ReEncoded By Dr.XJ | PSA www.PSArips.com
Narrator: The following is a presentation of...
Ring Announcer: Eight, six, one even for Frazier.
Nine to six for Frazier.
Eleven rounds for Frazier,
four Ali.
The winner by unanimous decision,
Joe Frazier!
Commentator: For the first time in his career,
Muhammad Ali was beaten.
Woman: I wasn't happy at all.
Man: Why not?
Woman: Well, I'm a Muhammad Ali fan,
and, uh, he just let me down.
Man: Good fight. Very good fight.
But considering the way Clay fought...
- I don't n-need to like it. - Woman #2: I thought it was terrific.
- Best fight I ever saw. - Man #2: Best fight I ever seen.
I seen 'em for a long, long time.
Clay's twice the man I thought he was.
- Woman #3: Really terrific. - Man #2: Good decision.
- Good decision. - Woman #3: It was a very good fight.
Man #2: Very good fight. Worth the money.
And worth every penny I paid. Every penny.
I-I don't even feel like waking up tomorrow.
- Not behind that fight. - Man #3: Or that decision.
Man #2: That's really upsetting to me.
Drew Brown: Well, don't worry about it.
We'll be back. Them three years
ain't gonna be three years no more.
We comin' right back to war,
and now when we come back,
we gonna have to really take the title from a champ.
Joe Frazier, tonight, have beat a champion.
And he is the champion of the world, without a doubt.
James Brown: ♪ Hey! ♪
♪ Got to, got to pay back! ♪
Vocalists: ♪ Get payback! ♪
James Brown: ♪ Revenge! ♪
- ♪ I'm mad! ♪ - Vocalists: ♪ To bring payback! ♪
James Brown: ♪ 'Bout to get back! ♪
♪ I need some getback! ♪
♪ Payback! ♪
♪ Yeah! ♪
♪ Revenge! ♪
♪ I'm mad! ♪
♪ To get down with my girlfriend ♪
♪ Huh ♪
♪ That ain't right ♪
♪ Whoo! Talkin' ♪
♪ Holla' and cuss ♪
♪ You wanna fight ♪
♪ You gotta get ready ♪
♪ For the big payback ♪
Vocalists: ♪ The big payback ♪
Nikki Giovanni: Before the championship fight
with, uh, with Joe Frazier,
I never considered you, like, a brutal fighter.
And I don't wanna say it like that,
but I thought you outpointed Frazier.
Yeah, well, I thought I won nine rounds.
But I've seen people protest after decisions,
and it really don't help.
So, I'll just do better next time.
I think I played too much with Joe Frazier.
I played three rounds. I shouldn't have played.
I didn't stay on my feet and move like I should've.
And tryin' to prove he couldn't hurt me standing in the corners,
and this-- I lost the fight like this. Judges took it.
One judge gave him... 11 rounds and me just four.
But at the time, I hadn't won my draft case.
And then one black man in the million-dollar bracket
who tells it like it is, and you know, stays with his own kind,
naturally, they gonna pick the best "boy" to give it to.
But the next time,
I've learned a lesson. The next time,
there will be no doubt,
- for he must go out.
Ali: Well, when I'm in training for fights,
I don't like to be surrounded
in plushness and luxury.
Like the Fontainebleau Hotel,
and the, uh, the Hilton, and all those places,
you know, you have the beautiful soft carpets,
you have the chandeliers, and you know,
you order room service, and the beds are so nice,
and you got the mirrors, and it makes you soft.
So, I had to find a old-- a place that wasn't too plush.
And this is why I've just built a training camp
in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, right outside Reading.
I built a 50-by-60 log cabin.
And I bought about three acres of land,
and I have my cabin there. It's rugged.
Those living close to nature, in the solitude,
or peasants living in the country,
have greater intuition than educated people
living in the midst of city life.
- Interviewer: Mm-hmm. - Why?
I'm breathing fresh air. My mind is clearer.
I'm drinking fresh water from the ground-- God water.
The food that I eat, the vegetables
are not frozen and sprayed.
It's from a farm down the road.
So I'm nourishing my mind and my soul
and my thoughts with clean air,
real water, and real food.
That's why they say God's prophets
and wise men go off and meditate,
go on top of a mountain,
and they fast and don't eat a thing,
and they have... they can... things just come to 'em.
Angelo Dundee: We've seen a lot of camps all over the world.
You know, usually above a bar,
above a strip joint, above a drug store,
connected with something, a resource.
But it's never the thing.
Now, this is the thing.
This is a fighter's camp,
so that's what Muhammad is doing.
The core conception is Muhammad.
Design is Muhammad.
The architect's Muhammad.
- The whole schmeer. - Right.
Ali: I want it real rustic.
Old floors, or--
or the water we using,
no electricity.
Nothing modern.
Man: Right, right.
You putting windows out here with the view?
Two nice windows where you can see the view, yeah.
Man #2: Whose name is going to be printed
on the big black rock over there?
Ali: Jack Johnson.
First black world heavyweight champion, so...
The big white rock on the end is Rocky Marciano,
and, uh, Joe Louis is the big rock
right in front of the gym.
See, this is gonna be a well-integrated camp.
I want half and half.
Black and white champions.
Man: What kind of training are you doing up here?
Ali: I'm running up and down the mountain in these big boots.
I'm chopping down these trees every day,
as you see up through here.
And I'm ready.
What kind of shape you in? You in good shape?
Lookin' for a few bears.
I heard there's some bears loose around here somewheres.
I'm gon' catch a few wild bears
and whup them too.
I'm in good shape. I'm ready.
I'm in topnotch shape.
I'm out to get my title back
from the new tramp--
I mean new champ, Joe Frazier.
I'm the real champion, and I'm gonna prove it.
Now, I'll see you now.
I gotta go chop down some more trees...
- Okay. - ...out here somewhere.
Ali: This whole estate has given me the incentive
to keep going.
This is like a new life here.
Come in here,
go in the gym when I want,
have my own cooks in the kitchen,
my own bunkhouses, my own crew,
fresh air, fresh water,
peace, looking at the view.
Can't beat it.
I didn't know it would be this nice
when I first got it. It's nice.
Man: Muhammad, in the past,
you've been highly critical of the American system.
In view of the decision today by the Supreme Court,
how do you feel about our system now?
Well, all I have to say is what's concerning my case.
I don't know what's happening this moment.
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 nothin'.
All I can talk about is my case,
and I'm thankful that the court's recognized
my sincerity of my beliefs in this case.
Cosell: Once he was a very great fighter,
now he is a worn relic of the past,
a faded hero of yesteryear,
but still mouthing words that he can no longer
employ the skills to back up.
And, uh, he still proclaims to be that
which he is no longer,
the heavyweight champion of the world.
So, I am going to bring out
the former heavyweight champion of the world,
Muhammad Ali.
Howard, every time you open your mouth,
you should be arrested for air pollution.
Man: Jimmy Ellis was one of
Muhammad Ali's favorite sparring partners.
In 1967, I asked Ellis about his dreams for the future.
Man: Do you enjoy sparring with the heavyweight champion?
Yeah. When I box with him,
I know I'm boxing with the best.
You probably know more
about Muhammad Ali's habits
and style than anybody else.
Yeah, I think I know quite a bit about him.
Man: Ellis took his sparring instructions
from Angelo Dundee,
who is now training him for the Ali fight.
