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;
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ALAN AND MARCIA DOCTER,
MR. AND MRS. PAUL TUDOR JONES,
THE FULLERTON FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND,
GILCHRIST AND AMY BERG;
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OWSLEY BROWN III FOUNDATION.
AND AUGUSTA BROWN HOLLAND FOUNDATION,
PERRY AND DONNA GOLKIN,
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JOHN AND CATHERINE DEBS,
FRED AND DONNA SEIGEL,
SUSAN AND JOHN WIELAND,
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.
INTERVIEWER: ARE YOU A WISER MAN NOW THAN YOU WERE?
MUCH WISER, MUCH WISER.
THEY HAVE A SAYING, "A WISE MAN CHANGE, BUT A FOOL NEVER CHANGE."
AND I'VE CHANGED BECAUSE I'VE BECOME WISER.
INTERVIEWER: WELL, THEY SAY THAT THE ROAD BACK IS A LOT
HARDER THAN THE ROAD UP THE FIRST TIME.
DO YOU FEEL IT THAT WAY?
IN MY MIND IT'S EASIER, BUT IN MY BODY IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARDER.
BUT I HAVE TO COME BACK. I'M GOING TO COME BACK.
I'LL BE CONSIDERED MUCH BETTER WHEN I COME BACK.
I HAVE TOO MUCH TO FIGHT FOR, CAUSE TO FIGHT FOR.
HOWARD BRYANT: I THINK THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF POST-EXILE ALI
IS THIS QUEST TO BE MADE WHOLE.
THAT'S WHY THE CLIMB IS SO IMPORTANT, SO VITAL.
THAT'S WHY VICTORY MATTERS, IS TO SEND THAT MESSAGE THAT
HE'S THE ONE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BREAK.
CROWD ROARING
COSELL: THE CROWD ROARS NOW
AS MUHAMMAD ALI COMES DOWN THE AISLE.
A MAN WHO HAS EVOKED ALL KINDS OF PASSION,
AGAINST AND FOR.
ALI WHO KNOWS THAT HE'S GOT A LOT TO PROVE.
CROWD ROARING THE CROWD REACTS!
AND THIS IS NOT THE USUAL ALI STYLE AT ALL.
WHERE IS THAT ALI MOVEMENT?
STRANGE THING TO SEE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
NARRATOR: ON DECEMBER 7, 1970, MUHAMMAD ALI FOUGHT
OSCAR BONAVENA AT NEW YORK CITY'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
HE HAD ALREADY DEFEATED JERRY QUARRY IN ATLANTA IN HIS
RETURN FROM A 3 1/2-YEAR BANISHMENT BY BOXING OFFICIALS
FOR REFUSING INDUCTION INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES,
A CRIME FOR WHICH HE STILL FACED 5 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON.
EIG: AS SOON AS ALI STEPPED BACK INTO THE RING AFTER HIS EXILE,
BOXING AFICIONADOS, TRAINERS, OTHER BOXERS NOTICED
IMMEDIATELY THAT HE WAS DIFFERENT, THAT HE WAS SLOWER.
AND BECAUSE HE HAD NEVER HAD GREAT TECHNIQUE,
BECAUSE HE HAD KEPT HIS HANDS TOO LOW
AND HE HAD NEVER LEARNED TO DUCK PUNCHES,
THIS MADE HIM MORE VULNERABLE.
HE WAS GOING TO BE ABSORBING MORE PUNISHMENT NOW,
AND HE WAS GONNA HAVE TO LEARN DIFFERENT WAYS TO WIN.
COSELL: AND NOW ALI IS BEHAVING LIKE THE OLD ALI.
IT'S OVER!
ALI IS THE KNOCKOUT WINNER AT 2 MINUTES AND 3 SEC...
NARRATOR: HE NEEDED 15 ROUNDS TO BEAT BONAVENA.
"I TOOK EVERYTHING HE THREW,"
ALI TOLD REPORTERS AFTER THE FIGHT.
"AND HE HITS HARD."
"THAT WAS WHEN ALI DISCOVERED SOMETHING
WHICH WAS BOTH VERY GOOD AND VERY BAD,"
HIS FIGHT DOCTOR, FERDIE PACHECO, SAID.
"HE COULD TAKE A PUNCH."
♪
BY THE TIME MUHAMMAD ALI HAD REGAINED
HIS BOXING LICENSE IN 1970, MANY AMERICANS HAD GROWN TIRED
OF THE EVER-INCREASING BODY COUNT, GRIM NEWS REPORTS,
AND GRAPHIC IMAGERY COMING BACK FROM THE FRONT LINES
OF THE VIETNAM WAR.
CIVIL UNREST IN NEWARK, CHICAGO, DETROIT, AND MANY
OTHER CITIES HAD FURTHER LAID BARE AFRICAN-AMERICANS'
DEEP FRUSTRATION WITH THEIR SECOND-CLASS STATUS,
WHILE THE NATION OF ISLAM, THE SEPARATIST RELIGIOUS SECT
THAT ALI CONTINUED TO SUPPORT, HAD,
SINCE THE DEATH OF MALCOLM X, RETREATED FROM THE PUBLIC EYE,
AND NOW SEEMED LESS THREATENING TO WHITE AMERICA.
[SHOUTING AND CHANTING]
[SIRENS]
♪
EARLY: BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES TAKING PLACE IN THE COUNTRY...
THE ANTI-VIETNAM WAR MOVEMENT AND THE LIKE,
THE RISE OF BLACK POWER IN THE COUNTRY,
THE RISE OF RADICALISM IN THE COUNTRY,
ALI SUDDENLY HAS A REAL AUDIENCE AND A REAL SET OF FOLLOWERS
IN A WAY THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE,
AND HE NO LONGER IS SOMEONE WHO'S SEEN IN AMERICAN CULTURE
JUST AS TOTALLY A VILLAIN.
HE'S NOW A HERO TO A SIZABLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE,
AND HE'S GONNA PLAY TO THAT PARTICULAR SEGMENT
OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.
NARRATOR: ALI WAS DETERMINED TO REGAIN THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE,
BUT HIS SENTENCE FOR DRAFT EVASION LOOMED.
OVER THE PAST 3 1/2 YEARS, HE HAD LOST APPEAL AFTER APPEAL.
NOW HIS LAST CHANCE TO AVOID PRISON
LAY WITH THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT,
IF THEY WOULD EVEN AGREE TO HEAR HIS CASE.
ANNOUNCER: RETURN OF THE CHAMPION...
NARRATOR: ALI'S RETURN TO BOXING HAD DEMONSTRATED THAT
HE WAS STILL AN ENORMOUS ATTRACTION.
PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WERE EAGER TO SEE THE MOST DOMINANT BOXER
OF THE 1960s FIGHT AGAIN.
DUNPHY: MUHAMMAD ALI, CASSIUS CLAY...
REMNICK: WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE GREATEST FIGHTS,
THERE ARE FIGHTS THAT ARE PERFECT,
AND THEN THERE ARE FIGHTS THAT ARE DRAMATIC.
HIS FIGHT EARLY ON AGAINST CLEVELAND WILLIAMS OR ZORA FOLLEY
BEFORE HE'S TAKEN OUT OF COMMISSION BECAUSE
OF THE DRAFT DRAMA ARE EXQUISITE AND PERFECT.
THE SPEED IS THERE. THE HAND SPEED IS THERE.
DUNPHY: THAT'S THE ALI SHUFFLE.
REMNICK: HE DOESN'T MAKE A FALSE MOVE,
AND THEN HE FINISHES IT OFF.
THERE'S NO MORE PERFECT PERFORMANCE.
BUT IT'S NOT HOMERIC IN SCALE.
IT DOESN'T COME WITH SUFFERING AND GREAT OPPOSITION.
SO THAT COMES IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ANY ATHLETE, IT'S NOT A REAL
DISCUSSION UNLESS THEY HAVE SOME RIVALRY.
SO YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT MUHAMMAD ALI WITHOUT TALKING
ABOUT JOE FRAZIER.
HIS RIVALRY IN ONE SENSE WAS WITH THE SYSTEM, THE POWERS
THAT BE, THE GOVERNMENT,
BUT HIS SPORTS RIVAL WAS JOE FRAZIER.
[BELL CLANGS]
NARRATOR: ON DECEMBER 30, 1970, MUHAMMAD ALI,
THE NUMBER-ONE HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER, AND JOE FRAZIER,
THE REIGNING WORLD CHAMPION, MET IN NEW YORK
TO ANNOUNCE THEIR MUCH-ANTICIPATED TITLE FIGHT.
I PREDICT THAT WHEN I MEET JOE FRAZIER,
THIS WILL BE LIKE A GOOD AMATEUR
FIGHTING A REAL PROFESSIONAL.
THIS WILL BE LIKE A KID OUT OF THE OLYMPICS MEETING
THE FASTEST HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION THAT EVER LIVED.
THIS WILL BE NO CONTEST.
NARRATOR: THEY'D SIGNED THE LARGEST CONTRACT
IN THE SPORT'S HISTORY, GUARANTEEING THEM EACH
$2.5 MILLION.
NEVER BEFORE HAD TWO UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS
FACED EACH OTHER FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.
IT WAS BILLED AS "THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY."
NARRATOR: TWO WEEKS LATER, THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD HEAR MUHAMMAD ALI'S APPEAL,
KEEPING ALIVE THE SLIM HOPE THAT HE MIGHT AVOID PRISON.
JEAN KNIGHT'S "MR. BIG STUFF" PLAYING
ON JANUARY 13, 1971, ALI ARRIVED IN MIAMI BEACH
TO PREPARE FOR HIS FIGHT WITH FRAZIER.
ANGELO DUNDEE, ALI'S LONG-TIME TRAINER, HAD ARRANGED
FOR THE BOXER TO STAY AT AN UPSCALE JEWISH RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
CALLED THE OCTAGON TOWERS.
HE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN- AMERICAN EVER PERMITTED TO LIVE THERE.
MY MAN. HE FEEDS ME KOSHER FOOD EVERY DAY.
YES, SIR. AND IT'S GOOD, TOO.
WHO ARE YOU FOR, JOE FRAZIER OR ME?
THEY TELL ME JOE FRAZIER'S THE NEW CHAMP.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? NOW WHO ARE YOU?
I'M THE HEAVYWE... WHO AM I?
LAUGHTER WOMAN: OHH!
KNIGHT: ♪ WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? ♪
♪ MR. BIG STUFF ♪
NARRATOR: DUNDEE'S 5th STREET GYM,
WHERE ALI HAD FIRST TRAINED A DECADE EARLIER,
BUSTLED WITH REPORTERS AND FANS, EACH OF WHOM PAID $1.00 TO WATCH
THE FIGHTER ENTERTAIN.
ALI DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
KNIGHT: ♪ YOU MADE 'EM CRY, MANY POOR GIRLS CRY ♪
HE TOLD JOKES, POSED FOR PHOTOGRAPHS,
PERFORMED MAGIC TRICKS,
AND DREW LAUGHS WHEN HE MOCKINGLY IMITATED JOE FRAZIER'S STYLE.
HE'S TAKING 20 HEADSHOTS.
NARRATOR: "I NEVER WANTED TO WHUP ANYBODY SO BAD," ALI SAID.
"THE PEOPLE OF THE WHOLE WORLD GONNA SEE WHO'S KING."
KNIGHT: ♪ MR. BIG STUFF ♪
THOUGH ALI HAD FOUGHT TWICE IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS, HE WAS
10 POUNDS OVER HIS PREFERRED WEIGHT AND SEEMED UNINTERESTED
IN GETTING IN SHAPE.
"TRAINING WAS MOSTLY A PUBLICITY STUNT," FERDIE PACHECO SAID.
"HE TRAINED A LITTLE BIT AND THEN HE TALKED A LOT."
JOE'S GONNA COME OUT SMOKIN', AND I AIN'T GONNA BE JOKIN'.
I'LL BE PECKIN' AND A POKIN', POURING WATER ON HIS SMOKIN'.
THIS MIGHT SHOCK AND AMAZE YA, BUT I WILL RETIRE JOE FRAZIER.
[LAUGHTER]
WHEN I USED TO WATCH MUHAMMAD FIGHT,
I FELT CONFIDENT THAT HE WAS GONNA WHOOP ANYBODY
THAT GOT IN THAT RING.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A THING.
"BUT YOU'RE GETTING COCKY AND YOU'RE NOT TRAINING LIKE
"THE WAY YOU SUPPOSED TO BE TRAINING.
"YOU JUST TRYING TO CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT YOU GONNA WIN,
"BUT IT TAKES TRAINING AND HARD WORK, AND YOU'RE GOOD AT THAT.
"AND NOW YOU'RE NOT TRAINING RIGHT,
AND YOU MAKING ME WORRIED NOW."
HELLO, YOUNG LADY.
WOMAN: HELLO, SIR.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY? FINE.
GOOD.
NARRATOR: THE CROWDS AND THE CAMERAS WERE NOT
ALI'S ONLY DISTRACTION.
EVER SINCE HIS EXILE FROM BOXING AND SUSPENSION FROM
THE NATION OF ISLAM, HE HAD BEEN CHEATING
ON BELINDA FREQUENTLY.
NO MATTER WHERE HE WENT, WOMEN SOUGHT HIS ATTENTION
AND AFFECTION, AND MEMBERS OF HIS ENTOURAGE HELPED
FEED HIS INCREASING APPETITE FOR CASUAL SEX.
BELINDA WAS HEARTBROKEN.
SHE BEGAN HAVING HER OWN AFFAIRS.
BELINDA ALI: WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.
I'M NOT PERFECT, AND I DON'T EXPECT FOR HIM TO BE PERFECT.
WHEN HE WAS TRAINING FOR THE JOE FRAZIER FIGHT, GUYS WAS
COMING AROUND TO THE CAMP, UP TO NO GOOD,
BRINGING HIM CHICKS.
I SAID "MAN, THIS IS NOT GONNA WORK.
I PACKED MY BAGS, AND I WENT BACK TO CHICAGO.
ALI: THEY DON'T COME TO SEE A TALKER.
THEY SEEIN' AND WATCHIN' A DOER.
MAN: THAT'S RIGHT.
NOW LET ME GO TO WORK NOW. YEAH.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: WHEN ASKED BY A REPORTER IF HE HAD
LOST A STEP, ALI REPLIED, "I'M JUST AS SHARP...
"I JUST FIGHT DIFFERENT NOW.
"NOW I'M A MATURE MAN, A STRONG MAN.
THE DANCING IS NO LONGER NECESSARY."
ALI: I'M NOT JUST GONNA WHUP FRAZIER, I'M GONNA WHUP ALL
THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS.
AFTER THIS ONE, THEY WILL NEVER PREDICT AGAINST
MUHAMMAD ALI. MAN: YOU GOT THAT RIGHT.
NEVER AGAIN.
EIG: ALI DIDN'T THINK HE WAS GONNA HAVE MUCH TROUBLE
WITH JOE FRAZIER. FRAZIER WAS SMALLER,
HE WAS NOT A PRETTY FIGHTER.
HE WAS THE GUY WHO JUST BULLED HIS WAY IN, GOT UNDER YOUR CHIN,
AND JUST POUNDED AND POUNDED AND POUNDED.
ANNOUNCER: FRAZIER IS PUTTING EVERYTHING INTO EVERY PUNCH.
EIG: BUT HE HAD THIS LEFT HOOK,
AND WHEN HE THREW THAT HOOK, IT JUST LANDED.
IT'S MAYBE THE GREATEST LEFT HOOK IN ALL OF BOXING HISTORY.
COSELL: THAT'S THE LEFT HOOK.
AND ALI HAD ALWAYS BEEN VULNERABLE TO THE LEFT HOOK,
ALL HIS CAREER, EVEN AS AN AMATEUR.
LEFT HOOK WAS THE PUNCH THAT HE HAD A HARD TIME SEEING
AND HE'D BEEN HURT BY IT MANY TIMES.
SO THIS WAS A DIFFICULT MATCH-UP.
INTERVIEWER: I WAS TALKING TO MUHAMMAD ALI DOWN IN MIAMI
EARLIER THIS WEEK,
AND HE CALLED YOU A GOOD STREET FIGHTER.
DOES THAT MAKE YOU MAD?
DON'T MAKE ME MAD AT ALL.
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER WAS THE YOUNGEST OF 10 CHILDREN
BORN TO A ONE-ARMED HANDYMAN AND HIS WIFE, A FIELD HAND,
IN SOUTH CAROLINA'S LOW COUNTRY.
AT 6, HE HAD SEEN JOE LOUIS BOX
IN AN EXHIBITION FIGHT IN NEARBY BEAUFORT.
LATER, HE FASHIONED A HEAVY BAG FROM A BURLAP SACK,
FILLING IT WITH SAND, CORNCOBS, BRICKS... WHATEVER HE COULD FIND...
THEN SPENT AN HOUR A DAY WALLOPING IT.
IZENBERG: HIS UNCLE CALLED HIM LITTLE JOE LOUIS.
AT SCHOOL, UM, HE WAS THE TOUGHEST GUY IN THE CLASS.
AND WHEN THE BULLIES WOULD COME TO TAKE
THE OTHER KIDS' LUNCH MONEY,
HE WOULD DEFEND THEM.
NARRATOR: FRAZIER QUIT SCHOOL AT 15,
AND AFTER BRIEF STINTS PICKING CROPS, WORKING CONSTRUCTION,
AND LOADING CRATES AT A COCA-COLA PLANT,
HE LEFT SOUTH CAROLINA IN SEARCH OF SOMETHING BETTER.
