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WAS PROVIDED BY: DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN,
INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS
THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE PAST AND PREPARE US FOR THE FUTURE;
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AND BY THESE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS.
MAJOR FUNDING WAS ALSO PROVIDED
BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.
MALCOLM X, WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF CASSIUS' VICTORY IN MIAMI?
I THINK IT WAS A GREAT VICTORY.
HE PROVED HE WAS THE BEST MAN.
AND DO YOU THINK THAT CASSIUS' BEING
A BLACK MUSLIM HAS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS VICTORY?
WELL, I HAVEN'T HEARD HIM SAY HE WAS A BLACK MUSLIM.
HE'S A CLEAN-LIVING YOUNG MAN,
AND THIS IS THE MAIN THING THAT THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
DOES TEACH IN SPREADING THE RELIGION OF ISLAM THROUGHOUT THE...
AMONG OUR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
MR. X, HOW LONG HAS CASSIUS BEEN A BLACK MUSLIM?
DO YOU KNOW THAT?
UH, WELL I DON'T KNOW. CASSIUS IS PROBABLY...
PROBABLY MORE CAPABLE OF SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF
THAN ANY OTHER MAN IN THIS COUNTRY.
♪
NARRATOR: ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 26, 1964,
CASSIUS CLAY RETURNED TO
THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER,
WHERE THE PREVIOUS NIGHT HE HAD BEATEN SONNY LISTON
TO CLAIM THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.
HE WAS JUST 22 YEARS OLD.
CLAY GAVE A VERY GENTLEMANLY INTERVIEW.
"I DON'T HAVE TO BE WILD AND CRAZY ANYMORE.
I CAN BE A NICE GENTLEMAN,"
AND ALL THE OLDER REPORTERS LEFT VERY SATISFIED.
THE YOUNGER REPORTERS, WE STAYED TALKING TO HIM.
"WHAT'S THIS ABOUT YOU AND THE BLACK MUSLIMS?"
AND SUDDENLY HE SAID, "RED BIRDS STAY WITH RED BIRDS,
"AND BLUE BIRDS WITH BLUE BIRDS.
"YOU STAY WITH PEOPLE OF YOUR OWN KIND.
THAT'S NATURE."
I DON'T HAVE TO BE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE.
I'M FREE TO BE WHAT I WANT TO BE AND THINK
WHAT I WANT TO THINK, ALL RIGHT?
AND THAT REALLY SOUNDED LIKE AN ATHLETIC DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE, SOMETHING THAT WE HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE
IN ANY SPORT,
AND IT WAS A REALLY A VERY POWERFUL MOMENT,
AND THEN HE WENT ON.
I WASN'T FORCING MYSELF IN NO NEIGHBORHOODS
I'M NOT WANTED.
I WASN'T BUSTING DOWN NO SCHOOLS AND SHAMING AMERICA.
I WASN'T DOING NOTHING.
I WAS JUST AROUND COLORED PEOPLE,
AND NOW I'M CATCHING MORE HELL THAN ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO'S RAISING HELL.
I LIKE EVERYBODY, BUT ONE NEGRO COMING TO SCHOOL
AND THE POLICE FORCE IS OUT THERE AND THE MAYOR
AND THE GOVERNOR AND THE FIREMEN WITH THE HOSES
AND RACE RIOTS AND WHOOPING THEM.
REPORTER: DO YOU THINK IT'S AWFUL?
YES, AWFUL. THAT'S WHY I'M NOT AROUND IT.
I MIGHT GET KILLED.
NARRATOR: THE NEXT DAY, HE TOLD A REPORTER,
"MY RELIGION IS ISLAM.
"I BELIEVE ALLAH IS GOD.
"I THINK THIS IS THE TRUE WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD,
WHICH IS ON FIRE WITH HATE."
MAN: HE'S 22 YEARS OLD,
AND HE'S STANDING UP TO THE WHOLE ESTABLISHMENT.
"I AM THE WORLD CHAMPION.
"I HAVE CHANGED MY RELIGION,
AND YOU'RE SIMPLY GOING TO HAVE TO ACCEPT IT."
EARLY: HIS JOINING A FAITH COMMUNITY,
WHICH IS IN ESSENCE WHAT HE DID,
IT WASN'T ACCEPTED.
IT WAS SEEN MORE AS SOMETHING POLITICAL
BECAUSE OF THE RACIAL ASPECT OF IT.
IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO MANY, MANY, WHITE PEOPLE,
OF THE TIME.
HE WAS VILIFIED, AND IT WAS THOUGHT
THAT IT WAS, UM... HE WAS UN-AMERICAN.
THAT WAS THE BIG THING.
HE WAS UN-AMERICAN.
♪
[BARKING]
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL: DEMONSTRATIONS OF ALL TYPES
ARE PROHIBITED.
CURFEW AT 9 PM.
REPORTER: GUARDSMEN USED TEARGAS TO BREAK UP
ANOTHER NEGRO PROTEST.
[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
NARRATOR: IN THE 4 YEARS IT HAD TAKEN CASSIUS CLAY
TO RISE FROM LITTLE-KNOWN OLYMPIC HOPEFUL
TO HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, AFRICAN-AMERICANS
HAD WAGED A NON-VIOLENT CAMPAIGN FOR INTEGRATION,
ORGANIZING FREEDOM RIDES,
CHALLENGING THE UNLAWFUL SEGREGATION OF SCHOOLS,
AND STAGING A MASSIVE DEMONSTRATION
ON THE MALL IN WASHINGTON D.C.
KING: THERE WILL BE NEITHER REST NOR TRANQUILITY IN AMERICA
UNTIL THE NEGRO IS GRANTED HIS CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪
[CHEERING]
NARRATOR: THEY WERE MET BY A WHITE AMERICA
VIOLENTLY DETERMINED TO MAINTAIN THE RACIAL STATUS QUO.
MEN: 2-4-6-8, WE DON'T WANT TO INTEGRATE.
RING ANNOUNCER: THE WINNER BY A TKO
IN THE SEVENTH ROUND CASSIUS CLAY!
NARRATOR: CLAY THRILLED THOSE WHO IDENTIFIED
WITH HIS STRONG SENSE OF RACIAL PRIDE,
BUT MANY OTHERS WERE ANGERED BY WHAT
THEY REGARDED AS HIS LACK OF HUMILITY,
HIS REFUSAL TO ABIDE BY THE OLD SOCIAL ORDER,
AND HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE NATION OF ISLAM,
WHICH PREACHED THE SEPARATION OF THE RACES.
TO THEM, CASSIUS CLAY WAS UNGRATEFUL AND OFFENSIVE
AND A THREAT THAT NEEDED TO BE STOPPED.
♪
MOSLEY: I WAS AS A CHILD AFRAID OF CASSIUS CLAY
BECAUSE HE CALLED UP VIOLENT EMOTIONS
IN BLACK MEN SPECIFICALLY IN THE COMMUNITY.
I LIVED IN WATTS AT THE TIME,
AND WHAT I SAW IN HIM WAS SOMETHING THAT
COULD CAUSE ANYTHING TO HAPPEN,
AND IT WAS TRUE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE.
CERTAINLY EVERYBODY WAS AFRAID OF MALCOLM X
BECAUSE HE SAID, "THEY'RE STEALING FROM US.
"THEY ROBBING FROM US. THEY HATE US.
THEY KILL US."
WE ALL KNEW IT, BUT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE SAYING THAT,
AND YOU COULD SEE IT RESONATING IN PEOPLE,
THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN THAT 500 YEARS
OF OPPRESSION.
MUHAMMAD ALI WAS A SPARK, AND I WAS STANDING
IN A FIELD OF GASOLINE AND THINKING, "OH, NO."
I DON'T... I'M GONNA BE IN TROUBLE.
[BELL RINGS]
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: ON FEBRUARY 26, 1964, AT AN ANNUAL ASSEMBLY
IN CHICAGO, THE NATION OF ISLAM'S HEAD MINISTER
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD PRAISED CASSIUS CLAY
FOR DEFEATING SONNY LISTON.
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD: HE WAS ABLE BY CONFESSING
ALLAH IS GOD AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER.
[CHEERING]
THAT HE WHIPPED A MUCH TOUGHER MAN THAN HE.
[CHEERING]
THE ENEMY WANTED HIM TO COME OUT ALL BLASTED.
YES, SIR! YES, SIR!
THEY HAD SAID THAT HE WOULD... HEH HEH...
LISTON WOULD TEAR UP THAT PRETTY FACE OF YOURS...
[CHEERING]
BUT ALLAH AND MYSELF SAID NO, NO.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: THOUGH ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAD ALWAYS
CONDEMNED SPORTS AS FRIVOLOUS ENTERTAINMENT,
HE NOW ORDERED THE EDITOR OF THE NATION OF ISLAM'S
NEWSPAPER "MUHAMMAD SPEAKS" TO ADD 4 ADDITIONAL PAGES
DEDICATED TO THE NEW CHAMPION.
MAN: "MUHAMMAD SPEAKS." WHAT'S UP, MY BROTHER?
SUDDENLY ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAS TO THINK ABOUT THIS GUY
A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY
BECAUSE HAD HE LOST TO SONNY LISTON,
AS EVERYONE EXPECTED, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD COULD'VE
BRUSHED HIM UNDER THE RUG,
BUT NOW HE'S THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,
AND SUDDENLY ELIJAH MUHAMMAD REALIZES THAT
THIS COULD BE AN ASSET.
THIS COULD HELP HIM WITH RECRUITING,
THAT MAYBE HE SHOULDN'T BE SO FAST TO DISMISS THIS KID.
NARRATOR: ON MARCH 1, CASSIUS CLAY DROVE
TO NEW YORK, WHERE HE CHECKED INTO THE HOTEL THERESA
IN HARLEM, AND REUNITED WITH MALCOLM X,
THE MUSLIM MINISTER WHO HAD BECOME HIS SPIRITUAL ADVISOR
AND CLOSE FRIEND.
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAD SUSPENDED MALCOLM
FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM, AND WITH LITTLE CHANCE
OF BEING REINSTATED, HE HAD QUIETLY BEGUN MAKING PLANS
TO FORM HIS OWN MOVEMENT, ONE THAT HE HOPED
WOULD INCLUDE CASSIUS CLAY.
THAT EVENING, THE TWO MEN JOINED A CROWD OF 500 PEOPLE
AT THE TRANS-LUX THEATRE IN MIDTOWN
FOR A SCREENING OF CLAY'S FIGHT WITH LISTON.
IN THE MORNING, MALCOLM TOOK CASSIUS TO THE OFFICES
OF THE "AMSTERDAM NEWS," WHERE THE BOXER TOLD REPORTERS
THAT HE HAD RENOUNCED THE NAME CLAY,
WHICH THE NATION OF ISLAM CONSIDERED A "SLAVE NAME,"
AND WOULD NOW GO BY CASSIUS X.
HERE'S MY BUDDY.
NARRATOR: ON MARCH 5, THEY VISITED THE UNITED NATIONS.
"I'M CHAMPION OF THE WHOLE WORLD," CASSIUS TOLD
DELEGATES FROM AFRICA AND ASIA,
WHO EAGERLY OFFERED TO HOST HIM IN THEIR COUNTRIES.
THE BOXER ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT HE INTENDED TO MOVE
TO NEW YORK.
WELL, YES, I'M LOOK... SCOUTING NOW,
AND SOME HOME ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN
I'LL SOON BE PICKING.
REPORTER: IS THIS THE REASON FOR YOUR...
THIS PARTICULAR TRIP TO NEW YORK?
WELL, YES, I HAVE ENTERPRISE SET UP HERE.
I'M INCORPORATED NOW, AND I HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS
TO ATTEND TO.
AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD.
A WHOLE LOT IS GOING ON HERE.
NARRATOR: IN CHICAGO, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD FUMED.
HE ORDERED CLAY TO STOP SEEING MALCOLM IMMEDIATELY.
THE NEXT DAY, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD MADE A MOVE
INTENDED TO SECURE THE BOXER'S ALLEGIANCE
AND PERMANENTLY MARGINALIZE MALCOLM X.
"THIS CLAY NAME HAS NO DIVINE MEANING,"
HE DECLARED IN A RADIO ADDRESS.
"I HOPE HE WILL ACCEPT BEING CALLED
"BY ANOTHER NAME.
"MUHAMMAD ALI IS WHAT I WILL GIVE TO HIM
AS LONG AS HE BELIEVES IN ALLAH AND FOLLOWS ME."
EIG: FOR ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, IT WAS A BRILLIANT STROKE
BECAUSE IT PULLED MUHAMMAD ALI TOWARD ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
AT A TIME WHEN HE COULD'VE GONE EITHER WAY.
HE COULD'VE GONE TOWARD MALCOLM.
HE COULD'VE SPLIT FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM,
BUT ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, BY GRANTING ALI THIS HONOR,
THIS SPECIAL NAME WAS SAYING, "YOU'RE MY SON.
YOU ARE, SPECIAL TO ME," AND THAT CEMENTED THEIR BOND.
NARRATOR: MEANWHILE, MALCOLM TRIED REPEATEDLY TO REACH
THE BOXER BY PHONE AT THE HOTEL THERESA,
BUT EACH CALL WAS ANSWERED BY ONE OF ELIJAH MUHAMMAD'S MEN.
THEY REFUSED TO LET MALCOLM SPEAK TO HIS FRIEND.
WHY DO YOU INSIST ON BEING CALLED
MUHAMMAD ALI NOW?
THAT'S THE NAME GIVEN TO ME BY MY LEADER
AND TEACHER, THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
THAT'S MY ORIGINAL NAME, THAT'S A BLACK MAN NAME.
CASSIUS CLAY WAS MY SLAVE NAME.
I'M NO LONGER A SLAVE.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
MUHAMMAD MEANS "WORTHY OF ALL PRAISES,"
AND ALI MEANS "MOST HIGH."
DO YOU INTEND TO FIGHT UNDER THAT NAME?
YES, SIR. I WANT TO BE CALLED BY THAT NAME,
I WRITE AUTOGRAPHS WITH THAT NAME.
I WANT TO BE KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD AS THAT NAME,
ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT ASIA AND AFRICA
BECAUSE THAT'S THE NAMES OF OUR PEOPLE OVER HOME.
INTERVIEWER: MALCOLM X, YOU'VE BEEN VERY CLOSE
TO THE NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION CASSIUS CLAY.
DO YOU EXPECT THAT HE MIGHT LEAVE THE NATION OF ISLAM WITH YOU?
NO. AS I STATED EARLIER TODAY,
IT'S NOT MY INTENTION TO ENCOURAGE ANY MUSLIM
WHO FOLLOWS THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
TO LEAVE HIM.
IN FACT, IT'S MY INTENTION TO ENCOURAGE ALL MUSLIMS
TO REMAIN UNDER THE SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
THAT INCLUDES CASSIUS CLAY.
NARRATOR: HAVING WON MUHAMMAD ALI'S LOYALTY,
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD CUT OFF MALCOLM X ENTIRELY,
FORCING HIM AND HIS FAMILY FROM THE HOME
THE NATION OF ISLAM HAD PROVIDED.
FOLLOWED EVERYWHERE BY MEMBERS OF THE FRUIT OF ISLAM,
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD'S SECURITY FORCE,
MALCOLM X PUBLICLY QUIT THE SECT.
HE REMAINED A MUSLIM BUT WOULD CREATE
HIS OWN MOVEMENT COMMITTED TO REACHING
ALL AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
IN THE MONTHS AHEAD, MALCOLM WOULD MAKE
A PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA THAT WOULD RESHAPE HIS ATTITUDES
TOWARD ISLAM.
HE WAS WILLING NOW TO COOPERATE
WITH NON-VIOLENT CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS,
AND HE WOULD LIVE EACH DAY UNDER THE THREAT
OF VIOLENCE FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM.
REPORTER: I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE HEADED FOR CHICAGO
LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON TO MEET WITH ELIJAH MUHAMMAD?
YES, SIR. HAVING DINNER WITH HIM.
UH-HUH. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS
IS YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH MALCOLM X
FOR YOU JOINING THE BLACK MUSLIMS, WASN'T IT?
NO, I WAS A MUSLIM 4 YEARS BEFORE I MET MALCOLM X.
OH, REALLY?
HE'S A FRIEND OF YOURS NOW THOUGH, ISN'T HE?
MM-HMM. YES. HE'S A BROTHER OF MINE.
HE'S MY BROTHER. WHATEVER HE DO, HE'S MY BROTHER.
UH-HUH. NOW THAT HE'S SPLIT AWAY FROM THE MUSLIMS...
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SPLITTING.
I'LL HAVE TO SEE A HIGHER AUTHORITY ON THAT.
THAT'S ONE OF MY MAIN REASONS FOR GOING
IS TO FIND OUT THE REAL STORY.
I DON'T BELIEVE NOTHING THE PRESS AND PEOPLE WRITE.
NARRATOR: AT HIS CHICAGO MANSION, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
LECTURED ALI AND HIS BROTHER RUDY ON ALLAH,
DISCUSSED THE BOXER'S FUTURE, AND PROMISED
TO FIND HIM A MUSLIM WOMAN TO MARRY.
HE ALSO INTRODUCED ALI TO HIS SON HERBERT, THE OWNER
OF A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO AND EDITOR OF "MUHAMMAD SPEAKS."
IN TIME, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND HIS SON WOULD CONTROL
NEARLY EVERY ASPECT OF ALI'S LIFE.
NARRATOR: BACK IN NEW YORK, THE NEW CHAMPION
WAS BESIEGED BY REPORTERS, MOST OF WHOM FORGOT...
OR DECLINED... TO CALL HIM BY HIS NEW NAME.
REPORTER: CASSIUS, WHEN THE FIGHT WAS OVER, YOU RAISED YOUR HANDS...
NARRATOR: ATTENDING A FIGHT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN,
HE INSISTED ON BEING INTRODUCED AS MUHAMMAD ALI.
THE BOUT'S PROMOTERS REFUSED.