Ali: I'll come out the winner
if I'm in shape.
But what worries me now
is this belly I got.
It just won't come off.
Man: How about some of that poetry of yours?
After I defeat Ellis
in the Astrodome,
I'm gonna run him and Angelo home!
Commentator: One minute remaining in this fight.
Ellis is reeling!
The referee may be deciding
whether he's going to stop the fight.
He is stopping the fight!
Man: What's the word on Frazier?
Ali: Frazier's not actually doing
too much right now.
They forced him to take a fight,
and still, I might not come off with one win,
because I want one more shot at Joe Frazier.
Cosell: So, Muhammad, why couldn't you put him away?
- Did you hold back? - Ali: Anybody in the world
could have seen that that man was finished,
and just letting him stay there was public crucifixion.
And I hope the judgment system
that we have around here
will stop fights when they see people hurt
because as soon as one's killed,
they'll want to say, "You wouldn't go to the Army
to fight for your country,
and you don't like to kill,
then why did you kill that man?"
Cosell: All right.
Ali: So leave me alone,
and shut up and be glad you saw a good fight.
We after Joe Frazier,
and he's running, he's ducking,
and he's talking about he won't fight for a few years,
and I hope the public bring him on out
with that title, and defend it like I did!
I'm still resurrecting the game,
although they say I'm not the champion.
Cosell: Muhammad, knock him out! What's the matter with you?
They're stopping it, for the protection of the lad himself!
Man: What a showman! Look at that!
This athlete's one of the most unique fighters
in heavyweight history.
The world's greatest heavyweight,
Muhammad Ali.
Yeah, I kept asking Angelo at the end of each round, How is it going?
He said, "It could be close, but you're winning."
Then I looked up and saw
Sammy Davis Jr. at ringside,
unannounced, and when a man this great
takes time out to come to see you,
how can you lose?
Cosell: Ali at 221,
fighting the sixth-ranked heavyweight, Kenny Norton,
at 210.
You haven't heard much about Norton,
and this is supposed to be a routine exercise for Ali.
Ali is wearing 10-ounce gloves,
as Norton will be.
That's the way it is in California,
and 10-ounce gloves are a worry
because they can really punish a man.
The bell for round one.
Norton in the early going
should show a pretty good left jab.
His best punch is a left hook.
The man with the highest total points wins the fight.
Good left there by Norton--
that excited the crowd.
Ali: I have a habit of playing in the ring
with opponents, you know.
They seem to be so easy to hit,
and sometimes I just like to show him and the public
how simple this fellow is.
And I played around with him two or three rounds too,
which I should have opened up.
Cosell: The crowd now senses
that Ali is doing nothing,
while Norton presumably
may be punching himself out,
so the crowd is beginning to boo.
We saw Ali last night, at a party, actually, just sitting there.
You have to wonder if he's taking Norton too lightly.
All right, we're back for round eight,
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.
Ali: I knew something was wrong,
but I did not seriously worry.
Cosell: See the countdown on the clock.
One has to wonder, has he gone stale
from the constancy of fighting,
no matter the caliber of opponent?
One has to wonder,
is it all suddenly going out?
Is he now but a relic of the fighter he was?
Ali is tired!
Ali is really tired.
Good right, Mike,
and that right hurt Muhammad Ali.
That right hurt Ali.
The countdown to the end of the fight.
Ali's mouth is bloodied.
A left gets him, and a good right!
He is all over Ali!
He is punching him around the ring!
Ring Announcer: Judge Hal Rickards scores it 5 Norton,
4 Ali.
Judge Fred Hayes...
Howard Cosell: I can tell you now,
Kenny Norton has won the decision.
...5 points, Norton.
Ladies and gentlemen,
referee Frank Rustich,
7 points Norton,
5 points Ali.
There it is! There it is!
One of the greatest upsets, again, in boxing history.
Muhammad Ali, I am told,
suffered a broken jaw in the first round,
in an unbelievable fight here today.
Muhammad Ali would have talked to you, I'm sure.
He couldn't because of the broken jaw.
He has a broken jaw.
He is a beaten man, and he is a broken fighter,
and so all of the millions of dollars
that loomed before him for the Frazier rematch
are suddenly gone.
What was once a very great fighter
becomes now part of fistic history,
in all probability.
That's the end of the story here...
Dick Cavett: Fight fans all over the world
were shocked, really,
when a relatively unknown boxer
broke the jaw of a man who's been considered
maybe the greatest fighter of all time,
and defeated him,
and maybe this is the only man
who can explain what happened that night.
All sorts of people have been trying to piece it together.
Do you think it was a lucky punch?
I really don't know.
My mouth wasn't completely closed, I remember, but...
You can remember the moment when it happened clearly?
You know-- you know when it-- when the jaw went?
Yeah. I, uh,
don't make excuses, you know, for losing,
so, but my major reason
was because I didn't train properly,
taking him for granted, mainly, um,
not living up to my religious convictions like I should.
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, uh...
would you cry?
No.
I'd rejoice.
I'd be glad that I found out
before I killed myself.
( audience laughs, then applauds)
Commentator: The heavyweight championship of the world,
the biggest event in all sports.
The challenger for the heavyweight title,
Big George Foreman.
The undefeated champion, Joe Frazier,
cemented his hold on the crown
with a decision over undefeated Muhammad Ali
in 1971.
Foreman having a very good round.
Twenty seconds to go...
Frazier's never taken this kind of punishment.
Frazier is being battered in Foreman's corner.
Joe's about to go down again!
Joe's been down four times.
There goes Joe down again.
Frazier doesn't know where he is.
The fight is over,
and the winner is George Foreman.
George, I gotta know about your plans for the future.
Will you fight Frazier again,
or will you fight Muhammad Ali?
Right now, that was my main goal,
was to win the world heavyweight championship.
You got it now.
I'd like to go out and tell a lot of kids,
and preach it for a long time,
that all you gotta do is work and pray hard,
you can get anything you want.
I'd like to spend my whole life
getting that message out.
I want to see the inside of your house.
- Is this it? - This is an old, antique house,
replica of a 200-year-old cabin.
Did you design this yourself?
Designed everything,
and it's just like the days of Jack Johnson.
No, come on in, don't be talkin' 'bout you--
Hey, I love what you've done with the place.
Oh, yeah, this is all antique.
I did all this up myself, Dick.
This is a 200-year-old rope bed here.
This table weighs about 850 pounds.
This was made out of real oak trees.
This is an old antique pheasant I picked up.
Energy crisis don't bother me.
I have coal oil lamps.
I've got the big old coal stove over here,
and the water pump right from the well under the ground.
Everything's antique.
I like the idea of getting up in the morning,
just making my coal, getting a real natural heat,
something you don't get nowadays.
Everything's just gas and electric.
This is real. No pollution.
This comes right out of the ground.
Nice, cold-- take a taste of that, Dick.
- No electricity in here? - No electricity.
- How do you watch television? - No television.
I go over in my kitchen to watch television.
What do you watch?
I watch the Johnny Carson show, mostly.
( off-camera crewmembers chuckle )
Dick Cavett Show sometimes.
According to who's got the most colored guests on.
Ali: I've been so publicized,
I've won fights so easy, unmarked.
And you can be intoxicated
with not only alcohol or narcotics,
but you can be intoxicated with greatness,
and if a man's intoxicated, he'll do something
that he wouldn't do otherwise.
