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INTERVIEWER: Are you a wiser
man now than you were?
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Much wiser, much wiser.
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They have a saying, "a wise man
change, but a fool never change."
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And I've changed
because I've become wiser.
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INTERVIEWER: Well, they say
that the road back is a lot
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harder than the
road up the first time.
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Do you feel it that way?
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In my mind it's easier, but in
my body it might be a little harder.
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But I have to come back.
I'm going to come back.
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I'll be considered much
better when I come back.
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I have too much to fight
for, cause to fight for.
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HOWARD BRYANT: I think that the
most important part of post-exile Ali
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is this quest to be made whole.
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That's why the climb
is so important, so vital.
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That's why victory matters,
is to send that message that
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he's the one that
you're not going to break.
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Crowd roaring
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COSELL: The crowd roars now
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as Muhammad Ali
comes down the aisle.
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A man who has evoked
all kinds of passion,
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against and for.
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Ali who knows that
he's got a lot to prove.
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Crowd roaring the crowd reacts!
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And this is not the
usual Ali style at all.
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Where is that Ali movement?
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Strange thing to see,
ladies and gentlemen.
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NARRATOR: On December 7,
1970, Muhammad Ali fought
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Oscar Bonavena at New York
city's Madison square garden.
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He had already defeated
Jerry quarry in Atlanta in his
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return from a 3 1/2-year
banishment by boxing officials
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for refusing induction into
the United States armed forces,
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a crime for which he still
faced 5 years in federal prison.
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EIG: As soon as Ali stepped
back into the ring after his exile,
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boxing aficionados,
trainers, other boxers noticed
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immediately that he was
different, that he was slower.
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And because he had
never had great technique,
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because he had
kept his hands too low
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and he had never
learned to duck punches,
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this made him more vulnerable.
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He was going to be absorbing
more punishment now,
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and he was gonna have to
learn different ways to win.
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COSELL: And now Ali is
behaving like the old Ali.
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It's over!
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Ali is the knockout winner
at 2 minutes and 3 sec...
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NARRATOR: He needed 15
rounds to beat Bonavena.
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"I took everything he threw,"
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Ali told reporters
after the fight.
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"And he hits hard."
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"That was when Ali
discovered something
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which was both very
good and very bad,"
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his fight doctor,
Ferdie Pacheco, said.
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"He could take a punch."
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♫ ♫
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{\an8}Improved Captions by Sailor420
!!! Hope you enjoy the Mini-Series !!!
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By the time Muhammad
Ali had regained
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his boxing license in 1970,
many Americans had grown tired
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of the ever-increasing body
count, grim news reports,
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and graphic imagery coming
back from the front lines
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of the Vietnam war.
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Civil unrest in Newark,
Chicago, Detroit, and many
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other cities had further
laid bare African-Americans'
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deep frustration with
their second-class status,
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while the nation of Islam,
the separatist religious sect
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that Ali continued
to support, had,
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since the death of Malcolm X,
retreated from the public eye,
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and now seemed less
threatening to white America.
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(shouting and chanting)
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(sirens)
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♫ ♫
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EARLY: Because of the changes
taking place in the country...
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The anti-Vietnam war
movement and the like,
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the rise of black
power in the country,
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the rise of radicalism
in the country,
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Ali suddenly has a real audience
and a real set of followers
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in a way that he
didn't have before,
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and he no longer is someone
who's seen in American culture
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just as totally a villain.
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He's now a hero to a
sizable number of people,
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and he's gonna play to
that particular segment
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of American society.
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NARRATOR: Ali was determined
to regain the heavyweight title,
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but his sentence for
draft evasion loomed.
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Over the past 3 1/2 years,
he had lost appeal after appeal.
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Now his last chance
to avoid prison
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lay with the United
States supreme court,
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if they would even
agree to hear his case.
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00:06:01,009 --> 00:06:03,243
ANNOUNCER: Return
of the champion...
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NARRATOR: Ali's return to
boxing had demonstrated that
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he was still an
enormous attraction.
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People everywhere were eager
to see the most dominant boxer
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of the 1960s fight again.
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DUNPHY: Muhammad
Ali, Cassius Clay...
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REMNICK: When you talk
about the greatest fights,
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00:06:21,043 --> 00:06:23,943
there are fights
that are perfect,
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and then there are
fights that are dramatic.
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00:06:27,543 --> 00:06:31,809
His fight early on against
Cleveland Williams or zora folley
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before he's taken out
of commission because
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of the draft drama are
exquisite and perfect.
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The speed is there.
The hand speed is there.
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DUNPHY: That's the Ali shuffle.
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REMNICK: He doesn't
make a false move,
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and then he finishes it off.
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There's no more
perfect performance.
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But it's not homeric in scale.
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It doesn't come with
suffering and great opposition.
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So that comes in
the early seventies.
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00:07:03,809 --> 00:07:07,209
And when you talk about
any athlete, it's not a real
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discussion unless
they have some rivalry.
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So you can't talk about
Muhammad Ali without talking
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about Joe Frazier.
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His rivalry in one sense was
with the system, the powers
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that be, the government,
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but his sports rival
was Joe Frazier.
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(bell clangs)
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NARRATOR: On December
30, 1970, Muhammad Ali,
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the number-one heavyweight
contender, and Joe Frazier,
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the reigning world
champion, met in New York
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to announce their
much-anticipated title fight.
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I predict that when
I meet Joe Frazier,
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this will be like a good amateur
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fighting a real professional.
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This will be like a kid out
of the Olympics meeting
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00:08:02,176 --> 00:08:04,809
the fastest heavyweight
champion that ever lived.
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This will be no contest.
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NARRATOR: They'd signed
the largest contract
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in the sport's history,
guaranteeing them each
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$2.5 million.
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Never before had two
undefeated champions
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faced each other for
the heavyweight title.
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It was billed as "the
fight of the century."
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NARRATOR: Two weeks later,
the United States supreme court
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announced that they would
hear Muhammad Ali's appeal,
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keeping alive the slim hope
that he might avoid prison.
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♫ Jean knight's "Mr.
Big Stuff" playing ♫
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on January 13, 1971,
Ali arrived in Miami beach
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to prepare for his
fight with Frazier.
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Angelo Dundee, Ali's
long-time trainer, had arranged
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for the boxer to stay at an upscale
Jewish retirement community
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called the octagon towers.
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He was the first African- American
ever permitted to live there.
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00:09:03,243 --> 00:09:06,876
My man. He feeds me
kosher food every day.
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00:09:06,909 --> 00:09:09,109
Yes, sir. And it's good, too.
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Who are you for,
Joe Frazier or me?
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They tell me Joe
Frazier's the new champ.
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What do you say?
Now who are you?
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I'm the heavywe... Who am I?
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LAUGHTER WOMAN: Ohh!
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KNIGHT: ♫ who do
you think you are? ♫
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♫ Mr. Big stuff ♫
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NARRATOR: Dundee's
5th street gym,
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where Ali had first
trained a decade earlier,
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bustled with reporters and fans,
each of whom paid $1.00 to watch
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the fighter entertain.
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Ali did not disappoint.
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KNIGHT: ♫ you made 'em
cry, many poor girls cry ♫
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He told jokes, posed
for photographs,
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performed magic tricks,
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and drew laughs when he
mockingly imitated Joe Frazier's style.
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He's taking 20 headshots.
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NARRATOR: "I never wanted to
whup anybody so bad," Ali said.
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"The people of the whole
world gonna see who's king."
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00:10:01,909 --> 00:10:03,809
KNIGHT: ♫ Mr. Big stuff ♫
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Though Ali had fought twice
in the past 3 months, he was
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10 pounds over his preferred
weight and seemed uninterested
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00:10:10,943 --> 00:10:13,409
in getting in shape.
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"Training was mostly a publicity
stunt," Ferdie Pacheco said.
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"He trained a little bit
and then he talked a lot."
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Joe's gonna come out smokin',
and I ain't gonna be jokin'.
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I'll be peckin' and a pokin',
pouring water on his smokin'.
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This might shock and amaze
ya, but I will retire Joe Frazier.
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(laughter)
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When I used to watch
Muhammad fight,
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I felt confident that he
was gonna whoop anybody
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that got in that ring.
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I didn't have to
worry about a thing.
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"But you're getting cocky
and you're not training like
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"the way you
supposed to be training.
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"You just trying to convince
yourself that you gonna win,
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"but it takes training and hard
work, and you're good at that.
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00:10:57,609 --> 00:10:59,376
"And now you're
not training right,
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and you making me worried now."
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Hello, young lady.
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WOMAN: Hello, sir.
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How are you today? Fine.
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Good.
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NARRATOR: The crowds
and the cameras were not
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Ali's only distraction.
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00:11:10,676 --> 00:11:13,709
Ever since his exile from
boxing and suspension from
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the nation of Islam,
he had been cheating
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on belinda frequently.
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00:11:18,809 --> 00:11:21,776
No matter where he went,
women sought his attention
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and affection, and members
of his entourage helped
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feed his increasing
appetite for casual sex.
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Belinda was heartbroken.
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00:11:31,843 --> 00:11:35,076
She began having
her own affairs.
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BELINDA ALI: We
all make mistakes.
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00:11:37,476 --> 00:11:42,676
I'm not perfect, and I don't
expect for him to be perfect.
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00:11:42,709 --> 00:11:48,843
When he was training for
the Joe Frazier fight, guys was
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00:11:48,876 --> 00:11:51,943
coming around to the
camp, up to no good,
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00:11:51,976 --> 00:11:54,143
bringing him chicks.
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I said "man, this
is not gonna work.
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I packed my bags, and
I went back to Chicago.
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00:12:02,409 --> 00:12:04,909
ALI: They don't
come to see a talker.
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00:12:04,943 --> 00:12:06,209
They seein' and watchin' a doer.
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00:12:06,243 --> 00:12:07,709
MAN: That's right.
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00:12:07,743 --> 00:12:09,509
Now let me go to work now. Yeah.
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00:12:09,543 --> 00:12:12,276
(cheering and applause)
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NARRATOR: When asked
by a reporter if he had
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00:12:15,243 --> 00:12:19,209
lost a step, Ali replied,
"I'm just as sharp...
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00:12:19,243 --> 00:12:21,209
"I just fight different now.
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00:12:21,243 --> 00:12:23,776
"Now I'm a mature
man, a strong man.
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00:12:23,809 --> 00:12:26,476
The dancing is no
longer necessary."
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00:12:26,509 --> 00:12:28,519
ALI: I'm not just gonna whup
Frazier, I'm gonna whup all
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00:12:28,543 --> 00:12:30,676
the so-called experts.
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00:12:30,709 --> 00:12:33,176
After this one, they
will never predict against
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00:12:33,209 --> 00:12:34,649
MUHAMMAD ALI. MAN:
You got that right.
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00:12:34,676 --> 00:12:36,476
Never again.
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00:12:36,509 --> 00:12:38,152
EIG: Ali didn't think he was
gonna have much trouble
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00:12:38,176 --> 00:12:40,176
with Joe Frazier.
Frazier was smaller,
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he was not a pretty fighter.
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He was the guy who just bulled
his way in, got under your chin,
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and just pounded and
pounded and pounded.
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ANNOUNCER: Frazier is putting
everything into every punch.
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00:12:52,109 --> 00:12:54,243
EIG: But he had this left hook,
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00:12:54,276 --> 00:12:56,543
and when he threw
that hook, it just landed.
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00:12:56,576 --> 00:13:00,243
It's maybe the greatest left
hook in all of boxing history.
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00:13:00,276 --> 00:13:02,076
COSELL: That's the left hook.
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00:13:02,109 --> 00:13:04,943
And Ali had always been
vulnerable to the left hook,
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00:13:04,976 --> 00:13:07,309
all his career,
even as an amateur.
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00:13:07,343 --> 00:13:10,209
Left hook was the punch
that he had a hard time seeing
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00:13:10,243 --> 00:13:13,276
and he'd been hurt
by it many times.
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00:13:13,309 --> 00:13:16,409
So this was a
difficult match-up.
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00:13:16,443 --> 00:13:18,743
INTERVIEWER: I was talking to
Muhammad Ali down in Miami
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00:13:18,776 --> 00:13:20,176
earlier this week,
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00:13:20,209 --> 00:13:21,943
and he called you
a good street fighter.
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00:13:21,976 --> 00:13:24,076
Does that make you mad?
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00:13:24,109 --> 00:13:28,843
Don't make me mad at all.
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00:13:28,876 --> 00:13:31,876
NARRATOR: Joe Frazier was
the youngest of 10 children
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00:13:31,909 --> 00:13:36,176
born to a one-armed handyman
and his wife, a field hand,
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00:13:36,209 --> 00:13:39,009
in south Carolina's low country.
241
00:13:39,043 --> 00:13:42,243
At 6, he had seen Joe Louis box
242
00:13:42,276 --> 00:13:46,143
in an exhibition fight
in nearby beaufort.
243
00:13:46,176 --> 00:13:49,943
Later, he fashioned a
heavy bag from a burlap sack,
244
00:13:49,976 --> 00:13:55,209
filling it with sand, corncobs,
bricks... whatever he could find...
245
00:13:55,243 --> 00:13:58,576
Then spent an hour
a day walloping it.
246
00:13:58,609 --> 00:14:02,143
IZENBERG: His uncle
called him little Joe Louis.
247
00:14:02,176 --> 00:14:07,543
At school, um, he was the
toughest guy in the class.
248
00:14:07,576 --> 00:14:09,376
And when the bullies
would come to take
249
00:14:09,409 --> 00:14:11,209
the other kids' lunch money,
250
00:14:11,243 --> 00:14:13,476
he would defend them.
251
00:14:13,509 --> 00:14:16,476
NARRATOR: Frazier
quit school at 15,
252
00:14:16,509 --> 00:14:20,143
and after brief stints picking
crops, working construction,
253
00:14:20,176 --> 00:14:23,076
and loading crates
at a Coca-Cola plant,
254
00:14:23,109 --> 00:14:27,343
he left south Carolina in
search of something better.
255
00:14:27,376 --> 00:14:31,409
In Philadelphia, he moved
in with an aunt, got a job
256
00:14:31,443 --> 00:14:34,809
at a slaughterhouse,
and, hoping to lose weight,
257
00:14:34,843 --> 00:14:38,176
began working out at a
police athletic league gym
258
00:14:38,209 --> 00:14:40,809
on the north side of town.
259
00:14:40,843 --> 00:14:44,776
One day, a former amateur
fighter named "yank" durham
260
00:14:44,809 --> 00:14:47,443
watched Frazier
slug a heavy bag.
261
00:14:47,476 --> 00:14:51,009
Though the teenager was
pigeon toed, overweight, and had
262
00:14:51,043 --> 00:14:54,709
short arms for a fighter,
durham was impressed
263
00:14:54,743 --> 00:14:57,009
and offered to train him.
264
00:14:57,043 --> 00:15:00,176
The young boxer proved
dedicated and disciplined,
265
00:15:00,209 --> 00:15:02,276
running each
morning before his shift
266
00:15:02,309 --> 00:15:04,943
at the slaughterhouse
and training at the gym
267
00:15:04,976 --> 00:15:07,443
late into the night.
268
00:15:07,476 --> 00:15:11,276
Within two months,
Frazier had entered and won
269
00:15:11,309 --> 00:15:14,409
the middle Atlantic
golden gloves tournament.
270
00:15:14,443 --> 00:15:19,043
Two years later, in 1964,
he earned a gold medal
271
00:15:19,076 --> 00:15:22,909
fighting as a heavyweight
at the Tokyo Olympics.
272
00:15:22,943 --> 00:15:25,909
Back in Philadelphia
they began calling him
273
00:15:25,943 --> 00:15:28,409
"the slaughterhouse kid."
274
00:15:28,443 --> 00:15:34,076
In August of 1965, married
and with 3 young children,
275
00:15:34,109 --> 00:15:39,809
Frazier, now 21 years
old, turned professional.
276
00:15:39,843 --> 00:15:42,209
Will it be much of a
difference fighting pro?
277
00:15:42,243 --> 00:15:45,176
The only thing I can see,
the gloves is a little lighter.
278
00:15:45,209 --> 00:15:46,376
That's about all.
279
00:15:46,409 --> 00:15:47,909
REPORTER: And the money?
280
00:15:47,943 --> 00:15:50,343
Well, uh, well,
that'll be good, too.
281
00:15:50,376 --> 00:15:54,409
We all could use some of that,
you know, every now and then.
282
00:15:54,443 --> 00:15:58,676
MOSLEY: Joe Frazier,
fought beyond what he was.
283
00:15:58,709 --> 00:16:01,743
He really shouldn't have
been that competitive in...
284
00:16:01,776 --> 00:16:05,109
In the heavyweight division,
considering his size, you know,
285
00:16:05,143 --> 00:16:08,443
considering his
talents, you know?
286
00:16:08,476 --> 00:16:14,943
But he was, because he was
also a force to be reckoned with.
287
00:16:14,976 --> 00:16:18,376
Not a political force,
not an intellectual force,
288
00:16:18,409 --> 00:16:22,476
just a boxing force,
but a force of nature.
289
00:16:24,143 --> 00:16:28,209
NARRATOR: Frazier won
his first 24 fights and had
290
00:16:28,243 --> 00:16:31,309
established himself as a
contender for the heavyweight
291
00:16:31,343 --> 00:16:35,376
championship that had been
stripped from Muhammad Ali.
292
00:16:35,409 --> 00:16:39,609
KINDRED: There had been a
tournament to succeed Ali.
293
00:16:39,643 --> 00:16:42,543
His old sparring partner
and friend Jimmy Ellis
294
00:16:42,576 --> 00:16:44,576
won that tournament.
295
00:16:44,609 --> 00:16:47,976
Then Ellis fought Frazier.
296
00:16:48,009 --> 00:16:50,609
Frazier knocked him
out in the 4th round,
297
00:16:50,643 --> 00:16:53,909
and Frazier became the
heavyweight champion.
298
00:16:53,943 --> 00:16:57,776
So a Frazier-Ali
fight was inevitable.
299
00:16:57,809 --> 00:17:00,343
MUWAKKIL: Whoever claimed
to be heavyweight champion
300
00:17:00,376 --> 00:17:02,576
was inauthentic, automatically.
301
00:17:02,609 --> 00:17:05,076
Without being challenged by Ali,
302
00:17:05,109 --> 00:17:07,909
there was no
validity to their title.
303
00:17:07,943 --> 00:17:10,476
FRAZIER: Well, I consider
myself the heavyweight
304
00:17:10,509 --> 00:17:15,376
champion of the world until the
champ gets back in action again.
305
00:17:15,409 --> 00:17:20,643
EARLY: Joe Frazier
emerges as the guy
306
00:17:20,676 --> 00:17:23,343
people think can beat Ali.
307
00:17:23,376 --> 00:17:25,009
Frazier is a very good fighter.
308
00:17:25,043 --> 00:17:26,876
COSELL: Down goes Ellis.
309
00:17:26,909 --> 00:17:29,643
I think it was Norman mailer
who called him "the war machine,"
310
00:17:29,676 --> 00:17:32,376
and, uh, that's a very
apt, uh, expression,
311
00:17:32,409 --> 00:17:33,543
he was a war machine.
312
00:17:33,576 --> 00:17:35,143
COSELL: Frazier is strong.
313
00:17:35,176 --> 00:17:36,485
EARLY: He came at
you very aggressively.
314
00:17:36,509 --> 00:17:37,852
COSELL: Frazier
again with the left.
315
00:17:37,876 --> 00:17:39,143
EARLY: He's really relentless.
316
00:17:39,176 --> 00:17:40,876
COSELL: Ellis
standing there, oh!
317
00:17:40,909 --> 00:17:43,709
A tremendous
left hook. It is over.
318
00:17:43,743 --> 00:17:45,543
NARRATOR: "I'm gonna
retire," Frazier had said
319
00:17:45,576 --> 00:17:47,609
after knocking out Ellis.
320
00:17:47,643 --> 00:17:51,009
"I'm gonna sing rock 'n
roll until that Muhammad Ali
321
00:17:51,043 --> 00:17:55,176
or Cassius Clay or whatever
his name is can fight me."
322
00:17:55,209 --> 00:17:58,176
♫ ♫
323
00:17:58,209 --> 00:18:01,776
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
had been circling each other
324
00:18:01,809 --> 00:18:06,209
ever since they'd met at
Madison square garden in 1967.
325
00:18:06,243 --> 00:18:09,276
Then, the younger
fighter had asked Ali
326
00:18:09,309 --> 00:18:12,943
for an autograph and
promised that, in two years,
327
00:18:12,976 --> 00:18:16,209
he would be ready
to face the champ.
328
00:18:16,243 --> 00:18:20,543
During his exile, Ali had
hounded Frazier mercilessly,
329
00:18:20,576 --> 00:18:24,509
turning up at his Philadelphia
gym, challenging him to fight,
330
00:18:24,543 --> 00:18:27,376
taunting him on TV and radio.
331
00:18:27,409 --> 00:18:31,509
ALI: I just cannot
wait until the bell ring.
332
00:18:31,543 --> 00:18:33,576
I've never wanted to
whup a man so bad.
333
00:18:33,609 --> 00:18:35,743
I'll fight... in the
alley. Anywhere.
334
00:18:35,776 --> 00:18:37,619
I want to prove that Joe
Frazier's not the heavyweight
335
00:18:37,643 --> 00:18:39,409
champion of the world.
