boxing, but such actions can cross ethical lines.

**In simple terms:** Boxing uses mental intimidation.

Key Takeaway

Balance mind and sport.

Themes

sports psychology aggression ethics

Mood

intense reflective

Type

sports philosophical

When to use this quote

- training camps
- media interviews
- sportsmanship discussions

Key Concepts

sports history psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- When does intimidation become unacceptable?
- How can athletes maintain confidence without threats?

A Different Perspective

Violence can damage reputation and safety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ali Poured](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ali-poured-2493627/) [Ammo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ammo/) [Approached Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approached-ali-2493626/) [Balconies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balconies/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Frazier Soaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frazier-soaked-2493625/) [Gorillas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gorillas/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart of a lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-of-a-lion/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Holes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holes/) [Hotel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hotel/) [Humiliated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humiliated/) [Humiliated Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humiliated-joe-2493624/) [Lions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lions/) [Manila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manila/) [One time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-time/) [Opponent Humiliated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponent-humiliated-2493628/) [Opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opponents/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rounds/) [Scare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scare/) [Scorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scorn/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Security guards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security-guards/) [Sponges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sponges/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/)

## Related quotes

> [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/)

[William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/)

> [I hang out with my dad mostly, my dad was in the military. He's at that age now where his war stories and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/i-hang-out-with-my-dad-mostly-my-dad-was-in-the-military-he-s-at-that/)

[Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/)

> [It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/it-s-a-weird-smile-but-it-reaches-his-eyes-and-i-bottle-it-and-i-put/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [Remember the three rules of vampire hunting. One: Never, ever look them in the eyes. Two: Never, ever give up your cross. Three: Aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/remember-the-three-rules-of-vampire-hunting-one-never-ever-look-them/)

[Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/)

> [I refuse to be a victim without a weapon/Ammo with an answer and I'll dead it with no question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/i-refuse-to-be-a-victim-without-a-weapon-ammo-with-an-answer-and-i-ll/)

[C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/)

> [“Words were sometimes like ammo. They could strike you with fear worse than an arrow. And worse was sometimes knowing ahead a time what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-goodgame/words-were-sometimes-like-ammo-they-could-strike-you-with-fear-worse/)

[Cyndi Goodgame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-goodgame/)

> [But I think if it's the right person, you wouldn't have to work so hard at intimacy. I think—hope—it would just happen naturally. Otherwise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/but-i-think-if-it-s-the-right-person-you-wouldn-t-have-to-work-so/)

[Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/)

> [Taking Viagra after open heart surgery is like a Civil War re-enactment with live ammo. Not good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/taking-viagra-after-open-heart-surgery-is-like-a-civil-war-re/)

[Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/)

> [“She gestured to the bag. "What have you got in there?" "Nothing much. Some golfballs, a handful of tees, a Glock, extra ammo, two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/she-gestured-to-the-bag-what-have-you-got-in-there-nothing-much-some/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [“Apparently they didn’t realize that people who buy thousands of rounds of ammo are likely to know how to use it. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-moon/apparently-they-didn-t-realize-that-people-who-buy-thousands-of/)

[Elizabeth Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-moon/)

> [It's surely no accident that there are horoscopes in Vogue, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Woman, New Woman, Elle and Cosmo ... but not Sports Illustrated, GQ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/it-s-surely-no-accident-that-there-are-horoscopes-in-vogue-glamour/)

[Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/)

> [When they come for your guns, give them the ammo first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-w-royce/when-they-come-for-your-guns-give-them-the-ammo-first/)

[Kenneth W. Royce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-w-royce/)

> [It took a qualified wizard to detect a summoning in progress. It required only a half-literate idiot with a twitch of power and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/it-took-a-qualified-wizard-to-detect-a-summoning-in-progress-it/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [If you reduce the guns and the ammo, you'll reduce the murders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/if-you-reduce-the-guns-and-the-ammo-you-ll-reduce-the-murders/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [We learned not to waste ammo even on warriors except in self-protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/we-learned-not-to-waste-ammo-even-on-warriors-except-in-self/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