So, now that I've been sobered up a little
and realize that I can slip,
that if I don't work like I should
and my mind might tell me to do something
but my body won't.
Well, this is getting me more hungry,
like I used to be coming up.
Spencer Davis Group: ♪ ...around creating ♪
♪ All the groovy kinds of love ♪
♪ But I'm a man ♪
♪ Yes, I am ♪
♪ And I can't help but love you so ♪
♪ No, no, no ♪
♪ But I'm a man, yes, I am ♪
♪ And I can't help but love you so ♪
Larry Holmes: 1971.
That's when I met my pro-- my first pro fighter.
He took me up to Muhammad Ali's training camp,
and I met Muhammad Ali.
Said, "Wow, I met the heavyweight champion of the world."
Just to meet a star or celebrity,
and most kids don't get that opportunity.
Spencer Davis Group: ♪ Yes, I am ♪
♪ And I can't help but love you so ♪
Ali: I say, "Kids,
your chances of being a great fighter,
or good enough to make a good living,
is about a hundred thousand to one,
and if you spend most of your life
trying to be a fighter,
and you get hurt or you don't make it,
your whole life is ruined,
it's too late to get education,
it's too late to look for a trade
or something to fall back on.
Larry Holmes: He liked the way I boxed,
and, next thing you know,
I had a job, a full-time job,
being a sparring partner for Ali
for, like, four years.
Man: "Operation Test the Jaw"
is not a karate movie starring Cary Grant.
It is what Muhammad Ali calls his first sparring session
since Ken Norton broke his jaw last March.
This is all of course in preparation
for Ali to break Ken Norton's jaw
this September in Los Angeles.
Ali: I'm trim. My jaw is ready. Look at my body.
Look at me.
In perfect shape,
212 pounds--
same weight fought Sonny Liston.
Done chopped down 85 trees for this fight.
Talkin' 'bout Norton closed my mouth.
You tell Norton he opened my mouth wider.
Don't believe that stuff, predicting on the predictor.
I'm gonna be so fast.
Watch what I'm gonna do with my hands
in the ring that night.
I'm gonna be so fast,
if Norton do any dirty stuff,
I'm gonna reach from nowhere
and pull out a long cane!
Man: Even though Muhammad Ali is training for Ken Norton,
his mind and his mouth stretch all the way to George Foreman.
Foreman? I don't know. George Foreman got the title,
just like Joe Frazier. He's killing the game.
Frazier had the title two years, fought twice.
I fought 12 times.
Frazier-- Foreman, haven't heard nothing about him
since he fought Frazier.
All this preparation to get ready for some man
ranked number 22 in the top ten.
He should fight the topnotch fighters,
and after I annihilate Ken Norton,
going to Jakarta, Indonesia,
to whup this Rudi Lubbers,
the Dutch heavyweight champion,
I'm gonna come back and settle this whole thing with George Foreman,
and for old times' sakes,
I'm gonna whup Joe Frazier again
right there at Madison Square Garden.
Now, I'm tired. I've got to go to work.
I ain't got no time to be talkin',
playin', and jivin',
'cause I'm a-workin'.
Commentator: Remember, in his locker room interview,
we asked him, did he have on his dancing shoes? He has.
This is the best I've seen Ali look
since going back before the Joe Frazier fight.
Commentator 2: For a year now,
we've seen the layer of fat around the midriff,
and you don't see it tonight.
Commentator: If Kenny Norton beats this Ali,
Kenny Norton is gonna get some great, great respect.
Commentator 2: Last punch of the fight for Ken Norton,
and he yelled at Ali.
Commentator: Ali got him a split-second after--
Ali: When you in the ring
and you hot and you warm
and you started,
and you train all the time,
most fighters are used to getting hit.
And, uh, they just ready for it.
They don't feel it.
The punch that might hurt is a glass scrape
that might tear your skin,
or you might feel the burn from the leather,
or a thumb might get in your eye,
but you talkin' to the wrong man there
when you ask me how'd it feel to be hurt, or hit.
Commentator: He's hurt Norton.
Commentator 2: Whoa!
Commentator: Whopping right hand
right on the jaw of Ali.
A good left hook on the jaw of Norton.
Another hook on the jaw of Norton.
The crowd is going absolutely berserk
as these fine heavyweights unleash their attacks.
Commentator 2: Fight of the year.
Commentator: Three minutes of excruciating time
for these well- conditioned performers
on this round.
Commentator 2: And he's on his toes again.
He's on his toes!
It's going the distance.
Commentator: And there is the bell.
Ring Announcer: Judge John Thomas
scores it 6-5, Ali.
Judge George Latka scores it 6-5, Kenny Norton.
Referee Dick Young sees it
7-5 to the winner,
Muhammad Ali!
Man: There's a very tired Muhammad Ali,
worn out.
Hittin' Cosell on the head, just like he should!
- Man: Get him!
Ali: I got Ken Norton out of the way,
now I'm gon' get Joe Frazier out of the way!
When I'm through, you won't hear no more about Joe Frazier.
I'm gonna get Joe Frazier,
I'm gonna wipe out George Foreman,
then I'm go on and put two more pages in the book
and get on out of this mess.
Man: At Kennedy Airport this morning,
Joe Frazier and his rock 'n' roll group, the Knockouts,
departed for a six-week European tour.
Do you find this more difficult than fighting,
or do you have to stay in the same shape
to dance and sing as you...
You have to keep the weight down, you know what I mean?
So, therefore, while you're onstage,
you keep the weight down,
and it's much easier, you know?
But let's say after that,
while performing,
that's something different.
It's twice times as hard as boxing.
♪ Oh, she didn't bat an eye ♪
♪ As I packed my bags to leave ♪
♪ Thought she might start to cry ♪
Who told him he could sing?
- He cannot sing.
He has no rhythm, no footwork, no class.
He cannot talk.
He got him a big band,
he started traveling the world,
figuring that he's gonna sell 'em all out.
They said, Joe Frazier appears this place in England.
The arena held 10,000.
Thirty-seven people showed up.
Man: A Jasmine mink coat for Joe Frazier,
54 skins of pure white mink.
He's had this one made to wear especially
for his upcoming fight with Muhammad Ali.
That's right. Not in the ring, but...
To the fight.
Yeah, that's all,
and then, I guess, after the party,
and just move around with a little bit, you know.
I like fashion.
That's an important thing. I love it.
I like to see people look good,
and so, therefore,
aside from making people look good,
make myself look good also.
The Isley Brothers: ♪ Who to sock it to ♪
Ali: A man like Frazier's
got a certain rough-looking look,
so I have a sparring partner
who reminds me of Joe Frazier.
Flew him all the way here.
- Does he look a lot like-- - Ten thousand miles away.
I think he reminds me of Frazier.
- I guess I'd best be looking-- - Well...
Gorilla Jones! Gorilla Jones!
Let him out! Let him out!
Let him in. He can go a round or two.
Gorilla Jones. Take your time, Gorilla.
- Are you ready? - Cavett: This isn't a little corny, is it?
This gets me ready for Joe Frazier.
- He resembles Joe Frazier. - Man: Time!
James Brown: ♪ One, two, three ♪
♪ Make it funky! ♪
Ali: When you see me get into that ring
with Joe Frazier at 210 pounds,
which is two pounds lighter than I was 10 years ago,
this time, I'll be dancing.
Frazier: But people want to see a fight, not a dance.
