Sorry to hear that. I don't know about the greatest, that name came from his self promotion but he was damn good in his prime and no doubt among the greatest.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! RIP Ali.
In college, I had a friend who had trained as a boxer. He had all of Ali's fights (and many others) on tape. Every so often, we would watch them on his VCR. It was more fun than doing homework.
I grew up in the 60's with Ali as the biggest name in sports. I was not a boxing fan, but found it impossible ignore him. As a college student in Nashville we used to watch his fights on closed circuit TV, long before the days of pay per view.
In the 70's as a young man I was lucky enough to be in Las Vegas and see two of his fights in person. For the first fight (vs. Jerry Quarry) my friend and I could not afford the $100 ticket price. So we got a one night job as a beer vendor at the Las Vegas arena to get into the fight. We would sell beer between the rounds and watch the fight standing in the aisle. Prior to the fight we went to watch Ali train at a local hotel. He was the nicest athlete/celebrity I have ever met. After a very rigorous training session he took time to meet with and sign autographs for EVERYONE in the building. Something you never see in athletes today.
Thunder - there were many people who did not serve because of their beliefs and his quote “I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong. They never called me a nigger".speaks volumes. In that time nothing was that cut and dry. To say he was a pussy for not going to Vietnam is shortsighted considering we've had many other famous people who didn't serve for reasons that were a lot more suspect.
I was just a kid in the 60's and had no real understanding of politics and the Vietnam war. I was a patriotic little boy who knew my dad was a World War II veteran -- so I disliked Ali for being a draft dodger. Ali's return to the ring in the 70's coincided with my developing interest in sports. Boxing was big deal then and Ali to me was the villain. I rooted against him no matter the opponent.
While I was in college in 1980 I was walking to the library to study when I passed an auditorium that was showing the closed-circuit fight between an aging Ali and Larry Holmes. Ticket sales were terrible so a half an hour before the fight they cut the price to $20. Still a lot of money back then. But I said screw the library and I bought a ticket hoping to see Ali get his ass whooped. He did. He was pummeled by Holmes until Ali's corner stopped the fight in the 10th of 11th round.
I believe that was his second to last fight and the TKO was the only knock out of his career. In hindsight,many look back at that fight as one that really contributed to his boxing related Parkinson's.
“I begin with the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful All praise is to God, Lord of all the worlds Most Gracious, Most Merciful Master of the Day of Judgment You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help Guide us to the straight path The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties” - (Quran 1:1-7)
I looked forward to the first Ali/Frazier fight more than I did the Patriot's first Super Bowl trip. To give some of you younger poseters an idea of how different times were back then, after 52 minutes of searching on the dial I was finally able to pick up the broadcast of the game over the radio.....the short wave radio.
I disagreed with his stand on the draft, but I admired his stand on his principles. He gave up a lot to do that. What was it, about seven years right at the prime of his career and probably at least twenty million dollars? One of the most stirring moments for me was Ali as the last person, already suffering from Parkinson's holding the Olympic torch and lighting the flame in 1984.
He was before my time as well but I do remember hearing about him mentioned as a little kid and the way I heard it, it made it sound like he was one of the greatest boxers of his time.
Ali was a champion, and it was a different age. I may not appreciate all of his stances but I admire his integrity and his perseverance.
I cal hypocrisy on those who would hold a grudge against Ali on his conscientious objection to the Vietnam war and who would give a pass to a butt-muncher like Ted Nugent who soiled himself and acted insane to get out of the draft and is now the hawk and the poster boy for the lock-and-load crowd. I will be wanting to piss on Uncle Ted's grave when its his turn- Ted is nothing but a pussy behind a gun!
I was too young to understand (at the time) why there was so much dislike for Ali. I understand now - how his personal choices might have made some dislike him. But - I loved watching his fights! I would wait for them to be shown on Wide World of Sports - and I'd be glued to the TV.