336
00:18:39,443 --> 00:18:42,543
We have to whup Joe
Frazier because Joe Frazier is
337
00:18:42,576 --> 00:18:44,119
too ugly to be the world's
heavyweight champion.
338
00:18:44,143 --> 00:18:45,776
(cheering)
339
00:18:45,809 --> 00:18:47,719
BOBBY DARIN: He wants to
know what happens, Muhammad,
340
00:18:47,743 --> 00:18:51,243
if indeed things don't work
out as you think they're going to
341
00:18:51,276 --> 00:18:54,043
and Frazier, uh, does you in?
342
00:18:54,076 --> 00:18:56,043
(laughter) Next question.
343
00:18:56,076 --> 00:18:57,943
(laughter and applause)
344
00:18:59,243 --> 00:19:02,676
NARRATOR: Joe Frazier set
up camp at the Concord hotel
345
00:19:02,709 --> 00:19:05,543
in the frigid catskill
mountains of New York,
346
00:19:05,576 --> 00:19:10,543
where he woke each morning
before dawn and ran 4.5 miles.
347
00:19:10,576 --> 00:19:14,143
In the afternoon, he battered
multiple sparring partners,
348
00:19:14,176 --> 00:19:19,209
chosen for their ability to
mimic Ali's speed and style.
349
00:19:19,243 --> 00:19:22,209
When a snowstorm made
it impossible for Frazier to
350
00:19:22,243 --> 00:19:25,809
train outside, he returned
to his gym in Philadelphia,
351
00:19:25,843 --> 00:19:29,909
where his fans could watch as
"yank" durham put him through
352
00:19:29,943 --> 00:19:33,043
one grueling
exercise after another.
353
00:19:34,476 --> 00:19:36,809
"Why is it that Clay
gets so much space?"
354
00:19:36,843 --> 00:19:38,509
Frazier complained.
355
00:19:38,543 --> 00:19:41,176
"He says something,
and it's in the paper,
356
00:19:41,209 --> 00:19:45,009
front, back and sideways."
357
00:19:45,043 --> 00:19:48,243
A lot of them want me
whupped because of the draft.
358
00:19:50,109 --> 00:19:52,976
A lot of them want me
whupped because of religion.
359
00:19:54,443 --> 00:19:58,376
A lot of them want me
whupped because I'm black...
360
00:19:58,409 --> 00:20:00,809
And for other reasons that I
might not even know about.
361
00:20:00,843 --> 00:20:02,443
(laughter)
362
00:20:02,476 --> 00:20:05,843
Ali scripts this sort of
thing in coming back.
363
00:20:05,876 --> 00:20:08,843
He's now the, uh,
the anti-war hero.
364
00:20:08,876 --> 00:20:11,709
He's the person who's
sacrificed years of his career
365
00:20:11,743 --> 00:20:13,643
because of his beliefs.
366
00:20:13,676 --> 00:20:16,809
So he's not seen as some
kind of ordinary draft dodger.
367
00:20:16,843 --> 00:20:19,476
He's seen as someone who
has stood up for his beliefs
368
00:20:19,509 --> 00:20:21,543
and was willing to pay
the price for his beliefs.
369
00:20:21,576 --> 00:20:23,543
You know, he said,
"I'm willing to go to jail.
370
00:20:23,576 --> 00:20:25,685
If they want to put me in
jail, I'm willing to go to jail".
371
00:20:25,709 --> 00:20:28,676
He's not somebody who's
trying to duck out of any of this.
372
00:20:28,709 --> 00:20:32,309
So he, in this way, becomes
a kind of martyr figure.
373
00:20:32,343 --> 00:20:35,776
This is what
Frazier is up against.
374
00:20:35,809 --> 00:20:38,609
NARRATOR: As the fight
approached, Ali increased his
375
00:20:38,643 --> 00:20:41,776
attacks on Frazier, calling
him ignorant and the favorite
376
00:20:41,809 --> 00:20:43,609
of white southerners.
377
00:20:43,643 --> 00:20:46,409
The only person Frazier
would hear from if he won,
378
00:20:46,443 --> 00:20:49,576
Ali claimed, was Richard Nixon.
379
00:20:49,609 --> 00:20:51,143
Joe Frazier,
380
00:20:51,176 --> 00:20:52,776
the heavyweight
champion of the world...
381
00:20:52,809 --> 00:20:55,743
Clumsy, ugly,
flatfooted Joe Frazier.
382
00:20:55,776 --> 00:20:57,843
I'll show you what
a real champion is.
383
00:20:57,876 --> 00:20:59,619
MUWAKKIL: Ali, relished
those kinds of contrasts.
384
00:20:59,643 --> 00:21:00,909
Forgot how good I was...
385
00:21:00,943 --> 00:21:02,576
He made them all the time.
386
00:21:02,609 --> 00:21:04,243
He made them with Frazier.
387
00:21:04,276 --> 00:21:07,276
And many ways, very
ugly contrasts, you know.
388
00:21:07,309 --> 00:21:08,852
ALI: He can't whoop
me. It's impossible.
389
00:21:08,876 --> 00:21:10,843
In many ways, racist.
390
00:21:10,876 --> 00:21:13,776
But he got away with it
because, you know, he was Ali
391
00:21:13,809 --> 00:21:16,743
and any enemy of Ali is an
enemy of mine, you know.
392
00:21:18,143 --> 00:21:21,043
NARRATOR: Sportswriter
dick young accused Ali
393
00:21:21,076 --> 00:21:24,376
of whitewashing Frazier,
calling his verbal barrage
394
00:21:24,409 --> 00:21:26,709
"cruel and unworthy."
395
00:21:26,743 --> 00:21:30,409
"He's got them so fooled,"
Frazier said, "they don't know
396
00:21:30,443 --> 00:21:32,076
"if they're coming or going.
397
00:21:32,109 --> 00:21:34,909
"I was born under
this racism thing.
398
00:21:34,943 --> 00:21:38,676
I don't have to have somebody
preach to me the difference."
399
00:21:38,709 --> 00:21:40,843
It was the biggest fight
because for the first time
400
00:21:40,876 --> 00:21:43,709
you've had a really quick,
fast-talking heavyweight champ
401
00:21:43,743 --> 00:21:45,219
when the most of 'em
answer the question
402
00:21:45,243 --> 00:21:47,676
"how do you feel champ?"
"Dah, duh, duh dah."
403
00:21:47,709 --> 00:21:49,143
(laughter) (mumbles mockingly)
404
00:21:49,176 --> 00:21:51,909
(applause)
405
00:21:54,243 --> 00:21:56,976
FRAZIER: He tried to do
everything and say everything
406
00:21:57,009 --> 00:21:59,909
to put me down, in
which I don't agree with it
407
00:21:59,943 --> 00:22:01,943
and I think that the guy talk
408
00:22:01,976 --> 00:22:05,309
from the side of his
mouth, and he's a phony.
409
00:22:05,343 --> 00:22:08,676
IZENBERG: Frazier said,
"when Ali was a kid,
410
00:22:08,709 --> 00:22:10,476
"they stole his bike.
411
00:22:10,509 --> 00:22:13,009
"So he had to go become a boxer.
412
00:22:13,043 --> 00:22:15,343
Who had a bike?"
He was 13 years old.
413
00:22:15,376 --> 00:22:18,443
"I was workin' in the fields,
for a full day, 13 years old.
414
00:22:18,476 --> 00:22:21,476
"I left the south at 15.
415
00:22:21,509 --> 00:22:23,509
"I worked in the slaughterhouse.
416
00:22:23,543 --> 00:22:26,776
"You know, I worked in
blood up to my ankles.
417
00:22:26,809 --> 00:22:28,609
"And this guy never
had a job in his life.
418
00:22:28,643 --> 00:22:31,109
"He was the pampered
darling of the rich people
419
00:22:31,143 --> 00:22:33,143
of Louisville."
420
00:22:33,176 --> 00:22:38,776
So Joe had a chip like
atlas carried on his shoulder.
421
00:22:38,809 --> 00:22:44,309
LIPSYTE: I think that Joe
was always upset by being
422
00:22:44,343 --> 00:22:48,809
disrespected,
specifically in that way.
423
00:22:48,843 --> 00:22:53,109
Now, Ali trash-talked everybody,
424
00:22:53,143 --> 00:22:55,143
made up names for them.
425
00:22:55,176 --> 00:23:00,976
But never before so,
ah, racially disrespectful.
426
00:23:01,009 --> 00:23:04,709
And he never quit doing it.
427
00:23:04,743 --> 00:23:06,576
And here was Joe who
wanted to be friends.
428
00:23:06,609 --> 00:23:10,209
Here was Joe who had lent
him money during the exile.
429
00:23:10,243 --> 00:23:14,376
Here was Joe who, you know,
reached out in various ways,
430
00:23:14,409 --> 00:23:19,176
a good-hearted man, and he
was constantly being slapped down.
431
00:23:19,209 --> 00:23:23,509
Joe Frazier's so ugly, his
face should be donated to
432
00:23:23,543 --> 00:23:24,976
the bureau of wildlife.
433
00:23:25,009 --> 00:23:28,143
(laughter)
434
00:23:28,176 --> 00:23:32,509
BOYD: Ali is making
the sort of jokes that
435
00:23:32,543 --> 00:23:36,843
racist white people would make
about a black person's appearance.
436
00:23:36,876 --> 00:23:40,609
And he's making jokes
about his lack of intelligence.
437
00:23:40,643 --> 00:23:45,376
The ultimate conscious
black guy is engaging in banter
438
00:23:45,409 --> 00:23:52,109
that is basically playing
to the side of the racist.
439
00:23:52,143 --> 00:23:55,843
And so I think there's
a contradiction between
440
00:23:55,876 --> 00:23:59,609
his public politics and the
way he's treating Frazier.
441
00:23:59,643 --> 00:24:03,376
And this is compounded by
the fact that for a lot of people,
442
00:24:03,409 --> 00:24:06,143
conservative whites,
for instance, Frazier is
443
00:24:06,176 --> 00:24:09,476
the person they're embracing,
not because they like Frazier,
444
00:24:09,509 --> 00:24:11,643
but because he's
going against Ali.
445
00:24:11,676 --> 00:24:15,776
And so I think it's hard
because you want to embrace Ali.
446
00:24:15,809 --> 00:24:17,909
You want to embrace
what he represents.
447
00:24:17,943 --> 00:24:21,643
But looking back on it in
hindsight, I think the way he
448
00:24:21,676 --> 00:24:25,309
played Joe Frazier was
very unfortunate and reflective
449
00:24:25,343 --> 00:24:26,909
of the dark side
of Muhammad Ali.
450
00:24:26,943 --> 00:24:28,743
He could be very cruel.
451
00:24:28,776 --> 00:24:31,876
Joe Frazier was
not so well-spoken.
452
00:24:31,909 --> 00:24:35,109
He certainly was not
charismatic like Ali.
453
00:24:35,143 --> 00:24:39,543
I just feel like in that instance,
he used his powers for evil,
454
00:24:39,576 --> 00:24:41,609
as opposed to
using them for good.
455
00:24:41,643 --> 00:24:43,176
ALI: Now, you ain't the champ...
456
00:24:43,209 --> 00:24:44,776
NARRATOR: When he
gets into the ring,
457
00:24:44,809 --> 00:24:47,676
Ali explained, "Frazier
will feel like a traitor.
458
00:24:47,709 --> 00:24:51,709
"He will realize that
Muhammad Ali is the real champ.
459
00:24:51,743 --> 00:24:52,943
"He don't have nothing.
460
00:24:52,976 --> 00:24:55,743
But me... I have a cause."
461
00:24:55,776 --> 00:24:57,243
ALI: Wait till I get
you in the ring.
462
00:24:57,276 --> 00:24:59,176
EARLY: A lot of it came down to
463
00:24:59,209 --> 00:25:01,609
who was authentically black.
464
00:25:01,643 --> 00:25:04,476
The whole concern at the
time was part of an anxiety that
465
00:25:04,509 --> 00:25:07,176
black people were going
through about their identity
466
00:25:07,209 --> 00:25:09,976
and about who they were and
about what it meant to be black.
467
00:25:10,009 --> 00:25:14,543
And this... this anxiety
wound up being played out
468
00:25:14,576 --> 00:25:18,143
dramatically in the ring
with these two fighters.
469
00:25:18,176 --> 00:25:19,976
EIG: Frazier just
wanted to kill Ali,
470
00:25:20,009 --> 00:25:21,876
I mean, really kill him.
471
00:25:21,909 --> 00:25:24,143
He said, "I'm gonna punch
him till his intestines start
472
00:25:24,176 --> 00:25:25,609
coming out the back."
473
00:25:25,643 --> 00:25:27,876
He was so angry.
474
00:25:27,909 --> 00:25:30,976
And Ali believed that that anger
would work to Ali's advantage,
475
00:25:31,009 --> 00:25:32,343
not Frazier's.
476
00:25:34,543 --> 00:25:37,043
NARRATOR: As he wound
down his training,
477
00:25:37,076 --> 00:25:40,309
Ali's neighbors at the
octagon towers threw him
478
00:25:40,343 --> 00:25:42,143
a going-away party.
479
00:25:42,176 --> 00:25:45,576
The residents had grown
to adore him and sent him off
480
00:25:45,609 --> 00:25:48,509
with a cake featuring
Ali standing over
481
00:25:48,543 --> 00:25:50,476
a fallen opponent.
482
00:25:50,509 --> 00:25:54,309
"I can't believe it, a prize
fighter," marveled one woman.
483
00:25:54,343 --> 00:25:57,309
"He seems like a
nice Jewish boy."
484
00:25:59,009 --> 00:26:04,343
On march 3rd, 5 days before
the fight, a limousine whisked Ali
485
00:26:04,376 --> 00:26:07,809
from the airport to his
midtown Manhattan hotel
486
00:26:07,843 --> 00:26:10,009
and then to Madison
square garden
487
00:26:10,043 --> 00:26:12,543
for a pre-fight physical.
488
00:26:12,576 --> 00:26:15,709
When a throng of
admirers engulfed the boxer,
489
00:26:15,743 --> 00:26:17,676
his bodyguards and the police
490
00:26:17,709 --> 00:26:20,243
had to open a
path into the arena,
491
00:26:20,276 --> 00:26:24,176
where hundreds of reporters
and photographers awaited him.
492
00:26:24,209 --> 00:26:26,176
(flashbulb pops)
493
00:26:26,209 --> 00:26:29,843
In the dressing room after the
exam, Ali's handlers struggled
494
00:26:29,876 --> 00:26:32,876
to keep the crush of
celebrities, boxing officials,
495
00:26:32,909 --> 00:26:35,209
acquaintances,
Muslim associates,
496
00:26:35,243 --> 00:26:36,943
and autograph seekers
497
00:26:36,976 --> 00:26:39,876
from smothering the boxer,
who barely had room to
498
00:26:39,909 --> 00:26:42,576
get changed back
into his street clothes.
499
00:26:42,609 --> 00:26:44,543
♫ Jimi Hendrix's
"Crosstown Traffic" playing ♫
500
00:26:44,576 --> 00:26:48,176
As Ali's limousine inched away
from the arena, fans yanked
501
00:26:48,209 --> 00:26:51,476
at the door handles, beat
on the windows, and climbed
502
00:26:51,509 --> 00:26:53,476
atop the roof.
503
00:26:53,509 --> 00:26:57,643
One long-haired admirer in
a tattered army jacket chased
504
00:26:57,676 --> 00:27:00,976
the car for blocks, until
finally, at a stoplight,
505
00:27:01,009 --> 00:27:04,109
Ali lowered the window
and offered his hand.
506
00:27:04,143 --> 00:27:07,909
"Hey, champ, you're my
man!" The young man yelled.
507
00:27:07,943 --> 00:27:09,552
HENDRIX: ♫ you jump
in front of my car... ♫
508
00:27:09,576 --> 00:27:11,676
NARRATOR: The city
was in a fevered frenzy.
509
00:27:11,709 --> 00:27:16,976
Ringside seats had gone
for $150... 1 1/2 times
510
00:27:17,009 --> 00:27:20,143
what Madison square garden
had ever charged before...
511
00:27:20,176 --> 00:27:25,076
And scalpers were
asking up to $700.
512
00:27:25,109 --> 00:27:29,343
When the garden put the
final 4,000 tickets on sale, fans,
513
00:27:29,376 --> 00:27:32,443
who had waited overnight in
near-freezing temperatures,
514
00:27:32,476 --> 00:27:35,943
bought them all
within two hours.
515
00:27:35,976 --> 00:27:39,976
300 million people on 5
continents were expected to
516
00:27:40,009 --> 00:27:42,709
see the bout through
closed-circuit television
517
00:27:42,743 --> 00:27:44,443
or by satellite broadcast.
518
00:27:44,476 --> 00:27:46,143
HENDRIX: ♫ I can see
you had your fun... ♫
519
00:27:46,176 --> 00:27:48,276
NARRATOR: More than
half of the 1,500 requests
520
00:27:48,309 --> 00:27:51,476
for media credentials
had to be denied.
521
00:27:51,509 --> 00:27:53,143
There was no room.
522
00:27:53,176 --> 00:27:55,209
HENDRIX: ♫ straight
up ahead... ♫
523
00:27:55,243 --> 00:27:58,143
NARRATOR: "It's a classic
confrontation in prize fighting
524
00:27:58,176 --> 00:28:01,443
"between a man who can
hit and a man who is adept
525
00:28:01,476 --> 00:28:04,443
at not getting hit,"
argued one sportswriter,
526
00:28:04,476 --> 00:28:07,609
"the best of all
possible matchmaking."
527
00:28:07,643 --> 00:28:09,643
Now I think Clay's
gonna win. I really do.
528
00:28:09,676 --> 00:28:11,109
FRAZIER. REPORTER: Why?
529
00:28:11,143 --> 00:28:12,843
I just think he's
in better shape.
530
00:28:12,876 --> 00:28:15,976
Clay should beat him with
speed and jab him good.
531
00:28:16,009 --> 00:28:17,676
Well, I think it'll be Frazier.
532
00:28:17,709 --> 00:28:21,076
I sorta like Clay.
I like to hear him.
533
00:28:21,109 --> 00:28:22,843
HENDRIX: ♫ look out... ♫
534
00:28:22,876 --> 00:28:25,509
NARRATOR: "Muhammad
Ali transcends the fighter.
535
00:28:25,543 --> 00:28:29,209
He is without peer," wrote
the sportswriter Mark kram,
536
00:28:29,243 --> 00:28:33,143
who also called Joe
Frazier "the finest gladiator...
537
00:28:33,176 --> 00:28:35,209
"In the purest
sense of the word...
538
00:28:35,243 --> 00:28:37,176
In heavyweight history."
539
00:28:37,209 --> 00:28:42,176
Las Vegas oddsmakers
gave Frazier the edge.
540
00:28:42,209 --> 00:28:45,343
FRAZIER: I'm cool man, yeah.
541
00:28:45,376 --> 00:28:47,876
I'm ready for this one.
542
00:28:47,909 --> 00:28:50,443
EIG: It was the
fight of the century.
543
00:28:50,476 --> 00:28:54,043
It was the first time that two
undefeated champions had ever met.
544
00:28:54,076 --> 00:28:56,043
Ali was champion when
he was stripped of his title
545
00:28:56,076 --> 00:28:57,943
and had never lost.
546
00:28:57,976 --> 00:29:02,743
Frazier had won the Olympics
in '64 and had never lost
547
00:29:02,776 --> 00:29:07,409
and it was a $5 million purse,
which was just unheard of.
548
00:29:07,443 --> 00:29:10,843
Ali would make more money
in one fight than Hank Aaron
549
00:29:10,876 --> 00:29:13,843
earned in his entire career
playing more than two decades
550
00:29:13,876 --> 00:29:15,509
of baseball.
551
00:29:15,543 --> 00:29:18,443
So this was an
unbelievable spectacle.
552
00:29:18,476 --> 00:29:20,543
(guitar playing)
553
00:29:20,576 --> 00:29:24,476
NARRATOR: On the Eve of the
fight, Joe Frazier strummed a guitar
554
00:29:24,509 --> 00:29:26,809
and relaxed with
friends in his suite
555
00:29:26,843 --> 00:29:30,743
at an undisclosed hotel where
he had been moved after threats
556
00:29:30,776 --> 00:29:33,609
were made against his life.
557
00:29:33,643 --> 00:29:37,443
At the hotel new yorker,
Muhammad Ali and his entourage
558
00:29:37,476 --> 00:29:40,709
had taken over
the entire 25th floor.
559
00:29:40,743 --> 00:29:44,076
The lobby bustled with
reporters from all over the world,
560
00:29:44,109 --> 00:29:47,743
many still seeking
credentials for the fight.
561
00:29:47,776 --> 00:29:52,509
Upstairs, Ali, surrounded
by his inner circle, entertained
562
00:29:52,543 --> 00:29:54,709
a handful of writers.
563
00:29:54,743 --> 00:29:56,909
"My people are for
me," he told them.
564
00:29:56,943 --> 00:29:59,076
"They identify with my struggle.
565
00:29:59,109 --> 00:30:01,743
"Same one they're fighting
every day in the streets
566
00:30:01,776 --> 00:30:03,576
"and against the police.
567
00:30:03,609 --> 00:30:05,443
"If I win, they win.
568
00:30:05,476 --> 00:30:08,609
If I lose, they lose."
569
00:30:08,643 --> 00:30:14,676
Early on the evening of march
8, 1971, Madison square garden
570
00:30:14,709 --> 00:30:16,576
began to fill up.
