Great Story of Human Spirit..facing ALI

[BombsAway Bob]

SPIKE-TV, of all places, has a great new show called "FACING ALI", where opponents of Muhammad Ali talk about their 'encounters of the closest kind'.
A true story of Human Spirit vs. a "legend" - Chuvalo, Norton, Frazier,& more
http://www.spike.com/video/facing-ali-extended/3339714

[sandpit]

I have had the great fortune of working at the KY Derby for about 15 years, and have met a great many celebrities. Only once, when I met Ali, did I have the feeling that I was in the presence of greatness. I wish I could put into words the experience; it was something I have never felt before or since.

[Greyfox]

Cassius Clay...okay Ali...was the greatest fighter/boxer I ever saw.
When he fought Sonny Liston the first time, we thought that Cassius literally was going to be the First Man on the Moon. We thought that Liston would launch this Louisville Lip into space. How wrong we were. Of course Ali could have been even better except he had to do some jail time for refusing to go to Viet Nam.
He said that he wasn't afraid of enemy bullets, but he wasn't going to set himself up for an American bullet in the back. At one time Ali was the most recognizable face on the planet. Now it might be Tiger Woods.

A friend of mine named Wally Highsmith played in the NFL.
Wally stood 6'5" in stature. Wally told me that he had met Ali. He said that Ali's height was listed at 6'4. He went on to say, "that had to be wrong as Ali looked down on me. He was a big man."

Ali always said: "I am the greatest."

History tells us he was.

[cj's dad]

Cassius Clay...okay Ali...was the greatest fighter/boxer I ever saw.
When he fought Sonny Liston the first time, we thought that Cassius literally was going to be the First Man on the Moon. We thought that Liston would launch this Louisville Lip into space. How wrong we were. Of course Ali could have been even better except he had to do some jail time for refusing to go to Viet Nam.
He said that he wasn't afraid of enemy bullets, but he wasn't going to set himself up for an American bullet in the back. At one time Ali was the most recognizable face on the planet. Now it might be Tiger Woods.

A friend of mine named Wally Highsmith played in the NFL.
Wally stood 6'5" in stature. Wally told me that he had met Ali. He said that Ali's height was listed at 6'4. He went on to say, "that had to be wrong as Ali looked down on me. He was a big man."

Ali always said: "I am the greatest."

History tells us he was.

Ali never spent a day behind bars. He also never refused to go to VietNam- he refused induction into the military. Had he entered the military, he would have never seen combat.

[Greyfox]

Ali never spent a day behind bars. He also never refused to go to VietNam- he refused induction into the military. Had he entered the military, he would have never seen combat.

Yes. You are correct. My memory distorted the truth. I was wrong.
However, he had to take almost 4 years off (1967 - )while his appeal on the conviction for draft evasion was being heard out by the U.S. Courts.
His license was suspended during that time.
That 4 years would have been prime time for training and fighting.

[Greyfox]

He also never refused to go to VietNam- he refused induction into the military. Had he entered the military, he would have never seen combat.

Part of his reasoning at the time for refusing to be inducted into Military service was his opposition to Viet Nam. The other part of it was his refusal to fight for any country wherein he wasn't treated as an equal. Effectively he was refusing to go to Viet Nam. He is quoted as saying:

“I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong.”

[cj's dad]

Yes. You are correct. My memory distorted the truth. I was wrong.
However, he had to take almost 4 years off (1967 - )while his appeal on the conviction for draft evasion was being heard out by the U.S. Courts.
His license was suspended during that time.
That 4 years would have been prime time for training and fighting.

I didn't post to prove you wrong only to be factual.
And you are right, Ali was out of action during what well may have been the prime of his career.

As for Ali, I always thought he was one of the greatest ever; but like anything in sport that is very difficult to prove. He did in fact take lots of punishment in fights with Henry Cooper, Karl Mildenberger, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and several others, including Leon Spinks which is hard to believe.

He was clearly beaten by Jimmy Young at the Capital Center (Landover,Md. -ABC TV) but poor ol Jimmy was robbed.

I actually believe that his one time sparring partner Larry Holmes had possibly the finest and hardest jab I've ever seen; it was described by (???) a boxing analyst as being like a 4x4 coming through a plate glass window on a cold February night.

Both Ali and Holmes had the hearts of a lion as Ali proved in Frazier II & III and as Holmes proved in his fight against Ernie Shavers; knocked down with a vicious overhand right that Larry somehow got up from and went on to win.

But, as I said, these things are subjective by their very nature, and we all have our opinions and memories.

[Greyfox]

As for Ali, I always thought he was one of the greatest ever; but like anything in sport that is very difficult to prove. He did in fact take lots of punishment in fights with Henry Cooper, Karl Mildenberger, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and several others, including Leon Spinks which is hard to believe.

.
:ThmbUp:
We agree. My Dad used to say Jack Dempsey was the greatest. Others thought Joe Louis. It's hard to compare eras, but I'll stick with Ali until another comes along.
Also, that punishment that you mention above that Ali took has got to be contributing to the Parkinson's syndrome that he suffers today.

[cj's dad]

:ThmbUp:
We agree. My Dad used to say Jack Dempsey was the greatest. Others thought Joe Louis. It's hard to compare eras, but I'll stick with Ali until another comes along.
Also, that punishment that you mention above that Ali took has got to be contributing to the Parkinson's syndrome that he suffers today.

Others will not come along in the H'weight division - Boxing for the most part is dead.

I can't name 2 after Paciou (sp.) and Mayweather; and I was at one time an avid fan !!