"I PITY CLAY AND ABHOR WHAT HE REPRESENTS,"
WROTE THE VETERAN SPORTSWRITER JIMMY CANNON.
HE ACCUSED THE BOXER OF USING HIS FAITH
AS A "WEAPON OF WICKEDNESS IN AN ATTACK ON THE SPIRIT."
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CHARGED THAT ALI
HAD BECOME "A CHAMPION OF RACIAL SEGREGATION."
FORMER CHAMPION FLOYD PATTERSON, A CATHOLIC,
COMPARED THE NATION OF ISLAM TO THE KU KLUX KLAN
AND OFFERED TO FIGHT FOR FREE IN ORDER TO WREST
THE TITLE FROM CLAY AND THE BLACK MUSLIMS.
WELL, I MADE, THE CHALLENGE TO CASSIUS CLAY
BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
BELONGS TO ALL AMERICANS, AND IT'S SOMETHING
THAT WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF,
ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
I ALSO FEEL THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE HANDS OF ONE GROUP
OF PEOPLE, AND THAT'S THE MUSLIMS.
NARRATOR: BEFORE HE LEFT TOWN, ALI LEARNED THAT, DUE
TO HIS LOW SCORE ON AN APTITUDE TEST
HE WAS UNQUALIFIED TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY.
THE "NEW YORK TIMES: MADE IT FRONT PAGE NEWS.
"I JUST SAID I WAS THE GREATEST," ALI SAID.
"I NEVER SAID I WAS THE SMARTEST."
[CROWD CHEERING]
NARRATOR: IN MAY, ALI BEGAN A MONTH-LONG TOUR
OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
IN ACCRA, THE CAPITAL OF GHANA, THOUSANDS GATHERED
AT THE AIRPORT TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE WORLD'S
NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
[GENTLEMAN MIKE EJEAGHA SINGING IN IGBO]
OUTSIDE HIS HOTEL, ALI HEARD A FAMILIAR VOICE.
"BROTHER MUHAMMAD," CALLED MALCOLM X, WHO WAS
ON HIS OWN OVERSEAS TOUR.
HE GREETED ALI ENTHUSIASTICALLY.
"I STILL LOVE YOU," HE TOLD THE BOXER."
"YOU LEFT THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD," ALI SAID.
"THAT WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO."
THERE WAS LITTLE ELSE TO SAY.
MALCOLM WALKED AWAY.
ALI MET WITH GHANAIAN PRESIDENT KWAME NKRUMAH,
SPARRED WITH HIS BROTHER RUDY, NOW KNOWN AS RAHMAN,
BEFORE THOUSANDS AT A LOCAL SPORTS STADIUM,
AND TOOK EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THE ADMIRERS
WHO TURNED UP EVERYWHERE ALI WENT.
HE ALSO SPOKE OUT AGAINST INTEGRATION
IN AMERICA, ADVOCATING
FOR A SEPARATE STATE FOR BLACK PEOPLE,
AND DISMISSED THE SWEEPING CIVIL RIGHTS BILL
UNDER CONSIDERATION IN THE U.S. CONGRESS
AS "COUNTERFEIT MONEY."
LATER, HE VISITED NIGERIA AND EGYPT,
WHERE HE AND HERBERT MUHAMMAD MET
WITH PRESIDENT GAMAL ABDEL NASSER AND PRAYED
WITH 1,500 WORSHIPPERS AT CAIRO'S AL-HUSSEIN MOSQUE.
THE DEEP AFFECTION AFRICANS SHOWERED ON ALI
DURING HIS 5-WEEK TRIP SHOWED THAT HIS SUCCESS IN THE RING
AND OUTSPOKENNESS BEYOND IT HAD WON HIM AN ENORMOUS FOLLOWING
WELL BEYOND THE UNITED STATES.
MAN: WELL, REMEMBER THAT THE AFRICAN CONTINENT ITSELF
WAS IN THE THROWS OF LIBERATION, YOU KNOW,
FROM COLONIAL STATUS.
IT WAS LIBERATION TIME, AND MUHAMMAD ALI WAS
A FIGURE OF LIBERATION.
NARRATOR: BEFORE LEAVING AFRICA, ALI RECEIVED
A CABLE FROM HIS FORMER FRIEND AND MENTOR.
"BECAUSE A BILLION OF OUR PEOPLE IN AFRICA, ASIA,
"AND ARABIA LOVE YOU BLINDLY, YOU MUST NOW BE
FOREVER AWARE OF YOUR TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO THEM,"
MALCOLM X WROTE.
"YOU MUST NEVER DO OR SAY ANYTHING THAT WILL PERMIT
"YOUR ENEMIES TO DISTORT THE BEAUTIFUL IMAGE YOU HAVE
HERE AMONG OUR PEOPLE."
MALCOLM X: I FRANKLY BELIEVE THAT CASSIUS IS
IN A BETTER POSITION THAN ANYONE ELSE TO RESTORE
THE UH, UH... A SENSE OF RACIAL PRIDE
TO NOT ONLY OUR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY
BUT ALL OVER THE WORLD,
AND HE IS TRYING HIS BEST TO LIVE A CLEAN LIFE
AND PROJECT A CLEAN IMAGE, BUT DESPITE THIS,
YOU FIND THE PRESS IS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PAINT HIM
AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT HE ACTUALLY IS.
HE DOESN'T SMOKE, HE DOESN'T DRINK.
IN FACT, IF HE WAS WHITE, THEY WOULD BE REFERRING TO HIM
AS THE ALL-AMERICAN BOY.
[BILLIE HOLIDAY'S "I MUST HAVE THAT MAN!" PLAYING]
HOLIDAY: ♪ DON'T WANT MY MAMMY ♪
♪ I DON'T NEED A FRIEND ♪
♪ MY HEART IS BROKEN, IT WON'T EVER MEND ♪
♪ I AIN'T MUCH CARING JUST WHERE I WILL END ♪
♪ I MUST HAVE THAT MAN ♪
REMEMBER, FROM 12 YEARS OLD, HE'S THIS BOXER IN TRAINING,
AND I SUSPECT THAT UNTIL HE MARRIED HIS FIRST WIFE
HE HAD NOT HAD A LOT OF SEXUAL ADVENTURES.
NARRATOR: ONE AFTERNOON IN THE SUMMER OF 1964,
WHILE MUHAMMAD ALI WAS STAYING AT THE ROBERTS MOTEL
IN CHICAGO, HERBERT MUHAMMAD STOPPED BY
FOR A VISIT.
HE WAS NOT ALONE.
SONJI ROI WAS A 27-YEAR-OLD COCKTAIL WAITRESS
AND SOMETIME FASHION MODEL WHO HAD POSED FOR HERBERT
AT HIS SOUTH SIDE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO.
ALI LEAPT UP.
"I SWEAR TO GOD, HERBERT," HE EXCLAIMED,
"I WAS LYING ACROSS THE BED PRAYING TO ALLAH FOR A WIFE,
AND HERE SHE COMES THROUGH THE DOOR."
NARRATOR: THAT EVENING, THE TWO WENT FOR ICE CREAM,
THEN DINNER, AND FINALLY RETURNED
TO SONJI'S APARTMENT, WHERE THEY SPENT THE NIGHT.
HERBERT HAD NOT MEANT FOR ALI TO FALL IN LOVE
WITH SONJI, A NON-MUSLIM, BUT THE TWO BECAME
INSTANTLY INSEPARABLE.
JUST 6 WEEKS AFTER MEETING, THEY WERE MARRIED
IN GARY, INDIANA, BY A JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
LIPSYTE: HE WAS OBVIOUSLY INFATUATED.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I WAS TALKING TO HIM
AND YOU WOULD HEAR THIS LITTLE VOICE
AT THE HOTEL DOOR SAYING, "ALI,"
AND HE WOULD, "I'LL TALK TO YOU GUYS LATER."
NARRATOR: ON THEIR FIRST TRIP TO LOUISVILLE,
ALI'S PARENTS QUICKLY TOOK TO SONJI, WHO HELPED ODESSA
PREPARE FRIED CHICKEN, PORED OVER ALI'S SCRAPBOOKS,
AND BURST INTO LAUGHTER WHEN ODESSA CALLED
HER SON BY AN OLD NICKNAME, "TINKY BABY."
FOR CASSIUS SR. AND ODESSA,
UNABLE TO ABIDE THEIR SON'S RELIGIOUS CONVERSION
AND WORRIED THAT THE NATION OF ISLAM
WOULD TAKE HIS BOXING EARNINGS, SONJI OFFERED HOPE
THAT ALI'S DEVOTION TO ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
WOULD BE SHORT-LIVED.
HIS PARENTS WERE NOT ALONE IN THEIR CONCERN.
EVER SINCE ALI HAD PUBLICLY CONFIRMED HIS MEMBERSHIP
IN THE NATION OF ISLAM,
THE WEALTHY LOUISVILLE BUSINESSMEN
WHO MANAGED HIS CAREER HAD STRUGGLED
TO ADJUST TO THEIR BOXER'S NEW FAITH.
FAVERSHAM: I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT IT HAS COST CASSIUS
A GREAT DEAL OF OUTSIDE MONEY.
BY OUTSIDE, I MEAN OF COURSE OUTSIDE THE RING.
EIG: MEMBERS OF THE LOUISVILLE SPONSORING GROUP TOLD HIM
RIGHT AWAY "THIS IS CAREER SUICIDE.
"WE HAVE BUSINESS DEALS ON OUR DESK.
COCA-COLA WANTS YOU TO DO ADS,"
AND IN FACT, THOSE CONTRACTS ALL GO AWAY.
HE SAYS HE DOESN'T CARE.
HE'S DOING WHAT HE BELIEVES IN.
WOULD YOU CARE TO MAKE AN ESTIMATE
OF HOW MUCH MONEY YOU THINK IT MIGHT HAVE COST HIM?
WELL, UH, MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION
IS THAT WE COULD HAVE MADE FOR HIM...
AFTER TAXES... AND THAT'S IMPORTANT AS YOU KNOW, HARRY...
I BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE MADE HIM $1.5 MILLION.
AND THIS HE HAS SACRIFICED?
AND THIS, I'M AFRAID, HE HAS SACRIFICED SO FAR.
DOES IT NOT ALSO EMBARRASS THE KENTUCKY BUSINESSMEN?
AFTER ALL, HERE YOU'VE GOT A GROUP OF KENTUCKY CHRISTIANS
WITH A MUSLIM MOUTHPIECE.
WELL, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S BEEN THAT EMBARRASSING.
NATURALLY, IT'S BEEN STARTLING.
BUT, UH, IN THE FIRST PLACE,
MOST OF US FEEL THAT A MAN HAS A RIGHT
TO HIS OWN RELIGION, TO HIS OWN FAITH,
AND SECOND PLACE... AND I HAVE REPEATED THIS MANY TIMES...
IF THE BLACK MUSLIMS MEAN HATRED,
THEN CASSIUS WILL NEVER BE A TRUE BLACK MUSLIM
BECAUSE HE HAS NO HATRED FOR ANYBODY
IN HIS SOUL OR IN HIS MIND.
HE IS A VERY CLEAN, FINE, NICE YOUNG MAN.
NARRATOR: UNTIL THEIR CONTRACT EXPIRED IN 1966,
IT REMAINED THE LOUISVILLE GROUP'S JOB TO ARRANGE
ALI'S FIGHTS, A TASK COMPLICATED BY SOME BOXING OFFICIALS
TROUBLED BY ALI'S ASSOCIATION WITH THE NATION OF ISLAM.
"CLAY'S CONDUCT," THE PRESIDENT
OF THE WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION SAID,
"HAS BEEN UNBECOMING OF A CHAMPION."
WHEN ALI'S SPONSORS ANNOUNCED A NOVEMBER REMATCH
WITH SONNY LISTON IN BOSTON, THE W.B.A.
REFUSED TO SANCTION THE BOUT
AND THEN STRIPPED ALI OF THEIR TITLE.
DO YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING PERSECUTED
FOR SOME REASON?
IF I'M CONDEMNED FOR BEING A MUSLIM,
YOU CONDEMNING ME BECAUSE YOU HATE TO SEE A BLACK MAN
STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET.
YOU TELLING THE BLACK WORLD THAT YOU NEVER WANT TO SEE
A BLACK MAN INDEPENDENT,
AND THIS IS ALL YOU'RE DOING, AND JUST ONE...
THIS ONLY MAKES ME BIGGER.
NARRATOR: PROMOTERS WENT AHEAD WITH PLANS
FOR THE FIGHT ANYWAY.
OTHER BOXING ORGANIZATIONS AND MOST SPORTSWRITERS
AND FANS STILL RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
ALI RETURNED TO MIAMI TO TRAIN.
SINCE HIS FIRST FIGHT WITH LISTON IN FEBRUARY,
ALI HAD GROWN HALF AN INCH TO 6'3"
AND ADDED TWO INCHES TO HIS BICEPS
AND ONE INCH TO HIS FOREARMS.
"I'M SO BEAUTIFUL," ALI DECLARED,
"I SHOULD BE CHISELED IN GOLD."
ALI: THIS WILL BE THE GREATEST PREDICTION
IN THE HISTORY OF ALL BOXING.
I'VE NEVER BEEN WRONG.
TO ALL OF MIAMI, CHANNEL 4 MADE ME GREAT.
THAT'S WHY I'LL STOP LISTON IN 8.
HOW WE GONNA GET HIM? GONNA DANCE.
FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY... BUTTERFLY...
ALI AND BUNDINI: AND STING LIKE A BEE. AHH!
RUMBLE, YOUNG MAN RUMBLE! AHH!
NARRATOR: SONNY LISTON, DETERMINED TO AVENGE
HIS EARLIER LOSS, TRAINED FURIOUSLY FOR THE REMATCH.
HE SWORE OFF ALCOHOL, RAN IN THE FOOTHILLS WEST
OF HIS DENVER HOME, AND TOOK INSTRUCTION
IN MARTIAL ARTS.
BY NOVEMBER, HE WAS 10 POUNDS LIGHTER
THAN HE HAD BEEN IN MIAMI.
NARRATOR: 3 DAYS BEFORE THE FIGHT AT THE BOSTON GARDEN,
ALI AND HIS ENTOURAGE HAD DINNER
IN HIS SUITE AT THE SHERRY BILTMORE HOTEL.
SOON, ALI BEGAN TO COMPLAIN OF PAIN IN HIS STOMACH.
AND HE SAID "GET ME... GET ME TO A DOCTOR."
SO AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, AS I SAY, WE WAS HATED.
I THOUGHT SOMEBODY HAD POISONED HIM.
REPORTER: HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION CASSIUS CLAY IS
AT THIS MOMENT UNDERGOING AN EMERGENCY OPERATION
FOR AN INCARCERATED HERNIA AT BOSTON CITY HOSPITAL.
CLAY WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL EARLY TONIGHT.
NARRATOR: THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS,
BUT IT WOULD BE 3 MONTHS BEFORE ALI COULD
RESUME HEAVY TRAINING.
THE FIGHT WAS POSTPONED.
MAN: MR. CLAY, YOU LET US KNOW IF YOU GET TIRED, OK?
NARRATOR: SONNY LISTON HAD GOTTEN INTO THE BEST SHAPE
OF HIS LIFE.
"THAT DAMNED FOOL," HE SAID WHEN HE HEARD THE NEWS.
THEN HE MIXED HIMSELF A SCREWDRIVER.
MALCOLM, A STORY UNDER THE BYLINE OF AUBREY BARNETT
IN A CURRENT ISSUE OF A NATIONAL MAGAZINE
SAYS THAT THE BLACK MUSLIMS ARE A FRAUD.
WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THIS?
WELL, UH, AUBREY BARNETT IS A VERY INTELLIGENT, UH, PERSON,
AND HE HAS A FINE ACADEMIC BACKGROUND,
AND I THINK THAT THE STORY IN ITSELF WAS VERY ANALYTICAL,
AND IT WAS OBJECTIVE, AND IT WAS TRUE.
HE SAYS THEY'RE ANOTHER LITTLE MONEY-GRABBING SCHEME,
FEEDING ON NEGRO FRUSTRATIONS.
IS THIS TRUE?
WELL, IF IT IS... AND IT IS...
THAT'S WHAT IT HAS DETERIORATED TO.
UH, YOU STILL CAN'T, UH, BLAME THE NEGRO,
AND YOU CAN'T BLAME THE MOVEMENT.
YOU HAVE TO BLAME THE SOCIETY THAT LETS
SUCH FRUSTRATIONS DEVELOP UNTIL, UH, THIS IS
THE RESULT OF IT.
NARRATOR: ON FEBRUARY 21, 1965, WHILE ADDRESSING
A CROWD AT THE AUDUBON BALLROOM IN MANHATTAN,
MALCOLM X WAS SHOT DEAD.
REPORTER: AT 3:21 P.M., NEW YORK TIME,
8:21 IN THE EVENING OVER HERE,
MALCOLM X ROSE TO SPEAK TO HIS FOLLOWERS IN HARLEM.
ONE MINUTE LATER, HE WAS SHOT DOWN BY 10 BULLETS.
18 MINUTES LATER, HE WAS DEAD.
NARRATOR: THOUGH IT WAS UNCLEAR WHO ORDERED THE ASSASSINATION,
ALL 3 OF THE GUNMEN WHO WERE ARRESTED WERE MEMBERS
OF THE NATION OF ISLAM.
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD: THE WAY I SEE IT MALCOLM IS
THE VICTIM OF HIS OWN PREACHING.
HE PREACHED VIOLENCE,
AND SO HE BECOME THE VICTIM OF IT.
MAN: MR. MEL FISHER HERE FROM UNITED PRESS.
MRS. MALCOLM X, YOUR HUSBAND
HAD A GREAT MANY FOLLOWERS.
WHAT WILL BE THEIR REACTION TO WHAT
HAS HAPPENED TO HIM?
MAN: NEXT QUESTION.
DO YOU FEEL THAT THE POLICE NOW HAVE IN THEIR CUSTODY
THE MAN OR MEN WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH
OF, UH, YOUR HUSBAND?