My dad let me up late to watch one of Ali's fights - from Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas. I was still a kid - and I was so excited - but I could barely stay awake - and then I learned that there was an undercard! I never made it to see the action.
I remember watching Ali take the piss out of Chuck Wepner - the Bayonne Bleeder. It was more blood sport - but my friends talked about that fight for hours.
His appearance at the Atlanta Olympics will be one of my lasting memories.
I personally couldn't care less about his boxing career. Being renowned for beating the shit out of people doesn't seem like a worthy life goal.
On the other hand, having the courage of his convictions, and resisting the immoral, arguably unconstitutional, draft even to his detriment, puts him way above most people in my book.
There's no fucking way that a man who fought for a living, but refused to fight for someone else, even if it cost him his freedom, was in any way, shape, or form, a "pussy."
I've read several articles since his death. By all accounts, there was no way in the world he would have ever seen combat action in Vietnam. He was already an Olympic champion. And apparently the Army had already told him he would serve his time by fighting in boxing exhibitions in Germany and Korea.
I grew up in a community where there were a large number of conscientious objectors on religious grounds. They all served their country working mostly in hospitals. If he was truly a CO he could have done the same.
@motorhead I was also the son of a WW2 vet and disliked Cassius Clay, but came to love and admire Muhammad Ali. He was a jerk at the beginning, but became a very lovable and giving person later in his career.
The Larry Holmes fight was the second one i saw in person in Las Vegas. My friend and I were both Ali fans and debated about going to the fight. Ali was way past his prime and Larry Holmes was at the top of his. We knew it was going to be ugly and did not want to see that. we decided to go based on the hope ( and Ali's promotion) that maybe some majic would occur and Ali could get lucky. It did not happen and I did not look at the ring during a lot of the fight. The fight only occurred because the leech, Don King, wanted another big payday. Ali was the only one who could draw the big crowds and big TV revenue. I firmly believe that the beating Ali took that night is what gave him the disease. I hold Don King and the others who used Ali, totally responsible.
You're heading down a very slippery slope with comments like that. Not to hijack this in another direction, but if citizens disagree with the actions of their government the solution is to commit a crime? Of course not. You work the process. In this case, if you felt the war was unjust, you elect a President and Congress to end the war.
On one hard you can applaud somewhere for taking a courageous stand, but you're also teetering on anarchy.
I don't care much about boxing. I certainly don't care who wins. But Muhammad Ali impressed me because of his persona. I never took his arrogance seriously. I just saw it as fun. And then when he resisted the war in Vietnam by refusing to step forward, that forever put him in the highest pantheon.
People were frightened that Foreman was going to kill Ali. And Ali kept taunting him, imitating his slow movements, and calling him "The Mummy".
Foreman would always train by practicing closing off the ring, cornering his opponent. Foreman used the heaviest body bag made and would always leave it with a huge indentation. Ali never looked at that when he entered the ring to start his training.
He would just keep rallying his fans, "What am I going to do? Dance?."
But then when the real fight came he did not dance. He just absorbed the blows and let Foreman tire himself out. A very risky strategy. Really a sport too dangerous for me to go along with. But I do still very much like Muhammad Ali.
34 comments
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! RIP Ali.
In the 70's as a young man I was lucky enough to be in Las Vegas and see two of his fights in person. For the first fight (vs. Jerry Quarry) my friend and I could not afford the $100 ticket price. So we got a one night job as a beer vendor at the Las Vegas arena to get into the fight. We would sell beer between the rounds and watch the fight standing in the aisle. Prior to the fight we went to watch Ali train at a local hotel. He was the nicest athlete/celebrity I have ever met. After a very rigorous training session he took time to meet with and sign autographs for EVERYONE in the building. Something you never see in athletes today.