IN PHILADELPHIA, HE MOVED IN WITH AN AUNT, GOT A JOB
AT A SLAUGHTERHOUSE, AND, HOPING TO LOSE WEIGHT,
BEGAN WORKING OUT AT A POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE GYM
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN.
ONE DAY, A FORMER AMATEUR FIGHTER NAMED "YANK" DURHAM
WATCHED FRAZIER SLUG A HEAVY BAG.
THOUGH THE TEENAGER WAS PIGEON TOED, OVERWEIGHT, AND HAD
SHORT ARMS FOR A FIGHTER, DURHAM WAS IMPRESSED
AND OFFERED TO TRAIN HIM.
THE YOUNG BOXER PROVED DEDICATED AND DISCIPLINED,
RUNNING EACH MORNING BEFORE HIS SHIFT
AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND TRAINING AT THE GYM
LATE INTO THE NIGHT.
WITHIN TWO MONTHS, FRAZIER HAD ENTERED AND WON
THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC GOLDEN GLOVES TOURNAMENT.
TWO YEARS LATER, IN 1964, HE EARNED A GOLD MEDAL
FIGHTING AS A HEAVYWEIGHT AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS.
BACK IN PHILADELPHIA THEY BEGAN CALLING HIM
"THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE KID."
IN AUGUST OF 1965, MARRIED AND WITH 3 YOUNG CHILDREN,
FRAZIER, NOW 21 YEARS OLD, TURNED PROFESSIONAL.
WILL IT BE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE FIGHTING PRO?
THE ONLY THING I CAN SEE, THE GLOVES IS A LITTLE LIGHTER.
THAT'S ABOUT ALL.
REPORTER: AND THE MONEY?
WELL, UH, WELL, THAT'LL BE GOOD, TOO.
WE ALL COULD USE SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY NOW AND THEN.
MOSLEY: JOE FRAZIER, FOUGHT BEYOND WHAT HE WAS.
HE REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT COMPETITIVE IN...
IN THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION, CONSIDERING HIS SIZE, YOU KNOW,
CONSIDERING HIS TALENTS, YOU KNOW?
BUT HE WAS, BECAUSE HE WAS ALSO A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.
NOT A POLITICAL FORCE, NOT AN INTELLECTUAL FORCE,
JUST A BOXING FORCE, BUT A FORCE OF NATURE.
NARRATOR: FRAZIER WON HIS FIRST 24 FIGHTS AND HAD
ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS A CONTENDER FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP THAT HAD BEEN STRIPPED FROM MUHAMMAD ALI.
KINDRED: THERE HAD BEEN A TOURNAMENT TO SUCCEED ALI.
HIS OLD SPARRING PARTNER AND FRIEND JIMMY ELLIS
WON THAT TOURNAMENT.
THEN ELLIS FOUGHT FRAZIER.
FRAZIER KNOCKED HIM OUT IN THE 4th ROUND,
AND FRAZIER BECAME THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
SO A FRAZIER-ALI FIGHT WAS INEVITABLE.
MUWAKKIL: WHOEVER CLAIMED TO BE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
WAS INAUTHENTIC, AUTOMATICALLY.
WITHOUT BEING CHALLENGED BY ALI,
THERE WAS NO VALIDITY TO THEIR TITLE.
FRAZIER: WELL, I CONSIDER MYSELF THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD UNTIL THE CHAMP GETS BACK IN ACTION AGAIN.
EARLY: JOE FRAZIER EMERGES AS THE GUY
PEOPLE THINK CAN BEAT ALI.
FRAZIER IS A VERY GOOD FIGHTER.
COSELL: DOWN GOES ELLIS.
I THINK IT WAS NORMAN MAILER WHO CALLED HIM "THE WAR MACHINE,"
AND, UH, THAT'S A VERY APT, UH, EXPRESSION,
HE WAS A WAR MACHINE.
COSELL: FRAZIER IS STRONG.
EARLY: HE CAME AT YOU VERY AGGRESSIVELY.
COSELL: FRAZIER AGAIN WITH THE LEFT.
EARLY: HE'S REALLY RELENTLESS.
COSELL: ELLIS STANDING THERE, OH!
A TREMENDOUS LEFT HOOK. IT IS OVER.
NARRATOR: "I'M GONNA RETIRE," FRAZIER HAD SAID
AFTER KNOCKING OUT ELLIS.
"I'M GONNA SING ROCK 'N ROLL UNTIL THAT MUHAMMAD ALI
OR CASSIUS CLAY OR WHATEVER HIS NAME IS CAN FIGHT ME."
♪
MUHAMMAD ALI AND JOE FRAZIER HAD BEEN CIRCLING EACH OTHER
EVER SINCE THEY'D MET AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN 1967.
THEN, THE YOUNGER FIGHTER HAD ASKED ALI
FOR AN AUTOGRAPH AND PROMISED THAT, IN TWO YEARS,
HE WOULD BE READY TO FACE THE CHAMP.
DURING HIS EXILE, ALI HAD HOUNDED FRAZIER MERCILESSLY,
TURNING UP AT HIS PHILADELPHIA GYM, CHALLENGING HIM TO FIGHT,
TAUNTING HIM ON TV AND RADIO.
ALI: I JUST CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE BELL RING.
I'VE NEVER WANTED TO WHUP A MAN SO BAD.
I'LL FIGHT... IN THE ALLEY. ANYWHERE.
I WANT TO PROVE THAT JOE FRAZIER'S NOT THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.
WE HAVE TO WHUP JOE FRAZIER BECAUSE JOE FRAZIER IS
TOO UGLY TO BE THE WORLD'S HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
[CHEERING]
BOBBY DARIN: HE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, MUHAMMAD,
IF INDEED THINGS DON'T WORK OUT AS YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO
AND FRAZIER, UH, DOES YOU IN?
[LAUGHTER] NEXT QUESTION.
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER SET UP CAMP AT THE CONCORD HOTEL
IN THE FRIGID CATSKILL MOUNTAINS OF NEW YORK,
WHERE HE WOKE EACH MORNING BEFORE DAWN AND RAN 4.5 MILES.
IN THE AFTERNOON, HE BATTERED MULTIPLE SPARRING PARTNERS,
CHOSEN FOR THEIR ABILITY TO MIMIC ALI'S SPEED AND STYLE.
WHEN A SNOWSTORM MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR FRAZIER TO
TRAIN OUTSIDE, HE RETURNED TO HIS GYM IN PHILADELPHIA,
WHERE HIS FANS COULD WATCH AS "YANK" DURHAM PUT HIM THROUGH
ONE GRUELING EXERCISE AFTER ANOTHER.
"WHY IS IT THAT CLAY GETS SO MUCH SPACE?"
FRAZIER COMPLAINED.
"HE SAYS SOMETHING, AND IT'S IN THE PAPER,
FRONT, BACK AND SIDEWAYS."
A LOT OF THEM WANT ME WHUPPED BECAUSE OF THE DRAFT.
A LOT OF THEM WANT ME WHUPPED BECAUSE OF RELIGION.
A LOT OF THEM WANT ME WHUPPED BECAUSE I'M BLACK...
AND FOR OTHER REASONS THAT I MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
[LAUGHTER]
ALI SCRIPTS THIS SORT OF THING IN COMING BACK.
HE'S NOW THE, UH, THE ANTI-WAR HERO.
HE'S THE PERSON WHO'S SACRIFICED YEARS OF HIS CAREER
BECAUSE OF HIS BELIEFS.
SO HE'S NOT SEEN AS SOME KIND OF ORDINARY DRAFT DODGER.
HE'S SEEN AS SOMEONE WHO HAS STOOD UP FOR HIS BELIEFS
AND WAS WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR HIS BELIEFS.
YOU KNOW, HE SAID, "I'M WILLING TO GO TO JAIL.
IF THEY WANT TO PUT ME IN JAIL, I'M WILLING TO GO TO JAIL".
HE'S NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S TRYING TO DUCK OUT OF ANY OF THIS.
SO HE, IN THIS WAY, BECOMES A KIND OF MARTYR FIGURE.
THIS IS WHAT FRAZIER IS UP AGAINST.
NARRATOR: AS THE FIGHT APPROACHED, ALI INCREASED HIS
ATTACKS ON FRAZIER, CALLING HIM IGNORANT AND THE FAVORITE
OF WHITE SOUTHERNERS.
THE ONLY PERSON FRAZIER WOULD HEAR FROM IF HE WON,
ALI CLAIMED, WAS RICHARD NIXON.
JOE FRAZIER,
THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD...
CLUMSY, UGLY, FLATFOOTED JOE FRAZIER.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A REAL CHAMPION IS.
MUWAKKIL: ALI, RELISHED THOSE KINDS OF CONTRASTS.
FORGOT HOW GOOD I WAS...
HE MADE THEM ALL THE TIME.
HE MADE THEM WITH FRAZIER.
AND MANY WAYS, VERY UGLY CONTRASTS, YOU KNOW.
ALI: HE CAN'T WHOOP ME. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
IN MANY WAYS, RACIST.
BUT HE GOT AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE WAS ALI
AND ANY ENEMY OF ALI IS AN ENEMY OF MINE, YOU KNOW.
NARRATOR: SPORTSWRITER DICK YOUNG ACCUSED ALI
OF WHITEWASHING FRAZIER, CALLING HIS VERBAL BARRAGE
"CRUEL AND UNWORTHY."
"HE'S GOT THEM SO FOOLED," FRAZIER SAID, "THEY DON'T KNOW
"IF THEY'RE COMING OR GOING.
"I WAS BORN UNDER THIS RACISM THING.
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY PREACH TO ME THE DIFFERENCE."
IT WAS THE BIGGEST FIGHT BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME
YOU'VE HAD A REALLY QUICK, FAST-TALKING HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP
WHEN THE MOST OF 'EM ANSWER THE QUESTION
"HOW DO YOU FEEL CHAMP?" "DAH, DUH, DUH DAH."
[LAUGHTER] [MUMBLES MOCKINGLY]
[APPLAUSE]
FRAZIER: HE TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING AND SAY EVERYTHING
TO PUT ME DOWN, IN WHICH I DON'T AGREE WITH IT
AND I THINK THAT THE GUY TALK
FROM THE SIDE OF HIS MOUTH, AND HE'S A PHONY.
IZENBERG: FRAZIER SAID, "WHEN ALI WAS A KID,
"THEY STOLE HIS BIKE.
"SO HE HAD TO GO BECOME A BOXER.
WHO HAD A BIKE?" HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD.
"I WAS WORKIN' IN THE FIELDS, FOR A FULL DAY, 13 YEARS OLD.
"I LEFT THE SOUTH AT 15.
"I WORKED IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE.
"YOU KNOW, I WORKED IN BLOOD UP TO MY ANKLES.
"AND THIS GUY NEVER HAD A JOB IN HIS LIFE.
"HE WAS THE PAMPERED DARLING OF THE RICH PEOPLE
OF LOUISVILLE."
SO JOE HAD A CHIP LIKE ATLAS CARRIED ON HIS SHOULDER.
LIPSYTE: I THINK THAT JOE WAS ALWAYS UPSET BY BEING
DISRESPECTED, SPECIFICALLY IN THAT WAY.
NOW, ALI TRASH-TALKED EVERYBODY,
MADE UP NAMES FOR THEM.
BUT NEVER BEFORE SO, AH, RACIALLY DISRESPECTFUL.
AND HE NEVER QUIT DOING IT.
AND HERE WAS JOE WHO WANTED TO BE FRIENDS.
HERE WAS JOE WHO HAD LENT HIM MONEY DURING THE EXILE.
HERE WAS JOE WHO, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT IN VARIOUS WAYS,
A GOOD-HEARTED MAN, AND HE WAS CONSTANTLY BEING SLAPPED DOWN.
JOE FRAZIER'S SO UGLY, HIS FACE SHOULD BE DONATED TO
THE BUREAU OF WILDLIFE.
[LAUGHTER]
BOYD: ALI IS MAKING THE SORT OF JOKES THAT
RACIST WHITE PEOPLE WOULD MAKE ABOUT A BLACK PERSON'S APPEARANCE.
AND HE'S MAKING JOKES ABOUT HIS LACK OF INTELLIGENCE.
THE ULTIMATE CONSCIOUS BLACK GUY IS ENGAGING IN BANTER
THAT IS BASICALLY PLAYING TO THE SIDE OF THE RACIST.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN
HIS PUBLIC POLITICS AND THE WAY HE'S TREATING FRAZIER.
AND THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE,
CONSERVATIVE WHITES, FOR INSTANCE, FRAZIER IS
THE PERSON THEY'RE EMBRACING, NOT BECAUSE THEY LIKE FRAZIER,
BUT BECAUSE HE'S GOING AGAINST ALI.
AND SO I THINK IT'S HARD BECAUSE YOU WANT TO EMBRACE ALI.
YOU WANT TO EMBRACE WHAT HE REPRESENTS.
BUT LOOKING BACK ON IT IN HINDSIGHT, I THINK THE WAY HE
PLAYED JOE FRAZIER WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE AND REFLECTIVE
OF THE DARK SIDE OF MUHAMMAD ALI.
HE COULD BE VERY CRUEL.
JOE FRAZIER WAS NOT SO WELL-SPOKEN.
HE CERTAINLY WAS NOT CHARISMATIC LIKE ALI.
I JUST FEEL LIKE IN THAT INSTANCE, HE USED HIS POWERS FOR EVIL,
AS OPPOSED TO USING THEM FOR GOOD.
ALI: NOW, YOU AIN'T THE CHAMP...
NARRATOR: WHEN HE GETS INTO THE RING,
ALI EXPLAINED, "FRAZIER WILL FEEL LIKE A TRAITOR.
"HE WILL REALIZE THAT MUHAMMAD ALI IS THE REAL CHAMP.
"HE DON'T HAVE NOTHING.
BUT ME... I HAVE A CAUSE."
ALI: WAIT TILL I GET YOU IN THE RING.
EARLY: A LOT OF IT CAME DOWN TO
WHO WAS AUTHENTICALLY BLACK.
THE WHOLE CONCERN AT THE TIME WAS PART OF AN ANXIETY THAT
BLACK PEOPLE WERE GOING THROUGH ABOUT THEIR IDENTITY
AND ABOUT WHO THEY WERE AND ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO BE BLACK.
AND THIS... THIS ANXIETY WOUND UP BEING PLAYED OUT
DRAMATICALLY IN THE RING WITH THESE TWO FIGHTERS.
EIG: FRAZIER JUST WANTED TO KILL ALI,
I MEAN, REALLY KILL HIM.
HE SAID, "I'M GONNA PUNCH HIM TILL HIS INTESTINES START
COMING OUT THE BACK."
HE WAS SO ANGRY.
AND ALI BELIEVED THAT THAT ANGER WOULD WORK TO ALI'S ADVANTAGE,
NOT FRAZIER'S.
NARRATOR: AS HE WOUND DOWN HIS TRAINING,
ALI'S NEIGHBORS AT THE OCTAGON TOWERS THREW HIM
A GOING-AWAY PARTY.
THE RESIDENTS HAD GROWN TO ADORE HIM AND SENT HIM OFF
WITH A CAKE FEATURING ALI STANDING OVER
A FALLEN OPPONENT.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, A PRIZE FIGHTER," MARVELED ONE WOMAN.
"HE SEEMS LIKE A NICE JEWISH BOY."
ON MARCH 3rd, 5 DAYS BEFORE THE FIGHT, A LIMOUSINE WHISKED ALI
FROM THE AIRPORT TO HIS MIDTOWN MANHATTAN HOTEL
AND THEN TO MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
FOR A PRE-FIGHT PHYSICAL.
WHEN A THRONG OF ADMIRERS ENGULFED THE BOXER,
HIS BODYGUARDS AND THE POLICE
HAD TO OPEN A PATH INTO THE ARENA,
WHERE HUNDREDS OF REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS AWAITED HIM.
[FLASHBULB POPS]
IN THE DRESSING ROOM AFTER THE EXAM, ALI'S HANDLERS STRUGGLED
TO KEEP THE CRUSH OF CELEBRITIES, BOXING OFFICIALS,
ACQUAINTANCES, MUSLIM ASSOCIATES,
AND AUTOGRAPH SEEKERS
FROM SMOTHERING THE BOXER, WHO BARELY HAD ROOM TO
GET CHANGED BACK INTO HIS STREET CLOTHES.
[JIMI HENDRIX'S "CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC" PLAYING]
AS ALI'S LIMOUSINE INCHED AWAY FROM THE ARENA, FANS YANKED
AT THE DOOR HANDLES, BEAT ON THE WINDOWS, AND CLIMBED
ATOP THE ROOF.
ONE LONG-HAIRED ADMIRER IN A TATTERED ARMY JACKET CHASED
THE CAR FOR BLOCKS, UNTIL FINALLY, AT A STOPLIGHT,
ALI LOWERED THE WINDOW AND OFFERED HIS HAND.
"HEY, CHAMP, YOU'RE MY MAN!" THE YOUNG MAN YELLED.
HENDRIX: ♪ YOU JUMP IN FRONT OF MY CAR... ♪
NARRATOR: THE CITY WAS IN A FEVERED FRENZY.
RINGSIDE SEATS HAD GONE FOR $150... 1 1/2 TIMES
WHAT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN HAD EVER CHARGED BEFORE...
AND SCALPERS WERE ASKING UP TO $700.
WHEN THE GARDEN PUT THE FINAL 4,000 TICKETS ON SALE, FANS,
WHO HAD WAITED OVERNIGHT IN NEAR-FREEZING TEMPERATURES,
BOUGHT THEM ALL WITHIN TWO HOURS.
300 MILLION PEOPLE ON 5 CONTINENTS WERE EXPECTED TO
SEE THE BOUT THROUGH CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION
OR BY SATELLITE BROADCAST.