NARRATOR: THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL,
MUHAMMAD ALI BOXED IN AN EXHIBITION MATCH
AT A NATION OF ISLAM EVENT IN CHICAGO.
ALI: MALCOLM X AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO ATTACKS OR TALKS
ABOUT ATTACKING ELIJAH MUHAMMAD WILL DIE.
NO MAN CAN OPPOSE THE MESSENGER OF ALMIGHTY GOD
VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY AND GET AWAY WITH IT.
♪
NARRATOR: IN MAY OF 1965, MUHAMMAD ALI
AND HIS ENTOURAGE RETURNED TO MASSACHUSETTS,
WHERE HE CONTINUED TRAINING FOR HIS REMATCH WITH SONNY LISTON.
I'M GONNA RUN THE BEAR UP A TREE.
IT'S UP TO YOU TO GET HIM OUT OF THE TREE.
JUST POINT HIM OUT.
I'LL SHOW HIM TO YOU.
NARRATOR: BUT LESS THAN 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE BOUT,
BOSTON'S DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CONCERNED
ABOUT THE PROMOTERS' MOB TIES, SUED TO STOP THE FIGHT.
BEFORE A JUDGE COULD RULE, A PAWNSHOP OWNER
AND SOMETIME BOXING PROMOTER IN LEWISTON, MAINE,
OFFERED THE TOWN'S HOCKEY RINK.
IZENBERG: THE MATCH IS SET FOR THE ARENA THAT IS
THE HOME ICE OF THE FLYING DOM'S CYO HOCKEY TEAM,
AND NOBODY IN LEWISTON WAS OPPOSED TO ALI.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO HE WAS
AT THAT POINT.
NARRATOR: 3 DAYS BEFORE THE FIGHT, ABC's HOWARD COSELL,
A LAWYER TURNED SPORTSCASTER FROM BROOKLYN,
BROUGHT A CAMERA CREW TO ALI'S TRAINING CAMP.
REMNICK: HOWARD COSELL CALLED HIM CASSIUS CLAY FOR A WHILE,
BUT HE GOT IT EARLY.
HE GOT IT EARLIER, CERTAINLY THAN MOST,
CERTAINLY THAN MOST WHITE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE ON TELEVISION,
AND ALI APPRECIATED THIS,
AND ALI STARTED GIVING HIM ACCESS
AND STARTED MAKING HIM HIS KIND OF MEDIA WINGMAN.
THEY WERE GOOD FOR EACH OTHER, AND THEY BOTH KNEW IT.
COSELL: AND HERE FULLY ROBED AFTER THE WORKOUT
YOU'VE JUST SEEN COMES THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD HIMSELF.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, CHAMP.
HOWARD COSELL, THE WORLD'S GREATEST NEWSCASTER.
HOW'RE YOU FEELING?
YOU'RE VERY KIND, CHAMP,
BUT LET'S GET TO CASES.
YOU LOOK ALMOST LIKE YOU'RE READY
FOR THE FIGHT RIGHT NOW.
YOU ABOUT RIGHT. ALMOST READY.
AFTER ANOTHER WEEK.
I'M A LITTLE TIRED NOW, I'M WORKING HARD,
BUT FOR THE BIG NIGHT, I'LL BE READY.
I NOTICED YOU'VE STOPPED WITH THE POETRY.
YOU'RE NOT MAKING ANY PREDICTIONS. HOW COME?
WELL, I'M JUST... I HAVE A PREDICTION FOR THE FIGHT,
BUT, UH, I'M... I THINK I'LL BE WISE NOT TO RELEASE IT
BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE IN MY PREDICTIONS,
AND THEY HAVE BEEN ACCURATE UP TO DATE.
I'M AFRAID THAT I MIGHT HURT THE GATE IF I LET THEM
KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, SO I'LL JUST HOLD
THE SURPRISE FOR THEM.
LET ME SAY THIS TO YOU. GOOD LUCK.
I HOPE IT'S NOT AN ACT. I HOPE YOU MEAN IT.
IF IT'S AN ACT, JUST LOOK AT MY RECORD AND SEE.
HAVE THE OTHER FIGHTS BEEN ACTS?
HAVE THEY BEEN ACTS? NOT SO FAR.
WELL, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'M ACTING?
AHH!
COSELL: AND WITH THAT FINAL STAGE OF THE ACT,
WE LEAVE THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
MUHAMMAD ALI OR CASSIUS CLAY, AS YOU WILL,
HERE AT HIS TRAINING CAMP IN CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU FOR A VISIT
TO THE CHALLENGER'S CAMP IN POLAND SPRING, MAINE,
RIGHT AFTER THIS MESSAGE.
NARRATOR: AS THE MATCH NEARED, RUMORS FLEW
THAT SONNY LISTON WOULD BE KILLED BY MEMBERS
OF THE NATION OF ISLAM UNLESS HE THREW THE FIGHT
AND THAT A CARLOAD OF MALCOLM X's FOLLOWERS,
BENT ON REVENGE, WERE DRIVING NORTH WITH PLANS
TO SHOOT ALI.
ALI: WHAT DO I CARE ABOUT SOME PISTOLS?
CAN'T SCARE ME WITH NO PISTOLS.
I WALK THROUGH HELL EVERY DAY, NO GUARDS,
DON'T NEED THEM.
THIS ONLY PROPAGANDA TO MAKE ME THINK THAT I HAVE
AN ENEMY IN THE RING AND ONE BEHIND MY BACK
BECAUSE COMMON NATURE TELLS YOU AND THE NEGRO HERE IN AMERICA
YOU HAVE PUT FEAR IN HIM EVER SINCE HE'S BEEN HERE,
AND THE ONLY THING YOU HOPE IS SOME OF IT'S STILL
IN ME, BUT IT AIN'T.
NARRATOR: ON THE DAY OF THE BOUT, OFFICIALS COMBED
THE ARENA ONE LAST TIME IN SEARCH OF POISON GAS BOMBS
THAT HAD REPORTEDLY BEEN HIDDEN AMONG THE SUPPORTS.
"IT WILL BE A SHORT FIGHT," ALI TOLD A REPORTER
WHO RODE WITH HIM FROM HIS HOTEL TO THE ARENA.
SONNY LISTON HAD SPENT THE DAY GRIPPED BY DIARRHEA,
HIS WIFE CONCERNED THAT HE WASN'T HIMSELF.
RECENT TRAINING SESSIONS HAD BEEN LACKLUSTER,
AND HE HAD RESUMED DRINKING.
COSELL: LET'S GO TO THE CENTRAL MAINE YOUTH CENTER
AND FIGHT ANNOUNCER JOHNNY ADDIE.
ANNOUNCER: FROM ST. DOMINIC'S ARENA, LEWISTON, MAINE.
THE WORLD'S HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPIONSHIP.
CASSIUS CLAY, NOW BOUNCING IN FROM THE DRESSING ROOM
ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE ARENA, LOOSE AND LIMBER
WITH HIS VERY SHORT TERRYCLOTH ROBE.
COMING INTO THE RING, UP THE RING STAIRS,
AND HE'S BEING BOOED.
[BOOING]
COSELL: ALL RIGHT. WE'RE JUST ABOUT READY TO GO.
MUHAMMAD ALI SAYING A PRAYER
IN HIS CORNER BEFORE COMING OUT
TO MEET THE CHALLENGER,
AND NOW LET'S GET TO
THE OTHER TELEVISION
COMMENTATOR STEVE ELLIS.
ELLIS: AS YOU KNOW, 15 ROUNDS OR LESS,
THE WORLD'S HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE, THE BIG FIGHT,
THE BIG NIGHT, UNUSUAL LOCALE, LEWISTON, MAINE.
ROUND NUMBER ONE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA SCORE WITH US, WELL, GET YOUR PENCIL
AND PAD HANDY.
WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT BELL FOR ROUND ONE.
HERE WE GO.
NARRATOR: THE FIGHT BEGAN AT 10:40 P.M.
LISTON WAS AGAIN THE FAVORITE, 9-TO-5.
HE KNEW THAT THE ONLY WAY HE COULD WIN
WAS TO GET TO ALI EARLY.
IZENBERG: LISTON COMES TEARING OUT THE CORNER,
AND HE'S THROWING PUNCHES,
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOO... YOU KNOW.
WHEN HE MISSES A PUNCH...
ANYBODY MISSES A PUNCH, THEY'RE OFF BALANCE.
ELLIS: YOU'LL NOTE THAT CASSIUS WANTS TO STAY OUT
IN THE CENTER OF THE RING, WHERE HE HAPPENS
TO BE THE KING.
BEAUTIFUL RIGHT-HAND SHOT THAT YOU SAW.
THAT WAS THE BEST PUNCH THUS FAR LANDED
BY THE CHAMPION.
WE NOTE THAT EARLY, HALFWAY THROUGH THIS FIRST ROUND,
THAT SONNY IS SHOOTING MOSTLY TOWARD THAT BODY.
YOU KNOW THE OLD STORY.
YOU KILL THE BODY, AND THE HEAD MIGHT FOLLOW.
KNOCKED DOWN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WITH A RIGHT-HAND SHOT.
A RIGHT-HAND SHOT ON THE CHIN.
NARRATOR: 2:12 INTO THE FIRST ROUND,
SONNY LISTON WENT DOWN.
ELLIS: SONNY CANNOT MOVE.
NARRATOR: IT WAS ALL OVER.
IZENBERG: THERE WAS A PUNCH.
WAS IT GONNA KEEP HIM DOWN? HELL, NO.
HE LOOKED UP, AND THIS GUY WOULD NOT GO
TO A NEUTRAL CORNER, AND HE'S SCREAMING.
"GET UP SUCKER, NO ONE'S GONNA BELIEVE IT."
ALI: HE GOT HIT HARD.
I HIT HIM WITH A PUNCH THAT JACK JOHNSON USED
CALLED THE ANCHOR PUNCH.
HOW DOES IT GO?
ALI: IT'S A SNAP PUNCH, AND YOU CAN'T PUNCH IT
UNTIL THE MAN IS COMING IN AT YOU.
THAT'S ALL. JUST TWIST.
AND YOU CAN'T SEE IT, BUT IF YOU WERE HIT WITH IT,
ALL OF YOU WOULD BE OUT.
COSELL: SONNY, DID THE PUNCH SURPRISE YOU?
CLAY SAYS... YES, IT DID.
CLAY SAYS IT WAS A NEW TACTIC...
THE COUNTER RIGHT.
IT WAS A SURPRISING PUNCH.
BENTT: IT WAS CLEAN SHOT, BUT IT WASN'T THE KIND OF
CLEAN SHOT TO KNOCK OUT SONNY LISTON.
WHEN HE GETS KNOCKED DOWN, IT'S... IT'S BAD ACTING, MAN.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, HORRIBLE ACTING, AND HE'S, LIKE,
TURNING OVER ON THE...
COME ON, MAN. REALLY SERIOUSLY?
THERE WAS NO WAY IN THE WORLD THAT MUHAMMAD ALI,
NO MATTER HOW GREAT HE WAS, WOULD EVER KNOCK OUT
SONNY LISTON WITH ONE SHOT.
TO THIS DAY, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT MYSTERIES
OF THE HISTORY OF SPORTS.
WAS THAT FIGHT FIXED?
DID... DID LISTON TAKE A FALL?
WAS, IN FACT, THE PUNCH SO IMMENSELY SWIFT
AND DEVASTATING AND HIT AT JUST THE RIGHT POINT THAT
IT, IN FACT, WAS A KNOCKOUT PUNCH?
DID LISTON SEE AFTER WATCHING ALI DANCE
AROUND THE RING, "YOU KNOW WHAT?
"I'M NOT GONNA CHASE THIS GUY.
"ENOUGH'S ENOUGH,
AND THE FIRST TIME HE HITS ME, I'M OUT OF HERE."
SO I... I CAN'T PRETEND TO KNOW FOR CERTAINTY.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW.
IT'LL HAVE... I THINK, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS
THAT'S GONNA REMAIN A MYSTERY.
NARRATOR: LISTON BOXED FOR 5 MORE YEARS.
ON JANUARY 5, 1971, HIS WIFE GERALDINE RETURNED HOME
TO FIND HER HUSBAND DEAD AT THE FOOT OF THEIR BED.
THOUGH DRUGS HAD BEEN FOUND AT THE SCENE
AND SOME SPECULATED THAT THE MOB HAD ORDERED A HIT ON THE BOXER,
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER RULED THAT SONNY LISTON HAD DIED
OF A HEART ATTACK.
MOSLEY: I DON'T THINK THAT LISTON COULD'VE AVOIDED
WHAT HE BECAME.
THERE WAS SOMETHING, THERE WAS AN INNER LIGHT TO ALI,
AND THAT LIGHT WAS GOING TO SHINE,
AND PEOPLE WERE GOING TO LOVE HIM,
AND THERE WAS AN INNER DARKNESS TO LISTON,
PUT IN IT BY 500 YEARS OF PICKING COTTON.
YOU KNOW?
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY... THEY PLAYED THE CARDS
THEY WERE DEALT.
♪
NARRATOR: MEANWHILE, ALI'S MARRIAGE WAS UNRAVELING.
ALONE IN THEIR CHICAGO APARTMENT, ALI HAD ALLOWED
SONJI TO WEAR THE MINI-SKIRTS SHE PREFERRED,
AND HE WOULD SERENADE HER WITH SONGS
BY SAM COOKE AND BEN E. KING WHILE SHE COOKED DINNER,
BUT HE NOW GREW UPSET WHEN SHE APPEARED IN PUBLIC
DRESSED IN A FASHION HE BELIEVED INAPPROPRIATE
FOR THE WIFE OF A PRACTICING MUSLIM.
IN JUNE OF 1965, ALI FILED TO HAVE THEIR MARRIAGE ANNULLED,
COMPLAINING THAT SONJI HAD FALSELY PROMISED
TO CONVERT TO ISLAM.
"THEY'VE STOLEN MY MAN'S MIND," SAID SONJI,
WHO BLAMED ELIJAH MUHAMMAD FOR THE COLLAPSE
OF THEIR MARRIAGE.
"I LOVED HER ONLY IF SHE WOULD FOLLOW ME
"IN MY WAY OF LIFE.
NEXT TIME I MARRY, IT'LL BE A GIRL OF 17 OR 18,"
ALI VOWED, "ONE I RAISE TO MY WAY OF THINKING."
♪
ALI'S COMMITMENT TO THE NATION OF ISLAM
CONTINUED TO DEEPEN.
HE HAD GROWN ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO ELIJAH MUHAMMAD'S
SON HERBERT, WHO WAS PLAYING AN INCREASINGLY
DECISIVE ROLE IN ALI'S BOXING CAREER.
HERBERT HAD A KNACK FOR MAKING MONEY,
SOMETIMES IN WAYS THAT VIOLATED HIS FATHER'S TEACHINGS.
ACCORDING TO FBI AGENTS, HE PHOTOGRAPHED WOMEN
IN THE NUDE, MADE PORNOGRAPHIC FILMS,
AND SIPHONED MONEY FROM HIS FATHER'S BUSINESSES.
EIG: HERBERT MUHAMMAD IS THE SON OF ELIJAH MUHAMMAD,
SO IN MANY WAYS, HE'S ALI'S CONNECTION
TO THE RELIGION, AND HE MENTORS ALI IN THE WAYS
OF THE NATION OF ISLAM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
HE'S A BUSINESSMAN WHO REALLY LIKES MONEY,
REALLY LIKES FOOD, REALLY LIKES WOMEN.
HE LOVED ALI, AND THEY DEVELOPED
THIS UNBELIEVABLE CLOSENESS.
NARRATOR: DURING TRIPS TO LOUISVILLE, ALI NOW STAYED
AT A HOTEL AND SPENT LESS TIME WITH HIS PARENTS.
"THE MUSLIMS KEEP HIM AWAY FROM ME," COMPLAINED
CASSIUS SR., WHO CALLED HERBERT "DIRTY"
AND WARNED HIS SON THAT HE WAS GOING TO WIND UP BROKE.
IN SEPTEMBER 1965, ALI TRAVELED TO NEW YORK
TO ANNOUNCE THAT HIS NEXT OPPONENT
WOULD BE THE FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION FLOYD PATTERSON.
NARRATOR: PATTERSON, NOW 30, HAD BEEN CAMPAIGNING
FOR A SHOT AT ALI EVER SINCE HE WON THE TITLE.
HE SAW HIS CHALLENGE AS A MORAL CRUSADE.
"THE IMAGE OF A BLACK MUSLIM AS CHAMPION
IS NOT GOOD," HE TOLD THE PRESS.
"CASSIUS MUST BE BEATEN."
PATTERSON SAID HE INTENDED TO "WIN THE TITLE BACK
FOR AMERICA."
ALI WAS LIVID.
"I'M AN AMERICAN," HE SAID,
"BUT HE'S A DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND SO-CALLED NEGRO
WHO NEEDS A SPANKING."
THE PRESS ATE IT UP.
"IT IS CHRISTIAN AGAINST BLACK MUSLIM.
IT IS GOOD GUY AGAINST BAD GUY," WROTE DICK YOUNG
OF THE "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS,"
WHO CALLED THE MATCHUP
A HOLY WAR.
FLOYD CAME ACROSS AS THE WHITE MAN'S APOLOGIST,
AND FOR US AT THAT TIME, THAT WAS ENOUGH.
THIS WAS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE LONG, HOT SUMMER RIOTS.
REBELLION WAS IN THE AIR.
PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT REVOLUTION WAS
A REAL POSSIBILITY, YOU KNOW?
THE SMELL OF BURNING CITIES MADE THAT
A SERIOUS PLAUSIBILITY,
AND SO THIS WAS A DIFFERENT ERA.
EDDIE FISHER: ♪ GAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT ♪
♪ THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE ♪
♪ O SAY DOES THAT STAR-SPANGLED BANNER ♪
♪ YET WAVE ♪
♪ O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE ♪
♪ AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE ♪
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
RING ANNOUNCER: FROM NEW YORK CITY,
WEARING BLACK TRUNKS
THE CHALLENGER FLOYD PATTERSON.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY,
WEARING WHITE TRUNKS,
THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD MUHAMMAD ALI.