571
00:30:16,609 --> 00:30:18,943
♫ Curtis Mayfield's "Beautiful
Brother Of Mine" playing ♫
572
00:30:18,976 --> 00:30:25,376
♫ ♫
573
00:30:25,409 --> 00:30:28,209
BOYD: This was, like,
the academy awards
574
00:30:28,243 --> 00:30:32,376
and the grammys
and a great prize fight.
575
00:30:32,409 --> 00:30:35,476
All these things
rolled into one.
576
00:30:35,509 --> 00:30:37,309
People would go hang out
577
00:30:37,343 --> 00:30:39,943
even if they couldn't
get in to see the fight,
578
00:30:39,976 --> 00:30:42,876
so what's going on
outside the arena, I think,
579
00:30:42,909 --> 00:30:47,076
is maybe as interesting as
what's going on in the arena,
580
00:30:47,109 --> 00:30:49,076
and Ali is the
reason for all that.
581
00:30:49,109 --> 00:30:51,443
He's the one who
generates all this excitement.
582
00:30:51,476 --> 00:30:53,709
Ali's gonna win. I feel it.
583
00:30:53,743 --> 00:30:55,183
BOYD: It clearly
was the place to be.
584
00:30:55,209 --> 00:30:57,009
DIANA ROSS: Muhammad Ali.
585
00:30:57,043 --> 00:30:59,343
NARRATOR: Writer Norman mailer,
586
00:30:59,376 --> 00:31:01,476
bandleader count basie,
587
00:31:01,509 --> 00:31:03,743
broadcaster ed Sullivan,
588
00:31:03,776 --> 00:31:07,676
film director Woody Allen
and actor Diane Keaton,
589
00:31:07,709 --> 00:31:12,943
singers Marvin gaye,
Isaac Hayes, and Bob Dylan,
590
00:31:12,976 --> 00:31:15,243
former champion Joe Louis,
591
00:31:15,276 --> 00:31:17,776
playboy publisher Hugh Hefner,
592
00:31:17,809 --> 00:31:19,609
and Frank Sinatra,
593
00:31:19,643 --> 00:31:22,309
who was taking photographs
for "life" magazine,
594
00:31:22,343 --> 00:31:24,176
all turned out.
595
00:31:24,209 --> 00:31:26,809
MAYFIELD: ♫ together,
we're truly black power ♫
596
00:31:26,843 --> 00:31:28,343
CHORUS: ♫ power ♫
597
00:31:28,376 --> 00:31:30,609
♫ learning to
trust by the hour ♫
598
00:31:30,643 --> 00:31:31,809
♫ hour ♫
599
00:31:31,843 --> 00:31:33,043
♫ loving our women... ♫
600
00:31:33,076 --> 00:31:34,843
NARRATOR: Gwendolyn Brooks,
601
00:31:34,876 --> 00:31:37,876
the first African-American
to win a pulitzer prize,
602
00:31:37,909 --> 00:31:41,843
was asked to write a poem
for the official program.
603
00:31:41,876 --> 00:31:45,309
"Let black love survive the
challenge and the blood,"
604
00:31:45,343 --> 00:31:47,443
she urged the boxers.
605
00:31:47,476 --> 00:31:48,976
MAYFIELD: ♫ we've got love... ♫
606
00:31:49,009 --> 00:31:50,543
NARRATOR: At the white house,
607
00:31:50,576 --> 00:31:52,909
a closed-circuit line
had been installed
608
00:31:52,943 --> 00:31:55,609
so that president Richard
Nixon could watch the fight.
609
00:31:55,643 --> 00:31:57,609
MAYFIELD: ♫ we've got love ♫
610
00:31:57,643 --> 00:32:00,643
NARRATOR: In his dressing
room, Ali revealed his prediction,
611
00:32:00,676 --> 00:32:03,676
written days earlier and
sealed in an envelope.
612
00:32:03,709 --> 00:32:06,643
"Boxing experts will be
shocked at how easy I will
613
00:32:06,676 --> 00:32:10,309
beat Joe Frazier," Ali
announced to the TV cameras.
614
00:32:10,343 --> 00:32:12,909
"Frazier falls in 6."
615
00:32:14,409 --> 00:32:16,376
ADDIE: Main event.
616
00:32:16,409 --> 00:32:23,076
15 rounds for the undisputed
heavyweight championship
617
00:32:23,109 --> 00:32:24,509
of the world.
618
00:32:25,909 --> 00:32:29,743
Introducing, from
Louisville, Kentucky...
619
00:32:29,776 --> 00:32:33,109
NARRATOR: The challenger,
in his "Ali shuffle shoes,"
620
00:32:33,143 --> 00:32:37,276
white with red tassels that he
believed made him appear faster,
621
00:32:37,309 --> 00:32:38,876
entered first.
622
00:32:38,909 --> 00:32:41,709
ADDIE: Here is Muhammad Ali!
623
00:32:41,743 --> 00:32:45,343
(cheering and applause)
624
00:32:45,376 --> 00:32:47,409
His opponent...
625
00:32:47,443 --> 00:32:50,743
NARRATOR: Joe Frazier,
heavyweight champion of the world,
626
00:32:50,776 --> 00:32:53,843
wearing a green robe
with his name and those
627
00:32:53,876 --> 00:32:56,909
of his 5 children stitched
in gold on the back,
628
00:32:56,943 --> 00:32:58,543
came next.
629
00:32:58,576 --> 00:33:01,243
ADDIE: The heavyweight
champion of the world,
630
00:33:01,276 --> 00:33:02,943
Joe Frazier!
631
00:33:02,976 --> 00:33:04,643
(cheering and applause)
632
00:33:07,409 --> 00:33:10,809
NARRATOR: Inside the ring,
referee Arthur mercante gave
633
00:33:10,843 --> 00:33:14,409
the boxers instructions as
they glared at each other.
634
00:33:14,443 --> 00:33:16,043
MERCANTE: Shake hands now, men.
635
00:33:16,076 --> 00:33:19,776
NARRATOR: "I'm gonna
kill you," Frazier told Ali.
636
00:33:19,809 --> 00:33:26,843
♫ ♫
637
00:33:26,876 --> 00:33:29,643
DUNPHY: Frazier will try to
bore in and catch his man.
638
00:33:29,676 --> 00:33:32,409
Muhammad Ali opening up fast.
639
00:33:32,443 --> 00:33:36,576
Frazier just fights one way.
He pours in and he punishes.
640
00:33:36,609 --> 00:33:38,443
BENTT: Joe was a slugger,
641
00:33:38,476 --> 00:33:41,843
which is essentially a
guy who comes forward like
642
00:33:41,876 --> 00:33:45,843
a sherman tank
on full attack mode
643
00:33:45,876 --> 00:33:51,743
and is willing to take
2 or 3 to land 1 or 2,
644
00:33:51,776 --> 00:33:56,743
whereas Muhammad
was a glider, a craftsman.
645
00:33:56,776 --> 00:34:00,309
I'm gonna hit you more
times than you can hit me,
646
00:34:00,343 --> 00:34:02,509
and you can't even find me.
647
00:34:03,876 --> 00:34:07,043
NARRATOR: Though the judges
scored the first 2 rounds for Ali,
648
00:34:07,076 --> 00:34:11,276
he strayed from the style that
had once served him so well.
649
00:34:11,309 --> 00:34:14,476
Instead of staying up
on his toes, dancing,
650
00:34:14,509 --> 00:34:16,976
he stood flat-footed
like Frazier,
651
00:34:17,009 --> 00:34:19,476
throwing jabs and combinations.
652
00:34:19,509 --> 00:34:22,343
DUNPHY: He may be
trying to slug with Joe.
653
00:34:22,376 --> 00:34:26,676
BENTT: Ali is recognizing
he's not comfortable dancing
654
00:34:26,709 --> 00:34:28,843
like he did 5 years ago.
655
00:34:28,876 --> 00:34:30,509
DUNPHY: He's not
dancing tonight.
656
00:34:30,543 --> 00:34:31,819
BENTT: He's not moving
like he's in control
657
00:34:31,843 --> 00:34:33,343
of the ring's geography.
658
00:34:33,376 --> 00:34:35,309
DUNPHY: Frazier
has caught him again!
659
00:34:35,343 --> 00:34:38,009
BENTT: He's moving just
to get away from the storm
660
00:34:38,043 --> 00:34:40,676
without having
control of the storm,
661
00:34:40,709 --> 00:34:43,909
and that essentially
traps Muhammad
662
00:34:43,943 --> 00:34:46,509
and Joe takes advantage of that.
663
00:34:46,543 --> 00:34:48,876
DUNPHY: Muhammad Ali
is not keeping Joe Frazier
664
00:34:48,909 --> 00:34:50,809
away from him,
665
00:34:50,843 --> 00:34:54,243
and he gets caught on the
ropes which he should not do.
666
00:34:54,276 --> 00:34:56,809
KINDRED: He couldn't
play with Joe Frazier.
667
00:34:56,843 --> 00:34:58,876
Frazier would hurt him.
668
00:34:58,909 --> 00:35:00,909
There was one point
in that fight where Ali...
669
00:35:00,943 --> 00:35:02,719
DUNPHY: Ali shakes his
HEAD. KINDRED: Leaned in
670
00:35:02,743 --> 00:35:05,743
against the ropes and
looked down at the press row
671
00:35:05,776 --> 00:35:09,709
and said, "no contest," while
Frazier is beating on him,
672
00:35:09,743 --> 00:35:12,043
just kind of giving
away a round.
673
00:35:12,076 --> 00:35:17,409
He could do that with lesser
people, but not with Frazier.
674
00:35:17,443 --> 00:35:21,676
NARRATOR: Frazier stayed
low, bobbing and ducking,
675
00:35:21,709 --> 00:35:24,443
but forcing his way
forward relentlessly,
676
00:35:24,476 --> 00:35:26,576
reducing the distance
between them,
677
00:35:26,609 --> 00:35:29,443
neutralizing Ali's longer reach.
678
00:35:29,476 --> 00:35:31,643
DUNPHY: Frazier is bobbing
and weaving all the time.
679
00:35:31,676 --> 00:35:35,443
BENTT: Frazier's constant head
movement doesn't give Muhammad
680
00:35:35,476 --> 00:35:40,409
an easy target, and that's exhausting,
physically and psychologically.
681
00:35:40,443 --> 00:35:41,943
DUNPHY: Muhammad
Ali has been missing.
682
00:35:41,976 --> 00:35:43,876
BENTT: This guy's
in front of you
683
00:35:43,909 --> 00:35:45,576
and he's bobbing
and weaving like that,
684
00:35:45,609 --> 00:35:47,143
and you can't hit him.
685
00:35:47,176 --> 00:35:49,076
DUNPHY: Frazier's
just laughing at him.
686
00:35:49,109 --> 00:35:51,085
BENTT: And he's mocking
you? DUNPHY: Talking to him.
687
00:35:51,109 --> 00:35:52,876
BENTT: That's a nightmare.
688
00:35:52,909 --> 00:35:55,376
DUNPHY: He said he would
go to the body and he is.
689
00:35:55,409 --> 00:36:01,009
BENTT: His theory was to
stay close to Muhammad,
690
00:36:01,043 --> 00:36:04,676
don't let him breathe
and constantly punch,
691
00:36:04,709 --> 00:36:07,309
punch him everywhere...
692
00:36:07,343 --> 00:36:09,109
On the biceps,
693
00:36:09,143 --> 00:36:10,976
on the hip bone,
694
00:36:11,009 --> 00:36:13,076
on the ass bone.
695
00:36:13,109 --> 00:36:15,476
DUNPHY: Ooh,
that must have hurt.
696
00:36:15,509 --> 00:36:19,609
BENTT: If the referee is
behind you and he can't see
697
00:36:19,643 --> 00:36:23,776
where the shot is landing,
hit him on this hip bone.
698
00:36:23,809 --> 00:36:26,809
It's below the belt but if
the referee don't see it,
699
00:36:26,843 --> 00:36:29,843
guess what. It's not a foul.
700
00:36:29,876 --> 00:36:31,776
(bell clangs) DUNPHY:
What a round.
701
00:36:31,809 --> 00:36:34,109
(crowd shouting)
702
00:36:34,143 --> 00:36:35,943
Two undefeated fighters.
703
00:36:35,976 --> 00:36:40,109
Neither one has ever
fought a fighter of the caliber
704
00:36:40,143 --> 00:36:42,443
of the opponent tonight.
705
00:36:42,476 --> 00:36:45,609
This fight so far ranks
with the great ones.
706
00:36:45,643 --> 00:36:48,609
NARRATOR: Both fighters
came out hard in the 6th,
707
00:36:48,643 --> 00:36:53,843
Ali intending to fulfill his
prediction, Frazier eager to
708
00:36:53,876 --> 00:36:55,276
make a liar of Ali.
709
00:36:55,309 --> 00:36:59,376
♫ ♫
710
00:36:59,409 --> 00:37:03,343
At the end of the round,
Frazier was still standing.
711
00:37:03,376 --> 00:37:05,309
(crowd chanting "ali!)
712
00:37:05,343 --> 00:37:10,343
After the 7th round, the
fans chanted "Ali, Ali, Ali!"
713
00:37:10,376 --> 00:37:12,909
DUNPHY: The crowd
is chanting, "Ali!"
714
00:37:12,943 --> 00:37:14,809
And Joe says, "come
on out and fight."
715
00:37:18,543 --> 00:37:23,076
NARRATOR: After the 8th,
it was "Joe, Joe, Joe!"
716
00:37:23,109 --> 00:37:25,376
DUNPHY: I don't know
anyone who gets the sheer joy
717
00:37:25,409 --> 00:37:29,409
of combat the way
Joe Frazier does.
718
00:37:29,443 --> 00:37:32,876
KINDRED: Ali could still
move for 2 minutes a round,
719
00:37:32,909 --> 00:37:35,709
2.5 minutes a round.
720
00:37:35,743 --> 00:37:41,543
He found ways to rest,
but Frazier hit him a lot.
721
00:37:41,576 --> 00:37:45,009
In saying that, he didn't
hit Ali nearly as much
722
00:37:45,043 --> 00:37:46,943
as Ali hit him.
723
00:37:46,976 --> 00:37:48,852
DUNPHY: Frazier has taken a
good battering in this round.
724
00:37:48,876 --> 00:37:51,043
KINDRED: By the end of
that fight, Frazier's face
725
00:37:51,076 --> 00:37:53,843
was a gargoyle's face,
726
00:37:53,876 --> 00:37:57,043
just bumps and
bruises everywhere.
727
00:37:57,076 --> 00:38:00,176
DUNPHY: Joe Frazier
just spit some blood.
728
00:38:00,209 --> 00:38:02,843
Waving Frazier on.
729
00:38:02,876 --> 00:38:05,143
(crowd roars)
730
00:38:05,176 --> 00:38:07,376
That one hurt. So did that.
731
00:38:07,409 --> 00:38:10,809
Muhammad Ali staggers!
Muhammad Ali was rocked!
732
00:38:10,843 --> 00:38:16,076
BENTT: The willpower of
the fighter is what really
733
00:38:16,109 --> 00:38:17,876
determines who wins and loses.
734
00:38:17,909 --> 00:38:21,076
DUNPHY: 30 seconds to
go in the round. 30 seconds.
735
00:38:21,109 --> 00:38:22,752
BENTT: It's never clearer
than this fight right here.
736
00:38:22,776 --> 00:38:25,243
DUNPHY: Muhammad
Ali in real trouble.
737
00:38:25,276 --> 00:38:27,376
BENTT: Every punch that
Joe Frazier is throwing,
738
00:38:27,409 --> 00:38:29,543
you can best believe
that he's saying,
739
00:38:29,576 --> 00:38:36,609
"this is from an Uncle Tom.
Am I an Uncle Tom now?"
740
00:38:36,643 --> 00:38:38,576
DUNPHY: Muhammad
Ali rocked to the ropes!
741
00:38:38,609 --> 00:38:40,085
BENTT: That's the kind of
venom you have to have.
742
00:38:40,109 --> 00:38:41,643
DUNPHY: He almost went down.
743
00:38:41,676 --> 00:38:43,776
BENTT: Joe wanted it
more than Muhammad.
744
00:38:43,809 --> 00:38:45,609
Muhammad wanted it...
745
00:38:45,643 --> 00:38:47,109
DUNPHY: 10 seconds...
746
00:38:47,143 --> 00:38:49,976
BENTT: But Joe needed it,
747
00:38:50,009 --> 00:38:52,409
and Muhammad is
being pushed to the brink.
748
00:38:52,443 --> 00:38:53,819
ADDIE: The round is
over. (bell clanging)
749
00:38:53,843 --> 00:38:57,643
The round is over. What a round.
750
00:38:57,676 --> 00:39:01,209
DUNPHY: Muhammad Ali has
never taken such a battering.
751
00:39:01,243 --> 00:39:04,209
It could be a
tough fight to score.
752
00:39:04,243 --> 00:39:08,043
NARRATOR: As the fight headed
into the 15th and final round,
753
00:39:08,076 --> 00:39:12,676
Frazier's face was swollen,
his right eye nearly shut.
754
00:39:12,709 --> 00:39:16,543
Ali's corner men, worried
he was losing on points,
755
00:39:16,576 --> 00:39:19,976
told him he needed a knockout.
756
00:39:20,009 --> 00:39:21,543
(bell clangs)
757
00:39:21,576 --> 00:39:24,476
ADDIE: 15th and final round.
758
00:39:24,509 --> 00:39:27,276
IZENBERG: Ali was told
the end of the round,
759
00:39:27,309 --> 00:39:28,876
"you gotta knock him out.
760
00:39:28,909 --> 00:39:31,276
You can't win if you
don't knock him out."
761
00:39:31,309 --> 00:39:33,009
And it's true.
762
00:39:33,043 --> 00:39:35,143
So Ali's out there.
763
00:39:35,176 --> 00:39:38,843
Pop, boom, pop,
combinations, this, that.
764
00:39:40,409 --> 00:39:42,976
And Frazier ducks inside.
765
00:39:43,009 --> 00:39:46,709
Boom, left hook, down,
766
00:39:46,743 --> 00:39:49,876
gets up quick, but
that ended any chance
767
00:39:49,909 --> 00:39:51,343
he had to win the fight.
768
00:39:51,376 --> 00:39:53,476
(crowd shouting)
769
00:39:53,509 --> 00:39:55,843
DUNPHY: He takes
the mandatory 8 count.
770
00:39:55,876 --> 00:39:59,176
The only knockdown of the fight.
771
00:39:59,209 --> 00:40:01,676
Muhammad Ali
was flat on his back,
772
00:40:01,709 --> 00:40:04,409
but he's a
well-conditioned athlete.
773
00:40:04,443 --> 00:40:07,643
Muhammad Ali gamely fights back.
774
00:40:07,676 --> 00:40:09,976
The crowd is in a bedlam.
775
00:40:11,709 --> 00:40:13,609
(bell clangs)
776
00:40:13,643 --> 00:40:15,276
(loud cheering)
777
00:40:18,076 --> 00:40:22,709
We're going to await the
decision by the two judges
778
00:40:22,743 --> 00:40:24,443
and the referee.
779
00:40:24,476 --> 00:40:27,176
And the ring is
starting to crowd up.
780
00:40:27,209 --> 00:40:30,676
Despite the security
measures taken, the people are
781
00:40:30,709 --> 00:40:34,943
coming in the ring, and this
was not supposed to happen.
782
00:40:34,976 --> 00:40:40,876
ADDIE: Ah, ladies and
gentlemen, referee Arthur mercante
783
00:40:40,909 --> 00:40:46,143
scores it 8-6, one
even for Frazier.
784
00:40:46,176 --> 00:40:48,876
(cheers and groans)
785
00:40:48,909 --> 00:40:53,209
Artie aidala 9 to 6 for Frazier.
786
00:40:53,243 --> 00:40:55,543
(loud groans)
787
00:40:55,576 --> 00:41:00,543
Bill recht 11
rounds for Frazier,
788
00:41:00,576 --> 00:41:04,476
(louder groans) 4 Ali, 11 and 4,
789
00:41:04,509 --> 00:41:09,043
the winner by unanimous
decision and still...
790
00:41:09,076 --> 00:41:13,709
Heavyweight champion
of the world, Joe Frazier!
791
00:41:13,743 --> 00:41:15,276
(cheers and groans)
792
00:41:15,309 --> 00:41:17,843
♫ Funkadelic's
"I'll Stay" playing ♫
793
00:41:17,876 --> 00:41:22,909
♫ ♫
794
00:41:22,943 --> 00:41:27,376
NARRATOR: It was Muhammad
Ali's first professional loss.
795
00:41:27,409 --> 00:41:31,509
He returned to his dressing
room, his jaw grotesquely swollen,
796
00:41:31,543 --> 00:41:35,109
where his mother, Odessa,
held him, murmuring,
797
00:41:35,143 --> 00:41:36,909
"he'll be all right."
798
00:41:36,943 --> 00:41:40,243
The singer Diana Ross
came to check on her friend.
799
00:41:40,276 --> 00:41:46,043
So did the photographer Gordon
parks, who took no pictures.
800
00:41:46,076 --> 00:41:50,576
Concerned that Ali's jaw was
broken, Ferdie Pacheco sent him
801
00:41:50,609 --> 00:41:53,743
to flower 5th Avenue
hospital for x-rays.
