Complex sentence: The promotion of the fight took on racial overtones that were tastelessly exaggerated by the promoters in both camps, something Cooney did not agree with, as he believed that skill, not race, should determine whether any boxer was good.
Split into simpler sentences: The promotion of the fight took on racial overtones that were exaggerated by the promoters, something Cooney did not agree with. He believed that skill, not race, should determine if a boxer was good.