[BOOING]
ELLIS: ROUND 1, 15 ROUNDS,
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.
♪
[BELL RINGS]
NOW THE ROUND BEGINS.
♪
NARRATOR: AT FIRST, ALI JEERED HIS CHALLENGER
AS HE DANCED PLAYFULLY AND THREW SOFT, GLANCING PUNCHES.
"COME ON, AMERICAN!" ALI TAUNTED PATTERSON.
"COME ON, WHITE AMERICAN!"
MUWAKKIL: WE THOUGHT THAT FLOYD NEEDED TO BE TORTURED.
HE NEEDED HIS COMEUPPANCE, AND WHO BETTER THAN ALI
TO GIVE IT TO HIM?
IT INDICATED SOME OF THE CRUELTY THAT WOULD LATER
SURFACE IN ALI'S LIFE, YOU KNOW,
BUT I THINK AS A BOXER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
AN INHERENT SENSE OF CRUELTY SOMEWHERE
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, I THINK.
[BELL RINGS]
NARRATOR: AS THE FIGHT ADVANCED, ALI ADDED HOOKS
AND UPPERCUTS TO HIS ASSAULT, WHILE PATTERSON
STRUGGLED TO LAND ANY BLOWS OF HIS OWN.
LIPSYTE: I LOVED MUHAMMAD ALI.
I DID NOT LIKE EVERYTHING HE DID AND SAID.
HE PUNCHED FLOYD JUST HARD ENOUGH TO HURT HIM
BUT NOT TO KNOCK HIM OUT.
HE KEPT THE FIGHT GOING ROUND AFTER ROUND,
PUNISHING HIM.
FLOYD PATTERSON REFUSED TO CALL HIM
BY HIS NEW RIGHTFUL NAME MUHAMMAD ALI,
UH, YOU KNOW, REFUSED TO GIVE HIM ANY KIND OF RESPECT.
[BELL RINGS]
ELLIS: FLOYD'S STILL IN THERE.
DR. DONALD ROMEO IS IN THE CORNER AT THE PRESENT TIME
TALKING WITH FLOYD, ASKING ABOUT HIS BACK.
THAT'S THE DOCTOR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING.
NARRATOR: BEFORE ROUND 11, A DOCTOR WAS ORDERED
TO EXAMINE THE CHALLENGER IN HIS CORNER.
PATTERSON INSISTED THAT THE MATCH GO ON.
ELLIS: NUMBER 12 COMING UP.
[BELL RINGS]
♪
THIS MAN IS THROWING A VARIETY OF SHOTS.
♪
BEAUTIFUL PUNCHES BY CASSIUS CLAY,
THE WORLD CHAMPION.
BEAUTIFUL SHOTS ALL THE WAY.
LIPSYTE: IT WAS CRUEL, AND IT WAS HUMILIATING,
AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY REALLY DESERVED THAT,
EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, FLOYD HAD BROUGHT IT ON HIMSELF.
NARRATOR: ANGELO DUNDEE, TIRED OF WATCHING
HIS FIGHTER TOY WITH PATTERSON, SCREAMED, "KNOCK HIM OUT
FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!"
ELLIS: HE'S WOBBLING.
HE'S HURT.
HE'S ON THE RECEIVING END OF GOOD PUNCHES
ALL THE WAY.
♪
WHAT A MARKSMAN. A MINUTE TO GO IN NUMBER 12.
WHAT A MARKSMAN CASSIUS CLAY IS.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO STOP IT.
[CHEERING AND BOOING]
SOMEBODY GET A CHAIR DOWN THERE, PLEASE.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[APPLAUSE]
I'M VERY, VERY SORRY BECAUSE
OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT.
I HAD HOPED THAT I COULD GIVE ALL OF YOU,
AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IN THE AUDIENCE,
A MUCH BETTER FIGHT.
NO, I COULDN'T KNOCK HIM OUT. REPORTER: WHY NOT?
I TOOK MY BEST PUNCHES. HE WOULDN'T FALL.
SURPRISED ME.
HE'S A GOOD FIGHTER,
DETERMINED... GOOD FIGHTER.
STRONG, SURPRISED ME.
I GOT TWO SWOLLEN HANDS. SEE?
REPORTER: WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING NEXT?
WHO DO YOU WANT ME TO FIGHT?
YOU PICK WHO YOU WANT TO FIGHT.
WHO DOES THE PRESS WANT ME TO FIGHT?
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD FIGHT?
THE BEST MAN. WHO IS THE BEST MAN?
WHO DO YOU THINK? I DON'T KNOW. FIND HIM.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
NARRATOR: ALI WAS IRREFUTABLY IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN.
"COMPARISONS WITH HEAVYWEIGHTS OF THE PAST
ARE HARDLY RELEVANT," WROTE ONE SPORTSWRITER.
"PATTERSON HAD AS MUCH CHANCE OF BEATING HIM
AS THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS WOULD HAVE HAD AGAINST A JET FIGHTER."
YOU'RE PLANNING ON FIGHTING THIS YEAR
BEFORE THE YEAR IS OUT?
WELL, I DON'T KNOW. I MIGHT RETIRE.
I'M CONSIDERING RETIRING.
I'M REALLY TIRED OF FIGHTING.
AT YOUR AGE? YEAH. I'M TIRED.
I DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT NO MORE.
DO YOU THINK YOU'LL RETIRE BEFORE YOU HAVE ANOTHER FIGHT?
I'M GETTING TOO GREAT.
I CAN'T EVEN FLY PLANES WITHOUT CROWDS
WAITING FOR ME.
DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT RETIRE WITHOUT ANOTHER FIGHT?
THAT'S RIGHT. I DON'T LIKE BOXING.
BOXING MEANS NOTHING TO ME.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE?
AH, WELL I LIKE JUST... I LIKE WHAT ALL NEGROES LIKE,
AND WHAT THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR IS FREEDOM.
REPORTER: IF YOU QUIT FIGHTING, WOULD YOU GO
FULL-TIME INTO CIVIL RIGHTS WORK?
NO, I DON'T KNOW IF I CALL IT CIVIL RIGHTS.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR AN OCCUPATION
IF YOU STOP FIGHTING?
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO.
GOD'S GOT ME HERE FOR SOMETHING.
I CAN FEEL IT.
I WAS BORN FOR EVERYTHING THAT I'M DOING NOW.
[CHARLES BRADLEY'S "THE WORLD (IS GOING UP IN FLAMES)" PLAYING]
BRADLEY: ♪ OHH ♪
BOYD: RIGHT AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
IS THE BEGINNING OF THE WATTS RIOTS,
AND THE WATTS RIOTS COME TO SYMBOLIZE THE FACT
THAT THINGS ARE FAR FROM BEING SOLVED.
THERE'S UNREST THAT THESE BILLS WON'T REACH.
MUWAKKIL: IN THE URBAN NORTH, WE WERE A LITTLE BIT ESTRANGED
FROM THE STYLISTIC METHODS OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT,
WHICH WAS PRIMARILY A SOUTHERN-BASED
AND AGRARIAN-BASED KIND OF THING.
THEY WOULD HAVE OVERALLS ON.
THEY WOULD BE SINGING HYMNS AND APPEAL
TO CLERGY-ORIENTED KINDS OF THINGS.
THIS WASN'T OUR STYLE, YOU KNOW.
WE WERE MORE SECULAR.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO WEAR OVERALLS, YOU KNOW?
AND SO WE WANTED ANOTHER FORM OF ACTIVISM,
AND THE NATION OF ISLAM AND AND MALCOLM X HAD ALREADY BEEN
VERY INFLUENTIAL IN THE URBAN NORTH,
AND BLACK... UH, I THINK, BLACK ACTIVISTS
WERE MORE ATTRACTED TO THAT KIND OF ACTIVISM
THAN THEY WERE TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MODE,
AND SO MUHAMMAD ALI FIT PERFECTLY WITH THAT MODEL.
NARRATOR: BY 1966, MUHAMMAD ALI HAD BECOME
THE HIGHEST-PAID ATHLETE IN THE WORLD.
EAGER TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT SUCCESS,
ALI AND HERBERT MUHAMMAD,
ALONG WITH FOOTBALL STAR JIM BROWN
AND A FORMER PROSECUTOR FROM QUEENS NAMED BOB ARUM,
FORMED MAIN BOUT, INC.
TO MANAGE SUPPLEMENTAL RIGHTS TO ALL OF ALI'S FIGHTS,
INCLUDING CLOSED-CIRCUIT BROADCASTS.
MAN: CLOSED-CIRCUIT WAS, IN THE SIXTIES,
THE EQUIVALENT OF WHAT PAY-PER-VIEW IS TODAY.
WE WERE LIMITED AT THE TIME TO 350 LOCATIONS...
THEATERS, ARENAS... WHERE WE COULD SHOW
THE TELECAST OF THE FIGHT.
WHILE THERE HAD BEEN CLOSED-CIRCUIT
BEFORE MUHAMMAD ALI, MUHAMMAD ALI PUT CLOSED-CIRCUIT
INTO ANOTHER PLATEAU.
NARRATOR: THE LOUISVILLE GROUP WAS NOT A PART
OF THE NEW ENTERPRISE.
ALI HAD TOLD HIS BACKERS THAT HE INTENDED TO RENEW
THEIR AGREEMENT WHEN IT EXPIRED LATER THAT YEAR,
BUT IT WAS CLEAR TO EVERYONE THE NEAR-TOTAL INFLUENCE
THE NATION OF ISLAM HAD OVER THEIR BOXER.
"WE HAD HOPED TO BE COMPLETELY FREE
OF UNDERWORLD CONNECTIONS," ONE MEMBER WROTE THE GROUP,
"BUT WE SEEM TO HAVE NEW ONES IN CHICAGO."
EIG: ALI STILL LIKES THESE GUYS, AND HE STILL
REALLY TRUSTS THEM, AND THEY'VE TREATED HIM WELL,
AND HE CONTINUES TO SAY HE LOVES AND SUPPORTS THESE GUYS,
AND FOR A WHILE, HERBERT WORKS
WITH THE LOUISVILLE SPONSORING GROUP,
BUT THAT BECOMES TOO DIFFICULT AFTER A WHILE
AND, EVENTUALLY, THE LOUISVILLE SPONSORING GROUP
GIVES UP, CUTS ITS TIES, AND HERBERT BECOMES
ALI'S FULL-TIME MANAGER.
[MACHINE GUNS FIRING]
[HELICOPTER FLYING]
MAN: FIRST ONE, SET UP A RING OF SECURITY.
NARRATOR: AFTER THE UNITED STATES ESCALATED
ITS INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM BY COMMITTING COMBAT SOLDIERS
IN 1965, THE DEMAND FOR TROOPS INCREASED.
THE SELECTIVE SERVICE LOWERED ITS STANDARDS.
MUHAMMAD ALI, ONCE DISQUALIFIED, WAS NOW
ELIGIBLE FOR THE DRAFT.
LIPSYTE: I WAS IN MIAMI TO DO SOME FEATURE STORY ABOUT HIM,
AND HE COMES OUT, AND HE IS STEAMING.
HE HAD JUST HEARD THAT HE HAD BEEN RECLASSIFIED 1-A.
ALI: I JUST CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD
RECLASSIFY ME AS 1-A WHEN THEY WERE THE ONES
WHO SAID... THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WERE THE ONES
WHO SAID THAT I WAS 1-Y, AND THAT I WASN'T QUALIFIED.
IT WAS THEIR DECISION.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, I'M 1-A WITHOUT ANY TEST,
WITHOUT NOTIFYING ME OR CHECKING TO SEE
IF I'M ANY WISER THAN I WAS THE LAST TIME OR ANY WORSER.
INTERVIEWER: IF YOU ARE DRAFTED WILL YOU FIGHT
FOR YOUR COUNTRY?
I'M NOT SAYING NOTHING ABOUT THINGS
THAT I DON'T HAVE TO SAY.
I DON'T HAVE TO SAY NOTHING ABOUT THAT.
UH, THEY HAVEN'T DRAFTED ME YET,
AND IT'S A TOUCHY THING, A TOUCHY QUESTION,
AND I RATHER NOT SAY NOTHING.
NARRATOR: THE NEXT MORNING, MUHAMMAD ALI OFFERED
A MORE COHERENT ARGUMENT AGAINST JOINING THE MILITARY.
"I AM A MEMBER OF THE MUSLIMS, AND WE DON'T GO TO WARS
UNLESS THEY ARE DECLARED BY ALLAH HIMSELF,"
HE TOLD A REPORTER FOR THE "CHICAGO DAILY NEWS."
"I DON'T HAVE NO PERSONAL QUARREL WITH THOSE VIET CONGS."
LIPSYTE: "I AIN'T GOT NOTHIN' AGAINST THEM VIET CONG,"
AND IT WAS LIKE THE WORLD STOPPED.
THERE WAS A REAL FEELING THAT HE WAS NOT
THE RIGHT CHAMPION FOR AMERICA.
HOW COULD A BOXER, A VIOLENT MAN,
REFUSE TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY?
WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WAS JUST HOW DESPISED
MUHAMMAD ALI WAS THROUGHOUT AMERICA.
PEOPLE WHO FELT THAT THEY WERE PATRIOTS,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WERE SENDING THEIR SONS TO WAR,
WHO HAD FOUGHT THEMSELVES IN WORLD WAR II AND KOREA,
WHICH WAS NOT THAT FAR BACK,
REALLY SAW THIS REPREHENSIBLE CHARACTER
WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, MAKING MILLIONS,
TAKING EVERYTHING FROM AMERICA,
AND GIVING NOTHING BACK.
NARRATOR: IN 1966, AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY
OF AMERICAN CITIZENS SUPPORTED THE VIETNAM WAR.
JIM MURRAY OF THE "LOS ANGELES TIMES"
CALLED ALI "THE GREATEST AMERICAN PATRIOT
SINCE BENEDICT ARNOLD."
"GO TO SOME MOTHER IN IOWA," MURRAY URGED ALI,
AND "SUGGEST SHE SEND HER SON INSTEAD."
ANOTHER WRITER CALLED HIM THE WORST INFLUENCE
ON PEOPLE SINCE ADOLF HITLER.
LATER THAT MONTH, MUHAMMAD ALI APPLIED
FOR CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR STATUS BASED
ON HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
MUWAKKIL: HE WAS EMULATING ELIJAH MUHAMMAD,
WHO HAD REFUSED TO ENTER THE SERVICE HIMSELF
IN THE FORTIES.
HE WAS FOLLOWING THE DICTATES OF THE NATION OF ISLAM,
AND THAT DEFINITELY DIMINISHED HIS POPULARITY
IN AMERICA IN GENERAL
AND NOT JUST IN THE WHITE COMMUNITY.
THERE WERE A LOT OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS,
A LOT OF BLACK PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT
THAT HE WAS INSUFFICIENTLY LOYAL
AND INAPPRECIATIVE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES HE'S HAD
AS AN AMERICAN, AND HE SHOULD SHOW
HIS DEDICATION TO THE COUNTRY AND BE WILLING TO FIGHT.
NARRATOR: ALI'S NEXT FIGHT HAD BEEN SCHEDULED
FOR MARCH 29, 1966, IN CHICAGO
AGAINST THE 6'6" ERNIE TERRELL,
THE BOXER WHO HAD BEEN AWARDED
THE WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION TITLE
AFTER THEY HAD STRIPPED IT FROM ALI.
MOST BOXING FANS STILL VIEWED ALI
AS THE REAL CHAMP, AND A DEFEAT OF TERRELL
WOULD CEMENT HIS CLAIM.
"I WANT OUR SOLDIERS AND MARINES TO SEE
WHAT A REAL CHAMPION LOOKS LIKE," SAID TERRELL,
WHO PROMISED TO SIGN UP FOR AN EXHIBITION TOUR
IN VIETNAM AFTER DEFEATING ALI.
ARUM: AND WE ANNOUNCED THE FIGHT,
AND TICKETS WERE GOING VERY WELL,
AND WE WERE SECURING CLOSED-CIRCUIT EXHIBITORS
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I HAD HOPED IT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST ALI PROMOTION EVER
AT THAT POINT.
WHEN ALI, SAID, "I GOT NOTHING AGAINST THE VIET CONG,"
MAYOR DALEY IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED
THE ILLINOIS ATHLETIC COMMISSION AND TOLD THEM TO
THROW US OUT OF CHICAGO.
NARRATOR: TO SALVAGE THE FIGHT, ALI BACKED AWAY
FROM HIS STATEMENTS AND OFFERED TO COME
BEFORE THE ILLINOIS STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
TO APOLOGIZE,
BUT AFTER HAVING BREAKFAST WITH ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
BEFORE THE HEARING, HE REVERSED COURSE.
COMMISSIONER: I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU APOLOGIZE
FOR THE UNPATRIOTIC REMARKS THAT YOU MADE.
ANYTHING... I'M NOT APOLOGIZING FOR NOTHING
LIKE THAT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO.
I'M APOLOGIZING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
IN CHARGE OF THE SELECTIVE SERVICE.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE'LL TAKE THIS UP WITH THEM.
I'M NOT IN COURT NOW FOR THAT.
I'M A CHAMP OF THE WORLD, THIS IS ATHLETIC COMMISSIONER,
AND I'M HERE TO FIGHT FOR THE TITLE,
AND I'M JUST APOLOGIZING FOR WHAT I SAID
TO THE NEWSPAPERS AND TO THE PRESS
WHEN I SHOULD'VE HAD THESE THINGS TO SAY,
AND THEY WILL FROM NOW ON BE SAID
WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS.
MR. CLAY, WHEN YOU...
MUHAMMAD ALI, SIR.
MR. CLAY...
MUHAMMAD ALI, SIR.
OR MR. MUHAMMAD ALI, EITHER ONE.