## More by Muhammad Ali

> [There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-are-more-pleasant-things-to-do-than-beat-up-people/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-too-fast-i-m-too-smart-i-m-too-pretty/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-don-t-count-my-sit-ups-i-only-start-counting-when-it-starts-hurting/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-said-a-lot-of-things-in-the-heat-of-the-moment-that-i-shouldn-t/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [Many people are quick to say that we are not recognized by Muslims in the East . And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I have been so great in boxing they had to create an image like Rocky, a white image on the screen, to counteract my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-have-been-so-great-in-boxing-they-had-to-create-an-image-like-rocky/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [Money and riches don't mean nothing to me. I don't care nothing about being no rich individual. I'm not living for glory or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/money-and-riches-don-t-mean-nothing-to-me-i-don-t-care-nothing-about/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [Allah is the Greatest. I'm just the greatest boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/allah-is-the-greatest-i-m-just-the-greatest-boxer/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/my-wealth-is-in-my-knowledge-of-self-love-and-spirituality/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-who-is-the-boss-and-we-don/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-gonna-have-to-be-killed-before-i-lose-and-i-ain-t-going-to-die/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, I'm not going to jump in it and get killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-some-black-man-go-out-and-start-something-a-riot-or-something-or-i/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [If you want to be equal with me, you can get your own Rolls-Royce, your own house and your own million dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-you-want-to-be-equal-with-me-you-can-get-your-own-rolls-royce-your/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

[Explore all 609 Muhammad Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

## More Ammo quotes

> [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/)

[William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/)

> [If you reduce the guns and the ammo, you'll reduce the murders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/if-you-reduce-the-guns-and-the-ammo-you-ll-reduce-the-murders/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [It took a qualified wizard to detect a summoning in progress. It required only a half-literate idiot with a twitch of power and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/it-took-a-qualified-wizard-to-detect-a-summoning-in-progress-it/)

[Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/)

> [When they come for your guns, give them the ammo first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-w-royce/when-they-come-for-your-guns-give-them-the-ammo-first/)

[Kenneth W. Royce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-w-royce/)

> [It's surely no accident that there are horoscopes in Vogue, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Woman, New Woman, Elle and Cosmo ... but not Sports Illustrated, GQ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrill-markoe/it-s-surely-no-accident-that-there-are-horoscopes-in-vogue-glamour/)

[Merrill Markoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrill-markoe/)

> [“Apparently they didn’t realize that people who buy thousands of rounds of ammo are likely to know how to use it. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-moon/apparently-they-didn-t-realize-that-people-who-buy-thousands-of/)

[Elizabeth Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-moon/)

> [“She gestured to the bag. "What have you got in there?" "Nothing much. Some golfballs, a handful of tees, a Glock, extra ammo, two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/she-gestured-to-the-bag-what-have-you-got-in-there-nothing-much-some/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [Taking Viagra after open heart surgery is like a Civil War re-enactment with live ammo. Not good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/taking-viagra-after-open-heart-surgery-is-like-a-civil-war-re/)

[Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/)

> [But I think if it's the right person, you wouldn't have to work so hard at intimacy. I think—hope—it would just happen naturally. Otherwise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/but-i-think-if-it-s-the-right-person-you-wouldn-t-have-to-work-so/)

[Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/)

> [“Words were sometimes like ammo. They could strike you with fear worse than an arrow. And worse was sometimes knowing ahead a time what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-goodgame/words-were-sometimes-like-ammo-they-could-strike-you-with-fear-worse/)

[Cyndi Goodgame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-goodgame/)

> [I refuse to be a victim without a weapon/Ammo with an answer and I'll dead it with no question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/i-refuse-to-be-a-victim-without-a-weapon-ammo-with-an-answer-and-i-ll/)

[C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/)

> [Remember the three rules of vampire hunting. One: Never, ever look them in the eyes. Two: Never, ever give up your cross. Three: Aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/remember-the-three-rules-of-vampire-hunting-one-never-ever-look-them/)

[Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/)

> [It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/it-s-a-weird-smile-but-it-reaches-his-eyes-and-i-bottle-it-and-i-put/)

[Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/)

> [I hang out with my dad mostly, my dad was in the military. He's at that age now where his war stories and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-attell/i-hang-out-with-my-dad-mostly-my-dad-was-in-the-military-he-s-at-that/)

[Dave Attell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-attell/)

> [We learned not to waste ammo even on warriors except in self-protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/we-learned-not-to-waste-ammo-even-on-warriors-except-in-self/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

[Browse all 40 Ammo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ammo/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn on his opponent. Humiliated him. Joe had the heart of a lion but verbally he was out of his depth when Ali got going. One time, as fight day approached, Ali spotted Frazier on a hotel balcony, grabbed a security guard's gun and fired some rounds at him. Everybody knew it wasn't live ammo but it still startled the hell out of Joe.] Go back in your hole, Gorilla, You gonna scare the people! Come out again and I'm gonna kill ya before time!”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Muhammad Ali"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-when-they-arrived-in-manila-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ammo"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-when-they-arrived-in-manila-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71f/muhammad-ali-386_ammo_frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-w_2669691.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn…” — Muhammad Ali",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Muhammad Ali",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Frazier soaked it all up like...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-when-they-arrived-in-manila-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/frazier-soaked-it-all-up-like-a-sponge-when-they-arrived-in-manila-it/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
