Gone but not forgotten is Muhammad ‘The Greatest’ Ali who would have been celebrating his 83rd birthday today if still alive.
Ali was more than the greatest heavyweight champion, winning the world title a record three times! He was a great Humanitarian.
Ali did more for boxing than anyone could have ever imagined. From being the 1960 Olympic light heavyweight Gold Medalist in Rome, Italy, to winning the title on February 25th, 1964, being unbeaten in his twentieth fight, stopping the most feared fighter in the world in Sonny Liston, 35-1 with 26 knockouts after six rounds with Liston claiming a shoulder injury refusing to come off the stool. The fight was even at the time: 57-57, 59-56, and 56-58.
After coming off the canvas in his previous in the fourth round against British and Commonwealth champion Henry Cooper, 27-8-1, it was told Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee cut Ali’s glove to give him time to re-coup. Ali finished off Cooper at 2:15 of the next round at the Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom.
Previous to that was one of his closest fights to date, defeating Doug Jones, 21-3-1, 8-1, and 5-4 twice in rounds at Madison Square Garden, New York. When, in 1973, I met Ali at his Cherry Hill, New Jersey home, as he appeared from another room, I foolishly asked, “When are you giving Doug Jones a rematch?” He then invited me back to where he was.
It would be another four years when I sat next to Ali at his Deer Lake, PA, camp and hadn’t learned my lesson, saying, “Why are you fighting all of these bums?” Even as an Army vet, I had all the respect in the world for him.
Refusing induction into the military in the 60’s, he made up for it, years later bringing back 15 American hostages from Iraq.
He ended his career in December of 1981 with a 56-5 record with 37 knockouts. Only stopped by Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes in his next to last fight. By then, his cut man, Ferdie Pacheco, had left the corner, claiming he wasn’t medically fit to continue. Dr. Nardiello of the New York Commission stated, “Ali’s kidneys were falling apart.” This was after his fight with hard-hitting Earnie Shavers, 54-5-1, win in September of 1977 at Madison Square Garden.
Ali lost to 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist Leon Spinks, 6-0-1, by a split decision. “Of all the fights I lost in boxing, losing to (Leon) Spinks hurt the most. I didn’t train properly. He did in the rematch, regaining the title before over 60,000 fans at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. That would be his last victory.
A week ago, was the birthday of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, who in Las Vegas had given Ali a long silk white robe with “People’s Choice” on the back. Ali said, “It should have said People’s Champ on the back.” Two years before the death of Elvis, he contacted Ali, wanting to visit him at the Deer Lake camp, not wanting anyone to know of his coming to have the time together. Upon leaving, Ali said, “Elvis Presley was the most humble person I have ever met. What a nice guy.”
“I beat him for six rounds; in the seventh, when I hit him in the side, he fell on my ear and said is that all you got, George?” Ali won the title for the third time, defeating champion ‘Big’ George Foreman, 40-0, in Zaire, Africa. Foreman added, “he was bigger than boxing!”
“Iron,” Mike Tyson once said, “Cus (D’Amato, his trainer) and Ali had the same birthday.” He first met Ali when he was in a reform school with Ali visiting. After Ali’s defeat by Holmes, he said “I’m going to get him for you!”
It was January 22nd, 1988, at the Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. At ringside was future President Donald J. Trump next to Ali. Upon being introduced into the ring, Ali tapped their gloves of Holmes and went to Tyson, whispering into his ear, later told by Tyson, “Kick his ass for me!” At 2:55 of the fourth round, down for the third time, Holmes on his back was knocked out!
Ali passed in June of 2016 at the age of 74.