I'M JUST MUHAMMAD ALI, SIR.
WHEN YOU APPEARED BEFORE THIS COMMISSION BEFORE,
IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, YOU SAID
YOU WERE THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.
YES, SIR.
DO YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE ACTING LIKE
A PEOPLE'S CHAMPION?
YES, SIR.
OTIS REDDING: ♪ I WAS BORN BY THE RIVER ♪
MAN: IS THE FIGHT ON OR OFF? IS THE FIGHT ON OUR OFF?
NARRATOR: THAT SAME DAY, THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL
DECLARED THE FIGHT ILLEGAL.
WE DETERMINED THAT THE APPLICATION
AND THE LICENSE VIOLATED STATE LAW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF STATEMENTS CLAY MADE.
THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE OUT ABOUT CLAY IS HE'S
GUILTY OF BEING STUPID.
AND ONCE WE GOT OUT OF CHICAGO, EVERY CITY
IN THE UNITED STATES VIRTUALLY DID A PILE-ON,
AND THE PILE-ON WAS, "KALAMAZOO WILL NOT ACCEPT THE FIGHT!"
YOU KNOW, NOBODY ASKED THEM, SO IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO ME
THAT WE COULDN'T DO THE FIGHT IN THE UNITED STATES.
NARRATOR: ARUM EVENTUALLY FOUND A VENUE FOR THE FIGHT
IN TORONTO, CANADA,
BUT TERRELL REJECTED THE TERMS OF THE NEW CONTRACT
AND PULLED OUT.
WITH LESS THAN 3 WEEKS TO GO, PROMOTERS SCRAMBLED
TO FIND ANOTHER OPPONENT.
GEORGE CHUVALO, THE CANADIAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION,
AGREED TO TAKE TERRELL'S PLACE.
HE'S GONNA FIGHT GEORGE CHUVALO IN TORONTO
BECAUSE THAT PATRIOTIC MAYOR DALEY OF CHICAGO
HAD SAID HE CAN'T ABIDE A TRAITOR'S
FIGHTING IN HIS MIDST.
SO I GO UP THERE, AND I COME TO SULLY'S AC GYM.
I GO IN THE BACK.
AND LUIS SARRIA, THE CUBAN EXILE,
IS GIVING HIM A MASSAGE.
HE SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
I SAID, "WELL, SOMEBODY SAID THERE'S A FIGHT."
HE SAID, "NO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT MUCH OF A FIGHT."
I SAID, "WELL, I'LL TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
"MUHAMMAD, I'M NOT GONNA LIE TO YOU.
"A LOT OF YOUNG AMERICAN MEN WHO DO NOT WANT TO FIGHT
"IN THIS WAR FOR REASONS OF CONSCIENCE OR RELIGION
"OR WHATEVER ELSE ARE COMING TO CANADA,
"AND THEY'VE BEEN GRANTED POLITICAL ASYLUM,
SO I'M HERE TO SEE IF YOU GO HOME."
HE GOT OFF THAT THING SO FAST AND GOT IN MY FACE,
I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA HIT ME.
HE SAID, "YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT."
HE SAID, "LOOK"... AND THESE ARE THE WORDS.
I REMEMBER THEM SO WELL.
"AMERICA IS MY BIRTH COUNTRY.
"NO ONE'S GONNA CHASE ME OUT OF MY BIRTH COUNTRY.
"I BELONG IN MY BIRTH COUNTRY.
"NOW I DON'T MAKE THE LAWS IN MY BIRTH COUNTRY.
"SO IF THE LAW SAYS I GOT TO GO TO JAIL,
"I'LL GO TO JAIL.
"ELIJAH DID. I WILL DO IT,
"BUT I'M GOING HOME TO MY BIRTH COUNTRY,
AND YOU COULD TELL THAT TO EVERYBODY."
I WAS POSITIVE HE'D GO TO JAIL IF HE HAD TO.
REDDING: ♪ THAT I KNOW ♪
NARRATOR: GEORGE CHUVALO LASTED ALL 15 ROUNDS,
GIVING ALI WHAT HE CALLED HIS "TOUGHEST FIGHT YET."
SINCE DEFEATING LISTON, ALI HAD DEFENDED HIS TITLE
ONLY 3 TIMES IN 2 YEARS, BUT NOW,
BROKE AND BEHIND ON ALIMONY PAYMENTS TO SONJI,
ALI FOUGHT 6 TIMES OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
["RULE BRITANNIA!" PLAYING]
ARUM: WE WENT TO ENGLAND TO FIGHT HENRY COOPER AGAIN.
WE GOT UP AROUND NOON.
THE HOTEL WAS IN PICCADILLY CIRCUS.
CAME OUTSIDE, AND THERE WERE 5,000 PEOPLE
CHANTING HIS NAME,
AND YOU CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A TONIC THAT WAS...
BECAUSE HE WAS SO UNPOPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES...
TO GO OVER TO ENGLAND AND TO BE GREETED BY THE PEOPLE
IN LONDON WITH THAT TYPE OF ADMIRATION.
I MEAN, THAT REALLY PRESAGED
THE WAY HE WOULD BE LOVED YEARS LATER.
[CROWD CHEERING]
REG GUTTERIDGE: YES, HENRY COOPER'S LEFT EYE
IS BADLY CUT.
A REALLY BAD ONE, WHICH IS A RIGHT-HAND CLIP THERE
IN THE FAR CORNER.
♪
NO. IT'S ALL OVER.
NARRATOR: ALI DEFEATED HENRY COOPER
BY TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT
JUST AS HE HAD IN THEIR PREVIOUS MATCH
AND WENT ON TO BEAT TWO MORE MEDIOCRE OPPONENTS
IN EUROPE.
CHOIR: ♪ NEVER SHALL BE SLAVES ♪
NARRATOR: BETWEEN FIGHTS, ALI HAD RETURNED TO LOUISVILLE
FOR A HEARING ON HIS APPLICATION
FOR CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR STATUS.
ALI WOULD HAVE TO PROVE THAT HE WAS OPPOSED TO ALL WARS,
THAT HIS OPPOSITION WAS BASED ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS,
AND THAT HE WAS SINCERE IN HOLDING THOSE BELIEFS.
THE FBI HAD INTERVIEWED HIS FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS,
MANY OF WHOM QUESTIONED HIS JUDGMENT FOR JOINING
THE NATION OF ISLAM BUT NOT HIS SINCERITY.
THE HEARING EXAMINER, WHO WAS A RETIRED
KENTUCKY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, CONCLUDED THAT ALI WAS
INDEED ENTITLED TO CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR STATUS
AND RECOMMENDED THAT HE BE GIVEN A C.O.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, NOTWITHSTANDING
THAT RECOMMENDATION, SENT A LONG LETTER TO THE DRAFT BOARD,
UM, ARGUING THAT ALI SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR STATUS.
THE KENTUCKY APPEAL BOARD COULD HAVE REJECTED
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LETTER,
BUT IT DIDN'T.
IT CONTINUED TO DENY HIS C.O. APPLICATION
AND DIDN'T GIVE ANY REASONS WHY.
IT JUST SAID, "NO. YOU'RE STILL 1-A,"
AND AS THE CASE UNFOLDED, IT BECAME IMPORTANT
THAT THE KENTUCKY APPEAL BOARD HADN'T EXPLAINED
WHY IT DID WHAT IT DID.
NARRATOR: THE DECISION MEANT THAT THE ARMY COULD DRAFT
MUHAMMAD ALI AT ANY TIME.
AFTER 4 FIGHTS ABROAD, ALI'S PROMOTERS
HAD FINALLY MANAGED TO SECURE AN AMERICAN VENUE,
THE ASTRODOME IN HOUSTON, TEXAS,
A BRAND-NEW AND FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND
DOMED STADIUM DUBBED THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD.
ALI HAD AGREED TO FIGHT CLEVELAND "BIG CAT" WILLIAMS,
AN ARMY VETERAN WHO'D ONCE BEEN SHOT
BY A POLICE OFFICER DURING A DRUNK DRIVING ARREST.
WILLIAMS HAD KNOCKED OUT 51 OF HIS 71 OPPONENTS.
IT WOULD BE THE LARGEST AUDIENCE
FOR AN INDOOR BOXING MATCH IN HISTORY.
[JIMI HENDRIX'S "ARE YOU EXPERIENCED" PLAYING]
BENTT: I THINK HIS MASTERPIECE
IS WITH CLEVELAND WILLIAMS.
THAT'S PICASSO, RIGHT?
THAT'S BARYSHNIKOV, RIGHT?
THAT'S MILES DAVIS.
HE THROWS, LIKE, A 10-PUNCH COMBINATION.
HE'S GOING BACKWARDS, MAN.
NOW LOOK. HA HA! LOOK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEFINE THAT. I'M NOT A SCIENTIST,
BUT, LIKE, THAT, THAT KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, ARTISTRY
WILL NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN.
WHEN HE DID THAT, UM, IT LOOKED EFFORTLESS,
AND, UH, IT LOOKED LIKE, UM...
HE CAME OUT OF THE WOMB DOING THAT.
NARRATOR: INTRODUCING A NEW MOVE HE'D DUBBED
THE "ALI SHUFFLE," HE PEPPERED WILLIAMS WITH JAB AFTER JAB
AS THE "BIG CAT" STRUGGLED TO LAND A SINGLE PUNCH.
ALI FLOORED HIS CHALLENGER 3 TIMES
IN THE SECOND ROUND.
IT WAS "A TWO-FISTED ASSAULT OF VICIOUS EFFECTIVENESS,"
WROTE FREQUENT CRITIC ARTHUR DALEY,
WHO DECLARED THAT ALI HAD "WON OVER ALL THE DOUBTERS."
A MINUTE INTO THE THIRD ROUND,
THE REFEREE ENDED THE FIGHT.
DON DUNPHY: THE CHAMPION CASSIUS CLAY WILL DEFEND
THAT TITLE ONCE AGAIN,
AND TONIGHT HE SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED IT
AGAINST THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE HARDEST HITTER.
I INTENDED TO TAKE A REST AFTER THE HARD, UH,
6 TITLE FIGHTS I JUST HAD, AT LEAST 6 MONTHS' REST,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T REST AT NIGHT STAYING HOME SLEEPING
AND THINKING ABOUT TERRELL CLAIMING HALF OF THE TITLE.
TERRELL: ALL OF IT. ALL OF IT.
[LAUGHTER]
I SAY THAT'LL MAKE IT WORSER.
CLAIMING ALL THE TITLE, AND EVERYWHERE I GO SINCERELY
THROUGHOUT THE STREETS OF AMERICA, NORTH AND SOUTH,
BLACK AND WHITE, AS FAR AS RACE IS CONCERNED,
OLD AND YOUNG, WOMEN AND MEN,
EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT IT.
"WHAT ABOUT ERNIE TERRELL?"
"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT TERRELL?
"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT TERRELL?"
NARRATOR: IN DECEMBER, ALI AND ERNIE TERRELL APPEARED
ON ABC's "WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS" TO PROMOTE
THEIR BOUT, SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 6, 1967,
AT THE ASTRODOME.
WHY DON'T YOU CALL ME BY MY NAME, MAN?
WELL, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
YOU TOLD ME YOUR NAME WAS CASSIUS CLAY A FEW YEARS AGO.
I NEVER TOLD YOU MY NAME WAS CASSIUS CLAY.
WELL... MY NAME IS MUHAMMAD ALI,
AND YOU WILL ANNOUNCE IT RIGHT THERE
IN THE CENTER OF THAT RING AFTER THE FIGHT
IF YOU DON'T DO IT NOW.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THIS BROADCAST,
HIM, ALL RIGHT? UH...
YOU ACTING JUST LIKE A OLD UNCLE TOM,
ANOTHER FLOYD PATTERSON.
I'M GONNA PUNISH YOU... LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, MAN.
YOU AIN'T GOT NO BUSINESS CALLING ME NO...
BACK OFF OF ME, BACK OFF OF ME.
DON'T CALL ME NO UNCLE TOM, MAN.
THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE. AN UNCLE TOM.
WHY YOU GONNA CALL ME A UNCLE TOM?
I DIDN'T DO NOTHING TO YOU... YOU HEARD ME.
FOR YOU TO CALL ME NO UNCLE TOM. JUST BACK OFF OF ME!
AND SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... UNCLE TOM!
AS THE TWO CONTESTANTS PREPARE FOR BATTLE RIGHT NOW...
BACK OFF OF ME, MAN. BACK OFF OF ME, MAN!
COSELL: ANOTHER INTERVIEW HAS BEEN RECORDED
FOR POSTERITY...
NARRATOR: "I WANT TO TORTURE HIM,"
ALI SAID BEFORE THE FIGHT.
"I WANT TO GIVE HIM THE PATTERSON HUMILIATION
AND PUNISH HIM."
COSELL: PERFECT, THAT'S IT.
[SMACK]
ALI: COME ON, MAN. WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
COME ON, COME. KEEP SHOOTING.
[BELL RINGS]
["ARE YOU EXPERIENCED" PLAYING]
COSELL: THE BELL FOR ROUND ONE.
♪
BENTT: THIS GUY WANTED TO CRUCIFY THIS "UNCLE TOM."
HE WOULD THROW A JAB AND TWIST IT.
IT'S DAMAGING.
YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THREW A JAB,
HE'S, LIKE, SAYING, "[BLEEP] YOU."
[BELL RINGS]
I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER SEEN MUHAMMAD DISPLAY
THAT KIND OF CONTEMPT FOR SOMEBODY.
CARPENTER: MUHAMMAD ALI NOW AT HIS MOST TAUNTING.
GOT HIM WITH A RIGHT HAND AT THE END OF THAT FLURRY.
SOME SOUTHPAW IN HIM.
REALLY TRYING TO PERPLEX AND WORRY
AND TORMENT TERRELL.
BENTT: AT THAT POINT IN MUHAMMAD'S LIFE,
HIM NOT BEING CALLED MUHAMMAD ALI FROM A BLACK MAN,
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH UNCLE TOMS?
WE'RE GONNA PUBLICLY HUMILIATE YOU,
AND THAT'S WHAT MUHAMMAD DID.
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, YOU'RE GONNA RESPECT ME.
ALI: WHAT'S MY NAME?
CARPENTER: AND NOW ALI TELLING TERRELL TO FIGHT,
"COME ON, FIGHT" HE SAYS, OPEN UP.
THIS IS WHEN MUHAMMAD ALI IS AT HIS LEAST SPORTSMAN-LIKE.
THIS IS HIS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A MAN HE KNOWS
HE'S GOT WHIPPED I THINK.
"COME ON, TERRELL" HE SAYS, "FIGHT, FIGHT."
HEY!
♪
WHAT'S MY NAME?
"WHAT'S MY NAME?"
HE'S ASKING HIM "WHAT'S MY NAME?"
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT.
♪
WHAT'S MY NAME HUH?
WHAT'S MY NAME? WHAT'S MY NAME?
CARPENTER: TERRELL GOES FOR HIM.
OH, DEAR. THIS IS NOT SPORT,
BUT THIS IS MUHAMMAD ALI NOW DOING JUST
WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO,
AND THE CORNER... THE TERRELL CORNER NOW HAVING TO WORK
DESPERATELY, FURIOUSLY FAST TO STAUNCH THE FLOW
OF BLOOD FROM THE RIGHT EYE.
LOOKS LIKE A BAD CUT TO ME, RIGHT UP OVER THE EYE
JUST UNDER THE EYEBROW.
RING ANNOUNCER: ROUND 9.
CARPENTER: AND THERE HE GOES AGAIN.
♪
THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST ASTONISHING SCENES
THAT YOU'VE EVER SEEN IN A WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT.
♪
THE CHANCES HE TAKES.
♪
[BELL RINGS]
I WAS THRILLED THAT HE HE WAS... HE BEAT UP TERRELL
AND SAID, "WHAT'S MY NAME? WHAT'S MY NAME?"
I JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A SIGN THAT A NEW KIND
OF BLACK ATHLETE HAD APPEARED,
A WHOLE NEW KIND OF BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS HAD APPEARED.
IT WAS A WHOLE NEW KIND OF BLACK MALE DISPENSATION
THAT HAD COME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THAT FIGHT,
SO THAT THAT FIGHT TO ME... AND I THINK
FOR MANY OTHER YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE
SUCH AS MYSELF AT THAT TIME...
WAS A KIND OF TURNING POINT.
NARRATOR: AFTER 15 PUNISHING ROUNDS,
THE DECISION WAS UNANIMOUS.
MUHAMMAD ALI WAS NOW 28-0.
ALI'S PERFORMANCE WAS "A BARBAROUS DISPLAY
OF CRUELTY," WROTE TEX MAULE IN "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED."
OTHER COLUMNISTS CALLED HIM "MEAN AND MALICIOUS,"
"COCKY" AND "ARROGANT."
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" RECOMMENDED THAT
THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE OUTLAW BOXING ALTOGETHER.
AND I THINK THIS PROVES TO THE PUBLIC
AND ALL OF THE DOUBTERS OUT THERE THAT ERNIE TERRELL
HAS NO CLASS WHATSOEVER AND YOU CANNOT COMPARE HIM
EVEN IN MY, UH, RANKING.
I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT REALLY,
THE MAN FOUGHT A COURAGEOUS FIGHT.
YOU WOULD SAY EVERYTHING IF I HAD LOST,
ESPECIALLY YOU.
NOW, I WON AND LET ME HAVE MY SAY.
TERRELL... LOOK. I PROVED THAT HE WASN'T NOTHING.
ALL RIGHT. IT'S A JOKE CALLING HIM A CHAMPION,
AND HE BETTER PRONOUNCE MY NAME RIGHT FROM NOW ON.
I'M TIRED OF TALKING. ALL RIGHT.
THE CHAMP IS TIRED.
MUHAMMAD, COME HERE.
LET ME CONGRATULATE YOU.
JOE LOUIS TONIGHT SAID YOU'RE "A GREAT FIGHTER".
I DON'T NEED JOE LOUIS TO TELL ME I'M A GREAT FIGHTER.