HENDRIX: ♪ I CAN SEE YOU HAD YOUR FUN... ♪
NARRATOR: MORE THAN HALF OF THE 1,500 REQUESTS
FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALS HAD TO BE DENIED.
THERE WAS NO ROOM.
HENDRIX: ♪ STRAIGHT UP AHEAD... ♪
NARRATOR: "IT'S A CLASSIC CONFRONTATION IN PRIZE FIGHTING
"BETWEEN A MAN WHO CAN HIT AND A MAN WHO IS ADEPT
AT NOT GETTING HIT," ARGUED ONE SPORTSWRITER,
"THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE MATCHMAKING."
NOW I THINK CLAY'S GONNA WIN. I REALLY DO.
FRAZIER. REPORTER: WHY?
I JUST THINK HE'S IN BETTER SHAPE.
CLAY SHOULD BEAT HIM WITH SPEED AND JAB HIM GOOD.
WELL, I THINK IT'LL BE FRAZIER.
I SORTA LIKE CLAY. I LIKE TO HEAR HIM.
HENDRIX: ♪ LOOK OUT... ♪
NARRATOR: "MUHAMMAD ALI TRANSCENDS THE FIGHTER.
HE IS WITHOUT PEER," WROTE THE SPORTSWRITER MARK KRAM,
WHO ALSO CALLED JOE FRAZIER "THE FINEST GLADIATOR...
"IN THE PUREST SENSE OF THE WORD...
IN HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORY."
LAS VEGAS ODDSMAKERS GAVE FRAZIER THE EDGE.
FRAZIER: I'M COOL MAN, YEAH.
I'M READY FOR THIS ONE.
EIG: IT WAS THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT TWO UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS HAD EVER MET.
ALI WAS CHAMPION WHEN HE WAS STRIPPED OF HIS TITLE
AND HAD NEVER LOST.
FRAZIER HAD WON THE OLYMPICS IN '64 AND HAD NEVER LOST
AND IT WAS A $5 MILLION PURSE, WHICH WAS JUST UNHEARD OF.
ALI WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY IN ONE FIGHT THAN HANK AARON
EARNED IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER PLAYING MORE THAN TWO DECADES
OF BASEBALL.
SO THIS WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE SPECTACLE.
[GUITAR PLAYING]
NARRATOR: ON THE EVE OF THE FIGHT, JOE FRAZIER STRUMMED A GUITAR
AND RELAXED WITH FRIENDS IN HIS SUITE
AT AN UNDISCLOSED HOTEL WHERE HE HAD BEEN MOVED AFTER THREATS
WERE MADE AGAINST HIS LIFE.
AT THE HOTEL NEW YORKER, MUHAMMAD ALI AND HIS ENTOURAGE
HAD TAKEN OVER THE ENTIRE 25th FLOOR.
THE LOBBY BUSTLED WITH REPORTERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,
MANY STILL SEEKING CREDENTIALS FOR THE FIGHT.
UPSTAIRS, ALI, SURROUNDED BY HIS INNER CIRCLE, ENTERTAINED
A HANDFUL OF WRITERS.
"MY PEOPLE ARE FOR ME," HE TOLD THEM.
"THEY IDENTIFY WITH MY STRUGGLE.
"SAME ONE THEY'RE FIGHTING EVERY DAY IN THE STREETS
"AND AGAINST THE POLICE.
"IF I WIN, THEY WIN.
IF I LOSE, THEY LOSE."
EARLY ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 8, 1971, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
BEGAN TO FILL UP.
[CURTIS MAYFIELD'S "BEAUTIFUL BROTHER OF MINE" PLAYING]
♪
BOYD: THIS WAS, LIKE, THE ACADEMY AWARDS
AND THE GRAMMYS AND A GREAT PRIZE FIGHT.
ALL THESE THINGS ROLLED INTO ONE.
PEOPLE WOULD GO HANG OUT
EVEN IF THEY COULDN'T GET IN TO SEE THE FIGHT,
SO WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE THE ARENA, I THINK,
IS MAYBE AS INTERESTING AS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE ARENA,
AND ALI IS THE REASON FOR ALL THAT.
HE'S THE ONE WHO GENERATES ALL THIS EXCITEMENT.
ALI'S GONNA WIN. I FEEL IT.
BOYD: IT CLEARLY WAS THE PLACE TO BE.
DIANA ROSS: MUHAMMAD ALI.
NARRATOR: WRITER NORMAN MAILER,
BANDLEADER COUNT BASIE,
BROADCASTER ED SULLIVAN,
FILM DIRECTOR WOODY ALLEN AND ACTOR DIANE KEATON,
SINGERS MARVIN GAYE, ISAAC HAYES, AND BOB DYLAN,
FORMER CHAMPION JOE LOUIS,
PLAYBOY PUBLISHER HUGH HEFNER,
AND FRANK SINATRA,
WHO WAS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS FOR "LIFE" MAGAZINE,
ALL TURNED OUT.
MAYFIELD: ♪ TOGETHER, WE'RE TRULY BLACK POWER ♪
CHORUS: ♪ POWER ♪
♪ LEARNING TO TRUST BY THE HOUR ♪
♪ HOUR ♪
♪ LOVING OUR WOMEN... ♪
NARRATOR: GWENDOLYN BROOKS,
THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN A PULITZER PRIZE,
WAS ASKED TO WRITE A POEM FOR THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM.
"LET BLACK LOVE SURVIVE THE CHALLENGE AND THE BLOOD,"
SHE URGED THE BOXERS.
MAYFIELD: ♪ WE'VE GOT LOVE... ♪
NARRATOR: AT THE WHITE HOUSE,
A CLOSED-CIRCUIT LINE HAD BEEN INSTALLED
SO THAT PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON COULD WATCH THE FIGHT.
MAYFIELD: ♪ WE'VE GOT LOVE ♪
NARRATOR: IN HIS DRESSING ROOM, ALI REVEALED HIS PREDICTION,
WRITTEN DAYS EARLIER AND SEALED IN AN ENVELOPE.
"BOXING EXPERTS WILL BE SHOCKED AT HOW EASY I WILL
BEAT JOE FRAZIER," ALI ANNOUNCED TO THE TV CAMERAS.
"FRAZIER FALLS IN 6."
ADDIE: MAIN EVENT.
15 ROUNDS FOR THE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
OF THE WORLD.
INTRODUCING, FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY...
NARRATOR: THE CHALLENGER, IN HIS "ALI SHUFFLE SHOES,"
WHITE WITH RED TASSELS THAT HE BELIEVED MADE HIM APPEAR FASTER,
ENTERED FIRST.
ADDIE: HERE IS MUHAMMAD ALI!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
HIS OPPONENT...
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER, HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,
WEARING A GREEN ROBE WITH HIS NAME AND THOSE
OF HIS 5 CHILDREN STITCHED IN GOLD ON THE BACK,
CAME NEXT.
ADDIE: THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,
JOE FRAZIER!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: INSIDE THE RING, REFEREE ARTHUR MERCANTE GAVE
THE BOXERS INSTRUCTIONS AS THEY GLARED AT EACH OTHER.
MERCANTE: SHAKE HANDS NOW, MEN.
NARRATOR: "I'M GONNA KILL YOU," FRAZIER TOLD ALI.
♪
DUNPHY: FRAZIER WILL TRY TO BORE IN AND CATCH HIS MAN.
MUHAMMAD ALI OPENING UP FAST.
FRAZIER JUST FIGHTS ONE WAY. HE POURS IN AND HE PUNISHES.
BENTT: JOE WAS A SLUGGER,
WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A GUY WHO COMES FORWARD LIKE
A SHERMAN TANK ON FULL ATTACK MODE
AND IS WILLING TO TAKE 2 OR 3 TO LAND 1 OR 2,
WHEREAS MUHAMMAD WAS A GLIDER, A CRAFTSMAN.
I'M GONNA HIT YOU MORE TIMES THAN YOU CAN HIT ME,
AND YOU CAN'T EVEN FIND ME.
NARRATOR: THOUGH THE JUDGES SCORED THE FIRST 2 ROUNDS FOR ALI,
HE STRAYED FROM THE STYLE THAT HAD ONCE SERVED HIM SO WELL.
INSTEAD OF STAYING UP ON HIS TOES, DANCING,
HE STOOD FLAT-FOOTED LIKE FRAZIER,
THROWING JABS AND COMBINATIONS.
DUNPHY: HE MAY BE TRYING TO SLUG WITH JOE.
BENTT: ALI IS RECOGNIZING HE'S NOT COMFORTABLE DANCING
LIKE HE DID 5 YEARS AGO.
DUNPHY: HE'S NOT DANCING TONIGHT.
BENTT: HE'S NOT MOVING LIKE HE'S IN CONTROL
OF THE RING'S GEOGRAPHY.
DUNPHY: FRAZIER HAS CAUGHT HIM AGAIN!
BENTT: HE'S MOVING JUST TO GET AWAY FROM THE STORM
WITHOUT HAVING CONTROL OF THE STORM,
AND THAT ESSENTIALLY TRAPS MUHAMMAD
AND JOE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
DUNPHY: MUHAMMAD ALI IS NOT KEEPING JOE FRAZIER
AWAY FROM HIM,
AND HE GETS CAUGHT ON THE ROPES WHICH HE SHOULD NOT DO.
KINDRED: HE COULDN'T PLAY WITH JOE FRAZIER.
FRAZIER WOULD HURT HIM.
THERE WAS ONE POINT IN THAT FIGHT WHERE ALI...
DUNPHY: ALI SHAKES HIS HEAD. KINDRED: LEANED IN
AGAINST THE ROPES AND LOOKED DOWN AT THE PRESS ROW
AND SAID, "NO CONTEST," WHILE FRAZIER IS BEATING ON HIM,
JUST KIND OF GIVING AWAY A ROUND.
HE COULD DO THAT WITH LESSER PEOPLE, BUT NOT WITH FRAZIER.
NARRATOR: FRAZIER STAYED LOW, BOBBING AND DUCKING,
BUT FORCING HIS WAY FORWARD RELENTLESSLY,
REDUCING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM,
NEUTRALIZING ALI'S LONGER REACH.
DUNPHY: FRAZIER IS BOBBING AND WEAVING ALL THE TIME.
BENTT: FRAZIER'S CONSTANT HEAD MOVEMENT DOESN'T GIVE MUHAMMAD
AN EASY TARGET, AND THAT'S EXHAUSTING, PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
DUNPHY: MUHAMMAD ALI HAS BEEN MISSING.
BENTT: THIS GUY'S IN FRONT OF YOU
AND HE'S BOBBING AND WEAVING LIKE THAT,
AND YOU CAN'T HIT HIM.
DUNPHY: FRAZIER'S JUST LAUGHING AT HIM.
BENTT: AND HE'S MOCKING YOU? DUNPHY: TALKING TO HIM.
BENTT: THAT'S A NIGHTMARE.
DUNPHY: HE SAID HE WOULD GO TO THE BODY AND HE IS.
BENTT: HIS THEORY WAS TO STAY CLOSE TO MUHAMMAD,
DON'T LET HIM BREATHE AND CONSTANTLY PUNCH,
PUNCH HIM EVERYWHERE...
ON THE BICEPS,
ON THE HIP BONE,
ON THE ASS BONE.
DUNPHY: OOH, THAT MUST HAVE HURT.
BENTT: IF THE REFEREE IS BEHIND YOU AND HE CAN'T SEE
WHERE THE SHOT IS LANDING, HIT HIM ON THIS HIP BONE.
IT'S BELOW THE BELT BUT IF THE REFEREE DON'T SEE IT,
GUESS WHAT. IT'S NOT A FOUL.
[BELL CLANGS] DUNPHY: WHAT A ROUND.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
TWO UNDEFEATED FIGHTERS.
NEITHER ONE HAS EVER FOUGHT A FIGHTER OF THE CALIBER
OF THE OPPONENT TONIGHT.
THIS FIGHT SO FAR RANKS WITH THE GREAT ONES.
NARRATOR: BOTH FIGHTERS CAME OUT HARD IN THE 6th,
ALI INTENDING TO FULFILL HIS PREDICTION, FRAZIER EAGER TO
MAKE A LIAR OF ALI.
♪
AT THE END OF THE ROUND, FRAZIER WAS STILL STANDING.
[CROWD CHANTING "ALI!]
AFTER THE 7th ROUND, THE FANS CHANTED "ALI, ALI, ALI!"
DUNPHY: THE CROWD IS CHANTING, "ALI!"
AND JOE SAYS, "COME ON OUT AND FIGHT."
NARRATOR: AFTER THE 8th, IT WAS "JOE, JOE, JOE!"
DUNPHY: I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO GETS THE SHEER JOY
OF COMBAT THE WAY JOE FRAZIER DOES.
KINDRED: ALI COULD STILL MOVE FOR 2 MINUTES A ROUND,
2.5 MINUTES A ROUND.
HE FOUND WAYS TO REST, BUT FRAZIER HIT HIM A LOT.
IN SAYING THAT, HE DIDN'T HIT ALI NEARLY AS MUCH
AS ALI HIT HIM.
DUNPHY: FRAZIER HAS TAKEN A GOOD BATTERING IN THIS ROUND.
KINDRED: BY THE END OF THAT FIGHT, FRAZIER'S FACE
WAS A GARGOYLE'S FACE,
JUST BUMPS AND BRUISES EVERYWHERE.
DUNPHY: JOE FRAZIER JUST SPIT SOME BLOOD.
WAVING FRAZIER ON.
[CROWD ROARS]
THAT ONE HURT. SO DID THAT.
MUHAMMAD ALI STAGGERS! MUHAMMAD ALI WAS ROCKED!
BENTT: THE WILLPOWER OF THE FIGHTER IS WHAT REALLY
DETERMINES WHO WINS AND LOSES.
DUNPHY: 30 SECONDS TO GO IN THE ROUND. 30 SECONDS.
BENTT: IT'S NEVER CLEARER THAN THIS FIGHT RIGHT HERE.
DUNPHY: MUHAMMAD ALI IN REAL TROUBLE.
BENTT: EVERY PUNCH THAT JOE FRAZIER IS THROWING,
YOU CAN BEST BELIEVE THAT HE'S SAYING,
"THIS IS FROM AN UNCLE TOM. AM I AN UNCLE TOM NOW?"
DUNPHY: MUHAMMAD ALI ROCKED TO THE ROPES!
BENTT: THAT'S THE KIND OF VENOM YOU HAVE TO HAVE.
DUNPHY: HE ALMOST WENT DOWN.
BENTT: JOE WANTED IT MORE THAN MUHAMMAD.
MUHAMMAD WANTED IT...
DUNPHY: 10 SECONDS...
BENTT: BUT JOE NEEDED IT,
AND MUHAMMAD IS BEING PUSHED TO THE BRINK.
ADDIE: THE ROUND IS OVER. [BELL CLANGING]
THE ROUND IS OVER. WHAT A ROUND.
DUNPHY: MUHAMMAD ALI HAS NEVER TAKEN SUCH A BATTERING.
IT COULD BE A TOUGH FIGHT TO SCORE.
NARRATOR: AS THE FIGHT HEADED INTO THE 15th AND FINAL ROUND,
FRAZIER'S FACE WAS SWOLLEN, HIS RIGHT EYE NEARLY SHUT.
ALI'S CORNER MEN, WORRIED HE WAS LOSING ON POINTS,
TOLD HIM HE NEEDED A KNOCKOUT.
[BELL CLANGS]
ADDIE: 15th AND FINAL ROUND.
IZENBERG: ALI WAS TOLD THE END OF THE ROUND,
"YOU GOTTA KNOCK HIM OUT.
YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T KNOCK HIM OUT."
AND IT'S TRUE.
SO ALI'S OUT THERE.
POP, BOOM, POP, COMBINATIONS, THIS, THAT.
AND FRAZIER DUCKS INSIDE.
BOOM, LEFT HOOK, DOWN,
GETS UP QUICK, BUT THAT ENDED ANY CHANCE
HE HAD TO WIN THE FIGHT.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
DUNPHY: HE TAKES THE MANDATORY 8 COUNT.
THE ONLY KNOCKDOWN OF THE FIGHT.
MUHAMMAD ALI WAS FLAT ON HIS BACK,
BUT HE'S A WELL-CONDITIONED ATHLETE.
MUHAMMAD ALI GAMELY FIGHTS BACK.
THE CROWD IS IN A BEDLAM.
[BELL CLANGS]
[LOUD CHEERING]
WE'RE GOING TO AWAIT THE DECISION BY THE TWO JUDGES
AND THE REFEREE.
AND THE RING IS STARTING TO CROWD UP.
DESPITE THE SECURITY MEASURES TAKEN, THE PEOPLE ARE
COMING IN THE RING, AND THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
ADDIE: AH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, REFEREE ARTHUR MERCANTE
SCORES IT 8-6, ONE EVEN FOR FRAZIER.
[CHEERS AND GROANS]
ARTIE AIDALA 9 TO 6 FOR FRAZIER.
[LOUD GROANS]
BILL RECHT 11 ROUNDS FOR FRAZIER,
[LOUDER GROANS] 4 ALI, 11 AND 4,
THE WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION AND STILL...
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, JOE FRAZIER!
[CHEERS AND GROANS]
[FUNKADELIC'S "I'LL STAY" PLAYING]
♪
NARRATOR: IT WAS MUHAMMAD ALI'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL LOSS.
HE RETURNED TO HIS DRESSING ROOM, HIS JAW GROTESQUELY SWOLLEN,
WHERE HIS MOTHER, ODESSA, HELD HIM, MURMURING,
"HE'LL BE ALL RIGHT."