All that money to come and see you and I fight,
and you gonna dance.
Ali: Dancing and whupping you...
Commentator: Here comes Muhammad Ali.
Here comes Joe Frazier, "Smokin' Joe."
Ali: When I get those little bitty gloves on,
and be real serious, and no playing,
no standing in the corner,
everybody knows he's gon' have on gloves like me.
( Ali and Frazier talk over each other indistinctly )
Ali: We always have on the same--
Frazier: All right, then!
Cavett: You could get hurt!
You could-- no, you'll hurt your hands.
Commentator: We're waiting for the bell, round one,
and there it is, and here's Don Duncan.
Don Duncan: Thank you, Dan Patrick.
Dan Patrick: There's the bell. That's the end of round one.
And Ali gave us a bit of a shuffle
at the end of the round,
and goes back to his corner.
Have you ever considered you've taken
lots of blows to the head, both of you,
throughout your career,
and there's the possibility of permanent brain damage.
- Anything could happen. - Cars.
More people are killed in this country in cars than war.
What are we gonna do, quit driving cars?
Cavett: We heard that. Let me put it another way.
Ali: And I know you're not concerned about
two black fighters' brains
being hurt that much, now.
I know you're not that wrapped up over our brains.
You really considered--
you really worried about my brains,
or anybody else's brain?
We not worried about it, so why should you?
You should worry about what else is happening in the world.
Then what kind of sport is it, can it be,
where a guy-- where a guy goes in a ring
and gets his jaw broken?
Watch your handling. Watch your handling.
What kind of sport is this--
when a guy gets in a damn car
in your country,
and go around a damn track,
and hit a pole and he burn up?
Don't get on our little sport.
We don't have nothin' over here no way,
but a job, and a few of us
can't get nothin' unless we can box,
and now you want to run that out.
Don Duncan: Under New York scoring...
Don Duncan: Ali opening up!
Dan Patrick: Well, the crowd loves it,
and with round 12 coming up, Don,
a lot depends right here.
Now they shake hands,
and here is Don.
Dan Patrick: There it is!
The winner
by unanimous decision
is Muhammad Ali!
Dan Patrick: There it is,
the winner by unanimous decision,
Muhammad Ali.
Ali: I hit him with everything.
The man took a terrible beating.
He wouldn't fall. I said, "Are you crazy?"
I hit him there. I said, "You must be crazy!"
He said, "That's right, I'm crazy!"
He just kept coming.
"I'm crazy!" Damn.
( audience laughs and applauds )
Commentator: There they are, in the center of the ring.
What do you think about Muhammad Ali
when you're in there like this?
Ali: All right now, you know-- George Foreman--
just been offered five million dollars apiece
by the government of Zaire.
And, if he can win this fight tonight,
which I don't think he will, he'll have to defend
his champion again in the Congo!
Commentator: Oh, good right hand
on left-hand side of the face of Norton.
Norton is a bit stunned as Foreman is teeing off,
and it looks like Norton has really been staggered
as he went up against the rope.
Foreman just banging on in the second round.
Norton is down again!
Left hand to the side of the head.
His legs are rubbery and the left hand
goes to the side of the head.
A right uppercut, a left jab.
And Norton tumbling to the canvas.
He doesn't know where he is. I don't know if Norton can make it.
It might be all over right here.
It looks like it may be all over, and it is all over!
George Foreman remains the heavyweight champion of the world.
Ali: He hit Ken Norton just like he do all his opponents.
Caught him out. This man depends on gettin' his man
in the first one or two rounds.
If he don't do that, he's frustrated.
Stick him with left jabs and right crosses,
tie him up and box him, and you will retire him.
- Ali-- - I'm the man that's gonna whup George Foreman,
and I'm gonna whup him, of all places, in Africa,
in the Congo, where the Lumuba boys are!
Ali, now that you have your cool about you
and you're calmed down at this point,
I want you to answer this question:
How could that man go 24 rounds with you and only two
with the heavyweight champion of the world?
Because George Foreman is not as good of a fighter
scientifically as I am, but I'll admit,
he's stronger and he hit harder.
I'm not a hard puncher, I'm not known for being a hard puncher.
I've fought many men like Floyd Patterson, Zora Folley,
George Chuvalo, who were stronger than I am,
many I couldn't knock out--
Sonny Liston-- but I'll tell you this.
Boxing ability, speed, whuppin' him on points,
for the distance, if necessary, then I'll whup him.
Well, fighting in your home territory,
you couldn't be any happier the way this is coming up in September.
Why would you call Africa my home territory?
You've been telling me that for ten years.
That's right, and if you come over there
talkin' like that, we'll cook ya!
That's it from Muhammad Ali.
Ali: Last night, I had a dream, when I got to Africa,
I had one helluva rumble,
I had to beat Tarzan's behind first
for claimin' to be the king of the jungle.
For this fight, I wrestled with alligators,
I've tussled with a whale,
I done handcuffed lightning and put thunder in jail.
You know I'm bad.
I've murdered a rock,
I injured a stone,
and I hospitalized a brick.
I'm so bad, I make medicine sick.
I'm so fast, man,
I can run through a hurricane
and don't get wet.
When George Foreman meets me,
he'll pay his debts.
I can drown a drink of water
and kill a dead tree,
wait till you see Muhammad Ali.
Commentator: Under the auspices of President Mobutu,
from the heartland of Africa, the world heavyweight championship fight,
this is the biggest, most expensive, single sports event in history.
Man: It was mind-boggling.
You look around, you don't see but 200,000 black people.
You know what I mean?
Damn! Whoa! You know?
Commentator: This is an awesome bar,
of George Foreman against the boxing skills of Muhammad Ali.
Interviewer: Is this definitely,
whatever happens, your last fight?
Ali: My last. This is the last--
Interviewer: Win or lose, it's your--
Ali: There ain't no such thing as lose.
This is the last of Muhammad Ali,
so enjoy the fight, get to the theater, and see...
the most scientific, the most creative, the most artistic,
the most talked about, the most colorful,
the most wisest, the most controversial,
the boldest, most courageous, the greatest fighter,
the best-lookin' physically of all times,
this will be the last rumble,
and I invite all of you to be there
among those of us who dare to dare.
Commentator: George Foreman hasn't gone, in the past four years,
beyond two rounds in any fight.
Can Ali dance and stay away from him?
George Foreman: Beforehand, you go into the ring,
and you wanna go out there
and execute some of the things you've practiced.
This time, this man got me to the point
where I just distaste his presence in boxing.
I really want to beat him more than anything in the world.
I wanna beat him.
Ali: Just before the fight,
I'm looking at him, and the man's giving us instructions,
I said, "Sucker, you are in trouble tonight."
"You are fighting the greatest fighter of all times.
You said I was the greatest, but you gonna see. I'm fast,
sucker, I'm gonna burn you up. You're fightin' your idol.
When you were a little kid, you were hearin' about me.
You're meetin' your master, your idol.
- Commentator: Here we ago. Ali, quickly across the round.
Foreman a bit cocky in the first round,
looking to drop that left hook.
A straight left jab thrown by Foreman
has Ali in the corner-- Ali dances back, hangs on.
What a tremendous set this day, in round number one.
Crowd: ( chanting ) Ali!
Ali: First round, I laid in the corners, right?
I said, "Come on, show me something!"
I talked through the whole fight.
I said, "Show me something."
"They told me you could hit hard."
"You're just a sissy."
"Come on. You can do better than that, George.
You wanna corner me? Here I am! You been waitin' to corner me.
"You're the world heavyweight champion."
"You're the world-- come on! Keep punchin'!"
"I want you to get tired."
I said, "Uh-oh. This is the wrong place to get tired."
- This is the wrong place to get tired!
He's breathin'!
I said, "Aw, you finished, boy.
You are in trouble."
I said, "You don't have but two chances, slim and none."
Commentator: Muhammad Ali has won
by a knockdown!
The place is going wild!
The thing they said was impossible is done!
This is the most joyous scene ever seen in the history of boxing.
♪ Get down, get down ♪
Ali: As of now,
they that say I'm the greatest of all time, just shut up.
So I got the whole critics
and the boxing experts on a big spot,
'cause George Foreman was dangerous,
he was terrible, he was gonna wear me down.
He was gonna get me in a corner and just murder me, and I,
as always, I proved to still be the greatest.
- Did he scare you? - Yeah, I was scared to death.
I was reading a piece that Norman Mailer wrote about you.
It described you as the second most prominent American,
second most prominent after Nixon.
You might dispute that, but would you like to president?
- No. No, sir. - No?
- Too dangerous.
Like, in other words, there's a ship.
People are dancin' on the ship.
A lot of money's on the ship, a lot of food's on the ship,
and I cannot integrate on the ship.
I cannot have equality on the ship.
I'm just in the galley workin'.
And I never could get up and see the captain of the ship.
Now, all of the sudden, the man tells me,
"Say, come on down, I'll lead you out of the galley.
I want you to come up here and-- here, have something to drink.
What do you want?" And giving me number one spot--
from the galley to the number one spot.
I said, "This ship must be sinkin'.
Why is he so nice to me now?
What moved him to call me up here?"
Black men have been mayors now. One might be the president.
America's in too much trouble. I don't want that job now.
Ali: See, I'm lookin' at the black people as a nation.
We have prostitution problems,
we got dope problems.
Gang fightin' among self, a lack of love for self.
No respect for our women.
We don't have no property, we don't have no land.
We done worked 400 years to make this country
the wealthiest country on the planet.
This is our problem.
This poem is entitled "Truth."
T-R-U-T-H.
"The face of truth is open.
The eyes of truth are bright.
The lips of truth are ever-closed.
The head of truth is upright.
The breast of truth stands forward.
The gaze of truth is straight.
Truth has neither fear nor doubt.
Truth has patience to wait.
The words of truth are touchy.
The voice of truth is deep.
The law of truth is simple:
All that you sow, you reap.
The soul of truth is flaming.
The heart of truth is warm.
The mind of truth is clear
and firm through rain and storm.
Facts are but its shadow.
Truth stands above all sin.
Great be the battle of life, truth in the end shall win.
The image of truth is Elijah Muhammad,
wisdom's message his rod.
The sign of truth is the crescent.
The soul of truth is God.
Life of truth is eternal, immortal is its past.
Truth has power to endure, truth shall always last."
There. That's my masterpiece.
Very good.
What we got over there?
Stop messing with the food...
Ali: Boy, looky here!
Oh, boy, a big pot of raw spinach.
...or you'll burn yourself.
Ali: Nothin' but real iron.
Man: Straight from the mountain to Muhammad.
Man: Wear him out!
Narrator: This defensive tactic
of laying against the ropes
and allowing the opponent to wear himself out,
was employed in the Foreman fight,
and Ali says it will enable him
to prolong his career by ten years.
Cavett: Muhammad, uh,
I don't want to see you end up on Queer Street.
What do you-- what do you mean,
you mean like...
Is that what you mean?
Oh.
There's an old boxing term
called Queer Street, which means a guy--
I never heard the term "Queer Street" in boxing.
Oh, come on, now. Are you serious?
Not-not in boxing. You mean punch drunk?
Yeah, a guy who ends up, um, you know, without--
doesn't have the goods anymore.
He's fought too long and is out there--
See, well, that happens to people that get hit too much.
He's a little punchy.
You know, even in a car accident,
you can be shook up,
brain can't take but so much.
Put the camera on close-up.
Let me show you something.
No, put the camera on close-up.
Stop right there.
Ali: If you in topnotch shape with experience,
you know how to stand there for a while.
Like, all these fellows threw shots all day.
Didn't one come through.
Commentator: Laying on the ropes
a la Zaire, where he allowed
George Foreman to punch himself out.
Cosell: Ali is in the corner
with the rope-a-dope tactic,
when George Foreman used himself up.
Ali: Every punch, he's growing tired,
and after three or four rounds of that
and 15 to go,
no contest.
Commentator: There's the culmination.
Ali has the man in trouble.
He's trying to hold on. He's still on his feet.
Ali floors him!
Cosell: Muhammad Ali
the way he can be even at 33!
Ring Announcer: Unanimous decision
for Muhammad Ali!
Commentator: ...without yet an interview.
He just took off!
Ring Announcer: ...boxer of the world,
Muhammad Ali!
Cosell: Ali disappeared!
Man: Fighting is hard, fighting hurts.
You've been hurt less than most,
your face isn't marked up much,
but was it fun,
or just a means to something?
Ali: Well, it was fun being seen on television,
winning the Golden Gloves, wearing my jackets,
then you go through a stage
where it's no longer fun,
becomes a business.
Ali: After this fight,
I'll hear no more about Joe Frazier
because I will totally destroy him.
This time I will show you
that he was a tramp all the time.
He was an illusion champion.
He got the title because the draft took my title,
then, when I came back,
they had me because I was four years off.
I got warmed up a little. I beat his behind.
Now I'm really on top-- not only on top,
but I have my crown back,
and I'm gonna show you that I'm much older,
much more wear and tear, more experienced,
and I'm still the king of all kings,
and he must lose in a round I choose!
Commentator: This will be Ali's fifth fight
in the last 12 months.
Bryant Gumbel: By comparison to the first two Frazier fights,
the importance of this one--
is it less than the first and more than the second,
or how would you characterize it?
Ali: It's time now to show the people
that I'm truly much, much, much more greater than he is,
because he got his name when my title was taken
because of draft reasons and he built himself up.
So, he wasn't really a true champion.
He didn't beat the champion;
he was just a little substitute
during my absence.
Commentator: Ali with a rope-a-dope.
Ali: After four years,
they gave me a chance to come back.
Then-- then he was fighting a true champion,
but it wasn't really fair
'cause I wasn't too active.
Commentator: ...leading his own cheering!
Ali: Second time, I was more active.
I danced 12 rounds with him.
In the last two rounds
I had a lot of fight left in me,
came back and beat him and Foreman.
Commentator: This has to have been
one of the most bruising
heavyweight championships of all time.
Ali: Now I've had 41 rounds of fighting this year.
He's only had nine.
So, now I have everything together
about like it should be.
What I'm gonna do to him this time,
I have to show you this time
what I should have did in the first time.
Commentator: Doctor comes up
and looks at Frazier.
I think it's gonna be over.
It's all over.
Muhammad, can you say a word now around the world?
Ali: I was surprised
Joe had so much stamina,
and if I didn't have the condition,
I know I would have lost. This is too painful.
It's too much work. I might have a heart attack or something.
I wanna get out while I'm on top.
So I'll go beat up Joe Frazier.
Okay, he beat Joe Frazier. Good fight.
Tomorrow's another day. Who did I help?
I didn't help nobody but myself.
I like doing something worthwhile.
Fightin' is nothin'.
I think about people, 45, 50, 60 years old,
gettin' up, goin' to work every day.
They still go to work. And I'm about ready to retire,
and I'm established.
And I'm thirty-three.
Cosell: The question tonight,
and it may be very interesting indeed, is,
ballooned up to 230 pounds at 34 years of age,
how great is Muhammad Ali now today?
Ali: I wanna quit at the end of '76,
and this year we should make about 20 more million dollars
in five fights, which 80% of it
I plan to donate to charitable causes.
Cosell: I have never seen you so off on your timing,
missing so many lefts and rights.
Ali: I'm getting old. That's why I'm quitting this year.
If I don't take the money to give it to my people
as some kind of way up, then I'm not doing nothing.
So if we can't help people with our life and make a name
that's gonna live, ain't no sense in being here.
♪ Feel the funk y'all ♪
Man: Muhammad Ali is guaranteed $6 million
for putting his World Heavyweight Championship
on the line against Ken Norton,
who will earn about a million.
Man 2: They're fighting now.
Norton is going at Ali.
This is a fight here, Dick.
Man 3: They're slugging it out now.
Ali: Some fools still think Norton can beat me
after I destroyed his daddy, which was Foreman,
after I destroyed Joe Frazier who will destroy Norton.
He still thinks he can fight, whup me, and people do, too.
So I have something still to prove.
And after I'm through with Norton,
I can say goodbye to everybody out there.
Man: I think Kenny Norton is crying.
It looks to me like he's crying.
He must've thought he won the fight.
Man 2: You got a whole lot of commotion going on here.
Ali: Are you my man or Norton's man?
Are you my man?
I like you better than Carter or Ford.
Man: Muhammad, since this is a political year,
do you have a favorite among the presidential candidates?
And more interestingly, has anyone asked you for support?
Ali: No. No, they haven't.
I made a statement the other day
about I'm not voting for no one.
Cosell: Evangelista has gone the distance
against Muhammad Ali.
Ali: I don't care what people really expect.
All I care about is winning and getting paid
and being the world champion and ready for another day.
Man: Shavers is trying to survive till the final bell.
What a fight!
It's over!
Man 2: Muhammad Ali, you have said
that you would like to get out of boxing and carry a briefcase
and be sort of a black Henry Kissinger.
Did your fight this week persuade you
that maybe it's getting to be that time?
Ali: Yes, sir.
Man: Have you bought a black briefcase?
Ali: No, I have a couple of briefcases.
Man: Are you still the world's greatest fighter?
Some people are now saying that you can sting like a bee
but you can't float like a butterfly anymore.
Well, I'm getting old now.
I don't float like I used to.
I'm a little slow now.
So you are getting past it?
Yeah, I'm getting old, and I'm getting tired
and might get knocked out soon.
Man: ...scores 135-
136.
..scores 142-
141.
The new undisputed...
Man 2: Spinks has won it!
Leon Spinks has won
the heavyweight championship of the world!
Man 2: Incredible.
Man 3: The end of a boxing era
came like a right hook out of nowhere
last night in Las Vegas.
A 24-year-old ex-Marine
with a little over one year's professional experience
dethroned the most famous boxing figure of all time,
as Leon Spinks wrested the heavyweight title
from Muhammad Ali in a 15-round split decision.
Muhammad, on a day like this,
the day of what will be your last fight forever more,
do you find yourself thinking back
over your whole boxing career, your whole life?
I probably will later, but not now.
This fight that's coming up in a few hours
is more important than all that I've done in the past,
for the fact this is the last one,
and I want to go out
being the first black man to retire champion
and the first man to gain it three times.
Cosell: You sound almost tired, and the fight's at hand.
Ali: I'm not so tired until you're gonna hear it in my speech.
I'm just relaxed.
I'm not tired. I'm in top shape.
Probably in better shape
than I was for the Thrilla in Manila
and George Foreman, although I'm older.
I've had a few fights since then,
but this is befitting of me to do the impossible.
I cannot consider myself the greatest of all times
if I can't come back and get this title
from the likes of a man like Spinks.
I've done this the first time.
This time, you will see the real Ali.
I predict it to this camera, to anybody watching this fight,
and if I'm not telling the truth,
you can play this thing over
and show it to the public,
make me look like a fool.
I will destroy Spinks.
Man: There's the bell, and we're underway.
Round one.
The champion Spinks coming right out
against a moving, advancing Muhammad Ali.
He's moving. He's dancing.
He's been doing it for six,
now going on seven minutes.
No question this is already
a different story than the last time.
Man 2: Ali's dictating the pace of the fight.
Ali is dictating where he fights and when he fights.
Man 3: A big left for the former champion.
Ali again is in complete control.
Man: Well, a good scene, round seven,
and Ali does his little shuffle,
and the crowd loves it!
They start the chant: "Ali! Ali!"
Commentator 2: He is showing a young Leon Spinks
what it's like to be in with the real Muhammad Ali.
Ring Announcer: Ten Ali, one even, four Spinks.
Eleven Ali, four Spinks.
Ten Ali, one even, four Spinks.
The new champion, Muhammad Ali!
Commentator 1: Ali is the world heavyweight champion
for the third time, and here come...
Jessica Savitch: The top story in sports
is a report that Muhammad Ali
finally, at age 37,
has officially retired
as champion of the World Boxing Association.
I'm not gonna set up...
or stand up
and do like many people I seen goin' out.
It's just so good to-- you know, I hate to--
I'm happy... ( laughs )...
to be gettin' out.
I mean, it's been hell.
Ali: Russia is invadin' a Muslim country,
Asiatic country,
lookin' probably to take oil wells in Persia,
lookin' to take freshwater ports--
which could lead to nuclear war.
My purpose in comin' here was to try to stop that.
Jimmy Carter: With Soviet invading forces
in Afghanistan,
we and the other nations of the world
cannot conduct business as usual with the Soviet Union.
That's why the United States has imposed
stiff economic penalties on the Soviet Union.
And I have notified the Olympic Committee
that neither the American people nor I
will support sending an Olympic team to Moscow.
Ali: If the African people
helped by not going to the Olympics,
I figure this would have to show the Russians
and the world what they're doin'.
Ali: There are two bad white men in the world:
the Russian white man and the American white man.
They're the baddest two men in the history of the world.
And if these two white men start fightin',
all us little black folks are gonna be caught in the middle.
So we all should try to help stop these two white fellas
- from fightin'.
- Ali: Right? - Man 1: Yeah! - Man 2: Right!
Female reporter: White House officials say
they expect a number of other countries
to go along with Mr. Carter's request.
That means a boycott.
Ali: Why did we go to the moon? Because it's there.
Why are we trying to go to Mars? Because it's there.
Columbus wouldn't have discovered America if he didn't take a risk.
So he who is not courageous enough to take a risk
will accomplish nothing in life.
I'm a risk-taker.
I'm now shootin' for immortality.
Merv Griffin: But you got immortality now, nobody's ever gonna surpass that record--
Ali: Not four times.
Four-time world champion.
They might surpass three,
but if I get four, I know they won't do five.
Plus, I know Larry Holmes. I trained him,
- I taught him everything he knows. - He was your sparring partner.
I taught him everything he knows, but not everything I know.
- Oh.... - That's where the surprise is comin'.
- He really believes he can beat me. - Yeah.
Howard Cosell is saying the same things about you
that Larry Holmes is saying about you.
Well, he is! He said publically,
he said, "Ali is finished."
I didn't say it! Don't look at me like that.
He said it, Muhammad.
And Larry Holmes said you are 38 and over the hill.
- Man: No way! - No way, right?
- What do you say? - I'm lost for words.
Have you got a nickname for him yet?
Well, he's got a peanut-shaped head.
- I named him The Peanut.
The Peanut?!
And I says, "After the fight, I'm gonna shell you,
pack you up, and send you to Plains, Georgia."
Cosell: Holmes unbeaten in 26 fights.
There's the left! And down went Ocasio!
Commentator: And Holmes lands
a crushing right uppercut
that sends Weaver sprawling for the ring rope!
Ring announcer: Introducing the WBC heavyweight champion...
Ken Norton!
And in the red corner,
the challenger, weighing in at 209 pounds,
hailing from Easton, Pennsylvania,
the Easton Assassin,
Larry Holmes!
Fifteen rounds of boxing.
Commentator: We're in round one, it's just underway.
As you know, the world title at stake.
No damage done. Larry Holmes is actually a bit taller...
maybe by a half an inch, maybe as much as an inch.
Commentator 2: Remember those tassels like that that Muhammad Ali wore
the first time he met Joe Frazier after the layoff?
Commentator 1: Larry Holmes has them on.
He's copied everything from Ali.
Ali: I'll eat him up.
This guy.
Commentator 1: Kenny Norton, doing what he has to do to win!
Ring announcer: 143...
142, Holmes.
143, 142...
Norton.
143, 142...
for the new...
Commentator: Larry Holmes has done it!
The new heavyweight champion of the world!
Man: Do you pray a lot, to Allah, yourself?
Ali: About five times a day.
Five times a day.
Are they set prayers, or ad-lib?
Do you think them up as you go?
Usually when we're in cars or on airplanes,
you have to just say 'em to yourself,
but we have, probably, over 100 different prayers--
prayers for success, prayers for travelin', prayers for victory,
and for many things.
Do you pray for victory in fights?
All the time.
Ali: If I was fightin' a young Frazier in his prime,
or a young Sonny Liston,
or a young George Foreman,
I wouldn't do it.
But I can beat Larry Holmes.
He's the man I trained, I know I can beat him.
I see his weak points. He's tired after eight rounds.
And then I'm just gonna do it.
Oh, Holmes is in trouble.
He dance like me,
he tries to tell jokes like me,
he tries to do the rope-a-dope like me,
and he tries to write poems like me--
everything he do is me.
He meet the real me, meet his idol,
he's gonna freeze.
I'm gonna do him in.
Man: You guys spent time sparring together,
you spent a lot of time outside the ring together--
is it difficult to go in there with a friend?
Holmes: I don't wanna fight Muhammad.
Muhammad is a legend. Let him stay home in his rocking chair.
Stay home, old man. You don't need me. Take it and run.
Man: ♪ Well, regeneration... ♪
Ali: The question I'm gettin' is, "Why are you doing it?"
The reason is, I'm out to conquer...
immortality.
♪ We gon' make it right, if it takes all night ♪
Holmes: He won't go eight rounds.
I predict it. Ali will fall.
The old man is in serious trouble.
Ring announcer: Fighting out of Louisville, Kentucky,
introducing Muhammad Ali!
Fighting out of Easton, Pennsylvania,
he is the WBC heavyweight champion of the world,
Larry "The Easton Assassin" Holmes!
Fifteen rounds of boxing.
- Ali: I have a poem for you.
Merv Griffin: Gimme a poem. Here it comes.
Ali comes out to meet Holmes,
but Holmes starts to retreat.
If Holmes goes back an inch farther,
he'll wind up in a ringside seat.
Commentator: Holmes hasn't caught him yet,
but Ali hasn't thrown any punches yet, either.
Ali: Ali swings to the left, Ali swings to the right,
look at Ali carry the fight.
Commentator: Holmes is not intimidated by him.
Commentator 2: No, I'd say they both respect each other,
in spite of what they said.
Ali: Holmes keeps backin',
but there's not enough room,
it's a matter of time, then Ali lowers the boom!
Commentator 1: Ali's only thrown one punch in two rounds.
Ali: Now he leans to the right, what a beautiful swing,
and the punch throws Holmes clean out of the ring.
- Griffin: Whoa!
Commentator 1: Kind of sad to this point
to think how great Muhammad Ali was in his prime,
and to see a man that's just kinda trying to,
it looks to me, hang on and keep the thing going for one more time.
- Ali: Holmes is still rising... - Griffin: Wow.
...but the referee wears a frown,
for he can't start countin' until Holmes comes down.
Commentator 1: Quick combination by Larry.
Ali clowning again...
Ali: We can't believe it,
Holmes disappears from view,
the crowd is getting frantic,
but our radar stations have picked him up,
he's somewheres over the Atlantic.
Commentator 1: The whole attack for Holmes
is centered on the head of Ali.
Ali: Who would have dreamed when they came to the fight
that they'd witness the launching
of a colored satellite?
Commentator 1: You get the idea that Muhammad Ali
might explode at any time, too, 'cause he--
Commentator 2: I don't think he's figured something to do.
Man: Keep the pressure! Keep it up!
Ali: Friendship is a priceless gift
that cannot be bought nor sold...
but its value is far greater
than a mountain made of gold.
For gold is cold and lifeless,
it can neither see nor hear,
in time of trouble, it's powerless to cheer.
Gold has no ears to listen,
no heart to understand,
it cannot bring you comfort
or reach out a helping hand.
So when you ask God for a gift,
be thankful if He sends
not diamonds, pearls, or riches,
but the love of real true friends.
Commentator 1: It's the end of round ten.
Commentator 2: I think he's gonna stand and keep goin'.
What a courageous stand.
He handled it with dignity.
I think Angelo wants him to stop the fight.
The game's over! Stop the fight!
And Angelo Dundee wants to stop the fight.
- Commentator 1: That's it!
They've stopped the fight, a TKO!
Holmes: I did what I had to do, and I still love the guy.
I don't care what nobody say, he's one hell of an athlete.
Interviewer: Was the emotion at the end of the fight
really the sadness of beating your idol?
Holmes: Yes, it is.
But, you know, we all come, and we all go.
Ain't happy this man left,
but he believes so strongly in hisself.
He thought he could beat me, so he came back, gave me a try,
and you can't knock a man for trying.
I'll always respect the man,
people all around the world respect the man,
and he's going down in history
as one of the greatest fighters of all time,
and especially in my time.
Cosell: Larry, I'd like you to explain why you've been crying.
You know, I really respect a whole lot--
really respect Ali a whole lot.
It hurt you to punish him that way, didn't it?
I feel that he fought one of the baddest heavyweights in the world today,
and you cannot take credit from him.
Man: How you feelin', Muhammad?
How do I feel?
I feel with my hands.
Why is there so many press in here?
Man 2: You glad to be back in England, Muhammad?
Oh, yeah, I'm always glad to be back in England.
I love England.
I'm glad the sun's shinin'.
I don't see no rain and fog today.
Man 3: Muhammad, the $64 question:
are you gonna box again?
I shall return!
Who will your opponent be, Muhammad?
Ali: My managers and trainers are negotiating
for probably... some top contender.
My mind is not 100% sure yet.
Uh...
I can do better than I did the last time, with Holmes.
Man: You haven't finished with boxing, definitely,
- can you tell us that? - That's right.
- You're still in there? - You're not as dumb as you look.
Thank you.
Ring Announcer: Judge Alonzo Butler votes it 97-94.
Judge Clyde Gray votes 99-94.
Judge Jay Edson votes 99-94.
Unanimous decision for Trevor Berbick!
Man: Well, there you have it.
Trevor Berbick with the unanimous victory.
Jim Hill: Muhammad,
has it settled in your mind now, after losing,
this is it for you, you should never come back in this ring again?
Ali: Well, I'm sure that this is enough to convince me.
Today I got hurt, and I saw the shots, but couldn't take 'em.
Father Time just got me.
It looked to us at ringside that you were slow,
you were telegraphing your punches,
the eyes could see it, but the physical ability just couldn't get it there.
That's right.
I think that's the trouble.
Father Time caught me.
In my young days,
I wouldn't have had much trouble,
but I think time got me.
- And this is it for you? - I'm sure it is. This is it.
I'm sure I'm going to wake up next week,
say I'm coming back, but as of now,
I'm retiring.
I don't think I'll change my mind.
Muhammad, thank you so very much,
and thank you from all of us around the world.
Thank you.
( birds singing, children laughing )
Girl: Can I get your autograph if I go get a piece of paper?
- Ali: Would you pay a dollar? - What?
Would you pay a dollar?
I was joking. Get a piece of paper.
OK, come on!
They're gonna say, "He's got brain damage. He's fightin' horses."
Ali: Everything God created has a purpose.
Trees have a purpose. The moon has a purpose.
Rain, snow, cats, dogs-- everything have a purpose.
And the wise man is he or she who knows their life purpose.
Mike Tyson: In this situation, every head must bow,
every tongue must confess--
this is the greatest of all time.
That's real nice for him to pay a good compliment,
- but the man is the greatest. - Hall: You think he could hit harder than Earnie Shavers?
Do I think?
Are you colored?
Ali: Most surely God's highest form of life,
human beings have a purpose,
and the wise man is he or she
who knows their life purpose.
Man: Saddam Hussein has allowed the guests
to return to America with us.
Arsenio Hall: The first question that we should deal with
is a very sensitive area:
everybody talks about Muhammad Ali's health,
Muhammad Ali--
and obviously the things that you're going through now.
Would you like to comment on that?
I have what they call Parkinson's syndrome.
It causes a tremor in your ha-hands,
and... it affects the speech.
So all that old talk, "I'm the greatest,"
I have to slow down now.
It seems to bug other people more than it does you.
When I sit and talk to you, you seem to be fine
with the speech and everything.
Sometimes.
It don't bother me, but...
I hope it gets better.
Yeah. Yeah.
We're all prayin' for you.
Ali: My purpose was to be a heavyweight champion
and live a clean life,
and--in spite of all the money and all the fame,
and do all I can to help other people.
Ed Bradley: I'm just gonna show you a picture,
and you can react to it any way you want to.
You can talk.
Now, I know you can talk.
You've talked to me, you talk to Lonnie,
you talk to Howard.
Bradley: On this day, he didn't want to talk.
In his kitchen, away from the microphone,
Ali explained that he didn't want people to feel sorry for him,
didn't want to be pitied, didn't want people to say,
"Poor Ali. He fought too long."
He still has no regrets about what boxing did to him,
because of what boxing has done for him.
- Man: Ali. Ali! Ali!
- Don't wake him. - Touch him. Touch him.
- Lonnie: No. Well-- - Bradley: Ahem.
- Hello. - Sometimes he does that.
That happened after the Frazier fight in Manila.
What happened?
I don't know, I wasn't there,
but ever since the Frazier fight in Manila,
Muhammad will-- it's sort of like narcolepsy,
he'll just start sleeping, but he'll have these flashbacks,
and he'll have-- it's like nightmares,
and his face will twist up like he's boxing.
And he'll throw punches at people.
And he does it at night sometimes.
Whenever he starts snoring heavily,
I have to get out of the bed, because I know it's gonna start.
- Really? So, when he starts-- - Man: Go to the next room.
- So he's not... putting on when he's doing it? - Lonnie: No.
This actually happens.
And the doctor told us not to really try to wake him
if that does happen, 'cause he might end up with a heart attack,
because it might frighten him.
So I don't. I just get up and move.
That's--that's the hard part.
- You have to sort of--
- Yeeeaaa...! - Bradley: You got me.
Television host: OK, we have the next question
right up here in the balcony. Right, sir.
Muhammad, I'd like to know
what you're gonna do when you retire from boxing.
- Host: I think, uh--
I think he's probably taking the last count,
but I'll do my best to wake him up.
Just sleep. That's all I'm gonna do.
That's all he wants to do when he retires.
When I retire from boxin',
I really don't know--
I wanna say something right here,
this might make you all think.
What I'm gonna do when I get out of boxing
is to get myself ready to meet God,
because God is watching me.
He wants to know how do we treat each other, how do we help each other.
So this is a test
to see where will we spend our life, in heaven or hell,
and that's eternity.
This is not the life now. Your real self is inside you.
Your body gets old, but your soul and your spirit never die.
So when I die, if there's a heaven, I want to see it.
So God is testing us on how we treat each other, how we live,
to see where our real home be in heaven.
Ali: We came in chains,
we came in misery,
now all our suffering and pain's a part of history.
We came in chains, you must remember that,
for that and that alone explains
exactly where we're at.
We came in chains, we came as livin' loot;
so you could boast slave-gotten gains,
we've groaned beneath your boot.
We came in chains,
and how our blood was spilled,
together with our sweat
it stains this nation we helped build.
We came in chains, we didn't volunteer,
and yet today the fact remains
we're still held captive here.
We came in chains, now I say cut us loose,
though that may go against your grain, still there's no excuse.
We came in chains, now who down there's gonna bear the cost
till every one of us regains the freedom we have lost?
We came in chains, and now your choice must be
to either blow out all my brains
or else just set me free.
Crowd chanting: Ali! Ali! Ali!
- Ali! Ali! Ali!
Ali! Ali! Ali!
♪ Ali! Ali! Ali! ♪
♪ Ali... ♪
Man: ♪ One, two, three, make it funky ♪
♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Ha! ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ I got to ♪ - ♪ Make it funky... ♪
Ali: I'm writing the greatest short poem of all time.
This poem tell how it feel to be as great as me.
- This is it,
the greatest short poem of all time:
"Me? Wheeeeee!"
- James Brown: ♪ Got to do it ♪
♪ Make it funky, oh yeah ♪
♪ Make it funky ♪
♪ Make it funky, make it funky ♪
- ♪ Oh, yes, I got to ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Oh yes, I need to ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ I want to say now ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Oh yes, I got to do it now ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
♪ Make it funky ♪
♪ Oh yes, I got to do it now ♪
♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Ha! ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Good God ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Get it now ♪ - ♪ Make it funky ♪
- ♪ Ha ha! Ha! - ♪ Make it funky ♪
♪ Good God ♪
♪ Make it funky ♪
♪ Take me home ♪
- ♪ To the bridge ♪ - ♪ Funky ♪
♪ Make it funky ♪
♪ It's so funky ♪
♪ I can't help it, boy ♪