I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS.
♪
NARRATOR: IN MARCH, HE WOULD FACE ZORA FOLLEY
AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
WHILE TRAINING IN THE ARENA'S BASEMENT,
ALI WAS APPROACHED BY AN UP-AND-COMING
23-YEAR-OLD HEAVYWEIGHT FROM PHILADELPHIA
WHO'D WON HIS FIRST 14 PROFESSIONAL FIGHTS.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE MUCH LARGER,"
JOE FRAZIER SAID TO ALI.
"YOU LOOK PRETTY SMALL TO ME."
WHEN ALI SAID HE'D BE HAPPY TO FIGHT FRAZIER
IN TWO YEARS, THE YOUNGER BOXER PROMISED TO BE READY.
BEFORE LEAVING, FRAZIER BOUGHT A $2.00 GLOSSY PRINT
OF ALI AND HAD THE CHAMPION SIGN IT.
MAGIC SAM: ♪ HOLD ME IN YOUR ARMS ♪
IZENBERG: HIS LAST FIGHT WAS WITH ZORA FOLLEY.
HE KNOCKED HIM OUT. TOOK 6 OR 7 ROUNDS.
THE NEXT MORNING, WE'RE IN THE LOWE'S MIDTOWN HOTEL,
AND HE COMES IN, AND I REMEMBER HE CUT
HIMSELF SHAVING.
HE'S GOT A BAND AID HERE, AND HE LOOKS AT US,
AND HE SAYS, "FELLAS, I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY NEXT FIGHT
BECAUSE I GOT A MUCH BIGGER FIGHT COMING."
NARRATOR: BEFORE THE FOLLEY FIGHT, ALI HAD RECEIVED WORD
THAT HE HAD BEEN DRAFTED AND WOULD HAVE
TO REPORT FOR INDUCTION THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
WHILE HIS LAWYERS PREPARED TO CHALLENGE THE DRAFT ORDER,
ALI MET PRIVATELY WITH DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
IN LOUISVILLE.
KING WAS IN TOWN TO PROTEST THE CITY'S
SEGREGATED HOUSING.
THOUGH THE TWO MEN DIFFERED ABOUT BLACK SEPARATISM,
THEY FOUND COMMON GROUND IN THEIR VIEWS
ON THE WAR IN VIETNAM.
WHAT DID YOU DISCUSS BACK IN THE HOTEL ROOM?
NOTHING. JUST FRIENDS.
JUST LIKE KHRUSHCHEV AND KENNEDY
AND EVERYBODY.
WHEN PEOPLE... POLITICIANS
OF ALL OTHER WHITE RACES COME TOGETHER,
AND THEY, ALTHOUGH THEY BELIEVE DIFFERENT,
THEY THINK DIFFERENT, WHITES CAN COME TOGETHER
AND DISCUSS THE COMMON CAUSE,
BUT WHENEVER A FEW OF US COME TOGETHER,
THE WORLD IS SHOOK UP,
AND I SAY WHATEVER WENT BACK THERE IS OUR BUSINESS.
REVEREND KING, DO YOU AGREE?
OH, YES, YES.
WE HAD A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION ON MANY MATTERS,
AND OF COURSE THESE ARE NOT THINGS
THAT WE WOULD DISCUSS HERE,
BUT WE DO HAVE COMMON PROBLEMS
AND COMMON CONCERNS,
AND ABOVE ALL, AS MUHAMMAD ALI HAS JUST SAID,
WE ARE ALL VICTIMS OF THE SAME SYSTEM OF OPPRESSION,
AND EVEN THOUGH WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS,
THIS DOES NOT AT ALL BRING ABOUT
A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF OUR CONCERNS.
ALI: STILL BROTHERS, STILL BROTHERS.
DO YOU SHARE THE SAME... ONE MORE QUESTION.
DO YOU SHARE THE SAME CONCERN THAT MUHAMMAD HAS
FOR HIS DRAFT STATUS?
OH, I CERTAINLY DO.
MY VIEWS ON THE DRAFT ARE VERY CLEAR.
I'M AGAINST IT,
AND I THINK THE SOONER OUR COUNTRY DOES AWAY
WITH THE DRAFT, THE BETTER IT WILL BE FOR EVERYBODY.
PROTESTERS: GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT OF VIETNAM...
NARRATOR: IN APRIL OF 1967, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS MARCHED IN NEW YORK CITY,
BUT MOST AMERICANS STILL SUPPORTED THE WAR,
AND CRITICIZING U.S. POLICY ON VIETNAM REMAINED
POLITICALLY TREACHEROUS,
ESPECIALLY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
NARRATOR: MEANWHILE, MUHAMMAD ALI'S LAWYERS
HAD DELAYED HIS INDUCTION DATE BY CLAIMING THE BOXER RESIDED
IN HOUSTON, WHERE HE HAD TRAINED FOR HIS RECENT FIGHTS.
NOW A NEW ORDER REQUIRED HIM TO REPORT
TO LOCAL DRAFT BOARD NUMBER 47
IN HOUSTON AT 8:30 A.M. ON APRIL 28.
BEFORE HE LEFT LOUISVILLE, ALI GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE
EXPLAINING HIS POSITION AND HIS PLANS.
ALI: WHY SHOULD ME AND OTHER SO-CALLED NEGROES GO
10,000 MILES AWAY FROM HOME HERE IN AMERICA
TO DROP BOMBS AND BULLETS ON OTHER INNOCENT
BROWN PEOPLE WHO'S NEVER BOTHERED US?
AND I WILL SAY DIRECTLY, NO, I WILL NOT GO 10,000 MILES
TO HELP KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE.
NARRATOR: 5 DAYS LATER, MUHAMMAD ALI, FLANKED
BY HIS LAWYERS, ARRIVED AT THE OLD POST OFFICE BUILDING
IN HOUSTON.
INSIDE, AS ALI UNDERWENT HIS PHYSICAL,
HE JOKED WITH HIS FELLOW RECRUITS, DEMONSTRATING
THE ALI SHUFFLE IN HIS UNDERWEAR.
THEN AT THE INDUCTION CEREMONY, ALI REFUSED TO
STEP FORWARD WHEN HIS NAME WAS CALLED.
A NAVY LIEUTENANT EXPLAINED THE PENALTY
SHOULD HE BE FOUND GUILTY OF REFUSING INDUCTION...
A $10,000 FINE AND UP TO 5 YEARS IN PRISON.
GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE TO STEP FORWARD,
ALI REFUSED AGAIN.
ARMY OFFICIAL: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
MR. MUHAMMAD ALI HAS JUST REFUSED TO BE
INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.
NARRATOR: THE REACTION WAS SWIFT AND SEVERE.
WITHIN HOURS, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW YORK STATE
ATHLETIC COMMISSION DENOUNCED HIS CONDUCT
AS "DETRIMENTAL TO THE INTERESTS OF BOXING,"
STRIPPING HIM OF HIS LICENSE TO FIGHT IN NEW YORK.
ALMOST EVERY OTHER BOXING COMMISSION
IN THE UNITED STATES FOLLOWED SUIT.
THE WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION TOOK AWAY ALI'S
TITLE FOR A SECOND TIME.
WELL, AT THE TIME, I WAS IN THE SERVICE,
AND, UM, I... ONE WOULD THINK THAT I WOULD... WOULD THINK OF HIM
AS A TRAITOR OR SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T WANT TO DO
WHAT I'M DOING, YOU KNOW,
BUT I WAS ALL FOR IT.
AND I FOUND THAT MANY OF THE BLACK SERVICEMEN
WERE ALL FOR IT, AS WELL.
THEY APPRECIATED HIM SPEAKING UP BECAUSE
AT THE TIME THERE WAS A LOT OF DISSENT
AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN SERVICEMEN.
THIS WAS THE VIETNAM ERA, A LOT OF BLACK MEN WERE
BEING KILLED.
THEY WERE THINKING OF THEMSELVES AS CANNON FODDER,
AND I MET SOME OF THE MORE...
SOME OF THE MOST RADICAL FIGURES I'VE EVER MET
IN THE RANKS OF THE AIR FORCE AND THE ARMY.
SO UH, WE... WE APPRECIATED HIM SPEAKING OUT
AND SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT.
AS MUCH AS I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD PULL THEIR TOUR,
I THINK THEY ARE OVEREMPHASIZING
THE NEED TO BRING CASSIUS CLAY INTO THE SERVICE
IF HE PROFESSES TO BE A MUSLIM MINISTER.
HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ARE HIS OWN.
THIS COUNTRY WAS SET UP ON THE BASIC CONCEPT
OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE SHOULD BE PERSECUTED
OR RIDICULED BECAUSE OF HIS BELIEFS.
SIMPLY BECAUSE MUHAMMAD ALI HAS THESE BELIEFS,
IT'S NO REASON WHY PEOPLE SHOULD... SHOULD GO AGAINST HIM.
I THINK HE IS A GREAT CHAMPION,
AND, UH, THEY SHOULD RESPECT HIS BELIEFS.
THAT'S WHY I'M HERE RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU THINK THEY'RE BEING UNNECESSARILY HARSH ON HIM?
I THINK THEY ARE.
EVERYBODY KNEW THAT IF HE HAD BEEN DRAFTED
INTO THE ARMY HE WOULD... LIKE JOE LOUIS AND JACK DEMPSEY
AND EVERY OTHER BOXER, HE'D GIVE SHOWS.
HE'D GO AND SHAKE HANDS.
HE'D BE IN CHARGE OF MORALE.
HE WASN'T GONNA BE FIGHTING THE VIET CONG,
AND HE KNEW THAT.
EVERYBODY KNEW THAT.
SO WHAT HE WAS GIVING UP HAD TO BE FOR PRINCIPLE,
COULDN'T BE FOR FEAR.
NARRATOR: ON JUNE 4, 1967, JIM BROWN,
THE RETIRED FOOTBALL STAR, CONVENED A CLOSED-DOOR SUMMIT
OF BLACK ATHLETES IN CLEVELAND.
THEY INVITED MUHAMMAD ALI IN HOPES THAT HE MIGHT
ENTERTAIN A BACK-CHANNEL OFFER FROM PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON
THAT WOULD KEEP HIM OUT OF JAIL AND IN THE BOXING RING.
ABDUL-JABBAR: A NUMBER OF THE PARTICIPANTS WERE MEMBERS
OF THE CLEVELAND BROWNS.
BILL RUSSELL WAS THERE, MYSELF,
AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE RELATED
TO SPORTS, BUT WE ALL WANTED TO JUST SEE
WHAT MUHAMMAD ALI WAS ALL ABOUT WITH REGARD
TO HIS STANCE ON VIETNAM.
REPORTER: JIM, WHAT DO YOU THINK
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF AH THE CHAMP GOING TO JAIL,
AND WHAT AH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE IMAGE
THIS MIGHT CREATE AMONG NEGRO ATHLETES?
BROWN: WELL AS YOU KNOW, RELIGION IS BASED ON BELIEF.
WE'RE ALL ARE OF VARIOUS RELIGIONS IN HERE,
AND ONCE THE CHAMP CONVINCED US THAT IT WAS
SOLELY A RELIGIOUS MATTER AND THAT HE BELIEVED COMPLETELY,
THEN I HAD TO LEAVE IT AT THAT AND GIVE HIM
RESPECT AS FAR AS HIS BELIEF.
WE WERE UNIFIED.
YOU KNOW, WE STOOD BEHIND HIM.
WE WISHED HIM SUCCESS,
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE COULD SAY
FORMALLY THAT WAS GONNA MITIGATE WHAT HE HAD TO GO THROUGH.
NARRATOR: "I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT MUHAMMAD ALI,"
BILL RUSSELL SAID.
"HE IS BETTER EQUIPPED THAN ANYONE I KNOW TO WITHSTAND
"THE TRIALS IN STORE FOR HIM.
WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT IS THE REST OF US."
ABDUL-JABBAR: ALL THE LIGHT IN THE ROOM FOCUSED
ON HIM IT SEEMED.
YOU KNOW, HE KIND OF ATTRACTED LIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, UH, WHO HE WAS.
AND I SAW IN MUHAMMAD ALI'S CHARACTER
THE WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ON THE BURDENS
OF ALL BLACK AMERICANS IN CONFRONTING THE RACISM
THAT WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
HE WAS WILLING TO TAKE THAT ON,
AND I WANTED TO SUPPORT HIM IN THAT.
TO ME, IT FELT JUST LIKE I FELT ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON.
YOU KNOW, I WATCHED HIM, WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY,
AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT MUHAMMAD ALI
JUST TOOK UP THAT MANTLE.
NARRATOR: TWO WEEKS LATER, AN ALL-WHITE HOUSTON JURY
FOUND ALI GUILTY OF REFUSING THE DRAFT.
THE JUDGE, IGNORING THE MORE LENIENT RECOMMENDATION
OF THE PROSECUTOR, SENTENCED HIM TO THE MAXIMUM...
5 YEARS IN PRISON AND A $10,000 FINE,
AND HE WOULD HAVE TO SURRENDER HIS PASSPORT.
ALI'S LAWYERS IMMEDIATELY FILED AN APPEAL,
PREPARED TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT
IF NECESSARY, A PROCESS THAT COULD TAKE YEARS.
ALI REMAINED FREE BUT WITHOUT HIS TITLE
OR A LICENSE TO BOX.
HE FULLY EXPECTED THAT HE WOULD ONE DAY GO TO JAIL
FOR HIS BELIEFS.
WE, WHO ARE FOLLOWERS OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD,
THE RELIGION OF ISLAM, WE BELIEVE
IN OBEYING THE LAWS OF THE LAND.
WE ARE TAUGHT TO OBEY THE LAWS OF THE LAND
AS LONG AS IT DON'T CONFLICT WITH OUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
REPORTER: WILL YOU GO INTO SERVICE AS SUCH?
THIS WOULD BE A THOUSAND PERCENT
AGAINST THE TEACHINGS OF THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD,
THE RELIGION OF ISLAM, AND THE HOLY QURAN,
THE HOLY BOOK THAT WE BELIEVE IN.
THIS WOULD ALL BE DENOUNCING AND DEFYING
EVERYTHING THAT I STAND FOR.
THIS WOULD MEAN OF COURSE THAT YOU STAND THE CHANCE
OF GOING TO JAIL AS A RESULT
OF NOT GOING INTO SERVICE.
WELL, WHATEVER THE PUNISHMENT,
WHATEVER THE PERSECUTION IS FOR STANDING UP
FOR MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, EVEN IF IT MEANS FACING
MACHINE GUN FIRE THAT DAY,
I WILL FACE IT BEFORE DENOUNCING ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
AND THE RELIGION OF ISLAM.
I'M READY TO DIE. MM-HMM.
JACKSON: WHEN I THINK ABOUT HIM SAYING, "IF THEY WAN TO PUT ME
"BEFORE A FIRING SQUAD TOMORROW, I'M READY TO DIE
BEFORE I ABANDON MY RELIGION,"
UM...
THAT'S IT.
YOU CAN'T TEACH THAT KIND OF THING IN LECTURES, IN BOOKS.
THAT KIND OF THING HAS TO BE MODELED,
AND MODELS TURN INTO TRADITIONS,
AND TRADITIONS PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THE MECHANICAL MEMORY
TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THAT'S WHAT MUHAMMAD ALI REPRESENTED IN THAT MOMENT.
I MEAN, ANYBODY NOW FACED WITH A MAJOR DECISION
IN WHICH THE RIGHT WAY IS CLEAR AND THE WRONG WAY IS CLEAR
BUT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE DIRE, NOW THEY HAVE A MODEL
THAT THEY CAN FALL BACK ON PSYCHOLOGICALLY,
EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY.
THAT'S WHAT MUHAMMAD ALI REPRESENTED IN THAT MOMENT,
AND THAT TO ME, THAT MOMENT WILL LIVE ON FOREVER.
NARRATOR: BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 1966,
WHILE IN CHICAGO BETWEEN FIGHTS, ALI HAD BEEN DRIVING
AROUND THE SOUTH SIDE WITH A GERMAN PHOTOJOURNALIST.
AFTER ALI REQUESTED THAT HIS DRIVER RETURN
TO A NATION OF ISLAM BAKERY FOR A THIRD TIME,
THE PHOTOGRAPHER FOLLOWED HIM INSIDE AND REALIZED
THE REASON FOR THE FREQUENT VISITS.
BEHIND THE COUNTER STOOD A STRIKING 16-YEAR-OLD
NAMED BELINDA BOYD.
BELINDA BOYD: ALI WAS A VERY GORGEOUS GUY,
GOOD-LOOKING.
I WAS ATTRACTED TO HIM RIGHT AWAY.
HE WAS A VERY WARM, DOWN-TO-EARTH, KIND PERSON.
ALI IS VERY FLIRTATIOUS, TOO.
I THINK THAT... I THINK THAT'S THE CHARM
THAT I LIKED ABOUT HIM.
HE WAS ALWAYS HAPPY.
NARRATOR: THE DAUGHTER OF MUSLIMS, BOYD HAD ATTENDED
ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ISLAM
IN CHICAGO AND HAD BEEN A FREQUENT GUEST
AT THE HOME OF ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
HERBERT MUHAMMAD HAD ENCOURAGED ALI TO PURSUE HER,
AND SOON THE TWO WERE SEEING EACH OTHER
AWAY FROM THE BAKERY.
NARRATOR: ON AUGUST 18, 1967, MUHAMMAD AND BELINDA
WERE MARRIED AND MOVED INTO A SMALL BRICK HOUSE
ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
BOTH WERE TALL AND ATHLETIC,
VOLUBLE AND CHARMING,
AND BELINDA, WHO HAD LOVED MUHAMMAD
SINCE SHE WAS A YOUNG TEENAGER,
COULD MIMIC HIS CADENCE.
THE COUPLE WERE SO MUCH ALIKE THAT ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
ONCE JOKED THAT ALI HAD MARRIED HIS TWIN.
RASHEDA: MY MOM AND MY DAD WERE A LOT ALIKE.