THE SINGER DIANA ROSS CAME TO CHECK ON HER FRIEND.
SO DID THE PHOTOGRAPHER GORDON PARKS, WHO TOOK NO PICTURES.
CONCERNED THAT ALI'S JAW WAS BROKEN, FERDIE PACHECO SENT HIM
TO FLOWER 5th AVENUE HOSPITAL FOR X-RAYS.
THERE WAS NO FRACTURE, BUT DOCTORS STILL WANTED HIM
TO REMAIN THERE OVERNIGHT.
ALI REFUSED, UNWILLING TO GIVE JOE FRAZIER THE SATISFACTION
OF HAVING PUT HIM IN THE HOSPITAL.
JOURNALIST: WHAT DID MUHAMMAD ALI SAY WHEN YOU GOT TO
THE DRESSING ROOM?
BUNDINI: HE JUST WANT TO KNOW DID HE PUT UP A GREAT FIGHT.
NARRATOR: BUNDINI BROWN APPEARED AT THE POST-FIGHT
PRESS CONFERENCE IN ALI'S PLACE.
"WE AIN'T THROUGH YET," HE SAID.
"MUHAMMAD JUST BEEN OUT 3 YEARS."
BENTT: WE SEE HIS DECLINE WHEN HE FIGHTS JOE FRAZIER 'CAUSE
HIS LEGS WHICH WERE HIS PRIMARY INSTRUMENTS,
THEY WERE NO MORE.
THEY WERE DEAD.
NARRATOR: "TONIGHT THE BLACK WORLD WEEPS THAT THEIR KING
HAS PASSED AWAY," LAMENTED A BLACK NATIONALIST FROM BRITAIN.
PRESIDENT MUAMMAR EL-QADDAFI OF LIBYA
DECLARED A DAY OF MOURNING.
IT WAS "A VERY PAINFUL EXPERIENCE IN EVERY WAY,"
WROTE HUNTER S. THOMPSON,
WHO CALLED ALI'S DEFEAT "A PROPER END TO THE SIXTIES."
THOUGH ALI FANS AROUND THE WORLD DESPAIRED,
MOST AGREED THAT THE BOUT HAD LIVED UP TO ITS IMMENSE HYPE.
"THE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR FIGHT... WAS WORTH EVERY
GLORIOUS, HEARTBREAKING PENNY," WROTE ARTHUR DALEY
IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES."
MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE HAD BRAVED 18-DEGREE TEMPERATURES
TO ATTEND A CLOSED-CIRCUIT BROADCAST
AT PITTSBURGH'S OPEN-AIR THREE RIVERS STADIUM.
MAN: OH, THERE HE GOES!
LONDONERS HAD STAYED UP ALL NIGHT FOR A BROADCAST THAT
BEGAN JUST BEFORE 5 A.M.
AND IN VIETNAM, AMERICAN TROOPS
HAD LISTENED IN ON THEIR TRANSISTOR RADIOS.
REPORTER: JOE FRAZIER OUT- POINTED MUHAMMAD ALI TONIGHT
AND RETAINED THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD.
REPORTER: ALI, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER, HAVE LOST?
I FEEL YOU HAVE OBLIGATION TO MANY
THOUSANDS OF FANS WHO ARE PULLING FOR YOU, WHO ARE CRYING
AND THEY'RE WORRYING ABOUT YOU AND HOW YOU FEEL.
AND I THINK IF THEY CAN SEE THAT YOU REALIZE THAT
I'M HUMAN AND I REALIZE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO LOSE
AND LIFE STILL GOING ON, THEN THEY'LL FEEL STRONGER.
I THINK A CELEBRITY OR ANY SO-CALLED GREAT PERSON
HAVE OBLIGATION TO FULFILL TO TAKE DEFEAT LIKE A MAN SO THEY
CAN TAKE THEIR DEFEATS WHEN THEY HAVE THEM.
BECAUSE WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE VARIOUS DEFEATS IN LIFE,
WHETHER WE LOST OUR LOVED ONES OR WEALTH OR TITLES.
AND MANY PEOPLE JUST CAN'T STAND THESE PRESSURES AND THEY
CRACK UP ON THEM.
AND WHEN A MAN CAN COME THROUGH THIS AFTER SO MANY
YEARS OF VICTORY AND BEING SO SUPREME IN HIS FIELD AND ABLE
TO HANDLE THE DEFEAT ALSO VICTORIOUS, AND THIS MAKE HIM
A BIGGER MAN. REPORTER: DO YOU...
I JUST LOST A FIGHT, THAT'S ALL.
[BLACK MERDA'S "REALITY" PLAYING]
LIPSYTE: THE NEXT DAY, ALI LOOKED LIKE HE HAD BEEN
IN A FIGHT.
I'D NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE LOOKING LIKE THAT.
BLACK MERDA: ♪ YOU THINK IF YOU PRAY SOMETHING WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS... ♪
LIPSYTE: JOE FRAZIER JUSTIFIABLY GOT THE DECISION,
BUT I THINK IN A SENSE ALI WON AMERICA.
AND THE REASON HE WON AMERICA WAS THAT
IT WAS NOW VERY CLEAR HOW MUCH HE HAD SACRIFICED.
EIG: I THINK LOSING TO JOE FRAZIER IS ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ALI.
BECAUSE HE'S HUMAN NOW.
PEOPLE HATED HIM WHEN HE REFUSED TO FIGHT FOR HIS COUNTRY.
THEY HATED HIM WHEN HE CHANGED HIS NAME.
BUT NOW THEY SEE HIM LYING ON HIS BACK.
AND AS SOON AS HE GETS KNOCKED DOWN BY FRAZIER,
HE'S UP ON HIS FEET AGAIN.
AND HE CONTINUES AND HE LASTS THROUGH THE REST OF THE FIGHT
AND THEN THE DECISION IS FOR FRAZIER.
SO ALI IS A LOSER, BUT HE'S HUMAN NOW.
AND HE'S TRYING TO FIGHT HIS WAY BACK TO ANOTHER SHOT
AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND THIS IS WHEN ALI REALLY BECOMES POPULAR IN AMERICA.
AND NOW YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE KIDS LIKE ME PUT HIS POSTER
ON THE WALL.
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER STRUGGLED TO RECOVER FROM
THE BRUTAL POUNDING HE HAD RECEIVED.
HE WAS UNABLE TO WALK OR EVEN STAND UP.
THE NEXT DAY, HIS EYES REMAINED SWOLLEN AND SENSITIVE TO LIGHT,
AND HE COULDN'T URINATE.
HE FAILED TO SHOW UP AT A TELEVISION STUDIO WHERE HE
AND ALI WERE SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS THEIR BOUT WITH HOWARD COSELL,
CLAIMING HE WAS STRICKEN WITH THE FLU.
A WEEK AFTER THE FIGHT,
HE CHECKED INTO A PHILADELPHIA HOSPITAL,
WHERE DOCTORS PUT HIM ON A RESTRICTED DIET
AND TREATED HIM FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND EXHAUSTION.
A RUMOR CIRCULATED THAT HE WAS NEAR DEATH.
10 DAYS LATER, FRAZIER FINALLY RETURNED HOME.
IZENBERG: I GO DOWN TO PHILADELPHIA TO JOE'S GYM.
WE'RE STANDING ON THE SIDEWALK.
3 KIDS COME RUNNING DOWN THE STREET, LITTLE KIDS,
8 YEARS OLD, BLACK KIDS. "JOE FRAZIER, JOE FRAZIER!"
HE SAYS TO A GOPHER, "GO GET THE PICTURES OUT OF THE CAR,"
YOU KNOW, PATS 'EM ON THE HEAD.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, ONE KID LOOKS UP AND SAYS, "MY DADDY SAYS
MUHAMMAD ALI WAS DRUGGED."
FRAZIER LEANS IN.
I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA PUSH HIM OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN HE SAID, "YOU GO HOME AND TELL YOUR DADDY HE'S RIGHT.
"HE WAS DRUGGED. I DRUG HIM WITH A LEFT HOOK.
NOW GET OUTTA HERE."
NARRATOR: ALI RETURNED TO THE SPANISH-STYLE RANCH HOUSE
ON 4 ACRES HE AND BELINDA HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED
IN CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY, JUST ACROSS THE DELAWARE RIVER
FROM PHILADELPHIA.
HE HELPED BELINDA CHOOSE FURNISHINGS, KEPT UP
WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS BY TELEPHONE, AND OCCASIONALLY
ENTERTAINED HIS 3 CHILDREN... MARYUM AND THE TWINS
JAMILLAH AND RASHEDA.
BUT HE WAS HAPPIEST ON THE ROAD.
I'M NEVER HOME MUCH, AND THEY DON'T KNOW ME.
MY MARYUM, THE OLDER ONE, KNOW ME,
BUT RASHEDA AND JAMILLAH... THEY DON'T KNOW ME TOO WELL.
THEY ABOUT A YEAR OLD AND THEY GIVE ME A LOT OF TROUBLE,
AND I PICK THEM UP, BUT I HAVE TO START STAYING HOME MORE.
BUT I THINK THAT THE WIFE OR THE MOTHER SHOULD TRAIN 'EM,
AND BY THE TIME THEY'RE 3 YEARS OLD, THEY SHOULD BE READY
TO GO TO SOME TYPE SCHOOL WITH ENOUGH HOME TRAINING TO
GIVE THEM A GOOD START.
HE LIKES KIDS, HE LIKES TO BE AROUND THEM
FOR 20 MINUTES AND THEN HE READY TO PUT 'EM DOWN.
BUT UH, HE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, HE DON'T STAY THAT LONG.
HE JUST... HE JUST FOR THE MOMENT AND HE'S DONE.
BUT HE WAS A GREAT FATHER.
HE MADE SURE EVERYBODY HAD WHAT THEY NEEDED,
AND HE WAS A GREAT FATHER WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR DADDY'S THE BADDEST MAN IN THE WORLD?
DO YOU KNOW YOUR DADDY CAN WHOOP ALL THE MEN IN THE WHOLE WORLD
AND YOU DON'T CARE?
NARRATOR: REPORTERS TURNED UP AT THE HOUSE EAGER TO KNOW
WHEN THE BOXER WOULD FIGHT FRAZIER AGAIN.
"HE'S RESTING. I'M RESTING.
THE PUBLIC NEEDS A REST, TOO," ALI SAID.
HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT A REMATCH WOULD BE HIS FINAL FIGHT
BEFORE HE QUIT BOXING TO FOCUS FULL-TIME
ON SPREADING THE TEACHINGS OF ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.
IT HAD BEEN NEARLY TWO YEARS
SINCE THE NATION OF ISLAM'S LEADER HAD SUSPENDED ALI
AND REVOKED HIS MUSLIM NAME.
"IF BOXING'S IN YOUR BLOOD," ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAD TOLD HIM,
"GET IT OUT."
"I CAN'T REPRESENT THE MUSLIMS AGAIN UNTIL I QUIT SPORTS,"
ALI SAID.
BUT HE HAD CONTINUED TO USE HIS MUSLIM NAME
AND CONTINUED TO ASSOCIATE WITH MEMBERS OF THE NATION OF ISLAM,
NOW PLAGUED BY INCREASING VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION
AS SOME LIEUTENANTS POSITIONED THEMSELVES
TO SUCCEED THEIR AGING LEADER.
AND IN SPITE OF ALI'S BANISHMENT, HERBERT MUHAMMAD,
ELIJAH'S SON, REMAINED THE BOXER'S MANAGER,
POCKETING 1/3 OF ALI'S BOXING INCOME, AS WELL AS
A PERCENTAGE OF THE CLOSED- CIRCUIT TELEVISION PROFITS
FROM EACH BOUT.
IN THE DECADE SINCE HE HAD TURNED PROFESSIONAL, ALI HAD
BURNED THROUGH MUCH OF HIS $7 MILLION IN EARNINGS,
CARING FOR HIS FAMILY AND HIS ENTOURAGE, MAINTAINING
MULTIPLE HOUSES AND A FLEET OF CARS THAT INCLUDED
TWO ROLLS-ROYCES, A COLLECTION OF CADILLACS, AND A BUS.
HE ALSO GAVE PLENTY OF IT AWAY.
THERE WAS A GUY CAME INTO THE GYM IN A WHEELCHAIR AND A DODGERS HAT
AND HE HAD NO LEGS.
AND ANGELO WENT OVER TO ALI AND SAID, "ALI THAT GUY'S
"GONNA TELL YOU HE'S ROY CAMPANELLA AND HE'S GONNA HIT
"YOU UP FOR MONEY, HE'S A HUSTLER.
HE COMES IN HERE ALL THE TIME. DON'T GIVE HIM ANY MONEY."
AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, DUNDEE LOOKS OVER AND HE SEES
ALI REACHING INTO HIS POCKET, TAKING OUT A BIG WAD OF CASH
AND HANDING IT TO THE GUY.
AND ANGELO COMES OVER AFTERWARDS AND SAYS,
"WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR? I TOLD YOU HE'S A HUSTLER."
AND ALI SAYS, "ANG, WE GOT LEGS."
RILEY: HERE COME THIS DRUNK, JUST SHAKING, AND HE SAY,
"MR. ALI, CAN I GET SOME MONEY TO GET ME SOMETHING TO EAT?"
AND ALI HAD JUST BOUGHT A CASHMERE OVERCOAT.
HE TOOK THAT COAT OFF AND WRAPPED IT IN HIM AND TOLD ME,
"GIVE HIM $10," AND I GAVE HIM $10.
[THE OLYMPIANS' "SAGITARRIUS BY MOONLIGHT" PLAYING]
♪
WOMAN: IN ALI'S PRESENCE, YOU ALWAYS FELT THAT HE CARED.
THAT MOMENT THAT HE WAS WITH YOU, THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE
IN THE WORLD.
I'M NOT SO SURE THAT THAT'S TRUE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE.
RASHEDA: WE SAW AT A YOUNG AGE THAT DADDY, EVERY TIME HE
WOKE UP IN THE MORNING, I THINK HE REALLY FELT LIKE,
"HOW AM I GOING TO HELP SOMEBODY TODAY?"
AND HE DID THAT ALL THE TIME.
HE WOULD HAVE ROLEX WATCHES AND HE WOULD JUST TAKE IT OFF
AND GIVE IT TO PEOPLE.
HE'D HAVE MONEY IN HIS PO...
AND WE'D BE LIKE, "DADDY DON'T DO THAT, YOU CAN'T."
HE'D HAVE MONEY IN HIS POCKET,
AND HE'D JUST HAND IT TO PEOPLE.
ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS ASK, AND HE WOULD GIVE THEM
WHATEVER THEY WANTED,
BECAUSE DADDY'S PURPOSE WAS JUST TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SPECIAL
AND HELP PEOPLE.
ALI COULD HAVE $30,000 IN HIS POCKET ONE AFTERNOON,
HE COME BACK, HE HAVE NOTHIN'.
SOMEBODY GIVE HIM A SAD STORY, HE WOULD FALL IN AND TAKE CARE
OF THEIR KID AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR HOUSE,
THEY LOSIN' THEY HOUSE.
HE JUST LOVE TO GIVE.
IF SOMEBODY'S HURTING, HE LOVED TO HELP THE PAIN.
I THINK... I THINK HE'LL GO TO PARADISE
BECAUSE OF THAT, 'CAUSE HE DID GIVE A LOT OF CHARITY!
♪
DICK CAVETT: HOW DO YOU STAND NOW WITH THE POSSIBILITY
OF GOING TO JAIL?
OH, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST WAITING, ANY DAY NOW.
DO YOU THINK ABOUT IT? [LAUGHTER]
WHENEVER PEOPLE WANT TO REALLY MAKE PROGRESS,
SOME HAVE TO SACRIFICE A LOT.
AND I LIKE TO SAY, UM... WHITE AMERICA RIGHT NOW IS
SPENDING $30 MILLION A DAY IN ASIA,
BLACK AND WHITE BOYS ARE DYING UNJUSTLY FOR NOTHING.
SO WHY SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT GOING TO LITTLE OLD JAIL
TO FREE MY POOR PEOPLE WHO'S BEEN CATCHING HELL HERE FOR 400 YEARS?
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: ON APRIL 19, 1971, CHAUNCEY ESKRIDGE,
A LAWYER WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY REPRESENTED MARTIN LUTHER KING,
APPEARED BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT ON BEHALF
OF MUHAMMAD ALI, ARGUING THAT HIS CONVICTION FOR REFUSING
THE DRAFT SHOULD BE OVERTURNED.
THE JUSTICES HAD NOT INITIALLY PLANNED TO HEAR THE CASE.
KRATTENMAKER: THEY WERE AGAIN PREDISPOSED TO JUST DENY IT
BECAUSE THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY BIG LEGAL ISSUE HERE,
BUT JUSTICE BRENNAN MADE AN IMPASSIONED PLEA THAT THEY
SHOULD AT LEAST HEAR THE CASE, BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEBODY WHO WAS ADVANCING
A CLAIM LIKE THIS, WHO HAD THE STATURE AND IMPORTANCE
OF MUHAMMAD ALI, HADN'T HAD A DAY IN COURT.
AND SO THE COURT AGREED TO HEAR THE CASE, FULLY EXPECTING
THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY GOING TO AFFIRM THE CONVICTION.
NARRATOR: "THE PETITIONER JUST DOESN'T WANT TO FIGHT
THE WHITE MAN'S WAR, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT,"
SOLICITOR GENERAL ERWIN GRISWOLD TOLD THE SUPREME COURT ON BEHALF
OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
"BUT THAT'S NOT THE SAME AS BEING A PACIFIST."
