The Greatest

[Henry Hall]

What about that then? Muhammad Ali passing. It's like the entire 20th century is now collapsing into history proper.

My grandad and uncle attended the Ali vs Cooper fight and they used to say that before they saw it they didn't think he was anything special (he was unknown then anyway apart from the Rome Olympics). Afterwards, even though they still supported Cooper, they thought Clay was pretty spectacular as a boxer.

[hutch--]

I remember being at work when he won over Sonny Liston to get the title. A truly magnificent fighter before he had his title taken off him.

[Schneiderfrei]

What happened to his title, I am not very familiar with his story.  Especially didn't know about any of his activism.

[spookietoo]

I've no appreciation for boxing, or American football. I've always found both far too brutal and research is finally proving that point of view beyond any doubt. Ali himself paid dearly in that regard.

Though I never thought much of all of the trash talk that occurred prior to each boxing match, there was always an admirable air surrounding Ali. He seemed both a man and a mensch. Viewing his  failing health in his later years was so very sad, yet he still handled himself with such dignity.

Peace be with you, sir.

[Schneiderfrei]

Oh I completely loath the boxing.  But the vigor of his spirit was very obvious.

[Henry Hall]

He was also a great wit. A recorded exchange in a segregated restaurant, around the time he had won the Olympic gold:

Restaurant owner: "We don't serve negroes."
Cassius Clay: "I don't eat 'em!'

[Tailleuse]

I'm not interested in sports and have a particular dislike of boxing because it is so violent. But I recall being shocked as a little girl to hear that Ali had been sentenced to prison for draft evasion.

"Ali announced his refusal to fight in Vietnam. After his conscientious objector status request was denied in April 1967, he refused induction. Ali's title was taken away from him, and he was sentenced to a five-year prison term. He appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, and in 1971 his conviction was finally reversed."

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/6/just_take_me_to_jail_remembering


He was a very astute civil rights activist, not just a celebrity who wanted to burnish his image.

[Tailleuse]

He was also a great wit. A recorded exchange in a segregated restaurant, around the time he had won the Olympic gold:

Restaurant owner: "We don't serve negroes."
Cassius Clay: "I don't eat 'em!'

Ali on a plane, asked to put on his seatbelt: "Superman don't need no seatbelt."
Stewardess:  "Superman don't need no plane."

He apparently laughed hard at that retort.

[Tailleuse]

Oh I completely loath the boxing.  But the vigor of his spirit was very obvious.

He was also very handsome when young. I wasn't overly impressed by the poetry, but am sure I have no understanding of what it took to sling rhymes while slugging.

[spookietoo]

Thank you guys for the hardy laughs!

Some people will never be duplicated. Ali, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman........I fear today's fast entertainment is much like today's fast fashion.....no staying power and diluted substance.

[hutch--]

I did some boxing in my mid teens and was a fan of the classy end of boxing. Cassius the Gasseous was a truly brilliant fighter when he was young before they took his title off him. When he came back he was just a good fighter. At his best I can only think of one who was in that class, the young Jack Dempsey was truly ferocious when he originally took the title. This is from memory but he took the title off Jess Willard and half killed him and I remember another fight with a guy from south America whose name was Firpo and he was a sight to behold. Dempsey turned into a celeb after that and there were very few title fights for about 10 years.

[Henry Hall]

Ah Hutch! I was a member of the boxing club throughout school. Once after Thursday 'fight night' I was in an art class and the teacher took me aside to inquire what had happened to my eye. He thought it might be domestic violence Fair play to him for his concern.

I agree Ali became a different boxer in later years, but not merely a good one. The Rumble in the Jungle was supreme in that it had it all. He was often considered to have the speed and agility, but not enough of a tank to take punches, but in that fight he absorbed a massive barrage of punishment and also kept his style. I like how he used to pull back from his knockouts so that they were aesthetically pleasing. Apart from the first Liston fight, Ali's knockouts were always visually impressive.