802
00:41:53,776 --> 00:41:57,143
There was no fracture,
but doctors still wanted him
803
00:41:57,176 --> 00:41:59,543
to remain there overnight.
804
00:41:59,576 --> 00:42:04,043
Ali refused, unwilling to give
Joe Frazier the satisfaction
805
00:42:04,076 --> 00:42:06,776
of having put him
in the hospital.
806
00:42:06,809 --> 00:42:08,619
JOURNALIST: What did Muhammad
Ali say when you got to
807
00:42:08,643 --> 00:42:10,543
the dressing room?
808
00:42:10,576 --> 00:42:13,809
BUNDINI: He just want to
know did he put up a great fight.
809
00:42:13,843 --> 00:42:16,343
NARRATOR: Bundini Brown
appeared at the post-fight
810
00:42:16,376 --> 00:42:18,776
press conference in Ali's place.
811
00:42:18,809 --> 00:42:21,109
"We ain't through yet," he said.
812
00:42:21,143 --> 00:42:25,009
"Muhammad just
been out 3 years."
813
00:42:25,043 --> 00:42:30,176
BENTT: We see his decline
when he fights Joe Frazier 'cause
814
00:42:30,209 --> 00:42:34,476
his legs which were
his primary instruments,
815
00:42:34,509 --> 00:42:36,176
they were no more.
816
00:42:36,209 --> 00:42:38,576
They were dead.
817
00:42:38,609 --> 00:42:41,576
NARRATOR: "Tonight the black
world weeps that their king
818
00:42:41,609 --> 00:42:45,809
has passed away," lamented
a black nationalist from britain.
819
00:42:45,843 --> 00:42:49,043
President muammar
El-qaddafi of Libya
820
00:42:49,076 --> 00:42:51,109
declared a day of mourning.
821
00:42:51,143 --> 00:42:54,943
It was "a very painful
experience in every way,"
822
00:42:54,976 --> 00:42:56,809
wrote hunter s. Thompson,
823
00:42:56,843 --> 00:43:02,276
who called Ali's defeat "a
proper end to the sixties."
824
00:43:02,309 --> 00:43:06,243
Though Ali fans around
the world despaired,
825
00:43:06,276 --> 00:43:10,843
most agreed that the bout had
lived up to its immense hype.
826
00:43:10,876 --> 00:43:13,509
"The multimillion-dollar
fight... was worth every
827
00:43:13,543 --> 00:43:16,843
glorious, heartbreaking
penny," wrote Arthur daley
828
00:43:16,876 --> 00:43:19,576
in the "New York times."
829
00:43:19,609 --> 00:43:24,676
More than 5,000 people had
braved 18-degree temperatures
830
00:43:24,709 --> 00:43:27,143
to attend a
closed-circuit broadcast
831
00:43:27,176 --> 00:43:30,076
at Pittsburgh's open-air
three rivers stadium.
832
00:43:30,109 --> 00:43:32,009
MAN: Oh, there he goes!
833
00:43:32,043 --> 00:43:34,709
Londoners had stayed up
all night for a broadcast that
834
00:43:34,743 --> 00:43:38,343
began just before 5 a.M.
835
00:43:38,376 --> 00:43:40,876
And in Vietnam, American troops
836
00:43:40,909 --> 00:43:43,543
had listened in on
their transistor radios.
837
00:43:43,576 --> 00:43:47,576
REPORTER: Joe Frazier out-
pointed Muhammad Ali tonight
838
00:43:47,609 --> 00:43:51,576
and retained the heavyweight
championship of the world.
839
00:43:53,309 --> 00:43:55,543
REPORTER: Ali, how
does it feel to have
840
00:43:55,576 --> 00:43:58,443
for the first time in your
professional career, have lost?
841
00:43:58,476 --> 00:44:00,409
I feel you have
obligation to many
842
00:44:00,443 --> 00:44:03,076
thousands of fans who are
pulling for you, who are crying
843
00:44:03,109 --> 00:44:05,343
and they're worrying
about you and how you feel.
844
00:44:05,376 --> 00:44:08,843
And I think if they can
see that you realize that
845
00:44:08,876 --> 00:44:12,343
I'm human and I realize
that we all have to lose
846
00:44:12,376 --> 00:44:15,076
and life still going on,
then they'll feel stronger.
847
00:44:15,109 --> 00:44:18,309
I think a celebrity or any
so-called great person
848
00:44:18,343 --> 00:44:22,309
have obligation to fulfill to
take defeat like a man so they
849
00:44:22,343 --> 00:44:24,443
can take their defeats
when they have them.
850
00:44:24,476 --> 00:44:26,643
Because we're all gonna
have various defeats in life,
851
00:44:26,676 --> 00:44:29,409
whether we lost our loved
ones or wealth or titles.
852
00:44:29,443 --> 00:44:31,943
And many people just can't
stand these pressures and they
853
00:44:31,976 --> 00:44:33,743
crack up on them.
854
00:44:33,776 --> 00:44:36,243
And when a man can come
through this after so many
855
00:44:36,276 --> 00:44:39,243
years of victory and being so
supreme in his field and able
856
00:44:39,276 --> 00:44:42,243
to handle the defeat also
victorious, and this make him
857
00:44:42,276 --> 00:44:43,943
a bigger man.
REPORTER: Do you...
858
00:44:43,976 --> 00:44:46,209
I just lost a fight, that's all.
859
00:44:46,243 --> 00:44:49,143
♫ Black Merda's
"Reality" playing ♫
860
00:44:49,176 --> 00:44:51,776
LIPSYTE: The next day,
Ali looked like he had been
861
00:44:51,809 --> 00:44:53,576
in a fight.
862
00:44:53,609 --> 00:44:57,643
I'd never seen him
before looking like that.
863
00:44:57,676 --> 00:45:01,709
BLACK MERDA: ♫ you think if you pray
something will answer your prayers... ♫
864
00:45:01,743 --> 00:45:07,176
LIPSYTE: Joe Frazier
justifiably got the decision,
865
00:45:07,209 --> 00:45:14,043
but I think in a sense
Ali won America.
866
00:45:14,076 --> 00:45:18,043
And the reason he
won America was that
867
00:45:18,076 --> 00:45:25,176
it was now very clear how
much he had sacrificed.
868
00:45:25,209 --> 00:45:27,052
EIG: I think losing to Joe
Frazier is one of the most
869
00:45:27,076 --> 00:45:29,776
important things that
ever happened to Ali.
870
00:45:29,809 --> 00:45:31,843
Because he's human now.
871
00:45:31,876 --> 00:45:35,509
People hated him when he
refused to fight for his country.
872
00:45:35,543 --> 00:45:38,309
They hated him when
he changed his name.
873
00:45:38,343 --> 00:45:40,809
But now they see
him lying on his back.
874
00:45:40,843 --> 00:45:42,843
And as soon as he gets
knocked down by Frazier,
875
00:45:42,876 --> 00:45:45,776
he's up on his feet again.
876
00:45:45,809 --> 00:45:49,976
And he continues and he
lasts through the rest of the fight
877
00:45:50,009 --> 00:45:53,076
and then the
decision is for Frazier.
878
00:45:53,109 --> 00:45:57,343
So Ali is a loser,
but he's human now.
879
00:45:57,376 --> 00:45:59,185
And he's trying to fight his
way back to another shot
880
00:45:59,209 --> 00:46:01,143
at the championship.
881
00:46:01,176 --> 00:46:05,743
And this is when Ali really
becomes popular in America.
882
00:46:05,776 --> 00:46:08,943
And now you're starting to
see kids like me put his poster
883
00:46:08,976 --> 00:46:10,009
on the wall.
884
00:46:11,809 --> 00:46:14,609
NARRATOR: Joe Frazier
struggled to recover from
885
00:46:14,643 --> 00:46:17,143
the brutal pounding
he had received.
886
00:46:17,176 --> 00:46:21,243
He was unable to
walk or even stand up.
887
00:46:21,276 --> 00:46:25,776
The next day, his eyes remained
swollen and sensitive to light,
888
00:46:25,809 --> 00:46:27,743
and he couldn't urinate.
889
00:46:27,776 --> 00:46:31,076
He failed to show up at a
television studio where he
890
00:46:31,109 --> 00:46:35,109
and Ali were scheduled to discuss
their bout with Howard Cosell,
891
00:46:35,143 --> 00:46:37,943
claiming he was
stricken with the flu.
892
00:46:37,976 --> 00:46:39,876
A week after the fight,
893
00:46:39,909 --> 00:46:42,209
he checked into a
Philadelphia hospital,
894
00:46:42,243 --> 00:46:44,776
where doctors put
him on a restricted diet
895
00:46:44,809 --> 00:46:48,376
and treated him for high
blood pressure and exhaustion.
896
00:46:48,409 --> 00:46:52,209
A rumor circulated
that he was near death.
897
00:46:52,243 --> 00:46:56,709
10 days later, Frazier
finally returned home.
898
00:46:56,743 --> 00:46:59,543
IZENBERG: I go down to
Philadelphia to Joe's gym.
899
00:46:59,576 --> 00:47:02,009
We're standing on the sidewalk.
900
00:47:02,043 --> 00:47:04,776
3 kids come running
down the street, little kids,
901
00:47:04,809 --> 00:47:09,209
8 years old, black kids.
"Joe Frazier, Joe Frazier!"
902
00:47:09,243 --> 00:47:11,285
He says to a gopher, "go
get the pictures out of the car,"
903
00:47:11,309 --> 00:47:13,209
you know, pats 'em on the head.
904
00:47:13,243 --> 00:47:15,452
All of a sudden, one kid looks
up and says, "my daddy says
905
00:47:15,476 --> 00:47:17,376
Muhammad Ali was drugged."
906
00:47:17,409 --> 00:47:19,343
Frazier leans in.
907
00:47:19,376 --> 00:47:21,376
I thought he was gonna
push him or something.
908
00:47:21,409 --> 00:47:25,276
And then he said, "you go home
and tell your daddy he's right.
909
00:47:25,309 --> 00:47:27,609
"He was drugged. I
drug him with a left hook.
910
00:47:27,643 --> 00:47:29,209
Now get outta here."
911
00:47:30,976 --> 00:47:33,909
NARRATOR: Ali returned to the
Spanish-style ranch house
912
00:47:33,943 --> 00:47:37,276
on 4 acres he and belinda
had recently purchased
913
00:47:37,309 --> 00:47:40,943
in cherry hill, New Jersey,
just across the Delaware river
914
00:47:40,976 --> 00:47:42,643
from Philadelphia.
915
00:47:42,676 --> 00:47:45,809
He helped belinda
choose furnishings, kept up
916
00:47:45,843 --> 00:47:48,943
with family and friends by
telephone, and occasionally
917
00:47:48,976 --> 00:47:52,809
entertained his 3 children...
Maryum and the twins
918
00:47:52,843 --> 00:47:55,309
jamillah and rasheda.
919
00:47:55,343 --> 00:47:59,276
But he was happiest on the road.
920
00:47:59,309 --> 00:48:01,576
I'm never home much,
and they don't know me.
921
00:48:01,609 --> 00:48:03,443
My maryum, the
older one, know me,
922
00:48:03,476 --> 00:48:05,709
but rasheda and jamillah...
They don't know me too well.
923
00:48:05,743 --> 00:48:08,276
They about a year old and
they give me a lot of trouble,
924
00:48:08,309 --> 00:48:10,609
and I pick them up, but I have
to start staying home more.
925
00:48:10,643 --> 00:48:14,076
But I think that the wife or
the mother should train 'em,
926
00:48:14,109 --> 00:48:17,009
and by the time they're 3
years old, they should be ready
927
00:48:17,043 --> 00:48:20,009
to go to some type school
with enough home training to
928
00:48:20,043 --> 00:48:22,009
give them a good start.
929
00:48:22,043 --> 00:48:24,376
He likes kids, he
likes to be around them
930
00:48:24,409 --> 00:48:26,252
for 20 minutes and then
he ready to put 'em down.
931
00:48:26,276 --> 00:48:29,643
But uh, he can't, you
know, he don't stay that long.
932
00:48:29,676 --> 00:48:32,043
He just... he just for the
moment and he's done.
933
00:48:32,076 --> 00:48:33,709
But he was a great father.
934
00:48:33,743 --> 00:48:36,509
He made sure everybody
had what they needed,
935
00:48:36,543 --> 00:48:39,176
and he was a great father
when it comes to that.
936
00:48:39,209 --> 00:48:42,476
Do you know your daddy's
the baddest man in the world?
937
00:48:42,509 --> 00:48:46,409
Do you know your daddy can
whoop all the men in the whole world
938
00:48:46,443 --> 00:48:48,643
and you don't care?
939
00:48:48,676 --> 00:48:51,543
NARRATOR: Reporters turned
up at the house eager to know
940
00:48:51,576 --> 00:48:54,376
when the boxer would
fight Frazier again.
941
00:48:54,409 --> 00:48:57,143
"He's resting. I'm resting.
942
00:48:57,176 --> 00:49:00,043
The public needs
a rest, too," Ali said.
943
00:49:00,076 --> 00:49:04,576
He also claimed that a
rematch would be his final fight
944
00:49:04,609 --> 00:49:07,143
before he quit boxing
to focus full-time
945
00:49:07,176 --> 00:49:10,476
on spreading the teachings
of Elijah Muhammad.
946
00:49:10,509 --> 00:49:12,676
It had been nearly two years
947
00:49:12,709 --> 00:49:15,909
since the nation of Islam's
leader had suspended Ali
948
00:49:15,943 --> 00:49:18,643
and revoked his Muslim name.
949
00:49:18,676 --> 00:49:22,009
"If boxing's in your blood,"
Elijah Muhammad had told him,
950
00:49:22,043 --> 00:49:23,976
"get it out."
951
00:49:24,009 --> 00:49:27,409
"I can't represent the muslims
again until I quit sports,"
952
00:49:27,443 --> 00:49:29,476
Ali said.
953
00:49:29,509 --> 00:49:33,143
But he had continued
to use his Muslim name
954
00:49:33,176 --> 00:49:36,909
and continued to associate with
members of the nation of Islam,
955
00:49:36,943 --> 00:49:40,543
now plagued by increasing
violence and corruption
956
00:49:40,576 --> 00:49:43,376
as some lieutenants
positioned themselves
957
00:49:43,409 --> 00:49:46,209
to succeed their aging leader.
958
00:49:46,243 --> 00:49:49,643
And in spite of Ali's
banishment, Herbert Muhammad,
959
00:49:49,676 --> 00:49:52,609
Elijah's son, remained
the boxer's manager,
960
00:49:52,643 --> 00:49:55,876
pocketing 1/3 of Ali's
boxing income, as well as
961
00:49:55,909 --> 00:49:58,943
a percentage of the closed-
circuit television profits
962
00:49:58,976 --> 00:50:01,043
from each bout.
963
00:50:01,076 --> 00:50:04,909
In the decade since he had
turned professional, Ali had
964
00:50:04,943 --> 00:50:08,409
burned through much of
his $7 million in earnings,
965
00:50:08,443 --> 00:50:12,109
caring for his family and
his entourage, maintaining
966
00:50:12,143 --> 00:50:14,976
multiple houses and a
fleet of cars that included
967
00:50:15,009 --> 00:50:19,909
two Rolls-Royces, a collection
of Cadillacs, and a bus.
968
00:50:19,943 --> 00:50:23,143
He also gave plenty of it away.
969
00:50:23,176 --> 00:50:27,143
There was a guy came into the
gym in a wheelchair and a Dodgers hat
970
00:50:27,176 --> 00:50:29,009
and he had no legs.
971
00:50:29,043 --> 00:50:31,276
And Angelo went over to
Ali and said, "Ali that guy's
972
00:50:31,309 --> 00:50:32,752
"gonna tell you he's Roy
Campanella and he's gonna hit
973
00:50:32,776 --> 00:50:34,643
"you up for money,
he's a hustler.
974
00:50:34,676 --> 00:50:37,876
He comes in here all the time.
Don't give him any money."
975
00:50:37,909 --> 00:50:39,952
And the next thing you know,
Dundee looks over and he sees
976
00:50:39,976 --> 00:50:42,219
Ali reaching into his pocket,
taking out a big wad of cash
977
00:50:42,243 --> 00:50:44,043
and handing it to the guy.
978
00:50:44,076 --> 00:50:46,209
And Angelo comes
over afterwards and says,
979
00:50:46,243 --> 00:50:48,309
"what'd you do that for?
I told you he's a hustler."
980
00:50:48,343 --> 00:50:52,876
And Ali says,
"ang, we got legs."
981
00:50:52,909 --> 00:50:56,976
RILEY: Here come this drunk,
just shaking, and he say,
982
00:50:57,009 --> 00:51:01,276
"Mr. Ali, can I get some money
to get me something to eat?"
983
00:51:01,309 --> 00:51:04,709
And Ali had just bought
a cashmere overcoat.
984
00:51:04,743 --> 00:51:08,176
He took that coat off and
wrapped it in him and told me,
985
00:51:08,209 --> 00:51:10,309
"give him $10,"
and I gave him $10.
986
00:51:10,343 --> 00:51:12,319
♫ The Olympians' "Sagitarrius
By Moonlight" playing ♫
987
00:51:12,343 --> 00:51:20,343
♫ ♫
988
00:51:26,343 --> 00:51:31,543
WOMAN: In Ali's presence,
you always felt that he cared.
989
00:51:31,576 --> 00:51:33,843
That moment that he was
with you, there was nobody else
990
00:51:33,876 --> 00:51:35,676
in the world.
991
00:51:35,709 --> 00:51:40,143
I'm not so sure that that's
true of a lot of people.
992
00:51:40,176 --> 00:51:45,109
RASHEDA: We saw at a young
age that daddy, every time he
993
00:51:45,143 --> 00:51:48,509
woke up in the morning,
I think he really felt like,
994
00:51:48,543 --> 00:51:51,143
"how am I going to
help somebody today?"
995
00:51:51,176 --> 00:51:54,476
And he did that all the time.
996
00:51:54,509 --> 00:51:57,343
He would have rolex watches
and he would just take it off
997
00:51:57,376 --> 00:51:58,509
and give it to people.
998
00:51:58,543 --> 00:52:00,543
He'd have money in his po...
999
00:52:00,576 --> 00:52:03,376
And we'd be like, "daddy
don't do that, you can't."
1000
00:52:03,409 --> 00:52:04,776
He'd have money in his pocket,
1001
00:52:04,809 --> 00:52:06,743
and he'd just hand it to people.
1002
00:52:06,776 --> 00:52:10,076
All they had to do was
ask, and he would give them
1003
00:52:10,109 --> 00:52:12,409
whatever they wanted,
1004
00:52:12,443 --> 00:52:16,376
because daddy's purpose was
just to make people feel special
1005
00:52:16,409 --> 00:52:18,209
and help people.
1006
00:52:18,243 --> 00:52:21,543
Ali could have $30,000 in
his pocket one afternoon,
1007
00:52:21,576 --> 00:52:23,776
he come back, he have nothin'.
1008
00:52:23,809 --> 00:52:27,943
Somebody give him a sad story,
he would fall in and take care
1009
00:52:27,976 --> 00:52:29,709
of their kid and take
care of their house,
1010
00:52:29,743 --> 00:52:31,776
they losin' they house.
1011
00:52:31,809 --> 00:52:33,543
He just love to give.
1012
00:52:33,576 --> 00:52:36,076
If somebody's hurting,
he loved to help the pain.
1013
00:52:36,109 --> 00:52:38,676
I think... I think
he'll go to paradise
1014
00:52:38,709 --> 00:52:41,209
because of that, 'cause
he did give a lot of charity!
1015
00:52:41,243 --> 00:52:45,909
♫ ♫
1016
00:52:45,943 --> 00:52:47,619
DICK CAVETT: How do you
stand now with the possibility
1017
00:52:47,643 --> 00:52:49,209
of going to jail?
1018
00:52:49,243 --> 00:52:50,443
Oh, I don't know.
1019
00:52:50,476 --> 00:52:51,876
I'm just waiting, any day now.
1020
00:52:51,909 --> 00:52:54,609
Do you think
about it? (laughter)
1021
00:52:54,643 --> 00:52:57,109
Whenever people want
to really make progress,
1022
00:52:57,143 --> 00:52:59,376
some have to sacrifice a lot.
1023
00:52:59,409 --> 00:53:04,176
And I like to say, um...
White America right now is
1024
00:53:04,209 --> 00:53:06,176
spending $30
million a day in Asia,
1025
00:53:06,209 --> 00:53:08,476
black and white boys are
dying unjustly for nothing.
1026
00:53:08,509 --> 00:53:11,209
So why should I worry
about going to little old jail
1027
00:53:11,243 --> 00:53:14,609
to free my poor people who's been
catching hell here for 400 years?
1028
00:53:14,643 --> 00:53:16,776
(applause)
1029
00:53:18,243 --> 00:53:22,776
NARRATOR: On April 19,
1971, Chauncey Eskridge,
1030
00:53:22,809 --> 00:53:25,876
a lawyer who had previously
represented Martin Luther King,
1031
00:53:25,909 --> 00:53:28,876
appeared before the
supreme court on behalf
1032
00:53:28,909 --> 00:53:32,776
of Muhammad Ali, arguing
that his conviction for refusing
1033
00:53:32,809 --> 00:53:36,176
the draft should be overturned.
1034
00:53:36,209 --> 00:53:40,976
The justices had not initially
planned to hear the case.