ALI'S OPPOSITION TO FIGHTING, ARGUED HIS LAWYER, WASN'T
RACIAL OR POLITICAL, BUT ROOTED IN SINCERE
RELIGIOUS BELIEF.
IZENBERG: THURGOOD MARSHALL CANNOT VOTE BECAUSE HE HAD
WORKED FOR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHEN ALI
WAS FIRST CHARGED.
SO HE'S GOTTA RECUSE HIMSELF.
SO NOW WE HAVE AN 8-JUDGE COURT.
THEY SIT DOWN AND HAVE THEIR CONFERENCE.
THEY VOTE 5-3, HE GOES TO JAIL.
KRATTENMAKER: DURING THE PERIOD WHILE THE ALI CASE WAS
UP AT THE SUPREME COURT THE SECOND TIME, I WAS A LAW CLERK
TO ONE OF THE JUSTICES, TO JUSTICE HARLAN.
THE CHIEF JUSTICE CHOSE JUSTICE HARLAN TO WRITE THE OPINION,
AND THEY ALL EXPECTED HE WAS GOING TO WRITE AN OPINION
TO AFFIRM THE CONVICTION.
NARRATOR: TOM KRATTENMAKER HAD BEEN READING ABOUT
THE NATION OF ISLAM
AND BELIEVED THAT ALI'S CLAIM OF RELIGIOUS OPPOSITION
TO FIGHTING IN WARS WAS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE ARGUMENT
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES HAD SUCCESSFULLY PRESENTED TO
THE COURT IN THE 1950s.
IZENBERG: THE LAW CLERK OF JUSTICE HARLAN GOES IN
AND SAYS, "LISTEN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT MR. JUSTICE,
"I'VE GOT SOME STUFF HERE ABOUT THE NATION OF ISLAM
AND WHAT IT BELIEVES."
I THOUGHT ONCE HE GOT DEEPER INTO
THE DOCUMENTS AND INTO THE UNDERLYING MATERIALS
IN THE CASE, HE WOULD FIND THAT ALI DID IN FACT HAVE
A SINCERE OBJECTION TO FIGHTING ALL WARS.
WHAT ALI SAID IS, I AM A MEMBER OF THE LOST-FOUND
NATION OF ISLAM.
IT IS PART OF OUR RELIGIOUS TENET THAT WE
WILL NOT FIGHT ANY WARS IN WHICH HUMAN LIFE IS BEING TAKEN,
UNLESS I'M COMMANDED TO FIGHT BY ALLAH.
AND, THOSE VIEWS ARE, A RELIGIOUSLY BASED OBJECTION
TO PARTICIPATION IN WAR IN ALL FORMS.
AND ONE DAY, JUSTICE HARLAN WALKED IN AND SAID,
"YOU KNOW, I'VE DECIDED YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT."
IT'S PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR JUSTICES TO CHANGE THEIR MIND.
IN THIS CASE, IT WAS QUITE A BOMBSHELL.
NO ONE EXPECTED IT.
EVERYONE ON THE COURT THOUGHT THIS CONVICTION
WAS GOING TO BE AFFIRMED.
NARRATOR: CHIEF JUSTICE WARREN BURGER WAS LIVID,
CALLING HARLAN "AN APOLOGIST FOR THE BLACK MUSLIMS."
THE VOTE, NOW SPLIT 4-4, MEANT THAT ALI'S CONVICTION
WOULD BE UPHELD, BUT THE JUSTICES WOULD PUBLISH NO OPINION.
IT WOULD BE AS IF THEY HAD NEVER EVEN TAKEN THE CASE.
THEN, ANOTHER JUSTICE, POTTER STEWART, DISCOVERED
A PROCEDURAL ERROR BY THE KENTUCKY APPEALS BOARD THAT HE
BELIEVED THE COURT COULD USE TO OVERTURN ALI'S CONVICTION
WITHOUT SETTING A PRECEDENT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE APPEAL BOARD USED
AS A REASON FOR DENYING ALI CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR STATUS,
BECAUSE THEY GAVE NO REASONS.
THEY JUST TURNED HIM DOWN.
AND SO THAT DENIED DUE PROCESS OF LAW TO THIS ONE PERSON,
MUHAMMAD ALI.
ONCE JUSTICE STEWART LATCHED ON TO THIS PROCEDURAL POINT,
HE AND HIS LAW CLERKS DRAFTED IT UP
AND SENT IT AROUND,
AND ONE BY ONE, JUSTICES STARTED JOINING IT.
THE FINAL PERSON TO JOIN WAS THE CHIEF JUSTICE.
AND SO, BY THE END, IT WAS UNANIMOUS TO REVERSE
ALI'S CONVICTION. HA HA!
REPORTER: THE COURT UNANIMOUSLY THREW OUT
THE CONVICTION OF BOXER MUHAMMAD ALI, OR CASSIUS CLAY...
NARRATOR: ON JUNE 28, 1971, AS ALI WAS LEAVING A CORNER STORE
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO, THE SHOPKEEPER HEARD THE NEWS
AND RAN AFTER HIM TO LET HIM KNOW.
WELL I WAS ON 79th STREET ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND JUST
BOUGHT ME AN ORANGE IN A GROCERY STORE,
AND THE GROCERY OWNER CAME OUT AND GRABBED ME
AND HUGGED ME WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES,
LITTLE BLACK FELLA, AND TOLD ME THAT "YOU'VE JUST
"BEEN VINDICATED AND YOU FREE.
8 JUDGES ALL VOTED IN YOUR FAVOR."
AND HE JUST HUGGED ME AND SQUEEZED ME.
REPORTER: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT OUR SYSTEM NOW?
ALI: WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHO WILL BE ASSASSINATED TONIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO WILL BE ENSLAVED OR MISTREATED.
I DON'T KNOW WHO WILL BE DEPRIVED OF SOME OTHER JUSTICE
OR EQUALITY, SO I CAN'T SAY NOTHING.
ALL I CAN TALK ABOUT IS MY CASE.
AND I'M THANKFUL THAT THE COURTS RECOGNIZED MY SINCERITY
OF MY BELIEFS IN THIS CASE.
THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. OH, THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
I CRIED BECAUSE I WAS SO HAPPY.
MY BROTHER FACING PRISON, PRISON SENTENCE
IF HE FOUND GUILTY,
HE WASN'T FOUND GUILTY. THEY LET HIM GO. HE WAS RIGHT.
THE SUPREME COURT SAID HE WAS RIGHT.
IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.
IT SHOWS... IT SHOWS THERE'S A GOD.
IT WAS EASY FOR HIM.
YOU KNOW WHY IT WAS EASY, YOU KNOW WHY?
BECAUSE IN HIS MIND, HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING.
DO THE RIGHT THING IN LIFE, YOU'RE HAPPY,
NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY.
DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT.
MOSLEY: SOMEBODY ASKED ME ONCE IN HIGH SCHOOL,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE WAR IN VIETNAM
AND MAYBE GOING OVER THERE AND FIGHTING?"
AND I SAID, "LISTEN.
"I CAN'T SEE ANY REASON THAT I'D BEEN SHOOTING THESE
"VIETNAMESE MEN AND WOMEN.
"WHY WOULD I BE DOING THAT? WHY WOULD I GO THERE?
WHY WOULD I SUPPORT THAT?"
I THOUGHT IT WAS MY OWN THOUGHT.
THAT SHOWS HOW POWERFUL MUHAMMAD ALI IS.
IT WAS A THOUGHT THAT I HAD GOTTEN FROM HIM, BUT I DIDN'T
EVEN KNOW I'D GOTTEN IT FROM HIM.
WHEN HE SAYS, "NO VIET CONG EVER CALLED ME NIGGER,"
I MEAN, SOMEHOW THAT GOT INTO MY HEAD, BUT NOT UN...
NOT ON PURPOSE, NOT CONSCIOUSLY.
AND THAT'S A REAL LEADER.
HE INFLUENCES YOU, AND YOU DON'T KNOW IT'S HAPPENING.
REPORTER: SUPPOSE YOU DO FIGHT FRAZIER AGAIN AND BEAT HIM, THEN WHAT?
SUPPOSE I BEAT HIM? I'M GONNA WHOOP HIM.
I WHOOPED HIM THE FIRST TIME, I WHOOPED HIM FOR 9 ROUNDS,
BEAT HIM SO TERRIBLE, THEY PUT HIM IN THE HOSPITAL.
THAT'S WHEN I WAS OFF.
WHEN THEY TOOK MY TITLE, IF I FOUGHT JOE FRAZIER THEN,
HE'D HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED.
YOU LET ME GET IN THE RING WITH JOE FRAZIER ONE MORE TIME,
AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I DO WITH JOE FRAZIER.
I'M TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT IT!
YOU'LL SEE WHAT I DO WITH JOE FRAZIER!
[JOE FRAZIER AND THE KNOCKOUTS' "KNOCKOUT DROP" PLAYING]
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER WAS IN NO HURRY TO FIGHT ALI
OR ANYONE ELSE.
HE LOVED BEING THE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
AND TOURED EUROPE WITH HIS SOUL BAND, THE KNOCKOUTS.
♪ OHH, MY LOVE, MY LOVE, MY LOVE ♪
♪ IS LIKE A KNOCKOUT DROP ♪
NARRATOR: HE APPEARED BEFORE THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE,
ONE OF THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO DO SO
SINCE RECONSTRUCTION.
WE MUST SAVE OUR PEOPLE.
NARRATOR: AND HE PURCHASED A 366-ACRE FORMER RICE PLANTATION
OUTSIDE BEAUFORT, WHERE HE MOVED HIS MOTHER, DOLLY.
ONE AIDE CLAIMED HE WAS UNLIKELY TO BOX AGAIN THAT YEAR.
THE FACT IS THAT YOU'RE A CROWD PULLER
AND FRAZIER'S NOT, IS HE? WHY IS THAT?
WELL, NUMBER ONE, HE'S UGLY.
[LAUGHTER]
HE HAS NO RHYTHM, NO FOOTWORK, NO CLASS, HE CANNOT TALK.
[LAUGHTER]
AND WHO TOLD HIM HE COULD SING?
HE CANNOT SING. [LOUD LAUGHTER]
NARRATOR: BEGINNING IN JULY OF 1971, ALI, NOW FREE TO BOX
WHENEVER AND WHEREVER HE PLEASED, FOUGHT 9 TIMES
IN 15 MONTHS WHILE WAITING FOR ANOTHER SHOT AT FRAZIER.
HIS OPPONENTS... OFTEN SMALLER, SLOWER, OR PAST THEIR PRIME...
WERE CAREFULLY CHOSEN TO PROTECT ALI FROM A SECOND DEFEAT
THAT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED HIS CAREER BEFORE HE COULD
FACE FRAZIER AGAIN.
NARRATOR: FIRST, HE DEFEATED HIS BOYHOOD FRIEND
AND LONGTIME SPARRING PARTNER JIMMY ELLIS
AT THE ASTRODOME IN HOUSTON.
ALI, WHO OUTWEIGHED ELLIS BY 31 POUNDS, LOOKED LISTLESS
AND UNPREPARED.
FRAZIER, WHO HAD WATCHED A CLOSED-CIRCUIT SHOWING
IN PHILADELPHIA, WAS UNIMPRESSED.
HE CALLED ALI A CLOWN AND ACCUSED HIM OF HIKING UP
HIS OVER-SIZED TRUNKS
TO CONCEAL A LAYER OF FAT AROUND HIS WAIST.
FRAZIER: ♪ LIKE A KNOCKOUT DROP ♪
NARRATOR: BUSTER MATHIS.
JURGEN BLIN.
MAC FOSTER.
GEORGE CHUVALO.
JERRY QUARRY.
ALVIN LEWIS.
HE BEAT THEM ALL.
FRAZIER: ♪ I CAN, OH... ♪
NARRATOR: LIFE ON THE ROAD WAS CHAOTIC.
BETWEEN WORKOUTS, ALI GOOFED OFF WITH BUNDINI,
PLAYED PRANKS ON UNSUSPECTING COMPANIONS,
AND SPENT HOURS IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION.
HE ALSO SOUGHT TO FULFILL HIS NEAR-INSATIABLE
CRAVING FOR SEX, REGULARLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE,
AT TIMES PAYING WOMEN FOR SEX.
HIS RENDEZVOUS WERE OFTEN ARRANGED BY THE MEN
IN HIS ENTOURAGE.
FEMALE REPORTER: YOU KNOW, THERE'S A THEORY THAT
THE MORE YOU SAY HOW GREAT YOU ARE,
IT REALLY MEANS THAT YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE SO GREAT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS WRONG WITH YOU?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? WHAT ARE YOUR FAULTS?
WELL, I HAVE A LOT OF FAULTS.
LIKE WHAT? WHAT'S THE WORST?
I CAN'T TELL YOU MY WORST FAULT BECAUSE I'M MARRIED.
[MEN LAUGHING]
YOU FIGURE IT OUT.
ARUM: I THINK HE HAD A GREAT MORAL COMPASS AS BEING HONEST
AND CHARITABLE.
NOW, IF YOU SAY DID HE HAVE A MORAL COMPASS BEING...
UH, OBSERVING FIDELITY WITH HIS WIFE?
NO. NOT AT ALL.
[WOMEN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
YOU'RE NOT MARRIED YET, ARE YOU?
ARUM: ALI WAS A WOMANIZER.
THAT'S KNOWN, AND I'M NOT TELLING TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.
ALI: MUHAMMAD ALI FAN.
[LAUGHING AND TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
BELINDA ALI: I'M SORRY THAT I DID NOT...
UM, STEP IN AND...
I JUST ALLOWED HIM TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTED TO DO.
I... I... I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
SEE YOU ON TELEVISION.
YOU WANNA SHOW ME LOVE AND GIVE ME A HUG?
BELINDA ALI: I JUST LET HIM DO WHAT HE HAD TO DO.
NARRATOR: IN SEPTEMBER 1972,
ALI DEFEATED AN AGING FLOYD PATTERSON A SECOND TIME.
IT WOULD BE PATTERSON'S FINAL FIGHT.
JOE FRAZIER, INTRODUCED BEFORE THE BOUT, HAD STOOD
AT THE CENTER OF THE RING AND SMILED, WHILE ALI,
RESTRAINED BY BUNDINI BROWN,
PRETENDED TO LUNGE AT THE CHAMPION.
COSELL: MUHAMMAD ALI IS PUTTING ON HIS ACT.
"LET ME AT HIM. LET ME AT HIM."
NARRATOR: "LET'S STOP ALL THIS AND DO
WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT," ALI TOLD REPORTERS.
"TELL FRAZIER TO QUIT DUCKING ME."
[THE BUDOS BAND'S "VEIL OF SHADOWS" PLAYING]
♪
DESPITE ALI'S VICTORIES, SOME SPORTSWRITERS SAW
A DIMINISHED FIGHTER WHO NOW WON ON GUILE,
ABSORBED TOO MANY BLOWS OVER TOO MANY ROUNDS,
AND DID NOT DESERVE A REMATCH WITH FRAZIER.
"HE'S STILL VERY FAST," GEORGE CHUVALO SAID, "BUT HE MISSED
"A LOT MORE PUNCHES THIS TIME.
I DEFINITELY HURT HIM."
"JOE FRAZIER WOULD SLAUGHTER ALI," WROTE DICK YOUNG.
"HE'S JUST A MEMORY OF THE GREATEST. A GRIM MEMORY."
BUT HIS TRAINER ANGELO DUNDEE, WHO HAD WORRIED
THAT HIS FIGHTER HAD JUST BEEN GOING THROUGH THE MOTION,
WAS SURE THAT ANOTHER FRAZIER FIGHT WOULD BRING OUT ALI'S BEST.
THEN, IN NOVEMBER, JOE FRAZIER, UNDER PRESSURE FROM
BOXING OFFICIALS TO DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST A TOP CONTENDER,
SIGNED TO FIGHT AN UNDEFEATED 23-YEAR-OLD
NAMED GEORGE FOREMAN.
ALI'S REMATCH WITH FRAZIER WOULD HAVE TO WAIT.
[LAUGHTER]
MAN: GO GET HIM!
[INDISTINCT] KNOCK HIM DOWN.
[CHEERING AND LAUGHTER]
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
NARRATOR: IN THE SPRING OF 1972,
MUHAMMAD ALI HAD PURCHASED 6 ACRES
ATOP A RIDGE NEAR DEER LAKE, PENNSYLVANIA
AND BEGUN BUILDING HIS OWN TRAINING CAMP
EQUIPPED WITH A BOXING GYM, MOSQUE, MESS HALL,
AND ENOUGH LODGING FOR HIS ENTIRE ENTOURAGE.
ALI AND BELINDA, WHO GAVE BIRTH THAT MAY TO THEIR 4th CHILD,
MUHAMMAD ALI JR., SCOURED THE AREA
FOR FURNISHINGS TO OUTFIT THE COMPOUND.
THEY BOUGHT ANTIQUE FURNITURE FOR THE CABINS,
A 150-YEAR-OLD HORSE-DRAWN WAGON FOR THE YARD,
AND A REPLICA OF THE LIBERTY BELL,
WHICH THE BOXER PLANNED TO RING EACH MORNING AT 4:30
TO HERALD THE START OF HIS DAY.
ALI HAD HIS FATHER PAINT MASSIVE BOULDERS SCATTERED
ACROSS THE GROUNDS WITH THE NAMES OF CHAMPIONS...
JOE LOUIS, SONNY LISTON, ARCHIE MOORE, JACK JOHNSON.
REPORTER: NOW, MUHAMMAD ALI DID NOT MEET THE PRESIDENT,
BUT HE HAPPENED TO BE PASSING BY MT. RUSHMORE ONE DAY,
AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. OK.
