which talks about the fact it was 25 years ago this month that Muhammad Ali had his last fight. I do not even remember this Drama in the Bahamas but what I do know is Ali is still The Greatest. In fact I bought my wife, for one of her Christmas gifts, the Ali movie from 2001 with Will Smith.
It is weird for me to think about the fact it was 25 years ago that Ali fought his last fight. In my minds eye I always remember him as the young fighter during the time he had all the legal troubles with the draft.
I’ve always wondered what is it about Ali that has made him the most written about man on this planet. He was a boxer, funny and poetic. His accomplishments aren’t anything that are worth of a Nobel and yet he really does cause a spark of inspiration in the tones of people’s voices when they talk about him.
Surprising to see that comment from you of all people. I would have figured you would have called Jesus the most written about man on the planet. :no-no:
Yes, but. . . . I suspect you and most forumosans aren’t old enough to understand. Even I am not quite old enough, but I remember the excitement over his fights when I was a kid and I guess I understand a little. He was not only a terrific athlete, but a great entertainer, cheerful and exuberant beforehand with his poetic boasts, then dancing in the ring and knocking out his opponents with speed, power and grace. Not a brutal thug, or a boring dimwit lacking in character like so many others, but an eloquent, graceful and entertaining champ.
And of course that was a different age, before people had 100s of channels to choose from and MMA and Internet and so much else. Times were simpler and entertainment was simpler and each of his fights was preceded by tremendous buildup as THE big event everyone on earth would be watching and talking about.
And of course there’s the controversy. That he was a draft dodger, that he changed his name, that he was a black man who could knock out any whitey (the world hadn’t evolved so far yet with race relations). But despite all that everyone loved him because he was the US olympic champ, the world champ, and he was just so-damned entertaining and likable (and for those who hated him he was so damned hatable for all of those same reasons).
For those of who are old enough to remember the Vietnam war, the US Civil Rights movement, the US-Soviet space race, it’s no surprise that Ali’s fights were one of hte great world events everyone got excited about. He WAS the greatest and few questioned it then (except Joe Frazier).
I certainly won’t dispute Ali’s greatness, and celebrity status. I do however think it would be interesting to see how Ali would have done against some of the next generation of boxers after his time as the sport of boxing grew, as well as with the increased focus on and money put into pro sports in general. How would Ali have faired against Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, or ever Mike Tyson - all notable heavyweight champs of the next era.
It’s not unlike wondering how Mickey Mantle would do in today’s Major League Baseball era, facing off against the likes of Curt Schilling or Randy Johnson.
Anyone remember the Muhammad Ali cartoon on NBC Saturday mornings? Fighting for the underprivileged and solving the occasional mystery.
I enjoyed watching Ali’s fights, especially those in his younger days. He was not the most powerful but - my god - he had great hand speed for a big man.
I remember Ali coming to New Zealand and being interviewed a couple of times; I thought he was pretty funny (for a sportsman). I was disappointed when I read and watched some archive stuff of him; all his quips were retreads. Perhaps it’s just that boxers are such lousy speakers (i was going to write “morons”) that one only has to be able to string a few words together to be considered clever, even if you keep parroting the same lines.
Sportmen as a whole should not be encouraged to speak, and this applies doubly to boxers. That reality boxing show is painful to watch for that reason (not to mention the crap slugfests as opposed to proper boxing, and having women and children involved).
Surprising to see that comment from you of all people. I would have figured you would have called Jesus the most written about man on the planet. :no-no: [/quote]
I luves my Jesus, but I heard that it was actually ALI. I tried to google it, but shit I never get the right thing when I google anything. So if you can prove me wrong then show me the link.
But see how you waxed on about him nostalgically? And all those after? He really does cause people to have warm fuzzy feelings when they reminisce.
Think that he would have still kicked some serious ass. IMO what makes Ali Ali, is his mental attitude and belief in himself. It’s hard to go against someone with willpower like his.
What I admire most about Ali is that he found a way to overcome anything that threatened to put him down, be that racism, injustice, devastating opponents, or Parkinson’s syndrome. He may have had some tough battles with these more modern fighters, but he would have found a way to win.
But I find these arguments useless, as great fighters lay the groundwork and develop the techniques that make latterday fighters more effective. Just look at the Gracie family and what they did to develop MMA fighting.
Ali would do fine against today’s boxers. Boxing is actually a sport that has been in decline for the last couple of decades. Potential heavyweights, well those in the US at least, rather get involved with more lucrative sports such as basketball or football.
Sorry, Nama, but you seem a little confused there. Royce Gracie did not start MMA. He states in that video link that his family had been doing it for years.
Sorry, Nama, but you seem a little confused there. Royce Gracie did not start MMA. He states in that video link that his family had been doing it for years.[/quote]
Well I guess I am. I recall hearing on that video that he and a friend had come up with the idea of seeing how far they could go with BJJ and other forms in a public arena.
Actually MMA, if you define “mixed martial arts” as contests between paid fighters that use both wrestling and boxing techniques, has been going on since the late 1800s throughout North America and Europe. It is interesting to me as a martial arts historian to see how folks get the completely wrong idea in their heads that MMA was “invented” by the Gracie family, the UFC, Dana White or some other creature of the 1990s.
“Unlimited fighting” is an old song that simply has been remixed for a new generation. And let me be quick to add, I enjoy MMA/UFC/PRIDE a lot, this is not a criticism of them.