1035
00:53:41,009 --> 00:53:43,909
KRATTENMAKER: They were
again predisposed to just deny it
1036
00:53:43,943 --> 00:53:47,109
because there didn't seem
to be any big legal issue here,
1037
00:53:47,143 --> 00:53:50,309
but justice Brennan made
an impassioned plea that they
1038
00:53:50,343 --> 00:53:53,976
should at least hear the case,
because the American people
1039
00:53:54,009 --> 00:53:58,143
wouldn't understand why
somebody who was advancing
1040
00:53:58,176 --> 00:54:01,876
a claim like this, who had
the stature and importance
1041
00:54:01,909 --> 00:54:05,743
of Muhammad Ali,
hadn't had a day in court.
1042
00:54:05,776 --> 00:54:09,176
And so the court agreed to
hear the case, fully expecting
1043
00:54:09,209 --> 00:54:12,576
that they were probably
going to affirm the conviction.
1044
00:54:12,609 --> 00:54:14,909
NARRATOR: "The petitioner
just doesn't want to fight
1045
00:54:14,943 --> 00:54:18,176
the white man's war,
and I can understand that,"
1046
00:54:18,209 --> 00:54:22,243
solicitor general erwin griswold
told the supreme court on behalf
1047
00:54:22,276 --> 00:54:23,909
of the U.S. government.
1048
00:54:23,943 --> 00:54:27,743
"But that's not the
same as being a pacifist."
1049
00:54:29,243 --> 00:54:33,543
Ali's opposition to fighting,
argued his lawyer, wasn't
1050
00:54:33,576 --> 00:54:37,043
racial or political,
but rooted in sincere
1051
00:54:37,076 --> 00:54:40,276
religious belief.
1052
00:54:40,309 --> 00:54:43,576
IZENBERG: Thurgood Marshall
cannot vote because he had
1053
00:54:43,609 --> 00:54:46,309
worked for the justice
department when Ali
1054
00:54:46,343 --> 00:54:48,243
was first charged.
1055
00:54:48,276 --> 00:54:51,309
So he's gotta recuse himself.
1056
00:54:51,343 --> 00:54:53,476
So now we have an 8-judge court.
1057
00:54:54,843 --> 00:54:56,876
They sit down and
have their conference.
1058
00:54:56,909 --> 00:54:59,709
They vote 5-3, he goes to jail.
1059
00:55:01,243 --> 00:55:03,876
KRATTENMAKER: During the
period while the Ali case was
1060
00:55:03,909 --> 00:55:07,709
up at the supreme court the
second time, I was a law clerk
1061
00:55:07,743 --> 00:55:10,409
to one of the justices,
to justice Harlan.
1062
00:55:10,443 --> 00:55:14,043
The chief justice chose justice
Harlan to write the opinion,
1063
00:55:14,076 --> 00:55:16,909
and they all expected he
was going to write an opinion
1064
00:55:16,943 --> 00:55:18,943
to affirm the conviction.
1065
00:55:18,976 --> 00:55:21,509
NARRATOR: Tom krattenmaker
had been reading about
1066
00:55:21,543 --> 00:55:23,409
the nation of Islam
1067
00:55:23,443 --> 00:55:26,309
and believed that Ali's
claim of religious opposition
1068
00:55:26,343 --> 00:55:29,143
to fighting in wars was no
different than the argument
1069
00:55:29,176 --> 00:55:31,909
jehovah's witnesses had
successfully presented to
1070
00:55:31,943 --> 00:55:34,909
the court in the 1950s.
1071
00:55:34,943 --> 00:55:37,343
IZENBERG: The law clerk
of justice Harlan goes in
1072
00:55:37,376 --> 00:55:40,576
and says, "listen, with
all due respect Mr. Justice,
1073
00:55:40,609 --> 00:55:42,185
"I've got some stuff here
about the nation of Islam
1074
00:55:42,209 --> 00:55:43,643
and what it believes."
1075
00:55:43,676 --> 00:55:45,609
I thought once
he got deeper into
1076
00:55:45,643 --> 00:55:49,909
the documents and into
the underlying materials
1077
00:55:49,943 --> 00:55:52,976
in the case, he would
find that Ali did in fact have
1078
00:55:53,009 --> 00:55:56,476
a sincere objection
to fighting all wars.
1079
00:55:56,509 --> 00:56:00,976
What Ali said is, I am a
member of the lost-found
1080
00:56:01,009 --> 00:56:02,609
nation of Islam.
1081
00:56:02,643 --> 00:56:05,143
It is part of our
religious tenet that we
1082
00:56:05,176 --> 00:56:08,809
will not fight any wars in
which human life is being taken,
1083
00:56:08,843 --> 00:56:12,109
unless i'm commanded
to fight by Allah.
1084
00:56:12,143 --> 00:56:18,243
And, those views are, a
religiously based objection
1085
00:56:18,276 --> 00:56:22,576
to participation
in war in all forms.
1086
00:56:22,609 --> 00:56:27,076
And one day, justice
Harlan walked in and said,
1087
00:56:27,109 --> 00:56:32,209
"you know, I've decided
you guys are right."
1088
00:56:32,243 --> 00:56:35,876
It's pretty unusual for
justices to change their mind.
1089
00:56:35,909 --> 00:56:38,576
In this case, it was
quite a bombshell.
1090
00:56:38,609 --> 00:56:40,543
No one expected it.
1091
00:56:40,576 --> 00:56:42,376
Everyone on the court
thought this conviction
1092
00:56:42,409 --> 00:56:44,376
was going to be affirmed.
1093
00:56:44,409 --> 00:56:47,209
NARRATOR: Chief justice
Warren Burger was livid,
1094
00:56:47,243 --> 00:56:52,643
calling Harlan "an apologist
for the black muslims."
1095
00:56:52,676 --> 00:56:57,276
The vote, now split 4-4,
meant that Ali's conviction
1096
00:56:57,309 --> 00:57:02,876
would be upheld, but the
justices would publish no opinion.
1097
00:57:02,909 --> 00:57:06,976
It would be as if they had
never even taken the case.
1098
00:57:09,276 --> 00:57:13,443
Then, another justice,
Potter Stewart, discovered
1099
00:57:13,476 --> 00:57:17,209
a procedural error by the
Kentucky appeals board that he
1100
00:57:17,243 --> 00:57:21,043
believed the court could
use to overturn Ali's conviction
1101
00:57:21,076 --> 00:57:23,209
without setting a precedent.
1102
00:57:23,243 --> 00:57:27,943
We don't know what the
state appeal board used
1103
00:57:27,976 --> 00:57:32,709
as a reason for denying Ali
conscientious objector status,
1104
00:57:32,743 --> 00:57:34,709
because they gave no reasons.
1105
00:57:34,743 --> 00:57:37,143
They just turned him down.
1106
00:57:37,176 --> 00:57:40,943
And so that denied due
process of law to this one person,
1107
00:57:40,976 --> 00:57:42,876
Muhammad Ali.
1108
00:57:42,909 --> 00:57:46,943
Once justice Stewart latched
on to this procedural point,
1109
00:57:46,976 --> 00:57:49,443
he and his law
clerks drafted it up
1110
00:57:49,476 --> 00:57:51,109
and sent it around,
1111
00:57:51,143 --> 00:57:54,243
and one by one,
justices started joining it.
1112
00:57:54,276 --> 00:57:57,376
The final person to
join was the chief justice.
1113
00:57:57,409 --> 00:58:02,076
And so, by the end, it
was unanimous to reverse
1114
00:58:02,109 --> 00:58:03,676
Ali's conviction. Ha ha!
1115
00:58:03,709 --> 00:58:06,309
REPORTER: The court
unanimously threw out
1116
00:58:06,343 --> 00:58:09,509
the conviction of boxer
Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay...
1117
00:58:09,543 --> 00:58:14,676
NARRATOR: On June 28, 1971,
as Ali was leaving a corner store
1118
00:58:14,709 --> 00:58:18,343
on the south side of Chicago,
the shopkeeper heard the news
1119
00:58:18,376 --> 00:58:21,209
and ran after him
to let him know.
1120
00:58:21,243 --> 00:58:24,176
Well I was on 79th street
on the south side and just
1121
00:58:24,209 --> 00:58:25,943
bought me an orange
in a grocery store,
1122
00:58:25,976 --> 00:58:28,176
and the grocery owner
came out and grabbed me
1123
00:58:28,209 --> 00:58:29,976
and hugged me
with tears in his eyes,
1124
00:58:30,009 --> 00:58:32,343
little black fella, and
told me that "you've just
1125
00:58:32,376 --> 00:58:34,143
"been vindicated and you free.
1126
00:58:34,176 --> 00:58:36,643
8 judges all voted
in your favor."
1127
00:58:36,676 --> 00:58:39,109
And he just hugged
me and squeezed me.
1128
00:58:39,143 --> 00:58:42,043
REPORTER: How do you
feel about our system now?
1129
00:58:42,076 --> 00:58:44,509
ALI: Well, I don't know who
will be assassinated tonight.
1130
00:58:44,543 --> 00:58:47,376
I don't know who will be
enslaved or mistreated.
1131
00:58:47,409 --> 00:58:49,609
I don't know who will be
deprived of some other justice
1132
00:58:49,643 --> 00:58:52,176
or equality, so I
can't say nothing.
1133
00:58:52,209 --> 00:58:54,443
All I can talk about is my case.
1134
00:58:54,476 --> 00:58:57,776
And I'm thankful that the
courts recognized my sincerity
1135
00:58:57,809 --> 00:58:59,843
of my beliefs in this case.
1136
00:58:59,876 --> 00:59:02,643
That was so beautiful.
Oh, that was beautiful.
1137
00:59:02,676 --> 00:59:06,343
I cried because I was so happy.
1138
00:59:06,376 --> 00:59:08,409
My brother facing
prison, prison sentence
1139
00:59:08,443 --> 00:59:10,309
if he found guilty,
1140
00:59:10,343 --> 00:59:13,243
he wasn't found guilty.
They let him go. He was right.
1141
00:59:13,276 --> 00:59:15,176
The supreme court
said he was right.
1142
00:59:15,209 --> 00:59:17,176
It was so beautiful.
1143
00:59:17,209 --> 00:59:19,143
It shows... it shows
there's a god.
1144
00:59:19,176 --> 00:59:20,709
It was easy for him.
1145
00:59:20,743 --> 00:59:22,509
You know why it was
easy, you know why?
1146
00:59:22,543 --> 00:59:25,676
Because in his mind, he
was doing the right thing.
1147
00:59:25,709 --> 00:59:28,376
Do the right thing
in life, you're happy,
1148
00:59:28,409 --> 00:59:30,843
no matter what people say.
1149
00:59:30,876 --> 00:59:33,576
Do what you think is right.
1150
00:59:33,609 --> 00:59:37,209
MOSLEY: Somebody asked
me once in high school,
1151
00:59:37,243 --> 00:59:39,043
"what do you think
about the war in Vietnam
1152
00:59:39,076 --> 00:59:40,385
and maybe going over
there and fighting?"
1153
00:59:40,409 --> 00:59:42,209
And I said, "listen.
1154
00:59:42,243 --> 00:59:44,252
"I can't see any reason
that I'd been shooting these
1155
00:59:44,276 --> 00:59:46,176
"Vietnamese men and women.
1156
00:59:46,209 --> 00:59:48,176
"Why would I be doing
that? Why would I go there?
1157
00:59:48,209 --> 00:59:50,376
Why would I support that?"
1158
00:59:50,409 --> 00:59:52,976
I thought it was my own thought.
1159
00:59:54,709 --> 00:59:58,676
That shows how
powerful Muhammad Ali is.
1160
00:59:58,709 --> 01:00:02,076
It was a thought that I had
gotten from him, but I didn't
1161
01:00:02,109 --> 01:00:04,743
even know i'd
gotten it from him.
1162
01:00:04,776 --> 01:00:07,409
When he says, "no viet
cong ever called me nigger,"
1163
01:00:07,443 --> 01:00:11,743
I mean, somehow that got
into my head, but not UN...
1164
01:00:11,776 --> 01:00:13,209
Not on purpose, not consciously.
1165
01:00:13,243 --> 01:00:15,976
And that's a real leader.
1166
01:00:16,009 --> 01:00:20,443
He influences you, and you
don't know it's happening.
1167
01:00:23,243 --> 01:00:26,876
REPORTER: Suppose you do fight
Frazier again and beat him, then what?
1168
01:00:26,909 --> 01:00:29,876
Suppose I beat him?
I'm gonna whoop him.
1169
01:00:29,909 --> 01:00:32,543
I whooped him the first time,
I whooped him for 9 rounds,
1170
01:00:32,576 --> 01:00:34,452
beat him so terrible, they
put him in the hospital.
1171
01:00:34,476 --> 01:00:36,376
That's when I was off.
1172
01:00:36,409 --> 01:00:38,776
When they took my title,
if I fought Joe Frazier then,
1173
01:00:38,809 --> 01:00:40,743
he'd have been slaughtered.
1174
01:00:40,776 --> 01:00:43,376
You let me get in the ring
with Joe Frazier one more time,
1175
01:00:43,409 --> 01:00:45,443
and you will see what
I do with Joe Frazier.
1176
01:00:45,476 --> 01:00:47,109
I'm tired of talking about it!
1177
01:00:47,143 --> 01:00:49,043
You'll see what I
do with Joe Frazier!
1178
01:00:49,076 --> 01:00:53,109
♫ Joe Frazier and the Knockouts'
"Knockout Drop" playing ♫
1179
01:00:53,143 --> 01:00:55,843
NARRATOR: Joe Frazier
was in no hurry to fight Ali
1180
01:00:55,876 --> 01:00:58,043
or anyone else.
1181
01:00:58,076 --> 01:01:01,576
He loved being the undisputed
heavyweight champion of the world
1182
01:01:01,609 --> 01:01:05,909
and toured Europe with
his soul band, the knockouts.
1183
01:01:05,943 --> 01:01:08,643
♫ Ohh, my love,
my love, my love ♫
1184
01:01:08,676 --> 01:01:11,209
♫ is like a knockout drop ♫
1185
01:01:11,243 --> 01:01:14,609
NARRATOR: He appeared before
the south Carolina legislature,
1186
01:01:14,643 --> 01:01:17,076
one of the first
African-Americans to do so
1187
01:01:17,109 --> 01:01:18,643
since reconstruction.
1188
01:01:18,676 --> 01:01:20,776
We must save our people.
1189
01:01:20,809 --> 01:01:25,109
NARRATOR: And he purchased a
366-acre former rice plantation
1190
01:01:25,143 --> 01:01:29,843
outside beaufort, where
he moved his mother, Dolly.
1191
01:01:29,876 --> 01:01:34,976
One aide claimed he was
unlikely to box again that year.
1192
01:01:35,009 --> 01:01:37,576
The fact is that
you're a crowd puller
1193
01:01:37,609 --> 01:01:40,009
and Frazier's not,
is he? Why is that?
1194
01:01:40,043 --> 01:01:41,776
Well, number one, he's ugly.
1195
01:01:41,809 --> 01:01:44,943
(laughter)
1196
01:01:44,976 --> 01:01:50,676
He has no rhythm, no
footwork, no class, he cannot talk.
1197
01:01:50,709 --> 01:01:52,576
(laughter)
1198
01:01:52,609 --> 01:01:54,809
And who told him he could sing?
1199
01:01:54,843 --> 01:01:56,776
He cannot sing. (loud laughter)
1200
01:01:56,809 --> 01:02:02,543
NARRATOR: Beginning in July
of 1971, Ali, now free to box
1201
01:02:02,576 --> 01:02:06,209
whenever and wherever
he pleased, fought 9 times
1202
01:02:06,243 --> 01:02:10,476
in 15 months while waiting
for another shot at Frazier.
1203
01:02:10,509 --> 01:02:15,976
His opponents... often smaller,
slower, or past their prime...
1204
01:02:16,009 --> 01:02:19,876
Were carefully chosen to
protect Ali from a second defeat
1205
01:02:19,909 --> 01:02:22,109
that would have destroyed
his career before he could
1206
01:02:22,143 --> 01:02:24,676
face Frazier again.
1207
01:02:24,709 --> 01:02:27,176
NARRATOR: First, he
defeated his boyhood friend
1208
01:02:27,209 --> 01:02:29,709
and longtime sparring
partner Jimmy Ellis
1209
01:02:29,743 --> 01:02:32,143
at the astrodome in Houston.
1210
01:02:32,176 --> 01:02:36,709
Ali, who outweighed Ellis
by 31 pounds, looked listless
1211
01:02:36,743 --> 01:02:38,309
and unprepared.
1212
01:02:38,343 --> 01:02:41,209
Frazier, who had watched
a closed-circuit showing
1213
01:02:41,243 --> 01:02:44,143
in Philadelphia,
was unimpressed.
1214
01:02:44,176 --> 01:02:47,543
He called Ali a clown and
accused him of hiking up
1215
01:02:47,576 --> 01:02:49,176
his over-sized trunks
1216
01:02:49,209 --> 01:02:51,976
to conceal a layer of
fat around his waist.
1217
01:02:52,009 --> 01:02:53,976
FRAZIER: ♫ like a
knockout drop ♫
1218
01:02:54,009 --> 01:02:55,176
NARRATOR: Buster Mathis.
1219
01:02:55,209 --> 01:02:56,976
Jurgen blin.
1220
01:02:57,009 --> 01:02:58,509
Mac foster.
1221
01:02:58,543 --> 01:03:00,409
George Chuvalo.
1222
01:03:00,443 --> 01:03:02,209
Jerry quarry.
1223
01:03:02,243 --> 01:03:04,376
Alvin Lewis.
1224
01:03:04,409 --> 01:03:06,009
He beat them all.
1225
01:03:06,043 --> 01:03:08,409
FRAZIER: ♫ I can, oh... ♫
1226
01:03:08,443 --> 01:03:10,576
NARRATOR: Life on
the road was chaotic.
1227
01:03:10,609 --> 01:03:14,509
Between workouts, Ali
goofed off with Bundini,
1228
01:03:14,543 --> 01:03:17,243
played pranks on
unsuspecting companions,
1229
01:03:17,276 --> 01:03:20,543
and spent hours in
front of the television.
1230
01:03:20,576 --> 01:03:24,043
He also sought to
fulfill his near-insatiable
1231
01:03:24,076 --> 01:03:27,843
craving for sex, regularly
cheating on his wife,
1232
01:03:27,876 --> 01:03:30,709
at times paying women for sex.
1233
01:03:30,743 --> 01:03:33,709
His rendezvous were
often arranged by the men
1234
01:03:33,743 --> 01:03:35,909
in his entourage.
1235
01:03:35,943 --> 01:03:37,485
FEMALE REPORTER: You
know, there's a theory that
1236
01:03:37,509 --> 01:03:39,443
the more you say
how great you are,
1237
01:03:39,476 --> 01:03:41,776
it really means that you
don't think you're so great.
1238
01:03:41,809 --> 01:03:43,376
What do you think
is wrong with you?
1239
01:03:43,409 --> 01:03:45,309
What is wrong with me?
What are your faults?
1240
01:03:45,343 --> 01:03:46,809
Well, I have a lot of faults.
1241
01:03:46,843 --> 01:03:48,643
Like what? What's the worst?
1242
01:03:48,676 --> 01:03:51,876
I can't tell you my worst
fault because I'm married.
1243
01:03:51,909 --> 01:03:54,709
(men laughing)
1244
01:03:54,743 --> 01:03:57,243
You figure it out.
1245
01:03:57,276 --> 01:04:01,143
ARUM: I think he had a great
moral compass as being honest
1246
01:04:01,176 --> 01:04:03,009
and charitable.
1247
01:04:03,043 --> 01:04:07,909
Now, if you say did he have
a moral compass being...
1248
01:04:07,943 --> 01:04:11,809
Uh, observing
fidelity with his wife?
1249
01:04:11,843 --> 01:04:13,943
No. Not at all.
1250
01:04:13,976 --> 01:04:15,343
(women speaking indistinctly)
1251
01:04:15,376 --> 01:04:16,743
You're not married yet, are you?
1252
01:04:16,776 --> 01:04:18,909
ARUM: Ali was a womanizer.
1253
01:04:18,943 --> 01:04:22,409
That's known, and I'm not
telling tales out of school.
1254
01:04:22,443 --> 01:04:23,976
ALI: Muhammad Ali fan.
1255
01:04:24,009 --> 01:04:27,476
(laughing and
talking indistinctly)
1256
01:04:27,509 --> 01:04:30,476
BELINDA ALI: I'm
sorry that I did not...
1257
01:04:30,509 --> 01:04:34,009
Um, step in and...
1258
01:04:34,043 --> 01:04:36,509
I just allowed him to do
whatever he wanted to do.
1259
01:04:36,543 --> 01:04:39,209
I... I... I'm sorry for that.
1260
01:04:39,243 --> 01:04:40,976
See you on television.
1261
01:04:41,009 --> 01:04:42,776
You wanna show me
love and give me a hug?
1262
01:04:42,809 --> 01:04:45,409
BELINDA ALI: I just let
him do what he had to do.
1263
01:04:46,976 --> 01:04:49,509
NARRATOR: In September 1972,
1264
01:04:49,543 --> 01:04:53,309
Ali defeated an aging Floyd
Patterson a second time.
1265
01:04:53,343 --> 01:04:56,376
It would be
Patterson's final fight.