DO NOT BE SHOCKED, BECAUSE IT WILL SOON BE THE TRUTH.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
NARRATOR: ONE DAY, WHILE ALI
WAS TRAINING IN A MAKESHIFT GYM NEAR THE HALF-BUILT CAMP,
A 22-YEAR-OLD AMATEUR FIGHTER FROM NEARBY EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA
NAMED LARRY HOLMES, SHOWED UP, EAGER TO MEET HIS IDOL.
ONE OF 12 KIDS RAISED BY HIS MOTHER FLOSSIE IN PUBLIC HOUSING
ON EASTON'S SOUTH SIDE, HOLMES HAD FIRST BOXED FOR
HOT DOGS AND SODAS IN THE CITY'S WEDNESDAY-NIGHT BAR FIGHTS
AT JUST 10 YEARS OLD.
HOLMES: WHEN I LEFT SCHOOL, I WAS IN THE 7th GRADE.
IT WAS EITHER QUIT OR GET THROWN OUT.
THEREFORE, I JUST DECIDED TO GO.
YOU KNOW, I WORKED IN THE CAR WASH, I SHINED SHOES,
I DID WHATEVER I COULD DO TO HELP BRING IN MONEY TO THE HOUSE.
AND THEN I MET A GUY BY THE NAME OF ERNIE BUTLER
TEACHING KIDS HOW TO BOX, AND I STARTED LEARNING HOW TO BOX.
NARRATOR: BY THE TIME HOLMES ARRIVED AT DEER LAKE,
HE WAS HOPING TO MAKE THE OLYMPIC TEAM.
ALI PUT UP HIS HAND. HE SAID, "LET ME SEE YOUR JAB."
[SMACK] AND LARRY'S HITTING IT.
"OH, THAT'S GOOD."
I SAID, "LARRY, DO YOU HAVE YOUR BOXING STUFF?"
"YEAH, I HAVE IT."
ALI SAID, "GOOD. I NEED A GOOD WORKOUT."
SO WE GO DOWN, AND THEY SPAR.
AND LARRY GOT A SHINER.
AND I SAID, "LARRY, LET ME PUT SOME ICE ON THIS."
"NO, NO, NO.
"I'M GOING BACK TO EASTON, I'M GOING TO TELL
"ALL THE PEOPLE, MUHAMMAD ALI PUT THIS HERE.
I'M SO PROUD OF THIS."
AND THEN I INVITED LARRY TO OUR TRAINING CAMP.
HOLMES: I WOULD COME IN HERE AND WASH DISHES IN THE KITCHEN.
I WOULD SIT IN HIS DRESSING ROOMS, TALK TO HIM, AND ASK HIM QUESTIONS,
AND YOU KNOW, HE PROBABLY GOT TIRED OF ME
FOR ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I DID IT ANYWAY.
THE QUICKNESS AND THE MOBILITY THAT HE HAD.
HE COULD DUCK, PULL AWAY FROM PUNCHES AND STUFF, BLOCK...
YOU COULDN'T HIT HIM.
HELLO AGAIN, EVERYONE.
I'M HOWARD COSELL ALONG WITH MUHAMMAD ALI
BRINGING YOU THE OLYMPIC BOXING TRIALS,
AND YOU'LL BE SEEING LARRY HOLMES.
[BELL DINGS]
HOLMES: A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT ALI DID, I COPY.
AND EVERYBODY SAY, "YOU'RE A COPYCAT."
"OK, SO? AND? WHAT'S NEXT?"
ALI: HE REMINDS ME OF MYSELF IN FOOTWORK,
THE WAY HE'S CONSTANTLY MOVING AND CIRCLING...
HOLMES: I'M GONNA LEARN FROM THE BEST.
THIS MAN IS THE BEST.
SO I'M GONNA DO... I'M GONNA COPY IT.
COSELL: GOOD LEFT BY HOLMES.
IF I CAN'T GET IT, AT LEAST I GAVE IT A SHOT,
BUT I'VE WORKED IT OUT PRETTY GOOD.
NARRATOR: HOLMES FAILED TO MAKE THE OLYMPIC TEAM,
BUT CONTINUED TRAINING WITH ALI AT DEER LAKE,
EVENTUALLY BEGINNING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER
THAT WOULD ONE DAY LEAD HIM BACK TO HIS MENTOR.
COSELL: WE'RE BACK AT RINGSIDE AND GEORGE FOREMAN,
THE CHALLENGER, HAS JUST COME INTO THE RING.
THERE'S NO FEAR IN EITHER MAN.
THERE IS NO FEAR IN GEORGE FOREMAN.
HE'S A BIG, STRONG BOY.
DOWN GOES FRAZIER!
NARRATOR: ON JANUARY 23, 1973, IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA,
GEORGE FOREMAN SENT JOE FRAZIER TO THE CANVAS 6 TIMES
BEFORE THE REFEREE STOPPED THE FIGHT AT 1:35 OF ROUND 2.
COSELL: THERE HE GOES, 3 TIMES!
IT IS OVER! IT IS OVER!
IT IS OVER IN THE 2nd ROUND.
NARRATOR: FOREMAN WAS NOW THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD.
COSELL: THEY'RE CARRYING GEORGE FOREMAN.
THEY'RE CARRYING GEORGE FOREMAN ON THEIR SHOULDERS,
RIGHT OUT OF THE RING.
JOE FRAZIER IS...
NARRATOR: "I COMPLETELY UNDERESTIMATED HIM,"
FRAZIER SAID, FIGHTING BACK TEARS.
[CROWD SCREAMING]
THE NEXT MORNING, PROMOTERS FROM NEW YORK TO HONOLULU
RUSHED TO OFFER FOREMAN A CHANCE TO DEFEND HIS NEW TITLE
AGAINST MUHAMMAD ALI, WHILE OBSERVERS SPECULATED HOW MUCH
THE MATCH WOULD FETCH.
ALI, WHO HAD BEEN ASLEEP AT HIS CAMP IN DEER LAKE DURING
THE FIGHT, WAS SURE THAT FRAZIER HAD COST THEM BOTH
AN ENORMOUS PAY DAY BY NOT FIGHTING HIM FIRST.
HE PROMISED TO ANNIHILATE FOREMAN, BUT NOT BEFORE FACING
A STRING OF CONTENDERS HE'D ALREADY AGREED TO FIGHT.
5 WEEKS LATER, IN SAN DIEGO,
HE WOULD FIGHT 6TH-RANKED KEN NORTON,
A 6'3" EX-MARINE, WHO HAD BEEN PAID JUST
$300 FOR HIS PREVIOUS BOUT.
MUHAMMAD ALI WILL BE COMING TO YOU ON HOME TELEVISION, LIVE...
NARRATOR: WHEN THE MATCH-UP FAILED TO SELL
ENOUGH CLOSED-CIRCUIT TICKETS, THE PROMOTERS DECIDED
TO AIR IT LIVE ON ABC'S "WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS."
COSELL: ALI, FIGHTING THE 6th-RANKED HEAVYWEIGHT
KENNY NORTON.
YOU HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT NORTON AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO
BE A ROUTINE EXERCISE FOR ALI.
NARRATOR: ALI ENTERED THE ARENA WEARING A BEJEWELED ROBE
WITH THE WORDS "PEOPLE'S CHOICE" INSCRIBED ON THE BACK.
IT HAD BEEN A GIFT FROM ELVIS PRESLEY.
COSELL: GOOD LEFT THERE BY NORTON. THAT EXCITED THE CROWD.
BENTT: KEN NORTON DIDN'T ALLOW MUHAMMAD TO GET INTO HIS HEAD.
HE WASN'T INTIMIDATED BY ALI.
HE WAS A MARINE.
ALTHOUGH HE STARTED BOXING LATE, HE HAD GOOD MECHANICS
AND HE WAS A GOOD ATHLETE.
COSELL: THE RIGHT GOT INTO ALI AND THEN A LEFT.
BENTT: HIS PUNCHES CAME FROM EVERYWHERE.
COSELL: IF NOTHING ELSE, NORTON'S CONFIDENCE IS GROWING.
BENTT: HE JABBED WITH HIS LEFT HAND DOWN LIKE ALI DID,
AND ALI NEVER SAW SOMEONE LIKE THAT BEFORE.
AND HE OUT-JABBED HIM.
AND A STRONG JAB IS GONNA DISCOURAGE YOU FROM THROWING
YOUR JAB OR THROWING PUNCHES PERIOD.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YOUR FOOT OUT THE BACK DOOR.
SO YOU'RE OFF-BALANCE.
JOE FRAZIER'D BE LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, COMING AND MOVING,
BOBBING AND WEAVING, WHEREAS NORTON WAS THIS WAY,
BLOCKING THE JAB, BLOCKING THE JAB, BLOCKING THE JAB.
YOU KNOW, POW! POW! LIKE THIS.
SO MUHAMMAD HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TRY TO GO IN,
LEAVING HIMSELF TOTALLY EXPOSED.
BENTT: NOT TO MENTION THAT KEN NORTON COULD CRACK.
AND HE CAN GET YOUR ATTENTION.
WHEN YOU THROW SHOTS LIKE THAT, THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR
LEVEL OF DISRESPECT FOR THE GUY.
HE'S WALKING MUHAMMAD DOWN, DISRESPECTFULLY.
I THINK KEN NORTON THOUGHT THAT HE WAS ON THE SAME LEVEL
AS MUHAMMAD ALI.
COSELL: THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH MOVEMENT BY ALI IN THIS FIGHT.
WHY? IT'S HARD TO FIGURE.
HAS HE GONE BACK THAT FAR? THAT'S NOT EASILY BELIEVABLE.
YOU HAVE TO WONDER IF HE'S TAKING NORTON TOO LIGHTLY.
NARRATOR: IN ROUND 8, HOWARD COSELL NOTICED THAT A NEAR-SILENT ALI
HAD BEGUN MOVING HIS MOUTH AWKWARDLY.
[BELL CLANGS]
COSELL: ALL RIGHT, WE'RE BACK FOR ROUND 8,
AND ALI JUST HASN'T BEEN RIGHT.
AND I THINK HE MAY HAVE CRACKED A TOOTH IN HIS MOUTH
JUDGING BY THE WAY HE'S HOLDING HIS MOUTH.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET DR. FERDIE PACHECO TO TELL US.
FERDIE, IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH MUHAMMAD'S MOUTH?
PACHECO: NO, I THINK, UH, HE'S LOOSENED A TOOTH
BUT THERE'S NO FRACTURE, THERE'S NO BROKEN ANYTHING.
THERE'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW.
NARRATOR: BUT PACHECO KNEW BETTER.
A 2nd-ROUND BLOW BY NORTON
HAD BROKEN ALI'S LOWER LEFT JAWBONE,
THE JAGGED EDGES DIGGING INTO THE INSIDE
OF HIS CHEEK.
COSELL: A GOOD RIGHT! HE IS ALL OVER ALI.
SOLANO: EVERY TIME NORTON HIT HIM,
IT WAS JUST PAIN, PAIN, PAIN.
COSELL: THERE'S BLOOD IN ALI'S MOUTH.
BECAUSE OF THE JAW, EVERY PUNCH WAS PAIN.
COSELL: ONE HAS TO WONDER, IS HE NOW BUT A RELIC
OF THE FIGHTER HE WAS?
NARRATOR: ALI STILL BELIEVED HE COULD BEAT KEN NORTON.
BUNDINI: LET'S GO, CHAMP!
COSELL: ALI IS LANDING IN THIS ROUND, AS YOU CAN SEE.
HE IS SCORING.
HOWEVER, NORTON KEEPS COMING AT ALI,
AND ALI IS AGAINST THE ROPES.
NARRATOR: "YOU MISSED ME, SUCKER!"
NORTON JEERED ALI.
"YOU AIN'T HIT NOTHIN' BUT A GHOST."
[BELL DINGS]
COSELL: THIS CROWD IS GOING WILD.
THEY ARE SENSING A DECISION IN FAVOR OF UNKNOWN KENNY NORTON.
NOBODY CAN REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY HAVE SEEN.
IT IS A TIRED ALI AND A HURT ALI.
RING ANNOUNCER: REFEREE FRANK RUSTITCH SCORES IT
7 POINTS NORTON, 5 POINTS ALI!
COSELL: THERE IT IS! THERE IT IS!
ONE OF THE GREATEST UPSETS AGAIN IN BOXING HISTORY. KENNY...
NARRATOR: BUNDINI BROWN AND ANGELO DUNDEE
RUSHED ALI FROM THE RING,
AS NORTON EMBRACED HIS OLD SPARRING PARTNER JOE FRAZIER.
COSELL: ALI'S MOUTH FILLED WITH BLOOD.
KILROY: ALI GETS A JAW OPERATED ON, AND I STAYED
THERE WITH HIM ALL NIGHT.
WHEN HE WOKE UP IN THE MORNING, HE WAS ALL WIRED UP.
NARRATOR: IT WOULD BE AT LEAST 3 MONTHS
BEFORE HE COULD EVEN TRAIN AGAIN.
THE NEXT DAY, KEN NORTON STOPPED BY ALI'S HOSPITAL ROOM
TO PAY HIS RESPECTS.
HE BROUGHT A PHOTOGRAPHER.
[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]
THE IMAGE OF ALI, STRETCHED OUT ON A HOSPITAL BED
WITH NORTON HOVERING OVER HIM,
APPEARED IN NEWSPAPERS EVERYWHERE.
HOWARD COSELL DECLARED HIM FINISHED.
RED SMITH CALLED THE BOXER A LIMP EFFIGY OF MUHAMMAD ALI.
IT HAD BEEN NEARLY A DECADE SINCE HE HAD STOPPED
SONNY LISTON TO BECOME HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
MANY OBSERVERS WONDERED IF HIS FOOT AND HAND SPEED WERE GONE,
IF HE STILL POSSESSED THE WILL TO TRAIN PROPERLY,
IF HIS BRUTAL BOUT WITH FRAZIER HAD CAUSED MORE HARM THAN ACKNOWLEDGED,
IF HE COULD EVER BE THE SAME FIGHTER.
JUST BEFORE HE'D FACED NORTON, HERBERT MUHAMMAD HAD CHIDED ALI
FOR POOR CONDITIONING AND OVERCONFIDENCE.
HE'D TRAINED FOR JUST 3 WEEKS, SKIPPED ROADWORK,
AND HAD APPEARED OUT OF BREATH WHILE PUNCHING THE HEAVY BAG
AND JUMPING ROPE DURING WORKOUTS IN SAN DIEGO.
HE HAD ALSO SPENT THE HOURS LEADING UP TO THE FIGHT
IN BED WITH TWO WOMEN.
BEFORE LEAVING THE HOSPITAL, THE NURSES HAD GIVEN ALI
A STACK OF LETTERS ADDRESSED TO HIM.
"THE BUTTERFLY HAS LOST ITS WINGS," READ ONE.
"THE BEE HAS LOST ITS STING.
YOUR MOUTH HAS BEEN SHUT UP FOR ALL TIMES."
LATER, HE WOULD TAPE IT TO THE GYM WALL FOR INSPIRATION.
CAVETT: AND WOULD YOU WELCOME, THE INCREDIBLE MUHAMMAD ALI.
[APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: IN SPITE OF ALL THE DOUBTS AND THE INJURY THAT
LEFT HIM MUZZLED AND TEMPORARILY UNABLE TO TRAIN,
ALI REMAINED BOXING'S BIGGEST ATTRACTION, THE MOST
COMPELLING ATHLETE ANYWHERE.
CAVETT: I HEARD YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TALK
FOR QUITE A WHILE.
NO. THE DOCTOR TOLD ME I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO,
BUT I TOLD HIM HE'S WRONG.
[LAUGHTER]
IF THEY TOLD YOU TOMORROW
THAT YOU COULD NOT FIGHT AGAIN,
IF THEY HAD A LOOK AT YOUR JAW AND SAID
"IT'S JUST TOO DANGEROUS,"
WOULD YOU... WOULD YOU CRY?
NO. I'D REJOICE.
I'D BE GLAD THAT I FOUND OUT BEFORE I KILLED MYSELF.
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
NARRATOR: WHEN ALI AND NORTON AGREED TO A REMATCH
IN LOS ANGELES IN SEPTEMBER OF 1973, EVEN PERSISTENT CRITICS,
EAGER TO FILL THEIR NOTEBOOKS AGAIN WITH ALI'S QUIPS
AND PREDICTIONS, REJOICED.
THIS AIN'T NO BIG THING BEATIN' KEN NORTON.
THIS MAN WASN'T NOBODY AND STILL AIN'T NOBODY.
I JUST MADE HIM SOMEBODY BY NOT TRAINING AND COMIN' IN
TOO FAT AND GETTING' MY JAW BROKE
AND COULDN'T PULL OUT OF IT.
THIS TIME, IT'LL BE NO MATCH.
NARRATOR: "THE NORTON FIGHT WAS GOD'S WARNING,"
ALI TOLD THE PRESS.
"HE WAS PUNISHING ME FOR DOING THINGS NOT ACCORDING
TO MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS."
IN LATE MAY, ALI, NOW 31 YEARS OLD, WITH A RECORD OF 41 WINS
AND 2 LOSSES... TO JOE FRAZIER AND KEN NORTON...
WITHDREW TO DEER LAKE TO BEGIN TRAINING.
AFTER I ANNIHILATE KEN NORTON,
GOING TO JAKARTA, INDONESIA
TO WHUP THIS RUDIE LUBBERS,
THE DUTCH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
I WANNA COME BACK AND SETTLE THIS WHOLE THING
WITH GEORGE FOREMAN, AND FOR OLD TIMES' SAKES,
I'M GONNA WHUP JOE FRAZIER AGAIN RIGHT THERE
IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
AND I'M TIRED. I GOTTA GO TO WORK.