I THINK SHE WAS GOOD FOR HIM IN THE SENSE
THAT SHE WASN'T QUIET AND SHY.
SHE WAS STRONG, AND SHE SPOKE HER MIND.
I THINK MY DAD WAS ATTRACTED TO HER BECAUSE
SHE WAS A STRONG WOMAN
AND SHE WAS A MUSLIM
AND SHE HAD VALUES THAT MY DAD RESPECTED AND LOVED.
NARRATOR: WITHOUT INCOME FROM FIGHTS,
MONEY WAS TIGHT.
BELINDA SEWED HER OWN CLOTHES AND DIPPED
INTO HER COLLEGE FUND TO COVER EXPENSES.
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD'D GIVE US MONEY.
HE WOULD GIVE ME MONEY TO SURVIVE,
AND I WOULDN'T LET HIM KNOW IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT HIM
TO FEEL BAD AS A MAN, NOT BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT US.
THEY STRUGGLED.
MY DAD COULDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY,
BUT MY MOM JUST DEEPLY, JUST TRULY LOVED HIM,
AND SHE WOULD'VE... SHE DIDN'T CARE
ABOUT ANY OF THAT STUFF.
SHE JUST REALLY LOVED HIM,
AND SHE'D FOLLOW HIM ANYWHERE.
SO MY DAD WENT ON THE SPEAKING CIRCUIT,
AND HE STARTED TO SPEAK AT COLLEGES
AS A WAYS TO MAKE MONEY.
WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INTRODUCTION,
THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION MUHAMMAD ALI!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
FIRST OF ALL...
[MAN SHOUTS]
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK
THE STUDENT GOVERNING BODY FOR INVITING ME HERE
TO SPEAK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL AND WORTHY OCCASION TONIGHT.
I WENT TO SOME OF HIS COLLEGE CONCERTS,
AND IN THE BEGINNING, THEY WERE TERRIBLE,
BUT THEN HE REALLY STARTED EVOLVING.
NARRATOR: HE HAD PREPARED HALF A DOZEN SPEECHES BASED
ON THE TEACHINGS OF ELIJAH MUHAMMAD
AND THE POLITICAL HUMOR OF THE ACTIVIST
AND COMEDIAN DICK GREGORY.
THE BLACK AND WHITE PROBLEM IN AMERICA IS DIVINE.
IT'S NOT A RACIAL THING WHERE SOME ORGANIZATION
IS GOING TO FREE US.
BLACK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THEIR CULTURE.
BLACK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THEIR NAME.
BLACK PEOPLE ARE MENTALLY DEAD.
THIS IS WHY ELIJAH MUHAMMAD TEACHES US THAT JESUS SAID,
"YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH,
AND THE TRUTH ALONE WILL MAKE YOU FREE."
JESUS DIDN'T SAY, "ABRAHAM LINCOLN
WILL MAKE YOU FREE."
JESUS DIDN'T SAY, "THE CONGRESS
GONNA MAKE YOU FREE."
JESUS DIDN'T SAY, "INTEGRATION
AND OPEN HOUSING WILL MAKE YOU FREE."
JESUS DIDN'T SAY, "INTERMARRIAGE
WITH WHITE FOLKS WILL MAKE YOU FREE."
JESUS SAID, "TRUTH MAKE YOU FREE,"
AND BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT FREE TODAY
BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW THE TRUTH,
AND ELIJAH MUHAMMAD IS THE ONLIEST MAN
WITH THAT TRUTH.
MUWAKKIL: I WORKED FOR "MUHAMMAD SPEAKS" AT THE TIME.
WE FOLLOWED HIM PERIODICALLY.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE TOO REVERENTIAL TOWARD HIM
BECAUSE, AGAIN, THE OFFICIAL LINE OF THE NATION
WAS ANTI-SPORT AND PLAY,
AND SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW,
PUSH THAT TOO FAR.
NARRATOR: HE PREACHED AT MUSLIM MOSQUES
IN SAN FRANCISCO AND MIAMI, HOUSTON AND NEW YORK,
LECTURED AT SCHOOLS, INCLUDING APPALACHIAN STATE,
HOWARD UNIVERSITY, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO,
AND ADDRESSED ANTI-WAR PROTESTERS
AND A BLACK PANTHER RALLY.
MUWAKKIL: SO THERE WERE THESE CLASHING SENSIBILITIES
OUT THERE, AND MUHAMMAD ALI COMING
FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM, WHICH KIND OF REPRESENTED
THE BLACK MILITANT ASPECT BUT YET RESISTING THE WAR,
WHICH COINCIDED WITH THE HIPPIE THING,
AND SO I THINK THAT WAS INDEED PART OF THE REASON
WHY HE BECAME SUCH A GALVANIZING FIGURE.
[APPLAUSE]
HIS ABILITY TO EMBRACE OTHER GROUPS,
EVEN AS HE PROFESSED THE KIND OF RACIALIST DOCTRINE HIMSELF.
ONLY A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACCESS
TO THAT KIND OF COMPLEXITY.
ALI: WE HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED.
WHEN YOU WENT TO CHURCH TO LOOK AT JESUS,
YOU SAW A WHITE.
WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE ANGELS, YOU SAW WHITES.
EVERYTHING WHITE. EVERYTHING OF AUTHORITY WHITE.
WHITE OWL CIGARS, WHITE SWAN SOAP,
KING WHITE SOAP, WHITE CLOUD TISSUE PAPER,
WHITE RAIN HAIR RINSE... WSHEWWW... WHITE TORNADO.
[LAUGHTER]
WHO EVER HEARD OF A WHITE TORNADO?
TORNADOS ARE BLACK.
YOU CAN SEE THEM WHEN THEY'RE COMING.
TORNADOS ARE BLACK.
AIN'T NO WHITE TORNADOS.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT BLACK?
SEE, YOU'VE BEEN TRICKED.
YOU'VE BEEN TRICKED TO LOVE OTHERS AND HATE YOURSELF.
WHAT MUHAMMAD ALI DID WAS REALLY TEAR THE MASK OFF
OF COMFORT OF WHITE PEOPLE IN BEING
IN THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
COMFORT OF OUR OWN PRIVILEGE AND OUR OWN INABILITY
TO IDENTIFY WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR,
AND HE DID IT WITH ALL THE TOOLS THAT HE HAD.
[PEOPLE SHOUTING]
ALI: I'M NOT GONNA HELP NOBODY GET SOMETHING
MY NEGROES DON'T HAVE.
IF I'M GONNA TO DIE, I'LL DIE RIGHT NOW
RIGHT HERE FIGHTING YOU.
IF I WANT TO DIE.
YOU MY ENEMY.
MY ENEMY IS THE WHITE PEOPLE, NOT VIET CONGS
OR CHINESE OR JAPANESE.
YOU MY OPPOSER WHEN I WANT FREEDOM.
YOU MY OPPOSER WHEN I WANT JUSTICE.
YOU MY OPPOSER WHEN I WANT EQUALITY.
YOU WON'T EVEN STAND UP FOR ME IN AMERICA
FOR MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, AND YOU WANT ME TO GO SOMEWHERE
AND FIGHT, BUT YOU WON'T EVEN STAND UP
FOR ME HERE AT HOME.
BOYD: HE USED HIS TONGUE TO LACERATE RACISM
AND WHITE SUPREMACY AND OPPRESSION
IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.
HE BECAME MORE MILITANT, NOT LESS.
HE BECAME MORE ASSERTIVE, NOT LESS.
HE BECAME MORE CONFRONTATIONAL, NOT LESS.
HE'S NOT SUGAR COATING IT.
ALI: HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY WE TAKE SO MUCH HELL? HUH?
SERVED THE COUNTRY SO FAITHFUL FOR 400 YEARS?
FOUGHT IN ALL OF THE WARS AND STILL DYING IN THE WARS,
AND RIGHT IN MY OWN HOMETOWN, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY,
TODAY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BEAT UP, KICKED AROUND,
PREGNANT WOMEN KNOCKED AROUND
JUST FOR TRYING TO GET A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY?
BECAUSE WE HAVE NEVER HEARD THE TRUTH,
AND TRUTH MAKES YOU FREE.
CAN'T YOU LOOK AT ME AND TELL THAT I'M FREE?
CAN'T YOU HEAR THE WAY I TALK AND SEE THAT I'M FREE?
I DON'T HAVE NO BOSSES.
I HAVE ONE BOSS, AND THIS IS HIM,
THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
NARRATOR: IN APRIL 1968, "ESQUIRE" MAGAZINE PUT ALI
ON ITS COVER, PORTRAYING THE EXILED BOXER
AS ST. SEBASTIAN, A CHRISTIAN MARTYR PERSECUTED
FOR HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
ALI: YOU HAVE TO BE SICK MENTALLY TO WANT TO FORCE
YOURSELF INTO PLACES WHERE YOU'RE NOT WANTED.
YOU SEE THE MAN HATE YOU.
YOU SEE THEY DON'T WANT YOU DOWN THERE.
WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE? WE'LL GO ON SOMEWHERE ELSE.
YOU BECAME CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,
EVERYBODY THOUGHT. "THIS IS A REFRESHING YOUNG MAN."
WE FOUND OUT YOU WERE A MUSLIM,
AND PEOPLE GOT SCARED.
I GOT BAD ALL OF A SUDDEN.
I WAS A GOOD BOY WHEN I WAS HOLLERING,
"I AM THE GREATEST!
"I CANNOT BE BEAT!
I AM PRETTY! I'M THE KING! HEE HEE HEE!"
I WAS A GOOD BOY,
BUT WHEN I SAID, "I'M A MUSLIM,
MY RELIGION IS ISLAM," WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW
AS ONE OF THE PROMINENT BLACK PERSONS?
I CAN'T BE A LEADER, BUT I CAN TELL THEM ABOUT THE LEADER.
ALL I CAN TELL THEM IS TO JOIN ONTO THEIR OWN KIND,
ACCEPT THEIR OWN KIND.
JOIN ONTO THEIR TRUE RELIGION, WHICH IS ISLAM.
JOIN ONTO THE MUSLIM TEACHINGS, WHICH IS TAUGHT TO US
BY THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD,
THE ONLIEST BLACK MAN PREACHING THE TRUTH TO BLACK PEOPLE.
CLEAN UP YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS
AND DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF.
QUIT BEGGING TO INTEGRATE AND BEG TO SEPARATE.
YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHITES.
I DON'T THINK YOU ARE.
NO, I'M UNCOMFORTABLE. UH...
ARE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ME RIGHT NOW?
NO, I'M COMFORTABLE.
I'M REAL COMFORTABLE WITH YOU BECAUSE I KNOW
HOW FAR TO GO WITH YOU.
I'M NOT GOING TO GO HOME WITH YOU NOW
AND FLIRT WITH YOUR DAUGHTER.
I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO PUSH YOU OUT
OF YOUR SUBURB.
I INTEGRATE SO FAR.
SEE, WE DON'T... THAT'S WHY I LIKE GOVERNOR WALLACE.
HE TELLS THE TRUTH ABOUT THINGS.
YOU LIKE GEORGE WALLACE? YES, SIR.
THAT TRUTH HE TELLS WE LIKE.
HE TELLS THE TRUTH.
YOU BELIEVE THAT?
I SEE HIM TELLING THE TRUTH.
YOU DON'T BELIEVE HE'S BEEN A TOUGH INFLUENCE
IN THIS COUNTRY AND A BAD INFLUENCE?
WELL, I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERYTHING NOBODY SAY,
BUT I LIKE WHAT HE SAY WHEN HE SAYS THAT NEGROES
SHOULDN'T FORCE THEMSELVES INTO WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS
AND WHITE PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO AH MOVE OUT
OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS JUST BECAUSE ONE NEGRO COMES.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SELL THE HOUSE TO HIM,
THEY SHOULDN'T, AND THAT MAKES SENSE.
IF A PERSON DON'T WANT YOU. WHY ARE YOU GOING
TO PUSH YOURSELF ON HIM?
AND WALLACE IS ADMITTING THIS AIN'T RIGHT
AND LET THE PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
WE WANT... WHITE POWER!
EARLY: I THINK HIS TALK ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE
RACIALLY SEGREGATING HAS A RESONANCE
BECAUSE OF THE WHITE BACKLASH THAT'S OCCURRING
WITH THIS ATTEMPT AT INTEGRATION,
THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE SAYING, "LOOK.
"THESE WHITE PEOPLE DON'T WANT US.
DO YOU SEE WHAT'S GOING ON?"
I DON'T EVEN THINK HE EVER SAW IT IN THAT WAY.
HE JUST SAW IT AS BLACK PEOPLE, UM, WANTING TO BECOME PEOPLE
OUT HERE IN THIS WORLD THAT MATTERED
AND THAT THEY... AND IN ORDER TO MATTER,
WE HAD TO HAVE OUR OWN LAND,
AND WE HAD TO BUILD UP OURSELVES AS A PEOPLE.
MARTHA BASS: ♪ WALK WITH ME ♪
NARRATOR: ON APRIL 4, 1968, WHILE STANDING
ON THE BALCONY OF THE LORRAINE MOTEL
IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, MARTIN LUTHER KING
WAS ASSASSINATED.
BASS: ♪ WALK WITH ME ♪
♪ LORD ♪
NARRATOR: "I AM IN MOURNING," ALI TOLD THE PRESS,
"FOR MY BLACK BROTHER."
BASS: ♪ ALL ALONG ♪
♪ WALK WITH ME ♪
♪ THIS OLD, TEDIOUS JOURNEY ♪
♪ LORD ♪
♪ I WANT JESUS ♪
♪ JUST TO WALK WITH ME ♪
♪ WALK WITH ME ♪
NARRATOR: IN JUNE, BELINDA GAVE BIRTH TO A BABY GIRL.
AT ELIJAH MUHAMMAD'S SUGGESTION,
THEY NAMED HER MARYUM.
IN AUGUST, A REPORTER VISITED ALI'S HOME,
WHERE HE WAS SPENDING SOME QUIET TIME WITH HIS DAUGHTER.
HIS LAWYERS HAD JUST FILED A PETITION ASKING
THE SUPREME COURT TO RECONSIDER HIS CONVICTION.
"I'M NOT AFRAID TO GO TO JAIL.
I'M READY TO DIE FOR MY PEOPLE,"
HE TOLD THE REPORTER.
THEN HE PICKED UP MARYUM.
"YOUR DADDY'S FIGHTING FOR YOU," HE SAID.
"SOMEDAY, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WALK WITH YOUR HEAD
"HIGH AND NOT BEG FOR A JOB,
AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT."
NARRATOR: THAT WINTER, THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
VOTED PRIVATELY TO REJECT ALI'S PETITION,
A DECISION THAT SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY SENT
HIM TO PRISON.
KRATTENMAKER: THE CLERK WAS GOING TO ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD
THAT THE CASE HAD BEEN DENIED REVIEW,
WHICH WOULD MEAN EVERYTHING'S OVER, HE'S GOING TO JAIL,
BUT OVER THE WEEKEND, A LETTER CAME IN
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
AND THAT LETTER STATED THAT, UM, THEY HAD RECENTLY
DISCOVERED THAT MUHAMMAD ALI HAD BEEN OVERHEARD ON WIRETAPS
THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN RUNNING
ON ELIJAH MUHAMMAD AND ON MARTIN LUTHER KING,
AND THAT MEANT THAT ALI WAS ENTITLED TO BE INFORMED
ABOUT THOSE WIRETAPS TO SEE WHETHER THERE MIGHT BE
ANYTHING IN THEM THAT IS EXCULPATORY TO HIS CASE.
THE SUPREME COURT SAYS, "WE ARE SENDING THIS CASE
"BACK DOWN TO BE REEXAMINED IN LIGHT
OF THE WIRETAPPING ISSUE."
SO AT THE VERY 11th HOUR, ALI IS MORE OR LESS
PULLED OUT OF JAIL AND TOLD YOU CAN START ALL OVER AGAIN.
NARRATOR: IT HAD BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE ALI'S LAST FIGHT.
REPORTERS WERE EAGER TO KNOW IF THIS MEANT
THAT HE WOULD FIGHT AGAIN.
"I'M JUST THANKFUL," HE TOLD THEM.
"IT'S ALL IN THE HANDS OF ALLAH."
REPORTER: YOU'RE STILL CONTENT, YOU'RE STILL DETERMINED
TO RETURN TO THE RING AND FIGHT ONCE AGAIN
REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS?
OH, YES, MAINLY TO PAY BILLS, YOU KNOW.
THIS IS MY MAIN MEANING OF LIVELIHOOD,
AND AH I WOULD RETURN MAINLY
TO PAY A LOT OF UNPAID DEBTS.
REPORTER: IF THE GOVERNMENT CLEARED THIS THING UP, SAY, TONIGHT
AND YOU COULD FIGHT A MONTH FROM NOW,
NAME ME ONE PERSON YOU'D LIKE TO FIGHT RIGHT AWAY.
WELL, UH...
I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN THEM ALL THESE...
I'M NOT OUT TO FIGHT ANY OF THEM REALLY.
THEY ALL REALLY WANT TO FIGHT ME BECAUSE
I CAN'T GAIN NO PRESTIGE...
WHICH ONE WOULD MAKE THE BEST FIGHT,
AND DRAW THE BIGGEST CROWD?
JOE FRAZIER.
NARRATOR: DESPITE HIS EXILE, MUHAMMAD ALI
HAD BEEN CLOSELY WATCHING THE BOXING RANKS,
WHERE, IN HIS ABSENCE, JOE FRAZIER WAS NOW RECOGNIZED
AS THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION IN 5 STATES.
"IF THE CONVICTION IS OVERTURNED AND FRAZIER OFFERS,
I'LL FIGHT," ALI PROMISED.
BUT ALI'S CLAIM THAT ANY FIGHT WOULD ONLY BE TO PAY
OFF HIS DEBTS UNDERCUT ELIJAH MUHAMMAD'S TEACHING
THAT ALLAH WOULD ALWAYS PROVIDE.