1266
01:04:56,409 --> 01:05:00,743
Joe Frazier, introduced
before the bout, had stood
1267
01:05:00,776 --> 01:05:04,176
at the center of the ring
and smiled, while Ali,
1268
01:05:04,209 --> 01:05:06,476
restrained by Bundini Brown,
1269
01:05:06,509 --> 01:05:08,676
pretended to lunge
at the champion.
1270
01:05:08,709 --> 01:05:11,143
COSELL: Muhammad
Ali is putting on his act.
1271
01:05:11,176 --> 01:05:13,376
"Let me at him. Let me at him."
1272
01:05:13,409 --> 01:05:15,409
NARRATOR: "Let's
stop all this and do
1273
01:05:15,443 --> 01:05:18,143
what the people
want," Ali told reporters.
1274
01:05:18,176 --> 01:05:21,009
"Tell Frazier to
quit ducking me."
1275
01:05:21,043 --> 01:05:23,043
♫ The Budos Band's "Veil
Of Shadows" playing ♫
1276
01:05:23,076 --> 01:05:31,076
♫ ♫
1277
01:05:38,009 --> 01:05:39,243
♫ ♫
1278
01:05:39,276 --> 01:05:42,676
Despite Ali's victories,
some sportswriters saw
1279
01:05:42,709 --> 01:05:45,776
a diminished fighter
who now won on guile,
1280
01:05:45,809 --> 01:05:49,009
absorbed too many blows
over too many rounds,
1281
01:05:49,043 --> 01:05:53,009
and did not deserve
a rematch with Frazier.
1282
01:05:53,043 --> 01:05:57,543
"He's still very fast," George
Chuvalo said, "but he missed
1283
01:05:57,576 --> 01:05:59,376
"a lot more punches this time.
1284
01:05:59,409 --> 01:06:01,509
I definitely hurt him."
1285
01:06:03,176 --> 01:06:06,343
"Joe Frazier would slaughter
Ali," wrote dick young.
1286
01:06:06,376 --> 01:06:11,309
"He's just a memory of the
greatest. A grim memory."
1287
01:06:13,309 --> 01:06:16,309
But his trainer Angelo
Dundee, who had worried
1288
01:06:16,343 --> 01:06:19,109
that his fighter had just been
going through the motion,
1289
01:06:19,143 --> 01:06:24,576
was sure that another Frazier
fight would bring out Ali's best.
1290
01:06:24,609 --> 01:06:29,043
Then, in November, Joe
Frazier, under pressure from
1291
01:06:29,076 --> 01:06:33,143
boxing officials to defend his
title against a top contender,
1292
01:06:33,176 --> 01:06:36,276
signed to fight an
undefeated 23-year-old
1293
01:06:36,309 --> 01:06:39,043
named George Foreman.
1294
01:06:39,076 --> 01:06:43,143
Ali's rematch with
Frazier would have to wait.
1295
01:06:46,176 --> 01:06:48,376
(laughter)
1296
01:06:52,976 --> 01:06:54,943
MAN: Go get him!
1297
01:06:54,976 --> 01:06:57,743
(indistinct) Knock him down.
1298
01:07:02,843 --> 01:07:04,643
(cheering and laughter)
1299
01:07:08,676 --> 01:07:10,209
(birds chirping)
1300
01:07:10,243 --> 01:07:12,709
NARRATOR: In the spring of 1972,
1301
01:07:12,743 --> 01:07:14,976
Muhammad Ali had
purchased 6 acres
1302
01:07:15,009 --> 01:07:17,776
atop a ridge near
deer lake, Pennsylvania
1303
01:07:17,809 --> 01:07:20,376
and begun building
his own training camp
1304
01:07:20,409 --> 01:07:24,009
equipped with a boxing
gym, mosque, mess hall,
1305
01:07:24,043 --> 01:07:27,843
and enough lodging
for his entire entourage.
1306
01:07:27,876 --> 01:07:32,176
Ali and belinda, who gave
birth that may to their 4th child,
1307
01:07:32,209 --> 01:07:35,143
Muhammad Ali Jr.,
scoured the area
1308
01:07:35,176 --> 01:07:37,676
for furnishings to
outfit the compound.
1309
01:07:37,709 --> 01:07:40,609
They bought antique
furniture for the cabins,
1310
01:07:40,643 --> 01:07:44,576
a 150-year-old horse-drawn
wagon for the yard,
1311
01:07:44,609 --> 01:07:46,876
and a replica of
the Liberty Bell,
1312
01:07:46,909 --> 01:07:50,509
which the boxer planned
to ring each morning at 4:30
1313
01:07:50,543 --> 01:07:53,476
to herald the start of his day.
1314
01:07:53,509 --> 01:07:56,709
Ali had his father paint
massive boulders scattered
1315
01:07:56,743 --> 01:07:59,876
across the grounds with
the names of champions...
1316
01:07:59,909 --> 01:08:05,776
Joe Louis, Sonny Liston,
Archie Moore, Jack Johnson.
1317
01:08:05,809 --> 01:08:09,376
REPORTER: Now, Muhammad
Ali did not meet the president,
1318
01:08:09,409 --> 01:08:12,743
but he happened to be passing
by mt. Rushmore one day,
1319
01:08:12,776 --> 01:08:14,743
and this is what happened. Ok.
1320
01:08:14,776 --> 01:08:17,276
Do not be shocked, because
it will soon be the truth.
1321
01:08:17,309 --> 01:08:19,109
(Laughter and applause)
1322
01:08:28,276 --> 01:08:30,209
NARRATOR: One day, while Ali
1323
01:08:30,243 --> 01:08:33,543
was training in a makeshift
gym near the half-built camp,
1324
01:08:33,576 --> 01:08:37,743
a 22-year-old amateur fighter
from nearby Easton, Pennsylvania
1325
01:08:37,776 --> 01:08:43,176
named Larry Holmes, showed
up, eager to meet his idol.
1326
01:08:43,209 --> 01:08:47,976
One of 12 kids raised by his
mother flossie in public housing
1327
01:08:48,009 --> 01:08:51,776
on Easton's south side,
Holmes had first boxed for
1328
01:08:51,809 --> 01:08:56,043
hot dogs and sodas in the
city's Wednesday-night bar fights
1329
01:08:56,076 --> 01:08:58,609
at just 10 years old.
1330
01:08:58,643 --> 01:09:01,843
HOLMES: When I left
school, I was in the 7th grade.
1331
01:09:01,876 --> 01:09:07,209
It was either quit
or get thrown out.
1332
01:09:07,243 --> 01:09:10,009
Therefore, I just decided to go.
1333
01:09:10,043 --> 01:09:13,943
You know, I worked in the
car wash, I shined shoes,
1334
01:09:13,976 --> 01:09:19,476
I did whatever I could do to
help bring in money to the house.
1335
01:09:19,509 --> 01:09:22,409
And then I met a guy by
the name of Ernie Butler
1336
01:09:22,443 --> 01:09:26,676
teaching kids how to box, and
I started learning how to box.
1337
01:09:28,509 --> 01:09:31,343
NARRATOR: By the time
Holmes arrived at deer lake,
1338
01:09:31,376 --> 01:09:34,409
he was hoping to
make the olympic team.
1339
01:09:34,443 --> 01:09:36,676
Ali put up his hand. He
said, "let me see your jab."
1340
01:09:36,709 --> 01:09:38,609
(smack) And Larry's hitting it.
1341
01:09:38,643 --> 01:09:40,309
"Oh, that's good."
1342
01:09:40,343 --> 01:09:42,119
I said, "Larry, do you
have your boxing stuff?"
1343
01:09:42,143 --> 01:09:43,676
"Yeah, I have it."
1344
01:09:43,709 --> 01:09:46,009
Ali said, "good. I
need a good workout."
1345
01:09:46,043 --> 01:09:48,376
So we go down, and they spar.
1346
01:09:48,409 --> 01:09:50,709
And Larry got a shiner.
1347
01:09:50,743 --> 01:09:53,443
And I said, "Larry, let
me put some ice on this."
1348
01:09:53,476 --> 01:09:55,009
"No, no, no.
1349
01:09:55,043 --> 01:09:56,652
"I'm going back to
Easton, I'm going to tell
1350
01:09:56,676 --> 01:09:59,143
"all the people,
Muhammad Ali put this here.
1351
01:09:59,176 --> 01:10:00,809
I'm so proud of this."
1352
01:10:00,843 --> 01:10:05,009
And then I invited Larry
to our training camp.
1353
01:10:05,043 --> 01:10:08,609
HOLMES: I would come in here
and wash dishes in the kitchen.
1354
01:10:08,643 --> 01:10:13,809
I would sit in his dressing rooms,
talk to him, and ask him questions,
1355
01:10:13,843 --> 01:10:17,009
and you know, he
probably got tired of me
1356
01:10:17,043 --> 01:10:20,943
for asking a lot of
questions, but I did it anyway.
1357
01:10:20,976 --> 01:10:25,309
The quickness and
the mobility that he had.
1358
01:10:25,343 --> 01:10:29,676
He could duck, pull away
from punches and stuff, block...
1359
01:10:29,709 --> 01:10:31,176
You couldn't hit him.
1360
01:10:31,209 --> 01:10:32,643
Hello again, everyone.
1361
01:10:32,676 --> 01:10:35,243
I'm Howard Cosell
along with Muhammad Ali
1362
01:10:35,276 --> 01:10:37,976
bringing you the
olympic boxing trials,
1363
01:10:38,009 --> 01:10:39,809
and you'll be
seeing Larry Holmes.
1364
01:10:39,843 --> 01:10:41,576
(bell dings)
1365
01:10:41,609 --> 01:10:44,243
HOLMES: A lot of the
stuff that Ali did, I copy.
1366
01:10:44,276 --> 01:10:46,176
And everybody say,
"you're a copycat."
1367
01:10:46,209 --> 01:10:48,176
"Ok, so? And? What's next?"
1368
01:10:48,209 --> 01:10:49,976
ALI: He reminds me
of myself in footwork,
1369
01:10:50,009 --> 01:10:52,176
the way he's constantly
moving and circling...
1370
01:10:52,209 --> 01:10:53,685
HOLMES: I'm gonna
learn from the best.
1371
01:10:53,709 --> 01:10:55,209
This man is the best.
1372
01:10:55,243 --> 01:10:57,343
So I'm gonna do...
I'm gonna copy it.
1373
01:10:57,376 --> 01:10:59,843
COSELL: Good left by Holmes.
1374
01:10:59,876 --> 01:11:03,543
If I can't get it, at
least I gave it a shot,
1375
01:11:03,576 --> 01:11:05,443
but I've worked
it out pretty good.
1376
01:11:06,976 --> 01:11:10,009
NARRATOR: Holmes failed
to make the olympic team,
1377
01:11:10,043 --> 01:11:12,676
but continued training
with Ali at deer lake,
1378
01:11:12,709 --> 01:11:15,509
eventually beginning
a professional career
1379
01:11:15,543 --> 01:11:19,609
that would one day lead
him back to his mentor.
1380
01:11:19,643 --> 01:11:22,909
COSELL: We're back at
ringside and George Foreman,
1381
01:11:22,943 --> 01:11:25,843
the challenger, has
just come into the ring.
1382
01:11:25,876 --> 01:11:27,876
There's no fear in either man.
1383
01:11:27,909 --> 01:11:32,076
There is no fear in
George Foreman.
1384
01:11:32,109 --> 01:11:34,876
He's a big, strong boy.
1385
01:11:34,909 --> 01:11:36,809
Down goes Frazier!
1386
01:11:36,843 --> 01:11:38,643
Down goes Frazier!
1387
01:11:38,676 --> 01:11:40,676
Down goes Frazier!
1388
01:11:40,709 --> 01:11:46,209
NARRATOR: On January 23,
1973, in Kingston, Jamaica,
1389
01:11:46,243 --> 01:11:50,509
George Foreman sent Joe
Frazier to the canvas 6 times
1390
01:11:50,543 --> 01:11:56,043
before the referee stopped
the fight at 1:35 of round 2.
1391
01:11:56,076 --> 01:11:59,009
COSELL: There he goes, 3 times!
1392
01:11:59,043 --> 01:12:01,843
It is over! It is over!
1393
01:12:01,876 --> 01:12:04,476
It is over in the 2nd round.
1394
01:12:04,509 --> 01:12:07,309
NARRATOR: Foreman was now
the heavyweight champion
1395
01:12:07,343 --> 01:12:08,776
of the world.
1396
01:12:08,809 --> 01:12:10,609
COSELL: They're carrying
George Foreman.
1397
01:12:10,643 --> 01:12:13,443
They're carrying George
Foreman on their shoulders,
1398
01:12:13,476 --> 01:12:15,243
right out of the ring.
1399
01:12:15,276 --> 01:12:17,076
Joe Frazier is...
1400
01:12:17,109 --> 01:12:18,843
NARRATOR: "I completely
underestimated him,"
1401
01:12:18,876 --> 01:12:22,409
Frazier said,
fighting back tears.
1402
01:12:22,443 --> 01:12:24,276
(crowd screaming)
1403
01:12:24,309 --> 01:12:27,809
The next morning, promoters
from New York to Honolulu
1404
01:12:27,843 --> 01:12:31,309
rushed to offer Foreman a
chance to defend his new title
1405
01:12:31,343 --> 01:12:35,876
against Muhammad Ali, while
observers speculated how much
1406
01:12:35,909 --> 01:12:38,109
the match would fetch.
1407
01:12:38,143 --> 01:12:42,243
Ali, who had been asleep at
his camp in deer lake during
1408
01:12:42,276 --> 01:12:45,576
the fight, was sure that
Frazier had cost them both
1409
01:12:45,609 --> 01:12:49,243
an enormous pay day
by not fighting him first.
1410
01:12:49,276 --> 01:12:52,776
He promised to annihilate
Foreman, but not before facing
1411
01:12:52,809 --> 01:12:57,443
a string of contenders
he'd already agreed to fight.
1412
01:12:57,476 --> 01:13:00,009
5 weeks later, in San Diego,
1413
01:13:00,043 --> 01:13:02,809
he would fight
6th-ranked Ken Norton,
1414
01:13:02,843 --> 01:13:06,309
a 6'3" ex-marine,
who had been paid just
1415
01:13:06,343 --> 01:13:09,176
$300 for his previous bout.
1416
01:13:09,209 --> 01:13:13,743
Muhammad Ali will be coming
to you on home television, live...
1417
01:13:13,776 --> 01:13:15,576
NARRATOR: When the
match-up failed to sell
1418
01:13:15,609 --> 01:13:18,676
enough closed-circuit
tickets, the promoters decided
1419
01:13:18,709 --> 01:13:23,143
to air it live on abc's
"wide world of sports."
1420
01:13:23,176 --> 01:13:25,709
COSELL: Ali, fighting the
6th-ranked heavyweight
1421
01:13:25,743 --> 01:13:27,676
Kenny Norton.
1422
01:13:27,709 --> 01:13:29,619
You haven't heard much about
Norton and this is supposed to
1423
01:13:29,643 --> 01:13:33,309
be a routine exercise for Ali.
1424
01:13:33,343 --> 01:13:36,509
NARRATOR: Ali entered the
arena wearing a bejeweled robe
1425
01:13:36,543 --> 01:13:40,876
with the words "people's
choice" inscribed on the back.
1426
01:13:40,909 --> 01:13:44,609
It had been a gift
from Elvis Presley.
1427
01:13:44,643 --> 01:13:48,376
COSELL: Good left there by
Norton. That excited the crowd.
1428
01:13:48,409 --> 01:13:53,009
BENTT: Ken Norton didn't allow
Muhammad to get into his head.
1429
01:13:53,043 --> 01:13:56,243
He wasn't intimidated by Ali.
1430
01:13:56,276 --> 01:13:58,243
He was a marine.
1431
01:13:58,276 --> 01:14:03,643
Although he started boxing
late, he had good mechanics
1432
01:14:03,676 --> 01:14:05,543
and he was a good athlete.
1433
01:14:05,576 --> 01:14:08,409
COSELL: The right got
into Ali and then a left.
1434
01:14:08,443 --> 01:14:10,476
BENTT: His punches
came from everywhere.
1435
01:14:10,509 --> 01:14:13,043
COSELL: If nothing else,
Norton's confidence is growing.
1436
01:14:13,076 --> 01:14:16,809
BENTT: He jabbed with his
left hand down like Ali did,
1437
01:14:16,843 --> 01:14:20,376
and Ali never saw
someone like that before.
1438
01:14:20,409 --> 01:14:22,309
And he out-jabbed him.
1439
01:14:22,343 --> 01:14:27,343
And a strong jab is gonna
discourage you from throwing
1440
01:14:27,376 --> 01:14:30,509
your jab or throwing
punches period.
1441
01:14:30,543 --> 01:14:33,609
You're gonna have your
foot out the back door.
1442
01:14:33,643 --> 01:14:36,276
So you're off-balance.
1443
01:14:36,309 --> 01:14:39,209
Joe Frazier'd be like this,
you know, coming and moving,
1444
01:14:39,243 --> 01:14:43,043
bobbing and weaving,
whereas Norton was this way,
1445
01:14:43,076 --> 01:14:47,909
blocking the jab, blocking
the jab, blocking the jab.
1446
01:14:47,943 --> 01:14:52,409
You know, pow! Pow! Like this.
1447
01:14:52,443 --> 01:14:55,909
So Muhammad had no
choice but to try to go in,
1448
01:14:55,943 --> 01:14:58,909
leaving himself totally exposed.
1449
01:14:58,943 --> 01:15:02,109
BENTT: Not to mention that
Ken Norton could crack.
1450
01:15:02,143 --> 01:15:04,876
And he can get your attention.
1451
01:15:04,909 --> 01:15:08,376
When you throw shots
like that, that speaks to your
1452
01:15:08,409 --> 01:15:10,676
level of disrespect for the guy.
1453
01:15:10,709 --> 01:15:14,776
He's walking Muhammad
down, disrespectfully.
1454
01:15:14,809 --> 01:15:17,476
I think Ken Norton thought
that he was on the same level
1455
01:15:17,509 --> 01:15:19,543
as Muhammad Ali.
1456
01:15:19,576 --> 01:15:23,109
COSELL: There hasn't been much
movement by Ali in this fight.
1457
01:15:23,143 --> 01:15:25,176
Why? It's hard to figure.
1458
01:15:25,209 --> 01:15:28,643
Has he gone back that far?
That's not easily believable.
1459
01:15:28,676 --> 01:15:32,443
You have to wonder if
he's taking Norton too lightly.
1460
01:15:32,476 --> 01:15:37,009
NARRATOR: In round 8, Howard
Cosell noticed that a near-silent Ali
1461
01:15:37,043 --> 01:15:39,976
had begun moving
his mouth awkwardly.
1462
01:15:40,009 --> 01:15:41,443
(bell clangs)
1463
01:15:41,476 --> 01:15:44,276
COSELL: All right,
we're back for round 8,
1464
01:15:44,309 --> 01:15:47,309
and Ali just hasn't been right.
1465
01:15:47,343 --> 01:15:51,276
And I think he may have
cracked a tooth in his mouth
1466
01:15:51,309 --> 01:15:54,943
judging by the way
he's holding his mouth.
1467
01:15:54,976 --> 01:15:58,276
Let's see if we can get
Dr. Ferdie Pacheco to tell us.
1468
01:15:58,309 --> 01:16:00,843
Ferdie, is there anything
wrong with Muhammad's mouth?
1469
01:16:00,876 --> 01:16:02,685
PACHECO: No, I think,
uh, he's loosened a tooth
1470
01:16:02,709 --> 01:16:04,452
but there's no fracture,
there's no broken anything.
1471
01:16:04,476 --> 01:16:06,109
There's nothing, you know.
1472
01:16:06,143 --> 01:16:08,176
NARRATOR: But
Pacheco knew better.
1473
01:16:10,776 --> 01:16:13,043
A 2nd-round blow by Norton
1474
01:16:13,076 --> 01:16:15,743
had broken Ali's
lower left jawbone,
1475
01:16:15,776 --> 01:16:18,743
the jagged edges
digging into the inside
1476
01:16:18,776 --> 01:16:20,209
of his cheek.
1477
01:16:20,243 --> 01:16:23,676
COSELL: A good right!
He is all over Ali.
1478
01:16:23,709 --> 01:16:26,443
SOLANO: Every
time Norton hit him,
1479
01:16:26,476 --> 01:16:29,043
it was just pain, pain, pain.
1480
01:16:29,076 --> 01:16:30,776
COSELL: There's
blood in Ali's mouth.
1481
01:16:30,809 --> 01:16:33,243
Because of the jaw,
every punch was pain.
1482
01:16:33,276 --> 01:16:35,976
COSELL: One has to
wonder, is he now but a relic
1483
01:16:36,009 --> 01:16:37,843
of the fighter he was?
1484
01:16:37,876 --> 01:16:42,176
NARRATOR: Ali still believed
he could beat Ken Norton.
1485
01:16:42,209 --> 01:16:44,909
BUNDINI: Let's go, champ!
1486
01:16:44,943 --> 01:16:47,709
COSELL: Ali is landing in
this round, as you can see.
1487
01:16:47,743 --> 01:16:49,043
He is scoring.
1488
01:16:51,343 --> 01:16:53,509
However, Norton
keeps coming at Ali,
1489
01:16:53,543 --> 01:16:56,509
and Ali is against the ropes.
1490
01:16:56,543 --> 01:16:58,076
NARRATOR: "You
missed me, sucker!"
1491
01:16:58,109 --> 01:16:59,976
Norton jeered Ali.
1492
01:17:00,009 --> 01:17:02,643
"You ain't hit
nothin' but a ghost."
1493
01:17:02,676 --> 01:17:04,276
(bell dings)
1494
01:17:04,309 --> 01:17:06,309
COSELL: This
crowd is going wild.
1495
01:17:06,343 --> 01:17:11,643
They are sensing a decision in
favor of unknown Kenny Norton.
1496
01:17:11,676 --> 01:17:14,743
Nobody can really believe
what they have seen.
1497
01:17:14,776 --> 01:17:17,843
It is a tired Ali
and a hurt Ali.
1498
01:17:17,876 --> 01:17:22,676
RING ANNOUNCER: Referee
Frank rustitch scores it
1499
01:17:22,709 --> 01:17:26,309
7 points Norton, 5 points Ali!
1500
01:17:26,343 --> 01:17:28,909
COSELL: There
it is! There it is!
1501
01:17:28,943 --> 01:17:33,776
One of the greatest upsets
again in boxing history. Kenny...
1502
01:17:33,809 --> 01:17:36,109
NARRATOR: Bundini Brown
and Angelo Dundee
1503
01:17:36,143 --> 01:17:38,109
rushed Ali from the ring,
1504
01:17:38,143 --> 01:17:42,309
as Norton embraced his old
sparring partner Joe Frazier.
1505
01:17:42,343 --> 01:17:44,976
COSELL: Ali's mouth
filled with blood.
1506
01:17:45,009 --> 01:17:48,376
KILROY: Ali gets a jaw
operated on, and I stayed
1507
01:17:48,409 --> 01:17:50,243
there with him all night.
1508
01:17:50,276 --> 01:17:54,376
When he woke up in the
morning, he was all wired up.
1509
01:17:54,409 --> 01:17:56,976
NARRATOR: It would
be at least 3 months
1510
01:17:57,009 --> 01:17:59,476
before he could
even train again.
1511
01:18:01,743 --> 01:18:05,576
The next day, Ken Norton
stopped by Ali's hospital room
1512
01:18:05,609 --> 01:18:07,676
to pay his respects.
1513
01:18:07,709 --> 01:18:09,643
He brought a photographer.
1514
01:18:09,676 --> 01:18:11,476
(camera shutter clicks)
1515
01:18:11,509 --> 01:18:14,709
The image of Ali, stretched
out on a hospital bed
1516
01:18:14,743 --> 01:18:16,343
with Norton hovering over him,
1517
01:18:16,376 --> 01:18:19,243
appeared in
newspapers everywhere.
1518
01:18:19,276 --> 01:18:22,576
Howard Cosell
declared him finished.
1519
01:18:22,609 --> 01:18:29,309
Red Smith called the boxer a
limp effigy of Muhammad Ali.
1520
01:18:29,343 --> 01:18:32,143
It had been nearly a
decade since he had stopped
1521
01:18:32,176 --> 01:18:35,243
Sonny Liston to become
heavyweight champion.
1522
01:18:35,276 --> 01:18:40,076
Many observers wondered if his
foot and hand speed were gone,
1523
01:18:40,109 --> 01:18:43,209
if he still possessed
the will to train properly,
1524
01:18:43,243 --> 01:18:48,243
if his brutal bout with Frazier had
caused more harm than acknowledged,
1525
01:18:48,276 --> 01:18:52,476
if he could ever
be the same fighter.
1526
01:18:52,509 --> 01:18:56,809
Just before he'd faced Norton,
Herbert Muhammad had chided Ali
1527
01:18:56,843 --> 01:18:59,843
for poor conditioning
and overconfidence.
1528
01:18:59,876 --> 01:19:03,909
He'd trained for just 3
weeks, skipped roadwork,
1529
01:19:03,943 --> 01:19:07,409
and had appeared out of breath
while punching the heavy bag
1530
01:19:07,443 --> 01:19:11,043
and jumping rope during
workouts in San Diego.
1531
01:19:11,076 --> 01:19:14,076
He had also spent the
hours leading up to the fight
1532
01:19:14,109 --> 01:19:16,243
in bed with two women.
1533
01:19:18,643 --> 01:19:21,876
Before leaving the hospital,
the nurses had given Ali
1534
01:19:21,909 --> 01:19:24,543
a stack of letters
addressed to him.
1535
01:19:24,576 --> 01:19:28,009
"The butterfly has lost
its wings," read one.
1536
01:19:28,043 --> 01:19:30,276
"The bee has lost its sting.
1537
01:19:30,309 --> 01:19:33,743
Your mouth has been
shut up for all times."
1538
01:19:33,776 --> 01:19:38,443
Later, he would tape it to
the gym wall for inspiration.
1539
01:19:38,476 --> 01:19:40,685
CAVETT: And would you welcome,
the incredible Muhammad Ali.
1540
01:19:40,709 --> 01:19:43,709
(applause)
1541
01:19:43,743 --> 01:19:46,543
NARRATOR: In spite of all the
doubts and the injury that
1542
01:19:46,576 --> 01:19:50,276
left him muzzled and
temporarily unable to train,
1543
01:19:50,309 --> 01:19:53,876
Ali remained boxing's
biggest attraction, the most
1544
01:19:53,909 --> 01:19:56,343
compelling athlete anywhere.
1545
01:19:56,376 --> 01:19:57,919
CAVETT: I heard you
wouldn't be able to talk
1546
01:19:57,943 --> 01:19:59,576
for quite a while.
1547
01:19:59,609 --> 01:20:01,052
No. The doctor told
me I wouldn't be able to,
1548
01:20:01,076 --> 01:20:02,409
but I told him he's wrong.
1549
01:20:02,443 --> 01:20:05,209
(laughter)
1550
01:20:05,243 --> 01:20:06,609
If they told you tomorrow
1551
01:20:06,643 --> 01:20:08,009
that you could not fight again,
1552
01:20:08,043 --> 01:20:09,285
if they had a look
at your jaw and said
1553
01:20:09,309 --> 01:20:10,576
"it's just too dangerous,"
1554
01:20:10,609 --> 01:20:12,876
would you... Would you cry?
1555
01:20:12,909 --> 01:20:15,443
No. I'd rejoice.
1556
01:20:15,476 --> 01:20:19,143
I'd be glad that I found
out before I killed myself.
1557
01:20:19,176 --> 01:20:21,643
(laughter and applause)
1558
01:20:26,243 --> 01:20:29,143
NARRATOR: When Ali and
Norton agreed to a rematch
1559
01:20:29,176 --> 01:20:34,543
in Los Angeles in September
of 1973, even persistent critics,
1560
01:20:34,576 --> 01:20:37,809
eager to fill their notebooks
again with Ali's quips
1561
01:20:37,843 --> 01:20:40,076
and predictions, rejoiced.
1562
01:20:40,109 --> 01:20:41,943
This ain't no big thing
beatin' Ken Norton.
1563
01:20:41,976 --> 01:20:44,443
This man wasn't nobody
and still ain't nobody.
1564
01:20:44,476 --> 01:20:46,976
I just made him somebody
by not training and comin' in
1565
01:20:47,009 --> 01:20:48,776
too fat and getting'
my jaw broke
1566
01:20:48,809 --> 01:20:50,376
and couldn't pull out of it.
1567
01:20:50,409 --> 01:20:52,276
This time, it'll be no match.
1568
01:20:52,309 --> 01:20:54,376
NARRATOR: "The Norton
fight was god's warning,"
1569
01:20:54,409 --> 01:20:56,309
Ali told the press.
1570
01:20:56,343 --> 01:20:58,809
"He was punishing me for
doing things not according
1571
01:20:58,843 --> 01:21:01,376
to my religious beliefs."
1572
01:21:01,409 --> 01:21:07,776
In late may, Ali, now 31 years
old, with a record of 41 wins
1573
01:21:07,809 --> 01:21:11,309
and 2 losses... to Joe
Frazier and Ken Norton...
1574
01:21:11,343 --> 01:21:15,076
Withdrew to deer
lake to begin training.
1575
01:21:15,109 --> 01:21:16,309
After I annihilate Ken Norton,
1576
01:21:16,343 --> 01:21:17,776
going to Jakarta, Indonesia
1577
01:21:17,809 --> 01:21:19,109
to whup this rudie lubbers,
1578
01:21:19,143 --> 01:21:20,809
the Dutch heavyweight champion.
1579
01:21:20,843 --> 01:21:22,452
I wanna come back
and settle this whole thing
1580
01:21:22,476 --> 01:21:24,085
with George Foreman,
and for old times' sakes,
1581
01:21:24,109 --> 01:21:25,585
I'm gonna whup Joe
Frazier again right there
1582
01:21:25,609 --> 01:21:27,309
in Madison square garden.
1583
01:21:27,343 --> 01:21:28,809
And I'm tired. I
gotta go to work.
1584
01:21:28,843 --> 01:21:30,509
I ain't got no
time to be talking.
1585
01:21:30,543 --> 01:21:32,443
♫ Stevie Wonder's
"Higher Ground" playing ♫
1586
01:21:32,476 --> 01:21:35,809
NARRATOR: Ali planned to run
4 miles a day, and he would
1587
01:21:35,843 --> 01:21:39,976
refrain from sparring until
3 weeks before the fight.
1588
01:21:40,009 --> 01:21:42,609
"I can't play no more," he said.
1589
01:21:42,643 --> 01:21:46,743
"I'll be damn serious
right from the beginning."
1590
01:21:46,776 --> 01:21:54,343
WONDER: ♫ soldiers
keep on warnin' ♫
1591
01:21:54,376 --> 01:21:59,409
♫ world keep on turnin' ♫
1592
01:21:59,443 --> 01:22:03,543
Look like I'm 20 years
old, going back in time.
1593
01:22:03,576 --> 01:22:06,843
NARRATOR: At the camp,
Ali was never alone.
1594
01:22:06,876 --> 01:22:11,709
His associate gene kilroy
made all the arrangements.
1595
01:22:11,743 --> 01:22:15,776
Luis sarria, Ali's masseur,
wore the boxer out with his
1596
01:22:15,809 --> 01:22:18,443
demanding exercise routines.
1597
01:22:18,476 --> 01:22:21,709
Bundini Brown raised
everyone's spirits,
1598
01:22:21,743 --> 01:22:27,176
while Lana shabbaz kept
the entire entourage well fed.
1599
01:22:27,209 --> 01:22:31,109
Belinda brought their kids
up from cherry hill often,
1600
01:22:31,143 --> 01:22:32,909
but seldom stayed long.
1601
01:22:32,943 --> 01:22:36,409
Ali's parents visited
regularly, helping
1602
01:22:36,443 --> 01:22:39,276
in the kitchen, and
his brother, rahaman
1603
01:22:39,309 --> 01:22:41,909
served as a sparring partner.
1604
01:22:41,943 --> 01:22:45,709
Howard bingham
photographed it all.
1605
01:22:45,743 --> 01:22:49,243
"These people are like a
little town for Muhammad Ali,"
1606
01:22:49,276 --> 01:22:51,243
Herbert Muhammad said.
1607
01:22:51,276 --> 01:22:56,343
"He's the sheriff, the judge,
the mayor, and the treasurer."
1608
01:22:56,376 --> 01:22:57,943
I'm trim. My jaw is ready.
1609
01:22:57,976 --> 01:23:00,743
Look at my body. Look
at it. In perfect shape.
1610
01:23:00,776 --> 01:23:03,609
212 pounds, same weight
I fought Sonny Liston.
1611
01:23:03,643 --> 01:23:05,576
I chopped down 85
trees for this fight.
1612
01:23:05,609 --> 01:23:07,576
Talkin' bout Norton
closing my mouth.
1613
01:23:07,609 --> 01:23:09,443
You tell Norton he
opened my mouth wider.
1614
01:23:09,476 --> 01:23:10,819
Don't believe that stuff.
Predictin' on the predicter.
1615
01:23:10,843 --> 01:23:12,643
I'm gonna be so fast.
1616
01:23:12,676 --> 01:23:14,419
Watch what imma do with
my hands in the ring that night.
1617
01:23:14,443 --> 01:23:16,809
Imma be so fast, if
Norton doing the dirty stuff,
1618
01:23:16,843 --> 01:23:19,209
imma reach from nowhere
and pull out a long cane.
1619
01:23:19,243 --> 01:23:21,776
And I... (laughter and applause)
1620
01:23:25,909 --> 01:23:27,709
RASHEDA: My dad would
1621
01:23:27,743 --> 01:23:33,909
actually drive his bluebird
bus from cherry hill
1622
01:23:33,943 --> 01:23:37,143
to deer lake.
1623
01:23:37,176 --> 01:23:43,643
And we would all pack in
the bus and his entourage
1624
01:23:43,676 --> 01:23:46,243
and the babysitters
and all of us would go,
1625
01:23:46,276 --> 01:23:49,443
and my mom and all
of us would be there.
1626
01:23:49,476 --> 01:23:52,209
Daddy had a wagon.
1627
01:23:52,243 --> 01:23:56,209
He would drag us in the wagon.
1628
01:23:56,243 --> 01:24:00,209
We had ponies
there. We would ride.
1629
01:24:00,243 --> 01:24:03,609
I can smell the cedar wood.
1630
01:24:05,009 --> 01:24:06,609
Fond memories.
1631
01:24:06,643 --> 01:24:09,143
I've just come to see
my daughter for a...
1632
01:24:09,176 --> 01:24:11,009
(film projector clicking)
1633
01:24:11,043 --> 01:24:12,643
NARRATOR: Most
evenings after dinner,
1634
01:24:12,676 --> 01:24:15,476
the gym became a
makeshift movie house
1635
01:24:15,509 --> 01:24:19,343
as everyone piled
in for a screening.
1636
01:24:19,376 --> 01:24:23,576
Occasionally, on clear
nights, when belinda visited,
1637
01:24:23,609 --> 01:24:27,343
she and Ali would sit in
the quarry wagon and search
1638
01:24:27,376 --> 01:24:30,743
the skies for the mothership
Elijah Muhammad had promised
1639
01:24:30,776 --> 01:24:32,543
was orbiting above.
1640
01:24:32,576 --> 01:24:35,176
ALI: You Mrs. Muhammad Ali.
1641
01:24:35,209 --> 01:24:39,509
NARRATOR: By the time his trainer Angelo
Dundee arrived 3 weeks before the fight,
1642
01:24:39,543 --> 01:24:42,543
Ali was well-rested,
in high spirits,
1643
01:24:42,576 --> 01:24:44,843
and in excellent shape.
1644
01:24:44,876 --> 01:24:47,009
♫ ♫
1645
01:24:47,043 --> 01:24:52,743
On September 10, 1973,
Ali faced Ken Norton again
1646
01:24:52,776 --> 01:24:55,876
at the forum in
inglewood, California.
1647
01:24:55,909 --> 01:24:58,876
HEARN: Ali has not stopped
dancing for a second.
1648
01:24:58,909 --> 01:25:02,576
This is the best I've seen Ali
look since going back before
1649
01:25:02,609 --> 01:25:04,043
the Joe Frazier fight.
1650
01:25:04,076 --> 01:25:05,243
FURILLO: It's the old Ali.
1651
01:25:05,276 --> 01:25:06,976
HEARN: Yes, it is.
1652
01:25:08,976 --> 01:25:12,243
NARRATOR: Ali stayed on his
toes this time and showed
1653
01:25:12,276 --> 01:25:14,476
more stamina than
he had in years.
1654
01:25:14,509 --> 01:25:16,409
HEARN: What a fight!
1655
01:25:16,443 --> 01:25:18,543
(loud cheering) Both
men have been hurt.
1656
01:25:18,576 --> 01:25:21,076
The crowd is going
absolutely berserk,
1657
01:25:21,109 --> 01:25:23,009
as these fine
heavyweights unleash...
1658
01:25:23,043 --> 01:25:24,743
FURILLO: Fight of the year!
1659
01:25:24,776 --> 01:25:26,943
NARRATOR: The two
fighters battled to a draw
1660
01:25:26,976 --> 01:25:29,043
over the first 11 rounds.
1661
01:25:29,076 --> 01:25:31,343
HEARN: 12th and final round.
1662
01:25:31,376 --> 01:25:34,543
NARRATOR: But in the 12th,
Ali unleashed a barrage
1663
01:25:34,576 --> 01:25:38,209
to Norton's head,
overwhelming his opponent
1664
01:25:38,243 --> 01:25:41,643
and tilting the
decision in his favor.
1665
01:25:43,709 --> 01:25:45,709
All right, we're with
Muhammad here.
1666
01:25:45,743 --> 01:25:48,109
Champ, a great fight.
1667
01:25:48,143 --> 01:25:49,909
You haven't been in
this kind of condition
1668
01:25:49,943 --> 01:25:52,109
I'm sure for many
years and you had to be.
1669
01:25:52,143 --> 01:25:54,743
Right. I'm in good condition,
1670
01:25:54,776 --> 01:26:01,009
but I'm tireder than
usual because of my age.
1671
01:26:01,043 --> 01:26:04,009
NARRATOR: No sooner had
he been declared the winner
1672
01:26:04,043 --> 01:26:08,476
than the press turned its
attention to a long-anticipated fight,
1673
01:26:08,509 --> 01:26:12,776
finally in the planning
STAGES: A rematch between Ali
1674
01:26:12,809 --> 01:26:15,243
and Joe Frazier.
1675
01:26:15,276 --> 01:26:18,343
Some writers saw it
as a battle of has-beens,
1676
01:26:18,376 --> 01:26:23,109
whose failure to fight years
earlier had cost them millions.
1677
01:26:23,143 --> 01:26:26,143
But the rematch
would be a huge draw,
1678
01:26:26,176 --> 01:26:31,043
and the winner would be in
line to fight George Foreman.
1679
01:26:31,076 --> 01:26:35,609
It's "two men on a precipice,"
wrote sportswriter Mark kram,
1680
01:26:35,643 --> 01:26:40,476
"and possibly only one will
pick up his talent and go on."
1681
01:26:40,509 --> 01:26:41,819
FRAZIER: I'll take him.
I know I'll take him.
1682
01:26:41,843 --> 01:26:43,309
And where?
1683
01:26:43,343 --> 01:26:44,819
Anywhere! The street
fight and the ring.
1684
01:26:44,843 --> 01:26:46,276
ALI: Keeps calling me Clay!
1685
01:26:46,309 --> 01:26:47,876
He's still calling me Clay!
1686
01:26:47,909 --> 01:26:50,343
I'm going to get all the
uncle Toms out of boxing.
1687
01:26:50,376 --> 01:26:52,543
I'm tired of all these
Uncle Tom negroes.
1688
01:26:52,576 --> 01:26:54,176
FRAZIER: You a one-sided guy.
1689
01:26:54,209 --> 01:26:56,309
You... you talk from
two side of your mouth!
1690
01:26:56,343 --> 01:26:58,243
One to the white
and one to the black.
1691
01:26:59,909 --> 01:27:03,009
NARRATOR: In the 2 1/2
years since their first fight,
1692
01:27:03,043 --> 01:27:07,676
the two men had made little effort
to ease the acrimony between them.
1693
01:27:07,709 --> 01:27:09,185
Let me tell you something,
boy. Somebody told me...
1694
01:27:09,209 --> 01:27:10,352
FRAZIER: I dunno,
what's that word?
1695
01:27:10,376 --> 01:27:11,843
I said Roy. Frazier, Oh.
1696
01:27:11,876 --> 01:27:13,409
(laughter)
1697
01:27:13,443 --> 01:27:15,543
INTERVIEWER: Do
you really dislike Ali?
1698
01:27:15,576 --> 01:27:17,076
Well, ya know.
1699
01:27:17,109 --> 01:27:19,609
Nothing to write home to
momma about, ya know.
1700
01:27:19,643 --> 01:27:21,543
I got a sparring partner.
1701
01:27:21,576 --> 01:27:23,709
Let him out! Let him out!
1702
01:27:23,743 --> 01:27:26,376
NARRATOR: "We want each
other bad," said Frazier,
1703
01:27:26,409 --> 01:27:30,009
who continued to
refer to Ali as Clay.
1704
01:27:30,043 --> 01:27:33,243
"If you've been around this
guy long enough, you can have
1705
01:27:33,276 --> 01:27:36,043
a lot of hate in your
heart when the bell rings."
1706
01:27:36,076 --> 01:27:38,709
This gets me ready
for Joe Frazier.
1707
01:27:38,743 --> 01:27:40,376
He resembles Joe Frazier.
1708
01:27:40,409 --> 01:27:41,943
REFEREE: Time!
1709
01:27:43,276 --> 01:27:44,676
REPORTER: Joe, does this get you
1710
01:27:44,709 --> 01:27:45,752
more determined to beat him?
1711
01:27:45,776 --> 01:27:47,876
You better believe it.
1712
01:27:47,909 --> 01:27:49,219
IZENBERG: So when
they come together,
1713
01:27:49,243 --> 01:27:51,176
there's no title at stake.
1714
01:27:51,209 --> 01:27:55,309
And I asked Ali, "why would
people come to this fight
1715
01:27:55,343 --> 01:27:57,143
"without a title, you know,
1716
01:27:57,176 --> 01:27:59,243
after Frazier got beat
so badly by Foreman?"
1717
01:27:59,276 --> 01:28:01,643
And I was out 4 years and
came back and whooped you.
1718
01:28:01,676 --> 01:28:07,276
He said, "you know,
people come to see me,
1719
01:28:07,309 --> 01:28:12,809
but if there's no Joe Frazier,
they can't see me at my best."