I AIN'T GOT NO TIME TO BE TALKING.
[STEVIE WONDER'S "HIGHER GROUND" PLAYING]
NARRATOR: ALI PLANNED TO RUN 4 MILES A DAY, AND HE WOULD
REFRAIN FROM SPARRING UNTIL 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIGHT.
"I CAN'T PLAY NO MORE," HE SAID.
"I'LL BE DAMN SERIOUS RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING."
WONDER: ♪ SOLDIERS KEEP ON WARNIN' ♪
♪ WORLD KEEP ON TURNIN' ♪
LOOK LIKE I'M 20 YEARS OLD, GOING BACK IN TIME.
NARRATOR: AT THE CAMP, ALI WAS NEVER ALONE.
HIS ASSOCIATE GENE KILROY MADE ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS.
LUIS SARRIA, ALI'S MASSEUR, WORE THE BOXER OUT WITH HIS
DEMANDING EXERCISE ROUTINES.
BUNDINI BROWN RAISED EVERYONE'S SPIRITS,
WHILE LANA SHABBAZ KEPT THE ENTIRE ENTOURAGE WELL FED.
BELINDA BROUGHT THEIR KIDS UP FROM CHERRY HILL OFTEN,
BUT SELDOM STAYED LONG.
ALI'S PARENTS VISITED REGULARLY, HELPING
IN THE KITCHEN, AND HIS BROTHER, RAHAMAN
SERVED AS A SPARRING PARTNER.
HOWARD BINGHAM PHOTOGRAPHED IT ALL.
"THESE PEOPLE ARE LIKE A LITTLE TOWN FOR MUHAMMAD ALI,"
HERBERT MUHAMMAD SAID.
"HE'S THE SHERIFF, THE JUDGE, THE MAYOR, AND THE TREASURER."
I'M TRIM. MY JAW IS READY.
LOOK AT MY BODY. LOOK AT IT. IN PERFECT SHAPE.
212 POUNDS, SAME WEIGHT I FOUGHT SONNY LISTON.
I CHOPPED DOWN 85 TREES FOR THIS FIGHT.
TALKIN' BOUT NORTON CLOSING MY MOUTH.
YOU TELL NORTON HE OPENED MY MOUTH WIDER.
DON'T BELIEVE THAT STUFF. PREDICTIN' ON THE PREDICTER.
I'M GONNA BE SO FAST.
WATCH WHAT IMMA DO WITH MY HANDS IN THE RING THAT NIGHT.
IMMA BE SO FAST, IF NORTON DOING THE DIRTY STUFF,
IMMA REACH FROM NOWHERE AND PULL OUT A LONG CANE.
AND I... [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
RASHEDA: MY DAD WOULD
ACTUALLY DRIVE HIS BLUEBIRD BUS FROM CHERRY HILL
TO DEER LAKE.
AND WE WOULD ALL PACK IN THE BUS AND HIS ENTOURAGE
AND THE BABYSITTERS AND ALL OF US WOULD GO,
AND MY MOM AND ALL OF US WOULD BE THERE.
DADDY HAD A WAGON.
HE WOULD DRAG US IN THE WAGON.
WE HAD PONIES THERE. WE WOULD RIDE.
I CAN SMELL THE CEDAR WOOD.
FOND MEMORIES.
I'VE JUST COME TO SEE MY DAUGHTER FOR A...
[FILM PROJECTOR CLICKING]
NARRATOR: MOST EVENINGS AFTER DINNER,
THE GYM BECAME A MAKESHIFT MOVIE HOUSE
AS EVERYONE PILED IN FOR A SCREENING.
OCCASIONALLY, ON CLEAR NIGHTS, WHEN BELINDA VISITED,
SHE AND ALI WOULD SIT IN THE QUARRY WAGON AND SEARCH
THE SKIES FOR THE MOTHERSHIP ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAD PROMISED
WAS ORBITING ABOVE.
ALI: YOU MRS. MUHAMMAD ALI.
NARRATOR: BY THE TIME HIS TRAINER ANGELO DUNDEE ARRIVED 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIGHT,
ALI WAS WELL-RESTED, IN HIGH SPIRITS,
AND IN EXCELLENT SHAPE.
♪
ON SEPTEMBER 10, 1973, ALI FACED KEN NORTON AGAIN
AT THE FORUM IN INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA.
HEARN: ALI HAS NOT STOPPED DANCING FOR A SECOND.
THIS IS THE BEST I'VE SEEN ALI LOOK SINCE GOING BACK BEFORE
THE JOE FRAZIER FIGHT.
FURILLO: IT'S THE OLD ALI.
HEARN: YES, IT IS.
NARRATOR: ALI STAYED ON HIS TOES THIS TIME AND SHOWED
MORE STAMINA THAN HE HAD IN YEARS.
HEARN: WHAT A FIGHT!
[LOUD CHEERING] BOTH MEN HAVE BEEN HURT.
THE CROWD IS GOING ABSOLUTELY BERSERK,
AS THESE FINE HEAVYWEIGHTS UNLEASH...
FURILLO: FIGHT OF THE YEAR!
NARRATOR: THE TWO FIGHTERS BATTLED TO A DRAW
OVER THE FIRST 11 ROUNDS.
HEARN: 12th AND FINAL ROUND.
NARRATOR: BUT IN THE 12th, ALI UNLEASHED A BARRAGE
TO NORTON'S HEAD, OVERWHELMING HIS OPPONENT
AND TILTING THE DECISION IN HIS FAVOR.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE WITH MUHAMMAD HERE.
CHAMP, A GREAT FIGHT.
YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THIS KIND OF CONDITION
I'M SURE FOR MANY YEARS AND YOU HAD TO BE.
RIGHT. I'M IN GOOD CONDITION,
BUT I'M TIREDER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF MY AGE.
NARRATOR: NO SOONER HAD HE BEEN DECLARED THE WINNER
THAN THE PRESS TURNED ITS ATTENTION TO A LONG-ANTICIPATED FIGHT,
FINALLY IN THE PLANNING STAGES: A REMATCH BETWEEN ALI
AND JOE FRAZIER.
SOME WRITERS SAW IT AS A BATTLE OF HAS-BEENS,
WHOSE FAILURE TO FIGHT YEARS EARLIER HAD COST THEM MILLIONS.
BUT THE REMATCH WOULD BE A HUGE DRAW,
AND THE WINNER WOULD BE IN LINE TO FIGHT GEORGE FOREMAN.
IT'S "TWO MEN ON A PRECIPICE," WROTE SPORTSWRITER MARK KRAM,
"AND POSSIBLY ONLY ONE WILL PICK UP HIS TALENT AND GO ON."
FRAZIER: I'LL TAKE HIM. I KNOW I'LL TAKE HIM.
AND WHERE?
ANYWHERE! THE STREET FIGHT AND THE RING.
ALI: KEEPS CALLING ME CLAY!
HE'S STILL CALLING ME CLAY!
I'M GOING TO GET ALL THE UNCLE TOMS OUT OF BOXING.
I'M TIRED OF ALL THESE UNCLE TOM NEGROES.
FRAZIER: YOU A ONE-SIDED GUY.
YOU... YOU TALK FROM TWO SIDE OF YOUR MOUTH!
ONE TO THE WHITE AND ONE TO THE BLACK.
NARRATOR: IN THE 2 1/2 YEARS SINCE THEIR FIRST FIGHT,
THE TWO MEN HAD MADE LITTLE EFFORT TO EASE THE ACRIMONY BETWEEN THEM.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, BOY. SOMEBODY TOLD ME...
FRAZIER: I DUNNO, WHAT'S THAT WORD?
I SAID ROY. FRAZIER: OH.
[LAUGHTER]
INTERVIEWER: DO YOU REALLY DISLIKE ALI?
WELL, YA KNOW.
NOTHING TO WRITE HOME TO MOMMA ABOUT, YA KNOW.
I GOT A SPARRING PARTNER.
LET HIM OUT! LET HIM OUT!
NARRATOR: "WE WANT EACH OTHER BAD," SAID FRAZIER,
WHO CONTINUED TO REFER TO ALI AS CLAY.
"IF YOU'VE BEEN AROUND THIS GUY LONG ENOUGH, YOU CAN HAVE
A LOT OF HATE IN YOUR HEART WHEN THE BELL RINGS."
THIS GETS ME READY FOR JOE FRAZIER.
HE RESEMBLES JOE FRAZIER.
REFEREE: TIME!
REPORTER: JOE, DOES THIS GET YOU
MORE DETERMINED TO BEAT HIM?
YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.
IZENBERG: SO WHEN THEY COME TOGETHER,
THERE'S NO TITLE AT STAKE.
AND I ASKED ALI, "WHY WOULD PEOPLE COME TO THIS FIGHT
"WITHOUT A TITLE, YOU KNOW,
AFTER FRAZIER GOT BEAT SO BADLY BY FOREMAN?"
AND I WAS OUT 4 YEARS AND CAME BACK AND WHOOPED YOU.
HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME TO SEE ME,
BUT IF THERE'S NO JOE FRAZIER, THEY CAN'T SEE ME AT MY BEST."
PEOPLE ASK ME, WHAT WAS ALI'S BEST FIGHT?
SECOND FRAZIER FIGHT.
[ALI BREATHING HARD]
ALI TRAINED REAL WELL.
HEAVY BAG, SPEED BAG, GOOD SPARRING PARTNERS
IN THE COLD WEATHER, RAN.
HIS MOM AND DAD WERE COOKING AT THE CAMP,
HIS BROTHER RAHAMAN, EVERYBODY.
EVERYTHING WAS HITTING, EVERYTHING.
ALI HAD THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS.
ALI: I'M READY TO WHOOP JOE FRAZIER AGAIN...
BUT THIS TIME I'LL MAKE IT MORE CLEAR.
I'M SERIOUS THIS TIME.
NARRATOR: JOE FRAZIER, WHO HAD DEFENDED HIS TITLE JUST TWICE
BEFORE LOSING IT TO FOREMAN, TRAINED WITH A SINGLE-MINDED ZEAL AS WELL,
SHAPING HIS BODY, ONE WRITER SAID,
"LIKE A MAN HAMMERING A STRIP OF HOT STEEL."
ON JANUARY 23rd, 5 DAYS BEFORE THE FIGHT, THE TWO MEN JOINED
HOWARD COSELL TO TAPE A SEGMENT
FOR ABC'S "WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS."
ALI: THAT SHOWS HOW DUMB YOU ARE
FRAZIER: HOW COME PEOPLE...
HE BROUGHT UP THE HOSPITAL.
HE GONNA BRING UP THE HOSPITAL. SO IGNORANT.
WHAT DIFFERENCE? WHY DO YOU THINK I'M IGNORANT?
I WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR...
WHY YOU THINK I'M IGNORANT?
HOW WOULD I KNOW?
WHY YOU THINK I'M IGNORANT?
MAN, SET DOWN. SET DOWN.
SET DOWN, JOE.
WHY YOU THINK I'M IGNORANT?
SET DOWN, JOE. SET DOWN, QUICK.
WHY YOU THINK I'M IGNORANT?
ALI: THE BROTHERS ARE HERE.
YOU IN THIS, TOO?
ALI: SET DOWN, QUICK, JOE!
[STRUGGLING]
COSELL: THIS KIND OF THING HAS BEEN GOING ON ALL ALONG
IN TERMS OF PROMOTION OF THE FIGHT,
AND THIS TIME IT SEEMS TO BE FOR REAL,
BECAUSE JOE FRAZIER IS REALLY ANGRY.
MUHAMMAD CALLED HIM IGNORANT AND HE'S REALLY ANGRY.
I DON'T THINK THIS ONE IS CLOWNING AT ALL.
IT'S A BAD AND AN UGLY SCENE...
KINDRED: YOU HAVE TO BE CRUEL
TO BE A FIGHTER, TO BEGIN WITH.
YOU HAVE TO BE CRUEL IN THE RING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE CRUEL OUTSIDE THE RING.
MY DIME STORE PSYCHOLOGY ON THE WHOLE THING WAS THAT
ALI WAS CRUELEST WHEN HE WAS MOST AFRAID,
AND I THINK HE WAS MOST AFRAID OF JOE FRAZIER.
THE DEPLORABLE CONDUCT OF MUHAMMAD ALI AND JOE FRAZIER...
NARRATOR: AFTER THE TUSSLE, EACH BOXER WAS FINED $5,000
BY THE NEW YORK STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION.
THIS TIME, LAS VEGAS ODDSMAKERS FAVORED ALI.
DUNPHY: HERE HE COMES!
NARRATOR: AT 10:26 P.M. ON JANUARY 28, 1974,
BEFORE A SOLD-OUT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN,
MUHAMMAD ALI ENTERED THE RING.
DUNPHY: HERE COMES JOE FRAZIER. SMOKIN' JOE.
NARRATOR: FRAZIER FOLLOWED A MINUTE LATER.
DUNPHY: YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MAN MANY CONSIDER THE MOST
SPECTACULAR ATHLETE OF ALL TIME... MUHAMMAD ALI.
JOE FRAZIER GETS A CHANCE TO PROVE TONIGHT WHAT HE THOUGHT
HE PROVED 3 YEARS AGO...
THAT HE'S A BETTER FIGHTER THAN MUHAMMAD ALI.
BENTT: JOE'S COMING OFF THE LOSS AGAINST GEORGE FOREMAN.
SO THAT'S GONNA AFFECT THE LEVEL OF THE CRAFT.
BUT WITH ALI AND JOE, IT WAS ALWAYS HUGELY PERSONAL.
THESE GUYS DESPISE EACH OTHER.
THEY'RE FOES FOR LIFE.
[BELL DINGS]
NARRATOR: IN THE 1st ROUND, ALI SHUFFLED AND JABBED
AND KEPT FRAZIER FROM FINDING HIS RHYTHM.
DUNPHY: FRAZIER'S COMING IN WIDE OPEN.
WIDE OPEN!
THE QUESTION IS IF FRAZIER CAN HOLD UP UNDER THIS PUNISHMENT
AND ALI SLOWS DOWN.
NARRATOR: LATE IN THE 2nd, ALI WOBBLED FRAZIER
WITH A STIFF RIGHT TO HIS HEAD.
DUNPHY: ALI IS DOMINATING THE FIGHT.
BENTT: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS FIGHT AND THE FIRST FIGHT
IS THAT MUHAMMAD IS FOCUSED ON MAKING JOE FIND HIM
THROUGH HIS MOVEMENT.
AND WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE A GUY FIND YOU,
YOU CAN DISRUPT HIS RHYTHM.
BECAUSE IF I'M MOVING, YOU DON'T CONTROL WHEN I PUNCH.
I CONTROL WHEN YOU PUNCH.
DUNPHY: ALI KEEPING FRAZIER OFF-BALANCE.
NARRATOR: AS THE FIGHT WENT ON, ALI MIXED HIS JABS
WITH HOOKS AND COMBINATIONS, AND RELIED ON CLINCHES
TO STIFLE FRAZIER'S ATTACK.
DUNPHY: ALI DOING THE HOLDING.
IN THE FIRST FIGHT, JOE WAS LIKE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL.
HE WAS... HE NEVER STOPPED PUNCHING.
AND IF ALI HELD HIM, YOU COULD SEE JOE LIKE TAKE HIS HANDS
AND PUT 'EM DOWN AND JUST PUN... KEPT ON PUNCHING.
WHEN ALI HELD JOE IN THE SECOND FIGHT,
YOU NEVER SAW JOE REACT LIKE THAT.
HE'S COOPERATING WITH MUHAMMAD.
DUNPHY: ALI IS OUTSMARTING FRAZIER.
FRAZIER CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE ANY MORE ROUNDS AWAY.
NARRATOR: FRAZIER JUST KEPT COMING, ABSORBING ALI'S PUNCHES
AS HE ATTEMPTED TO GET UNDER ALI'S ARMS AND LAND HIS
LETHAL LEFT HOOK.
DUNPHY: OH! GOT HIM THERE!
BENTT: WHAT WAS HOLDING FRAZIER BACK WAS THE GHOSTS
OF GETTING KNOCKED OUT BY GEORGE FOREMAN A YEAR PRIOR.
AND WHEN YOU'RE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION AND YOU GO TO JAMAICA
AND YOU END UP GETTING KNOCKED OUT BY THIS GUY...
COSELL: DOWN GOES FRAZIER!
BENTT: IT MAKES YOU PLUMMET.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.
SO THIS JOE FRAZIER AND THE ONE FROM '71,
TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
IF YOU'RE JOE FRAZIER, EVERY TIME YOU GET HIT,
LIKE A SOLID SHOT,
YOU THINK ABOUT THE LAST TIME YOU GOT KNOCKED OUT.
NARRATOR: IN ROUNDS 7 AND 8, FRAZIER BROKE THROUGH,
TAGGING ALI WITH SEVERAL DEVASTATING PUNCHES,
INCLUDING ONE THAT SENT ALI TO THE ROPES
AS THE BELL RANG TO SIGNAL THE END OF THE 8th.
ANNOUNCER: OH! GOT HIM, THAT HURT HIM.
DUNPHY: ALI'S FACE IS GETTING PUFFY.
ANNOUNCER: THAT'S BY FAR THE BEST ROUND FOR JOE FRAZIER.
DUNPHY: FRAZIER IS SO CONFIDENT AT THIS POINT.
NARRATOR: IN THE 9th, HIS FACE SWOLLEN FROM FRAZIER'S BLOWS
AND HIS NOSE TRICKLING BLOOD, ALI CONNECTED WITH 10 PUNCHES
FOR EVERY ONE LANDED BY FRAZIER,
INSPIRING CHANTS OF "ALI!" FROM THE ELECTRIFIED CROWD.