While I was in college in 1980 I was walking to the library to study when I passed an auditorium that was showing the closed-circuit fight between an aging Ali and Larry Holmes. Ticket sales were terrible so a half an hour before the fight they cut the price to $20. Still a lot of money back then. But I said screw the library and I bought a ticket hoping to see Ali get his ass whooped. He did. He was pummeled by Holmes until Ali's corner stopped the fight in the 10th of 11th round.
I believe that was his second to last fight and the TKO was the only knock out of his career. In hindsight,many look back at that fight as one that really contributed to his boxing related Parkinson's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvzw9xSu…
“It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”
"A man who has no imagination has no wings"
I'm not sure if I'm shaking my head in agreement or just doing an impersonation of him.
http://a57.foxnews.com/images.foxnews.co…
RIP, Muhammed. You were the greatest.
I cal hypocrisy on those who would hold a grudge against Ali on his conscientious objection to the Vietnam war and who would give a pass to a butt-muncher like Ted Nugent who soiled himself and acted insane to get out of the draft and is now the hawk and the poster boy for the lock-and-load crowd. I will be wanting to piss on Uncle Ted's grave when its his turn- Ted is nothing but a pussy behind a gun!
My dad let me up late to watch one of Ali's fights - from Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas. I was still a kid - and I was so excited - but I could barely stay awake - and then I learned that there was an undercard! I never made it to see the action.
I remember watching Ali take the piss out of Chuck Wepner - the Bayonne Bleeder. It was more blood sport - but my friends talked about that fight for hours.
His appearance at the Atlanta Olympics will be one of my lasting memories.
On the other hand, having the courage of his convictions, and resisting the immoral, arguably unconstitutional, draft even to his detriment, puts him way above most people in my book.
There's no fucking way that a man who fought for a living, but refused to fight for someone else, even if it cost him his freedom, was in any way, shape, or form, a "pussy."
I grew up in a community where there were a large number of conscientious objectors on religious grounds. They all served their country working mostly in hospitals. If he was truly a CO he could have done the same.
He resisted the illegal, unconstitutional draft. Nothing wrong, and much right, with that.
The Larry Holmes fight was the second one i saw in person in Las Vegas. My friend and I were both Ali fans and debated about going to the fight. Ali was way past his prime and Larry Holmes was at the top of his. We knew it was going to be ugly and did not want to see that. we decided to go based on the hope ( and Ali's promotion) that maybe some majic would occur and Ali could get lucky. It did not happen and I did not look at the ring during a lot of the fight. The fight only occurred because the leech, Don King, wanted another big payday. Ali was the only one who could draw the big crowds and big TV revenue. I firmly believe that the beating Ali took that night is what gave him the disease. I hold Don King and the others who used Ali, totally responsible.
You're heading down a very slippery slope with comments like that. Not to hijack this in another direction, but if citizens disagree with the actions of their government the solution is to commit a crime? Of course not. You work the process. In this case, if you felt the war was unjust, you elect a President and Congress to end the war.
On one hard you can applaud somewhere for taking a courageous stand, but you're also teetering on anarchy.
I don't care much about boxing. I certainly don't care who wins. But Muhammad Ali impressed me because of his persona. I never took his arrogance seriously. I just saw it as fun. And then when he resisted the war in Vietnam by refusing to step forward, that forever put him in the highest pantheon.
SJG
Robin Trower, St. Louis 1980
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnEbeanI…
https://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/in…
As I remember it was talked about that way when he was training for the fight in Africa with George Foreman. Foreman was huge.
SJG
Foreman would always train by practicing closing off the ring, cornering his opponent. Foreman used the heaviest body bag made and would always leave it with a huge indentation. Ali never looked at that when he entered the ring to start his training.
He would just keep rallying his fans, "What am I going to do? Dance?."
But then when the real fight came he did not dance. He just absorbed the blows and let Foreman tire himself out. A very risky strategy. Really a sport too dangerous for me to go along with. But I do still very much like Muhammad Ali.
This has Norman Mailer in it.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000738/?ref_…
SJG
Robin Trower, 1980 St. Louis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnEbeanI…