I was not a fan of young Cassius Clay on February 25, 1964 when I turned on the radio to listen to the heavyweight championship fight between Clay and the ‘unbeatable’ Sonny Liston. I had not reached my 17th birthday, but was already an avid fan of professional boxing. There was no way that the “Louisville Lip” could defeat the “Bear.”
When the fight was over, and Liston was reportedly unable to continue, I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t wait to see the newsreel the next time I went to the movies. And after watching his incredible skill and power, I slowly admitted to becoming a fan.
But his courage was better represented outside of the ring than inside. He was a man of principle, and never varied from his beliefs.
I, like millions of others, understood little about the Muslim faith when the former Cassius Clay took the Muslim name of Muhammad Ali, but I respected him for his representation of the black community and adopting a religion supporting their cause.
I also supported his refusal to enjoin in a war where killing was demanded of the men who served in the armed forces. Like Ali, I never understood why we were involved in battle on the other side of the world when our nation was in no danger.
His principles cost the champ greatly. He was suspended from boxing during some of his most productive years. But that also allowed him to have his greatest victory when the Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision, and Muhammad Ali was granted all of his Constitutional rights including his license as a professional boxer.
Muhammad Ali had few supporters in the media during his period of expulsion. When Howard Cosell, another hero of mine, stood up for the champ, I was amazed and thrilled. Men of conviction should be our heroes, not men of mere accomplishment.
Three matches defined Ali’s career, and offer proof that boxing will never see his likes again; his first world championship against Sonny Liston; the “Thrilla in Manilla;” and the “Rumble in the Jungle.”
Young Cassius Marcellus Clay said it himself when Liston was unable to come out of his corner for the seventh round: “I shook up the world.” This was after Clay was nearly blind during the fifth round from an unknown substance.
George Foreman was big, powerful, and young when Muhammad Ali challenged him on October 30, 1974. The fight took place in Zaire; hence the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Foreman was favored to defeat the older Ali, but no one considered the intelligence of ‘the greatest.’
Ali used a tactic later labeled ‘rope-a-dope.’ The more experienced fighter forced Foreman to exhaust himself with punches which mostly struck Ali’s arms. Ali knocked Foreman out just before the bell rung ending the eighth round.
Today’s rules would never have allowed the fight in Manilla on October 1, 1975 to last as long as it did. Although Joe Frazier clearly wanted to come out of his corner for the 15th round, his manager forbade him, and protected Frazier from more serious injury.
I have never witnessed a more brutal fight in my life. Both men landed blows several times which would have put other men on the canvas. The evening after the match, Frazier was in the hospital, and would remain there for two days; Ali attended the ball thrown by Fernando Marcos, but was barely able to walk, his swollen eyes covered with dark glasses.
Frazier later commented that he could not believe that Ali stood after some of the vicious body blows he delivered to his rib cage, and hooks to Ali’s head.
Finally, a personal note. I worked for an airline in Los Angeles between 1967 and 1977. One morning after an early departure, my friend and I went to the ticketing area to ‘girl watch.’ To our left, walking down the middle of the aisle, was Muhammad Ali. He was stopped by about 12 black teenage girls. He smiled, signed autographs for each of them, and then kissed each of them on the cheek before moving on.
Working in LA, I encountered hundreds of celebrities. I promised myself to never bother them and ask for an autograph. This was the one time I nearly broke that promise.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of Celestine Chua
The Truth With No Restrictions 