[CROWD CHANTING "ALI!"]
DUNPHY: THIS IS AS GOOD AS THE LAST FIGHT.
PLENTY OF EXCITEMENT AT OLD MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.
THIS IS THE LAST ROUND.
THERE'S NO TOMORROW, ONLY TONIGHT.
THE BOUT COULD END IN A DRAW.
NARRATOR: "YOU GOTTA STOP HIM TO WIN!"
DUNDEE SHOUTED AT ALI, AS FRAZIER CHASED AFTER HIM,
DESPERATELY LAUNCHING LEFT HOOKS.
BUNDINI: YOU GOT TO WIN THIS ROUND, CHAMP!
DUNPHY: TREMENDOUS LEFT HOOKS!
FRAZIER'S TEEING OFF.
NOW FRAZIER IS GETTING CARELESS.
THEY'RE PUTTING EVERYTHING INTO THIS.
NOW IT'S A BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL.
WHAT A FINISH!
♪
[BELL DINGS]
THERE IT IS.
IT'S ALL OVER.
THE JUDGES WILL HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM.
JOE BOSTON: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE?
HERE IS YOUR DECISION.
THE WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION IS MUHAMMAD ALI!
[CROWD ROARS]
NARRATOR: 3 YEARS AFTER LOSING THE "FIGHT OF THE CENTURY,"
MUHAMMAD ALI HAD AVENGED HIS LOSS TO JOE FRAZIER.
BRYANT: HE'S NOT THE SAME FIGHTER HE WAS AGAINST LISTON.
HE'S NOT UNDEFEATED ANYMORE BECAUSE FRAZIER
ALREADY BEAT HIM.
WE KNOW HE CAN BE HURT BECAUSE NORTON BROKE HIS JAW.
SO WHO IS THIS FIGHTER?
THIS IS THE COMPELLING PART OF ALI AS WELL,
THE COMPETITOR WHO HAS SOMETHING NEW FOR YOU
TO SHOW YOU THAT THIS IS A GREAT FIGHTER.
THIS IS A GREAT MAN, AND HE COULD ONLY DO THAT AGAINST
SOMEBODY LIKE FRAZIER.
YOU GOTTA HAVE REAL COMPETITION TO PROVE YOUR GREATNESS.
NARRATOR: AFTER THE FIGHT, FRAZIER ASSURED REPORTERS
THAT HE WAS NOT FINISHED.
"I WANT HIM AGAIN," HE TOLD THEM, "ONE MORE TIME."
"I'M GONNA GIVE JOE ANOTHER CHANCE," SAID ALI.
"I'M NOT GONNA DUCK HIM."
ALI: I THINK THIS FIGHT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE FIRST FIGHT.
YOU TALKIN' ABOUT SUPER FIGHT NUMBER TWO...
TWO FIGHTERS THAT ARE NOT CHAMPIONS WHO PUNCHED EACH OTHER TO DEATH.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AGAIN FOR THE SURPRISE OF ALL OF YOU,
WE JUST PUT ON ANOTHER FIGHT THAT CAN'T BE TOPPED BY NO
HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT IN HISTORY.
NARRATOR: PROMOTERS, WRITERS AND FANS WERE EAGER TO SEE
THE TWO EX-CHAMPIONS SQUARE OFF IN A THIRD MATCH TO SETTLE THEIR
RIVALRY ONCE AND FOR ALL.
BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, ALI WANTED TO REGAIN
THE HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN.
TO DO THAT, HE WOULD NEED TO DEFEAT THE CURRENT CHAMP
GEORGE FOREMAN.
[BABY HUEY'S "HARD TIMES" PLAYING]
♪
BOYD: GEORGE FOREMAN HAD PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INTO PEOPLE
IN BOXING CIRCLES BECAUSE ALI FOUGHT FRAZIER,
FRAZIER KNOCKED ALI DOWN AND WON THE FIRST FIGHT,
FRAZIER FOUGHT GEORGE FOREMAN...
COSELL: FOREMAN IS ALL OVER JOE FRAZIER.
AND IN THE FIRST 2 ROUNDS OF THE FIGHT,
GOT DEMOLISHED.
COSELL: IT IS OVER! IT IS OVER IN THE 2nd ROUND.
GEORGE FOREMAN, NOT ONLY WAS HE BEATING PEOPLE,
HE WAS DESTROYING PEOPLE.
HE WAS KNOCKING PEOPLE OUT LIKE IT WAS NOTHING.
BABY HUEY: ♪ SO I PLAY THE PART I FEEL... ♪
NARRATOR: 25-YEAR-OLD GEORGE FOREMAN STOOD 6'4"
AND WEIGHED 225 POUNDS.
HE HAD WON ALL 39 OF HIS FIGHTS, 36 BY KNOCKOUT.
BABY HUEY: ♪ ...IN THIS CRAZY TOWN ♪
NARRATOR: RAISED POOR AND HUNGRY
IN A FLOOD-PRONE, CRIME-RIDDEN SECTION
OF HOUSTON KNOWN AS "THE BLOODY FIFTH,"
FOREMAN WAS FREQUENTLY IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW
BEFORE HE JOINED THE JOB CORPS AT 16,
WHERE HE GOT HIS GED, TRAINED TO BE A CARPENTER
AND A BRICKLAYER, AND TOOK UP BOXING.
FOREMAN: I GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO BEFORE I TURN PRO,
BUT WHEN I DO START, I'M GOING ALL THE WAY UP.
REPORTER: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ALL THE WAY UP?
ALL THE WAY UP TO HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
OF THE WORLD, FOR REAL.
NARRATOR: BY 20, HE HAD WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE 1968
MEXICO CITY OLYMPICS AND TURNED PROFESSIONAL.
BABY HUEY: ♪ IN THIS CRAZY TOWN... ♪
NARRATOR: THE WAY TO BEAT FOREMAN, WROTE THE SCOTTISH SPORTSWRITER
HUGH McILVANNEY, "INVOLVES SHELLING HIM
FOR 3 DAYS AND THEN SENDING IN THE INFANTRY."
"HE'S NOT THE REAL CHAMP," SCOFFED ALI, WHO CALLED
FOREMAN A "SISSY FIGHTER."
"I'M THE REAL CHAMP."
♪
"THERE'LL BE A FIGHT WHEN GEORGE FOREMAN TELLS US
HE WANTS TO FIGHT," SAID ALI'S PROMOTER AND ATTORNEY BOB ARUM,
WHO BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD TAKE $10 MILLION,
$5 MILLION TO EACH BOXER, TO GET THE MATCH MADE.
BUT ARUM WAS NOT THE ONLY PROMOTER WITH PLANS
FOR MUHAMMAD ALI.
NARRATOR: DON KING HAD ONCE RUN AN ILLEGAL NUMBERS GAME
IN CLEVELAND, OHIO BEFORE HE WAS FOUND GUILTY
OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER
FOR STOMPING A FORMER ASSOCIATE TO DEATH
OUTSIDE A BAR IN 1966 OVER AN UNPAID DEBT.
WHEN THE JUDGE UNEXPECTEDLY REDUCED HIS LIFE SENTENCE,
KING ENDED UP SERVING LESS THAN 4 YEARS IN PRISON.
AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE CONVINCED ALI TO BOX
AT A BENEFIT FOR A FAILING CLEVELAND HOSPITAL.
THOUGH THEIR EFFORTS RAISED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS,
FOREST CITY HOSPITAL SAW LITTLE OF IT
AND CLOSED 5 YEARS LATER.
BUT DON KING HAD DISCOVERED HIS CALLING.
KING: I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THIS,
AND I AM AN EXTRAORDINARY HUSTLER.
SO THEREFORE, I FEEL THAT I AM LIKENED TO ONLY 2 OR 3
GIANT PROMOTERS IN THE LIFETIME THAT WE HAVE LIVED IN,
AND THAT'S P.T. BARNUM AND MICHAEL TODD AND YOURS TRULY.
NARRATOR: LOUD AND BLUSTERY, DON KING SPOKE IN RHYTHMIC TORRENTS,
QUOTED SHAKESPEARE LIBERALLY, AND KEPT HIS SAVINGS IN CASH,
SO THAT THE WHITE MAN COULD NOT TAKE HIS MONEY
AND NO ONE COULD FIND OUT HOW MUCH HE HAD.
HE WAS PERSISTENT AND PERSUASIVE, AND AS AN EMERGING
BLACK PROMOTER IN A WHITE-CONTROLLED PROFESSION,
HE COULD OFFER A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOXERS
WHO DOMINATED THE SPORT... THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THEM
IN WAYS WHITE PROMOTERS NEVER COULD.
KING BOUGHT A STAKE IN SEVERAL UP-AND-COMING HEAVYWEIGHTS,
STAGED DRAMATIC PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGNS,
DOUBLE-CROSSED HIS PARTNERS,
STIFFED THE BOXERS, AND DROPPED THEM AS SOON AS THEY LOST.
NARRATOR: BUT BEFORE HE COULD REPRESENT ALI, KING NEEDED TO
GET APPROVAL FROM ELIJAH MUHAMMAD, WHO HAD QUIETLY
EMBRACED THE BOXER AGAIN.
AT A MEETING IN CHICAGO, KING ASKED THE NATION OF ISLAM'S LEADER
WHY HE ALLOWED A WHITE MAN, BOB ARUM,
TO PROMOTE ALI'S FIGHTS.
DON KING ASSURED HIM THAT HE COULD DO IT BETTER.
EVEN THOUGH KING REJECTED AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE NATION OF ISLAM,
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD GAVE THE PROMOTER HIS BLESSING.
ARUM: KING'S PITCH WITH EVERY BLACK ATHLETE WAS, "DON'T DO
"BUSINESS WITH THE JEW, DO BUSINESS WITH ME.
I'M THE SAME KIND AS YOU."
NARRATOR: DON KING TOLD ALI AND HERBERT MUHAMMAD THAT HE
WOULD GET ALI AND GEORGE FOREMAN $5 MILLION EACH...
TWICE WHAT ALI AND FRAZIER MADE IN THEIR TITLE FIGHT.
KING PROMISED ALI AN ADVANCE AND AGREED THAT IF HE FAILED
TO MAKE ANY OF THE SUBSEQUENT PAYMENTS, ALI COULD WALK AWAY
AND KEEP WHATEVER HE'D ALREADY BEEN PAID.
ARUM: AND, HERBERT CAME TO ME AND SAID, "WHAT SHOULD HE DO?"
I SAID, "GET A DOWN PAYMENT, TAKE THE MONEY,
"AND IT'S EASY MONEY.
"YOU'LL... YOU'LL GET THE DOWN PAYMENT AND WALK AWAY.
NO WAY HE'S GONNA GET THE MONEY."
NARRATOR: "THIS ISN'T JUST ANOTHER FIGHT," KING TOLD ALI.
"FREEDOM. JUSTICE.
"THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL BE GAINING FOR YOUR PEOPLE BY GETTING
THE TITLE BACK."
ON FEBRUARY 14, 1974, KING FLEW TO CALIFORNIA,
WHERE GEORGE FOREMAN WAS TRAINING FOR AN UPCOMING
BOUT WITH KEN NORTON.
THE PROMOTER CORNERED THE CHAMPION IN THE PARKING LOT
OF HIS HOTEL.
RECENTLY DIVORCED, HIS FINANCES IN DISARRAY AFTER
HEEDING THE SHABBY ADVICE OF HIS HANDLERS, AND UNABLE TO
FIGHT IN THE U.S. DUE TO LIENS ON HIS EARNINGS, FOREMAN WAS
IN A FOUL MOOD.
THE MEN PACED THE LOT FOR TWO HOURS AS KING MADE HIS PITCH.
"I KNOW PEOPLE BEEN SCREWIN' YOU," KING TOLD THE CHAMP,
"BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO MAKE $5 MILLION."
KING ALSO PROMISED FOREMAN HE COULD DELIVER ALI.
KING: IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR GEORGE FOREMAN.
WHEN I WENT TO GEORGE FOREMAN AND I PRESENTED THAT
ALI WAS MY FRIEND AND THAT I COULD DELIVER HIM, YOU KNOW,
HE SAY, "WHAT CAN I WIN BEATING UP AN OLD MAN?"
HE SAYS, "IF I HURT HIM, EVERYBODY GONNA LOOK AT ME
"WITH DISDAIN BECAUSE THE PEOPLE LOVE HIM.
AND BESIDES THAT, HE TALKS TOO MUCH."
AND I SAY, "THAT'S IT, GEORGE. THAT'S IT.
"I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU THERE. SHUT HIS MOUTH."
[THE ROLLING STONES' "SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL" PLAYING]
NARRATOR: "THIS IS MY PROMOTION," SAID KING,
POINTING TO THE SKIN ON HIS ARM.
"I'M GIVING YOU MY TRUST," FOREMAN TOLD HIM.
"YOU GOT THE FIGHT."
BEFORE PARTING WAYS, KING HAD FOREMAN SIGN 3 BLANK PAGES,
PROMISING HE WOULD FILL IN THE DETAILS LATER AND THEN SEND
THE AGREEMENT TO FOREMAN'S LAWYER.
ALI: GEORGE HITS MUCH HARDER THAN I DO.
NARRATOR: ON MARCH 26, 1974, MUHAMMAD ALI SAT
RINGSIDE IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA AS FOREMAN STOPPED KEN NORTON
2 MINUTES INTO ROUND 2.
ALI: I'M SURE THAT WHEN I MEET GEORGE FOREMAN,
THIS IS GONNA BE A TOUGH FIGHT,
BUT I'M SURE AND CONFIDENT AFTER WATCHING THIS THAT
I'LL BE THE NEXT WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.
WILL YOU BE FIGHTING HIM IN AFRICA IN SEPTEMBER AS REPORTED?
YES, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN'T COME.
HOWARD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM IN THE CONGO
WHERE THE LUMUMBA BOYS ARE.
AND IF YOU COME OVER THERE AGITATIN', YOU'LL GET COOKED!
NARRATOR: IN THE WEEKS SINCE ALI AND FOREMAN HAD SIGNED WITH KING,
THE PROMOTER HAD CHASED FINANCING FROM WALL STREET
TO DALLAS TO MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AND EVENTUALLY TO PARIS,
WHERE HE CONVINCED REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAIRE, A FORMER BELGIAN COLONY
IN CENTRAL AFRICA, TO BACK THE FIGHT.
ON THE FLIGHT HOME FROM CARACAS, MUHAMMAD ALI HAD
QUIZZED THE FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION JOE LOUIS.
"DID YOU EVER CHOP WOOD WHEN YOU WERE IN TRAINING?" HE ASKED.
"ALL THE TIME," RESPONDED LOUIS.
"I THINK I'LL CHOP SOME BEFORE THE FOREMAN FIGHT," SAID ALI.
"BETTER CHOP A LOT," LOUIS ADVISED.
MICK JAGGER: ♪ I WATCHED WITH GLEE WHILE YOUR KINGS AND QUEENS ♪
♪ FOUGHT FOR 10 DECADES FOR THE GODS THEY MADE ♪
♪ I SHOUTED OUT, "WHO KILLED THE KENNEDYS?" ♪
♪ WHEN AFTER ALL, IT WAS YOU AND ME ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪
♪ LET ME PLEASE INTRODUCE MYSELF ♪
♪ I'M A MAN OF WEALTH AND TASTE ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪
♪ AND I LAID TRAPS FOR TROUBADOURS ♪
♪ WHO GET KILLED BEFORE THEY REACH BOMBAY ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪
♪ OOH OOH, OOH OOH ♪
♪ PLEASED TO MEET YOU, HOPE YOU GUESSED MY NAME ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪ ♪ OH, YEAH ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪
♪ BUT WHAT'S PUZZLING YOU ♪
♪ IS THE NATURE OF MY GAME ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪ ♪ AW, YEAH ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪ ♪ GET DOWN WITH IT ♪
♪ OOH OOH, OOH OOH ♪
ANNOUNCER: NEXT TIME, THE CONCLUSION OF "MUHAMMAD ALI"...
GERALD EARLY: THIS IS THE FIGHT ABOUT WHO'S GONNA BE
THE CHAMPION OF THE BLACK WORLD.
ANNOUNCER: THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE...
CROWD: ALI, BOMAYE!
ANNOUNCER: THE THRILLA IN MANILA...
HOWARD BRYANT: THIS CHAPTER'S NOT FINISHED.
THIS BATTLE'S NOT FINISHED.
ANNOUNCER: AND THE LEGACY OF A CHAMPION.
RASHEDA ALI: BOXING WAS THIS MUCH.
HIS EVOLUTION INTO THE PERSON HE IS TODAY IS WAY BIGGER.
ANNOUNCER: NEXT TIME, DON'T MISS
THE FINAL ROUND OF "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.
TO ORDER "MUHAMMAD ALI" ON DVD OR BLU-RAY,
VISIT SHOPPBS OR CALL 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
"MUHAMMAD ALI" IS ALSO AVAILABLE
WITH PBS PASSPORT AND ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.
♪ OOH OOH OOH, OH, YEAH ♪
♪ OOH OOH ♪
♪ OOH OOH, OOH OOH ♪
♪ OH, OH, WHAT'S MY NAME? ♪ ♪ OOH OOH ♪
♪ BABY, BABY, OH, WHAT'S MY NAME? ♪
♪ TELL ME, SWEETIE, OH, WHAT'S MY NAME? ♪
♪ OOH OOH, OOH OOH ♪
♪ OOH OOH OOH, OOH OOH OOH ♪
♪ OOH OOH OOH OOH ♪
♪ OOH OOH, OOH OOH ♪
♪ OOH OOH... ♪
♪
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
BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.