Muhammad Ali

[Ford Fairlane]

Some of those rights he threw at Ali would have knocked out mortal boxers

Ali was 35 then, you can see how much he had slowed down. No glass jaw there, copping those punches.

 

[stanmack]

Ali was 35 then, you can see how much he had slowed down. No glass jaw there, copping those punches.

By age 38 he was taking medication for Parkinsons. While training for the Holmes fight ex light heavy champ Jose Torres sprung him with them in his hotel room. Ali tried to deny it but Torres had lost his father to Parkinsons and was well aware of the drug. Torres too died from Parkinsons.

 

[stanmack]

2 completely different boxers, I'll put up this scenario.
If you were given the chance, say a competition win to face either Ali or Tyson for one round, who would you choose?
A round with Ali and come out black and blue, or Tyson, where tomorrow may never come?

I have no doubt Mike could kill with one hit especially that left hook or right uppercut. On the street Tyson hit Mitch Green [ an ex opponent] so hard that he put Mitch into next week but busted his hand. He actually needs tape and gloves to protect himself from his own power.

 

[1954]

I remember going home for lunch in the early 70's ( 20 minute drive there and back ) to watch the Ali v Foreman fight.
Ali showed zero respect to Foreman, one big punch in round 1 and it was all over.

When Ali learnt to live by his `rope a dope ' phylosophy he was virtually untouchable.

A little publicised fact, when Joe Frasier won his world championship against Ali, he spent a week in hospital recovering from his injuries.

For those old enough to remember, Ken `Mandingo ' Norton was the fighter who gave Ali the most trouble, in another era he would have been a world champ multiple times.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Norton was WBC world champ for a spell thanks to some boxing politics after the Ali-Spinks fight, but lost his first title defence to Larry Holmes.

It was a golden era of heavyweight boxing.

 

[I Dont Care]

I have not watched a heavy weight bout since that Holyfield - Lewis draw several years back. That was enough for me and killed the experience..I swore I would never watch boxing again. Agree Ford that was a golden era, I love watching some of those bouts even from earlier eras...Joe Louis for example. I couldn't tell you anything about boxing these days

 

[stanmack]

I have not watched a heavy weight bout since that Holyfield - Lewis draw several years back. That was enough for me and killed the experience..I swore I would never watch boxing again. Agree Ford that was a golden era, I love watching some of those bouts even from earlier eras...Joe Louis for example. I couldn't tell you anything about boxing these days

Revitalise yourself , get a copy of the 'Thrilla in Manila' . It's a great fight.

 

[I Dont Care]

Revitalise yourself , get a copy of the 'Thrilla in Manila' . It's a great fight.

I have it already Stan, you can watch heaps of the old bouts on youtube as well

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Revitalise yourself , get a copy of the 'Thrilla in Manila' . It's a great fight.

I watched it on youtube a little while back. Calling it merely a fight is like calling World War 2 a bit of a skirmish.

"It was like death," Muhammad Ali (right) said of his rubber match with Joe Frazier (left). "Closest thing to dyin' that I know of."

We honor Muhammad Ali's 70's birthday by looking back at one of the most memorable stories in Sports Illustrated history. This piece originally appeared in the Oct. 13, 1975 issue.

Sports Illustrated: The Epic Battle

In his suite the next morning he talked quietly. "I heard somethin' once," he said. "When somebody asked a marathon runner what goes through his mind in the last mile or two, he said that you ask yourself why am I doin' this. You get so tired. It takes so much out of you mentally. It changes you. It makes you go a little insane. I was thinkin' that at the end. Why am I doin' this? What am I doin' here in against this beast of a man? It's so painful. I must be crazy. I always bring out the best in the men I fight, but Joe Frazier, I'll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me. I'm gonna tell ya, that's one helluva man, and God bless him."

 

[stanmack]

I watched it on youtube a little while back. Calling it merely a fight is like calling World War 2 a bit of a skirmish.

"It was like death," Muhammad Ali (right) said of his rubber match with Joe Frazier (left). "Closest thing to dyin' that I know of."

We honor Muhammad Ali's 70's birthday by looking back at one of the most memorable stories in Sports Illustrated history. This piece originally appeared in the Oct. 13, 1975 issue.

Sports Illustrated: The Epic Battle

I was lucky enough to watch this live at a pub during lunch break. Started around 1.00 pm but by 2.00 it hadn't finished so someone raced across the road to ask the boss if it was ok to stay for a bit longer and he unbelievably said YES. Never heard a pub crowd that loud since, it was like being at Alberton in a tight one against Sturt such was the noise. Even the ending was dramatic, I was genuinely moved by Joe's refusal to fall and Eddies obvious care for his fighter and friend. Respect all round in that one.

 

[Garibaldi Red]

I remember going home for lunch in the early 70's ( 20 minute drive there and back ) to watch the Ali v Foreman fight.
Ali showed zero respect to Foreman, one big punch in round 1 and it was all over.

When Ali learnt to live by his `rope a dope ' phylosophy he was virtually untouchable.

A little publicised fact, when Joe Frasier won his world championship against Ali, he spent a week in hospital recovering from his injuries.

For those old enough to remember, Ken `Mandingo ' Norton was the fighter who gave Ali the most trouble, in another era he would have been a world champ multiple times.

I remember watching the second Ali/Frazier fight during lunch at school, the first we tuned in to the radio. Took days off from school to see the Rumble in the Jungle and Thriller in Manilla fights.

I do recall that Joe spent considerable time in the hospital after the first fight.

Norton broke Ali's jaw very early on in their first fight Ali went to the corner and said he thought his jaw was busted but continued the fight and went on to lose on points - split decision I think.

If anyone has been lucky enough to read "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" there is a chapter dedicated to the Foreman fight and I think it is here that he describes going to the corner after being caught by George early and he had no idea what was going on.

 

[stanmack]

I remember watching the second Ali/Frazier fight during lunch at school, the first we tuned in to the radio. Took days off from school to see the Rumble in the Jungle and Thriller in Manilla fights.

I do recall that Joe spent considerable time in the hospital after the first fight.

Norton broke Ali's jaw very early on in their first fight Ali went to the corner and said he thought his jaw was busted but continued the fight and went on to lose on points - split decision I think.

If anyone has been lucky enough to read "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" there is a chapter dedicated to the Foreman fight and I think it is here that he describes going to the corner after being caught by George early and he had no idea what was going on.

Read one book and Ali said he couldn't see for a few seconds. At one stage when Ali was hurt quite bad he said to Foreman ' that all you got George ' which was a masterstroke because, according to Foreman, it basically broke him.