Vale Muhammad Ali

[Ford Fairlane]

The only problem Ali had with Cooper was in the first fight he stopped paying attention and was caught unawares by 'Enry's 'Ammer.

Otherwise Ali pretty much dominated both fights, aided by Cooper's getting cut so easily.

Watching the doco on Sunday, I realised just how much he dominated the Liston fight. He battered the big bear into submission. I remembered the story about the liniment getting into Ali's eyes and obscuring his vision for a round.

Liston after his boxing career features in James Ellroy's Underworld USA trilogy set from the mid to late-60s.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Part II last Sunday night was another Ken Burns A grade quality doco. A lot about his non boxing stuff, announcing to the world he was a Muslim, changing his name, relationship with Elijah Muhammad, how Elijah's son slowly took over managing Ali, Malcolm X and his first 2 wives, the 1st one was a Christian and a sexy a cocktail waitress who refused to join the Nation of islam, but the 2nd one was a 17 year old Nation of Islam member who Ali was quite taken by.

What Ali says to Parkinson in the clip below he said in the doco, in black and white footage, from either an interview at the gym or a presser at the gym, but the tone wasn't as jovial and he was a lot more serious and frustrated why people were questioning his change of name and religion.


This clip shows how Ali changed and was able to us humour to make a powerful point.