THE NEXT DAY, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD SUMMONED
ALI AND BELINDA TO HIS HOME.
HE SUSPENDED THE FAMILY FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM
AND REVOKED MUHAMMAD ALI'S NAME.
BELINDA: "WE FIGHT FOR OUR FAMILIES,
"WE FIGHT FOR A LIVING.
WE DON'T FIGHT FOR MONEY."
SO IT'S JUST... IT'S JUST A WAY YOU SAY THINGS,
AND HE GOT KICKED OUT,
AND WHEN HE GOT KICKED OUT, I GOT KICKED OUT
BECAUSE WE'RE ONE.
IT WAS TORTURE TO ME
NOT BEING ABLE TO GO TO THE MOSQUE,
NOT BEING ABLE TO GO PRAY WITH EACH OTHER.
NARRATOR: IN "MUHAMMAD SPEAKS," WHICH HAD ONCE
CELEBRATED THE BOXER FOR HIS SUCCESS IN THE RING,
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD NOW CHASTISED HIM
FOR HIS DESIRE TO FIGHT.
"CASSIUS CLAY MADE A COMPLETE FOOL OF HIMSELF
FOR ACCEPTING THE SPORT WHICH ALLAH CONDEMNS,"
THE LEADER WROTE.
ALI WAS OUTWARDLY REPENTANT.
"WHAT I SAID WAS OUT OF PLACE," HE TOLD A REPORTER.
"HE IS THE BOSS.
"I WILL BE A MUSLIM UNTIL THE DAY I DIE.
"I ONLY PRAY THAT HE WILL FORGIVE ME
AND LET ME BACK."
ALI INSISTED THAT HE WAS RETIRED.
"I'LL NEVER CLIMB INTO THE RING
OR GO IN AN ARENA AGAIN,"
BUT HE NEVER STOPPED PLOTTING HIS RETURN TO BOXING.
NARRATOR: MEANWHILE, IGNORING HIS OWN FATHER,
HERBERT MUHAMMAD CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR A VENUE
WHERE THE BOXER WOULD NOT BE BARRED.
HE TRIED CITY AFTER CITY.
NOTHING WORKED OUT.
THEN ATLANTA BEGAN TO SHOW PROMISE.
LEROY JOHNSON, GEORGIA'S FIRST BLACK STATE SENATOR
SINCE RECONSTRUCTION, WAS EAGER TO SEE ALI'S
FIRST FIGHT IN MORE THAN 3 YEARS COME TO HIS HOMETOWN.
I WENT TO THE LAW BOOKS AND BEGAN TO SEARCH THE LAW,
AND AFTER MAYBE A COUPLE OF HOURS I DISCOVERED
THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE GEORGIA STATUTE DEALING
WITH BOXING MATCHES.
THAT MEANT IT WAS LEFT UP TO ATLANTA.
NARRATOR: THE CITY OF ATLANTA GAVE ITS APPROVAL.
THE GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA WASN'T PLEASED.
LESTER MADDOX: I DON'T... I DON'T SEE HOW THIS FIGHT
COULD TAKE PLACE REALLY ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BY A MAN THAT HAS DENOUNCED HIS COUNTRY'S UNIFORM
AND REFUSED TO BE INDUCTED
INTO THE SERVICE OF THIS COUNTRY,
SO I'VE CALLED FOR A DAY OF MOURNING BECAUSE OF THIS
THAT THIS TRAGIC THING HAS HAPPENED
IN THIS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
WHERE MEN HAVE FOUGHT SO LONG
AND THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN HAVE SACRIFICED SO MUCH.
NARRATOR: BEFORE LEAVING CHICAGO, ALI RECEIVED
A PACKAGE CONTAINING A DECAPITATED BLACK DOG
AND A NOTE READING, "WE KNOW HOW TO HANDLE
BLACK DRAFT-DODGING DOGS IN GEORGIA."
TO DEMONSTRATE THAT ATLANTA COULD STAGE THE BOUT
WITHOUT POLITICAL INTERFERENCE OR VIOLENCE,
SENATOR JOHNSON ARRANGED FOR A PRE-FIGHT EXHIBITION MATCH
AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE.
ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1970, 2,700 PEOPLE,
INCLUDING MARTIN LUTHER KING SR. AND RALPH ABERNATHY,
FILLED THE MOREHOUSE GYM TO SEE MUHAMMAD ALI SPAR
WITH 3 UNDISTINGUISHED OPPONENTS.
JOHNSON: THE GYM WAS PACKED.
BLACK AND WHITE WAS THERE,
AND MOREHOUSE IS IN THE HEART OF A BLACK COMMUNITY,
AND THAT SERVED AS A CUSHION FOR US,
AND WE HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.
NOBODY TRIED TO INVADE IT OR STOP THE FIGHT.
NARRATOR: "THE ROOF DID NOT FALL IN," REPORTED
"SPORTS ILLUSTRATED," "NO ONE THREW A BOMB.
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE DID NOT RAIN DOWN."
SOON AFTER, PROMOTERS ANNOUNCED THAT ALI
WOULD BE FIGHTING TOP-RANKED CONTENDER JERRY QUARRY
IN ATLANTA ON OCTOBER 26.
WOMAN: I THINK IT'S FINE, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE IN ATLANTA.
I THINK IT'S TIME.
WELL, I DON'T LIVE HERE IN ATLANTA,
BUT FRANKLY I'D JUST AS SOON HE DIDN'T
FIGHT ANYWHERE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE THE GREATEST THING
THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ATLANTA.
WELL, I JUST DON'T LIKE TO SEE OUR...
US HAVE THAT IN OUR CITY.
WHY IS THAT?
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER'S MANAGER PROMISED ALI
A TITLE MATCH IF HE BEAT QUARRY.
"WE'LL FIGHT HIM ANYPLACE IN THE UNITED STATES
HE CAN GET A LICENSE," HE SAID.
THOUGH THE BOUT IN ATLANTA WOULD PROCEED,
MUHAMMAD ALI WAS STILL BARRED FROM FIGHTING ANYWHERE ELSE.
AT THE SAME TIME, LAWYERS FOR THE NAACP,
INCLUDING MICHAEL MELTSNER, HAD FILED A LAWSUIT
AGAINST NEW YORK'S BOXING COMMISSION,
CLAIMING THE COMMISSION HAD ILLEGALLY SINGLED OUT ALI
AND GRANTED LICENSES TO OTHER BOXERS CONVICTED OF CRIMES.
MELTSNER: WE KNEW THAT SOME LICENSEES HAD CRIMINAL RECORDS,
BUT WHEN WE GOT INTO THE FILES
OF THE ATHLETIC COMMISSION, WE WERE SHOCKED AT THE NUMBERS
AND THE RANGE OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES.
244 BOXERS HAD BEEN LICENSED BY THE NEW YORK STATE
ATHLETIC COMMISSION WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS,
AND THEY INCLUDED CHAMPIONS AND CONTENDERS.
THEY INCLUDED MANSLAUGHTER, SECOND DEGREE MURDER,
ARMED ROBBERY, AND THE LIKE.
IT CONFIRMED OUR SENSE THAT ALI HAD BEEN PICKED OUT,
SINGLED OUT, FOR TREATMENT BECAUSE
OF HIS IDENTITY, BECAUSE OF HIS AFFILIATIONS
WITH THE NATION OF ISLAM, AND BECAUSE HE WAS
A PROMINENT BLACK FIGURE.
JUDGE MANSFIELD SAID, "THIS IS ARBITRARY.
IT VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION, THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE,"
AND HE REQUIRED THE STATE OF NEW YORK
TO GIVE ALI A LICENSE.
BY THAT TIME, PEOPLE WERE REALIZING
WHAT A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE THAT WHOLE THING HAD BEEN,
AND JUDGE MANSFIELD'S DECISION WAS
THE FIRST JUDICIAL DECISION ALONG THOSE LINES.
SO ALI GOT HIS LICENSE FROM NEW YORK,
AND AT THAT POINT, HERBERT CAME TO ME,
AND HE SAID, "BOB, FORM A NEW COMPANY
AND START PROMOTING ALI'S FIGHTS."
NARRATOR: ONE AFTERNOON BEFORE HIS MATCH
WITH JERRY QUARRY IN ATLANTA,
ALI AND HIS ENTOURAGE SCREENED A FILM
ON THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
JACK JOHNSON, WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED
ON RACIALLY MOTIVATED CHARGES AND FLED
THE COUNTRY IN 1913.
"HIS FIGHTS WERE CANCELED, TOO?
THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING," MARVELED ALI.
"MY CASE REVIVES HIS STORY."
CLAY, I FEEL, HAS BEEN MESSED AROUND,
AND NOW'S THE CHANCE TO PROVE HIMSELF.
IF SOMEONE WERE TO GIVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY
TO LET HIM BE HIMSELF, AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING
HE'S ASKED FOR ALL THIS PARTICULAR TIME.
HE DIDN'T DO NOTHING NO MORE.
JUST LET HIM BE HIMSELF.
I LOVE FREEDOM FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THIS WILL FREE MUHAMMAD.
THANK YOU.
NARRATOR: ON OCTOBER 26, 1970, MUHAMMAD ALI FOUGHT
JERRY QUARRY BEFORE 5,000 SPECTATORS
AT ATLANTA'S MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM.
IT WOULD BE HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT
IN MORE THAN 3 1/2 YEARS.
[JIMI HENDRIX'S "MACHINE GUN" PLAYING]
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
♪
BOYD: THAT NIGHT, BUNDINI IS CONSTANTLY YELLING,
"GHOST IN THE HOUSE!
"THERE'S A GHOST IN THE HOUSE!
GHOST IN THE HOUSE!"
WELL, THAT GHOST IS, OF COURSE, THE GHOST
OF JACK JOHNSON BECAUSE JACK JOHNSON FOUGHT HIS BATTLES
AT AN EARLIER TIME SURROUNDED BY ISSUES
OF WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA
IN THE EARLIEST PART OF THE 20th CENTURY.
IT IS NOW THE 1970s, AND IT TURNS OUT MUHAMMAD ALI
IS FIGHTING A SIMILAR BATTLE.
SO THE GHOST OF JACK JOHNSON
IS THE SPIRIT THAT INFORMS
ALI'S RETURN AGAINST JERRY QUARRY,
AND BUNDINI IS THE ONE WHO GIVES VOICE TO THE FACT
THAT THIS GHOST IS MOST INDEED IN THE HOUSE,
AND ALI FINISHED IT IN THE RING.
NARRATOR: IN THE THIRD ROUND, ALI OPENED A GASH
ABOVE QUARRY'S LEFT EYE.
THE CUT WAS SO SEVERE THAT QUARRY'S TRAINER ASKED
THE REFEREE TO STOP THE FIGHT.
HE DID, AWARDING ALI A TECHNICAL KNOCKOUT
BEFORE THE BELL RANG TO OPEN THE FOURTH ROUND.
HENDRIX: ♪ HEY, AND YOUR BULLETS ♪
♪ KEEP KNOCKING ME DOWN ♪
NARRATOR: AFTER THE FIGHT, CORETTA SCOTT KING
AND RALPH ABERNATHY PRESENTED ALI
WITH A DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING MEMORIAL AWARD.
I WANTED TO SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT ONLY
OUR CHAMPION IN THE BOXING AREA,
BUT YOU ARE ALSO A CHAMPION OF JUSTICE AND PEACE...
THANK YOU. AND HUMAN DIGNITY.
THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE IT.
ABERNATHY: YOU ARE THE LIVING EXAMPLE
OF SOUL POWER.
THIS WAS THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON ALL IN TWO FISTS.
MAN: SO PROUD OF YOU. SECOND MAN: SAY IT AGAIN.
NARRATOR: ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MORE THAN 200 VENUES
HAD CARRIED THE FIGHT ON CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION,
INCLUDING NEW YORK CITY'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
"IF THE CROWD AT THE GARDEN WAS ANY INDICATION,"
OBSERVED MURRAY CHASS OF THE "NEW YORK TIMES,"
"MUHAMMAD ALI COULD BE ELECTED BOTH GOVERNOR
"AND UNITED STATES SENATOR IF HE WERE RUNNING
IN NEXT TUESDAY'S ELECTION."
MUHAMMAD ALI'S RETURN TO THE RING HAD BEEN A TRIUMPH,
BUT HIS FUTURE REMAINED UNCERTAIN.
THOUGH DETERMINED TO REGAIN THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE,
ALI STILL FACED 5 YEARS IN PRISON ON DRAFT EVASION CHARGES,
AND HIS LENGTHY EXILE HAD NOT COME WITHOUT A COST.
FUGI: ♪ AIN'T IT FUNNY HOW THE TRUTH CAN WALK UP TO YOU ♪
KINDRED: AFTER THE QUARRY FIGHT, I REMEMBER LEAVING THE RING,
LEAVING THE RINGSIDE THAT NIGHT,
WALKING WITH BUD SCHULBERG, WHO KNEW A WHOLE LOT MORE
ABOUT BOXING THAN I DID, AND SCHULBERG'S ONLY COMMENT
ON THE FIGHT WAS, "HE'S LOST A STEP."
FUGI: ♪ DOWN, DOWN, DOWN ♪
KINDRED: WELL, WHEN YOU'RE MUHAMMAD ALI AND YOU'VE
MADE YOUR CAREER BY STAYING ONE STEP AHEAD OF EVERYBODY,
YOU CAN'T LOSE A STEP.
FUGI: ♪ OF THE DAWN ♪
♪ THE TRUTH IS GONNA COME THIS WAY ♪
♪ OH, YES, IT IS ♪
♪ AND IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR MIND TOGETHER, PEOPLE ♪
♪ OOH, OOH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BEG ♪
♪ OH, YES, YOU ARE ♪
♪ YOU BETTER GET YOUR SALVATION ♪
♪ THESE ARE THE DAYS OF REVELATION ♪
♪ OH, YES, THEY ARE ♪
♪ EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE ♪
♪ AND NOBODY WANTS TO DIE ♪
♪ UNH, BUT THEY WON'T LIVE THE TRUTH ♪
♪ THEY'D RATHER LIVE A LIE ♪
♪ YEAH, BUT TODAY, THEY ARE LAUGHING ♪
♪ TOMORROW, THEY'RE GONNA CRY, CRY, CRY, CRY ♪
♪ BUT, PEOPLE, YOU CAN MAKE IT IF YOU ONLY TRY ♪
♪ YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YOU GOT TO TRY ♪
♪ YOU GOT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER ♪
♪ OOH, OOH ♪
♪ YOU GOT TO TURN AROUND AND LOVE YOUR BROTHER ♪
♪ OH, YES, YOU BETTER ♪
♪ DON'T YOU SEE WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FURTHER ♪
♪ IF WE KEEP ON, KEEP ON DESTROYING EACH OTHER? ♪
♪ OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ♪
♪ YOU BETTER GET YOUR SALVATION ♪
♪ THESE ARE THE DAYS OF REVELATION ♪
♪ OH, YES, THEY ARE ♪
ANNOUNCER: NEXT TIME ON "MUHAMMAD ALI"...
BRYANT: YOU GOT TO HAVE REAL COMPETITION
TO PROVE YOUR GREATNESS.
ANNOUNCER: ALI FACES HIS GREATEST RIVAL.
BOYD: YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT MUHAMMAD ALI
WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT JOE FRAZIER.
ANNOUNCER: HE GIVES BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY...
BELINDA ALI: ALI COULD HAVE $30,000
IN HIS POCKET ONE AFTERNOON.
HE'D COME BACK HERE, HAVE NOTHING.
ANNOUNCER: AND FACES HIS FINAL JUDGMENT IN COURT.
ALI: I'M THANKFUL THAT THE COURT'S RECOGNIZED
MY SINCERITY OF MY BELIEFS IN THIS CASE.
TOM KRATTENMAKER: IT WAS QUITE A BOMBSHELL.
NO ONE EXPECTED IT.
ANNOUNCER: THAT'S NEXT TIME ON "MUHAMMAD ALI."
ANNOUNCER: STREAM THE FULL SERIES,
GO BEHIND THE SCENES, AND LEARN HOW TO BRING
MUHAMMAD ALI'S STORY INTO THE CLASSROOM
BY VISITING PBS.ORG/ALI OR THE PBS VIDEO APP.
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VISIT SHOPPBS OR CALL 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
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WITH PBS PASSPORT AND ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.
♪
♪ YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ♪
♪ DON'T YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, CHILD? ♪
♪ OH, YES, I DO ♪
♪ REACH OUT YOUR HAND TO ME, CHILD ♪
♪ YOU KNOW I'LL UNDERSTAND, OH, YES, I WILL NOW ♪
♪
♪ REACH OUT YOUR HAND TO ME, CHILD ♪
♪ YEAH, YOU KNOW I'LL UNDERSTAND ♪
♪ YES, I WILL NOW ♪
♪ WANT YOU TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH MY HAND ♪
♪ YEAH, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'LL UNDERSTAND ♪
♪ OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ♪
♪
ANNOUNCER: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "MUHAMMAD ALI"
WAS PROVIDED BY: DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN,
INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS
THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE PAST AND PREPARE US FOR THE FUTURE;
BY THE ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS,
INVESTING IN OUR COMMON FUTURE;
BY THE BETTER ANGELS SOCIETY AND ITS MEMBERS
ALAN AND MARCIA DOCTER,
MR. AND MRS. PAUL TUDOR JONES,
THE FULLERTON FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND,
GILCHRIST AND AMY BERG;
THE BROOKE BROWN BARZUN FOUNDATION,
OWSLEY BROWN III FOUNDATION.
AND AUGUSTA BROWN HOLLAND FOUNDATION,
PERRY AND DONNA GOLKIN,
JOHN AND LESLIE McQUOWN,
JOHN AND CATHERINE DEBS,
FRED AND DONNA SEIGEL,
SUSAN AND JOHN WIELAND,
AND BY THESE ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS.
MAJOR FUNDING WAS ALSO PROVIDED
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AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
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FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.