RIP Muhammad Ali
- Thread starter paultzman
- Start date
A kid I went to school with in Glen Cove father fought Ali in the olympic trials or something like that and actually knocked him down before he got knocked out. I didnt even know there was video of it till yesterday. Pretty cool
Ali was the best. I dont go back as far as a lot of you here but man was he charismatic. My favorite of all time in any sport
Can you imagine Ali boxing during this era with twitter ? lol
Here is clips of the video of the fight with Ali narrating
=share
Ali was the best. I dont go back as far as a lot of you here but man was he charismatic. My favorite of all time in any sport
Can you imagine Ali boxing during this era with twitter ? lol
Here is clips of the video of the fight with Ali narrating
=share
West Point hosted the Olympic trials in the (?) early 1970s...I went to the boxing event which Ali & Howard Cosell broad cast - got to say hi to each. What a contrasting pair but seemed to have mutual admiration.
God bless Ali...bless us everyone.
Ray Morgan
Well-known member
I drove up with a few friends to Deer Lake, PA to watch Al train for comeback fight against Larry Holmes. After he trained, he sat on a big stone and signed autographs. He moved in slow motion. One of his handlers said he was just tired. He was probably already suffering the effects of years of taking head shots in the ring. I stood in from of him as he signed for me, in absolute awe. There will never be any athlete, and few human beings, that can come close. R.I.P. Champ. As for his autograph, unless they are on fight worn gloves or trunks, they are probably not worth a lot. He signed for everybody. That's the kind of guy he was.
beast of the east
Active member
I'm not sure how many people in American history had public opinion of him change so radically when the person himself changed not at all. Ali was disliked by m any for his brash proclamations, which grew to hatred by a large number of people for exercising conscientious objector status even in the face of criminal charges. These actions were wrapped around the tumultuous racial divide of the 60s, and rooting sides for the Frazier Ali fights were dominated along racial lines - incredible because both men were of color.
Maybe as a result of those Frazier Ali epic battles, both men were elevated in near universal respect, and public opinion of Ali improved dramatically. Over time he took his rightful place as an amzing agent for change in this country, and quite possibly the impact on the world by Ali the man could be greater than Ali the boxer.
No, Ali didn't change, but thank God perhaps we did, even as we have a long way to go as a people.
Maybe as a result of those Frazier Ali epic battles, both men were elevated in near universal respect, and public opinion of Ali improved dramatically. Over time he took his rightful place as an amzing agent for change in this country, and quite possibly the impact on the world by Ali the man could be greater than Ali the boxer.
No, Ali didn't change, but thank God perhaps we did, even as we have a long way to go as a people.
beast of the east
Active member
I'm not certain Ali had changed at all. He always expressed devotion to his Islamic faith, and at the time, Elijah Muhammad became embroiled in a huge philosophical disagreement with Malcom X after the latter returned from a pilgrimage to Mecca with a new vision on how all races could live peacefully together. That separation resulted in Malcolm X's murder. I believe Ali simply realized that Nation of Islam was not what he believed it to be and became a traditional Muslim.
Ali's involvement in the history of that era is simply indicative that he was much more than simply a boxer.
As a boxer, though, he was glorious. The Ali shuffle, the rope a dope, the lightning quick hands, the ability early in his career to simply rarely get hit hard, and the ability later to prove he could take a punishing blow, the incredible charisma and one man marketing of a fight.
I watched the Frazier Ali 3 fight on a plane Sunday morning. He and Frazier exchanged blows that would have killed ordinary men. As they inflicted serious, long term damage on each other, their athletic legends grew. With each blow, it was hard not to consider how they would debilitate him for the final 40 years of his life.
Ali's involvement in the history of that era is simply indicative that he was much more than simply a boxer.
As a boxer, though, he was glorious. The Ali shuffle, the rope a dope, the lightning quick hands, the ability early in his career to simply rarely get hit hard, and the ability later to prove he could take a punishing blow, the incredible charisma and one man marketing of a fight.
I watched the Frazier Ali 3 fight on a plane Sunday morning. He and Frazier exchanged blows that would have killed ordinary men. As they inflicted serious, long term damage on each other, their athletic legends grew. With each blow, it was hard not to consider how they would debilitate him for the final 40 years of his life.