1720
01:28:12,843 --> 01:28:15,443
People ask me, what
was Ali's best fight?
1721
01:28:15,476 --> 01:28:17,109
Second Frazier fight.
1722
01:28:17,143 --> 01:28:19,276
(ali breathing hard)
1723
01:28:19,309 --> 01:28:21,376
Ali trained real well.
1724
01:28:21,409 --> 01:28:24,043
Heavy bag, speed bag,
good sparring partners
1725
01:28:24,076 --> 01:28:26,876
in the cold weather, ran.
1726
01:28:26,909 --> 01:28:29,409
His mom and dad were
cooking at the camp,
1727
01:28:29,443 --> 01:28:32,109
his brother rahaman, everybody.
1728
01:28:32,143 --> 01:28:35,509
Everything was
hitting, everything.
1729
01:28:35,543 --> 01:28:37,743
Ali had the right ingredients.
1730
01:28:39,476 --> 01:28:43,676
ALI: I'm ready to whoop
Joe Frazier again...
1731
01:28:43,709 --> 01:28:47,609
But this time I'll
make it more clear.
1732
01:28:47,643 --> 01:28:49,776
I'm serious this time.
1733
01:28:49,809 --> 01:28:53,743
NARRATOR: Joe Frazier, who
had defended his title just twice
1734
01:28:53,776 --> 01:28:58,276
before losing it to Foreman, trained
with a single-minded zeal as well,
1735
01:28:58,309 --> 01:29:00,876
shaping his body,
one writer said,
1736
01:29:00,909 --> 01:29:04,176
"like a man hammering
a strip of hot steel."
1737
01:29:04,209 --> 01:29:09,909
On January 23rd, 5 days before
the fight, the two men joined
1738
01:29:09,943 --> 01:29:12,409
Howard Cosell to tape a segment
1739
01:29:12,443 --> 01:29:14,809
for abc's "wide
world of sports."
1740
01:29:14,843 --> 01:29:16,083
ALI: That shows how dumb you are
1741
01:29:16,109 --> 01:29:17,343
FRAZIER: How come people...
1742
01:29:17,376 --> 01:29:18,843
He brought up the hospital.
1743
01:29:18,876 --> 01:29:20,585
He gonna bring up the
hospital. So ignorant.
1744
01:29:20,609 --> 01:29:22,876
What difference? Why
do you think I'm ignorant?
1745
01:29:22,909 --> 01:29:24,209
I went to the hospital for...
1746
01:29:24,243 --> 01:29:25,376
Why you think I'm ignorant?
1747
01:29:25,409 --> 01:29:26,709
How would I know?
1748
01:29:26,743 --> 01:29:28,143
Why you think I'm ignorant?
1749
01:29:28,176 --> 01:29:30,643
Man, set down. Set down.
1750
01:29:30,676 --> 01:29:31,976
Set down, Joe.
1751
01:29:32,009 --> 01:29:33,176
Why you think I'm ignorant?
1752
01:29:33,209 --> 01:29:34,509
Set down, Joe. Set down, quick.
1753
01:29:34,543 --> 01:29:35,709
Why you think I'm ignorant?
1754
01:29:35,743 --> 01:29:36,709
ALI: The brothers are here.
1755
01:29:36,743 --> 01:29:37,876
You in this, too?
1756
01:29:37,909 --> 01:29:40,143
ALI: Set down, quick, Joe!
1757
01:29:40,176 --> 01:29:43,109
(struggling)
1758
01:29:43,143 --> 01:29:46,543
COSELL: This kind of thing
has been going on all along
1759
01:29:46,576 --> 01:29:48,143
in terms of
promotion of the fight,
1760
01:29:48,176 --> 01:29:50,509
and this time it
seems to be for real,
1761
01:29:50,543 --> 01:29:53,343
because Joe
Frazier is really angry.
1762
01:29:53,376 --> 01:29:56,643
Muhammad called him
ignorant and he's really angry.
1763
01:29:56,676 --> 01:30:00,143
I don't think this
one is clowning at all.
1764
01:30:00,176 --> 01:30:02,109
It's a bad and an ugly scene...
1765
01:30:02,143 --> 01:30:03,476
KINDRED: You have to be cruel
1766
01:30:03,509 --> 01:30:05,476
to be a fighter, to begin with.
1767
01:30:05,509 --> 01:30:07,843
You have to be
cruel in the ring.
1768
01:30:07,876 --> 01:30:11,276
You don't have to be
cruel outside the ring.
1769
01:30:11,309 --> 01:30:16,209
My dime store psychology
on the whole thing was that
1770
01:30:16,243 --> 01:30:20,643
Ali was cruelest when
he was most afraid,
1771
01:30:20,676 --> 01:30:23,776
and I think he was most
afraid of Joe Frazier.
1772
01:30:23,809 --> 01:30:26,976
The deplorable conduct of
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier...
1773
01:30:27,009 --> 01:30:31,143
NARRATOR: After the tussle,
each boxer was fined $5,000
1774
01:30:31,176 --> 01:30:34,576
by the New York state
athletic commission.
1775
01:30:34,609 --> 01:30:39,309
This time, Las Vegas
oddsmakers favored Ali.
1776
01:30:39,343 --> 01:30:40,976
DUNPHY: Here he comes!
1777
01:30:41,009 --> 01:30:45,509
NARRATOR: At 10:26 p.M.
On January 28, 1974,
1778
01:30:45,543 --> 01:30:48,343
before a sold-out
Madison square garden,
1779
01:30:48,376 --> 01:30:50,843
Muhammad Ali entered the ring.
1780
01:30:50,876 --> 01:30:53,309
DUNPHY: Here comes
Joe Frazier. Smokin' Joe.
1781
01:30:53,343 --> 01:30:57,043
NARRATOR: Frazier
followed a minute later.
1782
01:30:57,076 --> 01:30:59,643
DUNPHY: You're looking at the
man many consider the most
1783
01:30:59,676 --> 01:31:02,976
spectacular athlete of
all time... Muhammad Ali.
1784
01:31:04,776 --> 01:31:07,809
Joe Frazier gets a chance to
prove tonight what he thought
1785
01:31:07,843 --> 01:31:10,576
he proved 3 years ago...
1786
01:31:10,609 --> 01:31:12,409
That he's a better fighter
than Muhammad Ali.
1787
01:31:12,443 --> 01:31:16,909
BENTT: Joe's coming off the
loss against George Foreman.
1788
01:31:16,943 --> 01:31:21,743
So that's gonna affect
the level of the craft.
1789
01:31:21,776 --> 01:31:28,476
But with Ali and Joe, it
was always hugely personal.
1790
01:31:28,509 --> 01:31:31,143
These guys despise each other.
1791
01:31:31,176 --> 01:31:34,643
They're foes for life.
1792
01:31:34,676 --> 01:31:36,509
(bell dings)
1793
01:31:36,543 --> 01:31:39,243
NARRATOR: In the 1st round,
Ali shuffled and jabbed
1794
01:31:39,276 --> 01:31:41,543
and kept Frazier from
finding his rhythm.
1795
01:31:41,576 --> 01:31:43,709
DUNPHY: Frazier's
coming in wide open.
1796
01:31:43,743 --> 01:31:45,709
Wide open!
1797
01:31:45,743 --> 01:31:49,543
The question is if Frazier can
hold up under this punishment
1798
01:31:49,576 --> 01:31:51,509
and Ali slows down.
1799
01:31:51,543 --> 01:31:55,009
NARRATOR: Late in the
2nd, Ali wobbled Frazier
1800
01:31:55,043 --> 01:31:56,876
with a stiff right to his head.
1801
01:31:56,909 --> 01:31:59,109
DUNPHY: Ali is
dominating the fight.
1802
01:31:59,143 --> 01:32:03,076
BENTT: The difference between
this fight and the first fight
1803
01:32:03,109 --> 01:32:07,176
is that Muhammad is
focused on making Joe find him
1804
01:32:07,209 --> 01:32:09,176
through his movement.
1805
01:32:09,209 --> 01:32:11,676
And when you're trying
to make a guy find you,
1806
01:32:11,709 --> 01:32:13,776
you can disrupt his rhythm.
1807
01:32:13,809 --> 01:32:17,909
Because if I'm moving, you
don't control when I punch.
1808
01:32:17,943 --> 01:32:19,409
I control when you punch.
1809
01:32:19,443 --> 01:32:22,243
DUNPHY: Ali keeping
Frazier off-balance.
1810
01:32:22,276 --> 01:32:25,309
NARRATOR: As the fight
went on, Ali mixed his jabs
1811
01:32:25,343 --> 01:32:29,109
with hooks and combinations,
and relied on clinches
1812
01:32:29,143 --> 01:32:30,909
to stifle Frazier's attack.
1813
01:32:30,943 --> 01:32:33,409
DUNPHY: Ali doing the holding.
1814
01:32:33,443 --> 01:32:36,909
In the first fight, Joe was
like the tasmanian devil.
1815
01:32:36,943 --> 01:32:38,943
He was... he never
stopped punching.
1816
01:32:38,976 --> 01:32:41,776
And if Ali held him, you could
see Joe like take his hands
1817
01:32:41,809 --> 01:32:45,976
and put 'em down and
just pun... kept on punching.
1818
01:32:46,009 --> 01:32:49,109
When Ali held Joe
in the second fight,
1819
01:32:49,143 --> 01:32:52,043
you never saw
Joe react like that.
1820
01:32:52,076 --> 01:32:54,876
He's cooperating with Muhammad.
1821
01:32:54,909 --> 01:32:58,043
DUNPHY: Ali is
outsmarting Frazier.
1822
01:32:58,076 --> 01:33:02,109
Frazier can't afford to
give any more rounds away.
1823
01:33:02,143 --> 01:33:06,043
NARRATOR: Frazier just kept
coming, absorbing Ali's punches
1824
01:33:06,076 --> 01:33:09,709
as he attempted to get
under Ali's arms and land his
1825
01:33:09,743 --> 01:33:11,209
lethal left hook.
1826
01:33:11,243 --> 01:33:13,009
DUNPHY: Oh! Got him there!
1827
01:33:14,443 --> 01:33:18,443
BENTT: What was holding
Frazier back was the ghosts
1828
01:33:18,476 --> 01:33:22,709
of getting knocked out by
George Foreman a year prior.
1829
01:33:22,743 --> 01:33:26,209
And when you're heavyweight
champion and you go to Jamaica
1830
01:33:26,243 --> 01:33:27,919
and you end up getting
knocked out by this guy...
1831
01:33:27,943 --> 01:33:29,076
COSELL: Down goes Frazier!
1832
01:33:29,109 --> 01:33:31,709
BENTT: It makes you plummet.
1833
01:33:31,743 --> 01:33:34,009
That's something
you'll never forget.
1834
01:33:34,043 --> 01:33:38,543
So this Joe Frazier
and the one from '71,
1835
01:33:38,576 --> 01:33:41,176
two different people.
1836
01:33:41,209 --> 01:33:44,509
If you're Joe Frazier,
every time you get hit,
1837
01:33:44,543 --> 01:33:47,143
like a solid shot,
1838
01:33:47,176 --> 01:33:50,343
you think about the last
time you got knocked out.
1839
01:33:50,376 --> 01:33:54,976
NARRATOR: In rounds 7 and
8, Frazier broke through,
1840
01:33:55,009 --> 01:33:58,543
tagging Ali with several
devastating punches,
1841
01:33:58,576 --> 01:34:01,443
including one that
sent Ali to the ropes
1842
01:34:01,476 --> 01:34:04,576
as the bell rang to
signal the end of the 8th.
1843
01:34:04,609 --> 01:34:07,609
ANNOUNCER: Oh! Got
him, that hurt him.
1844
01:34:07,643 --> 01:34:09,976
DUNPHY: Ali's face
is getting puffy.
1845
01:34:10,009 --> 01:34:13,209
ANNOUNCER: That's by far
the best round for Joe Frazier.
1846
01:34:13,243 --> 01:34:16,476
DUNPHY: Frazier is so
confident at this point.
1847
01:34:16,509 --> 01:34:20,476
NARRATOR: In the 9th, his face
swollen from Frazier's blows
1848
01:34:20,509 --> 01:34:24,543
and his nose trickling blood,
Ali connected with 10 punches
1849
01:34:24,576 --> 01:34:26,876
for every one landed by Frazier,
1850
01:34:26,909 --> 01:34:30,876
inspiring chants of "Ali!"
From the electrified crowd.
1851
01:34:30,909 --> 01:34:32,809
(crowd chanting "ali!")
1852
01:34:32,843 --> 01:34:35,976
DUNPHY: This is as
good as the last fight.
1853
01:34:36,009 --> 01:34:39,343
Plenty of excitement at
old Madison square garden.
1854
01:34:40,976 --> 01:34:43,476
This is the last round.
1855
01:34:43,509 --> 01:34:46,309
There's no
tomorrow, only tonight.
1856
01:34:46,343 --> 01:34:49,609
The bout could end in a draw.
1857
01:34:49,643 --> 01:34:51,409
NARRATOR: "You gotta
stop him to win!"
1858
01:34:51,443 --> 01:34:55,109
Dundee shouted at Ali,
as Frazier chased after him,
1859
01:34:55,143 --> 01:34:58,009
desperately
launching left hooks.
1860
01:34:58,043 --> 01:35:00,243
BUNDINI: You got to
win this round, champ!
1861
01:35:02,276 --> 01:35:04,476
DUNPHY: Tremendous left hooks!
1862
01:35:04,509 --> 01:35:07,843
Frazier's teeing off.
1863
01:35:07,876 --> 01:35:11,243
Now Frazier is getting careless.
1864
01:35:11,276 --> 01:35:14,309
They're putting
everything into this.
1865
01:35:14,343 --> 01:35:17,909
Now it's a battle for survival.
1866
01:35:17,943 --> 01:35:20,576
What a finish!
1867
01:35:20,609 --> 01:35:28,609
♫ ♫
1868
01:35:33,743 --> 01:35:35,143
(bell dings)
1869
01:35:35,176 --> 01:35:37,509
There it is.
1870
01:35:37,543 --> 01:35:39,809
It's all over.
1871
01:35:39,843 --> 01:35:42,743
The judges will have
their work cut out for them.
1872
01:35:42,776 --> 01:35:44,976
JOE BOSTON: Ladies
and gentlemen,
1873
01:35:45,009 --> 01:35:49,043
may I have your
attention, please?
1874
01:35:49,076 --> 01:35:53,876
Here is your decision.
1875
01:35:53,909 --> 01:36:01,909
The winner by unanimous
decision is Muhammad Ali!
1876
01:36:01,976 --> 01:36:03,809
(crowd roars)
1877
01:36:05,876 --> 01:36:09,176
NARRATOR: 3 years after
losing the "fight of the century,"
1878
01:36:09,209 --> 01:36:13,876
Muhammad Ali had avenged
his loss to Joe Frazier.
1879
01:36:13,909 --> 01:36:17,243
BRYANT: He's not the same
fighter he was against Liston.
1880
01:36:17,276 --> 01:36:19,543
He's not undefeated
anymore because Frazier
1881
01:36:19,576 --> 01:36:21,709
already beat him.
1882
01:36:21,743 --> 01:36:25,443
We know he can be hurt
because Norton broke his jaw.
1883
01:36:25,476 --> 01:36:28,409
So who is this fighter?
1884
01:36:28,443 --> 01:36:31,409
This is the compelling
part of Ali as well,
1885
01:36:31,443 --> 01:36:34,509
the competitor who has
something new for you
1886
01:36:34,543 --> 01:36:37,776
to show you that
this is a great fighter.
1887
01:36:37,809 --> 01:36:42,709
This is a great man, and
he could only do that against
1888
01:36:42,743 --> 01:36:44,676
somebody like Frazier.
1889
01:36:44,709 --> 01:36:48,276
You gotta have real competition
to prove your greatness.
1890
01:36:49,609 --> 01:36:52,976
NARRATOR: After the fight,
Frazier assured reporters
1891
01:36:53,009 --> 01:36:54,776
that he was not finished.
1892
01:36:54,809 --> 01:36:58,876
"I want him again," he
told them, "one more time."
1893
01:36:58,909 --> 01:37:01,709
"I'm gonna give Joe
another chance," said Ali.
1894
01:37:01,743 --> 01:37:03,776
"I'm not gonna duck him."
1895
01:37:03,809 --> 01:37:06,543
ALI: I think this fight was
much better than the first fight.
1896
01:37:06,576 --> 01:37:09,609
You talkin' about
super fight number two...
1897
01:37:09,643 --> 01:37:13,109
Two fighters that are not champions
who punched each other to death.
1898
01:37:13,143 --> 01:37:16,509
And I would like to say again
for the surprise of all of you,
1899
01:37:16,543 --> 01:37:19,376
we just put on another fight
that can't be topped by no
1900
01:37:19,409 --> 01:37:21,843
heavyweight fight in history.
1901
01:37:21,876 --> 01:37:25,643
NARRATOR: Promoters, writers
and fans were eager to see
1902
01:37:25,676 --> 01:37:29,976
the two ex-champions square
off in a third match to settle their
1903
01:37:30,009 --> 01:37:32,709
rivalry once and for all.
1904
01:37:32,743 --> 01:37:36,276
But more than anything,
Ali wanted to regain
1905
01:37:36,309 --> 01:37:38,309
the heavyweight crown.
1906
01:37:38,343 --> 01:37:41,943
To do that, he would need
to defeat the current champ
1907
01:37:41,976 --> 01:37:43,876
George Foreman.
1908
01:37:43,909 --> 01:37:45,809
♫ Baby Huey's "Hard
Times" playing ♫
1909
01:37:45,843 --> 01:37:49,443
♫ ♫
1910
01:37:49,476 --> 01:37:53,309
BOYD: George Foreman had
put the fear of god into people
1911
01:37:53,343 --> 01:37:59,643
in boxing circles
because Ali fought Frazier,
1912
01:37:59,676 --> 01:38:05,043
Frazier knocked Ali down
and won the first fight,
1913
01:38:05,076 --> 01:38:07,509
Frazier fought George Foreman...
1914
01:38:07,543 --> 01:38:09,085
COSELL: Foreman is
all over Joe Frazier.
1915
01:38:09,109 --> 01:38:11,143
And in the first 2
rounds of the fight,
1916
01:38:11,176 --> 01:38:12,809
got demolished.
1917
01:38:12,843 --> 01:38:15,509
COSELL: It is over! It is
over in the 2nd round.
1918
01:38:15,543 --> 01:38:19,509
George Foreman, not
only was he beating people,
1919
01:38:19,543 --> 01:38:21,976
he was destroying people.
1920
01:38:22,009 --> 01:38:25,676
He was knocking people
out like it was nothing.
1921
01:38:25,709 --> 01:38:27,385
BABY HUEY: ♫ so I
play the part I feel... ♫
1922
01:38:27,409 --> 01:38:31,409
NARRATOR: 25-year-old
George Foreman stood 6'4"
1923
01:38:31,443 --> 01:38:34,243
and weighed 225 pounds.
1924
01:38:34,276 --> 01:38:38,376
He had won all 39 of
his fights, 36 by knockout.
1925
01:38:38,409 --> 01:38:39,976
BABY HUEY: ♫ ...In
this crazy town ♫
1926
01:38:40,009 --> 01:38:41,509
NARRATOR: Raised poor and hungry
1927
01:38:41,543 --> 01:38:43,543
in a flood-prone,
crime-ridden section
1928
01:38:43,576 --> 01:38:46,743
of Houston known
as "the bloody fifth,"
1929
01:38:46,776 --> 01:38:49,343
Foreman was frequently
in trouble with the law
1930
01:38:49,376 --> 01:38:52,209
before he joined
the job corps at 16,
1931
01:38:52,243 --> 01:38:55,409
where he got his ged,
trained to be a carpenter
1932
01:38:55,443 --> 01:38:58,509
and a bricklayer,
and took up boxing.
1933
01:38:58,543 --> 01:39:01,476
FOREMAN: I got a lot of
work to do before I turn pro,
1934
01:39:01,509 --> 01:39:03,776
but when I do start,
I'm going all the way up.
1935
01:39:03,809 --> 01:39:05,609
REPORTER: What do you
mean by all the way up?
1936
01:39:05,643 --> 01:39:07,976
All the way up to
heavyweight championship
1937
01:39:08,009 --> 01:39:09,976
of the world, for real.
1938
01:39:10,009 --> 01:39:14,109
NARRATOR: By 20, he had
won a gold medal at the 1968
1939
01:39:14,143 --> 01:39:16,976
Mexico City Olympics
and turned professional.
1940
01:39:17,009 --> 01:39:19,309
BABY HUEY: ♫ in
this crazy town... ♫
1941
01:39:19,343 --> 01:39:21,519
NARRATOR: The way to beat Foreman,
wrote the Scottish sportswriter
1942
01:39:21,543 --> 01:39:24,576
Hugh mcilvanney,
"involves shelling him
1943
01:39:24,609 --> 01:39:29,143
for 3 days and then
sending in the infantry."
1944
01:39:29,176 --> 01:39:32,343
"He's not the real champ,"
scoffed Ali, who called
1945
01:39:32,376 --> 01:39:34,576
Foreman a "sissy fighter."
1946
01:39:34,609 --> 01:39:36,843
"I'm the real champ."
1947
01:39:36,876 --> 01:39:41,909
♫ ♫
1948
01:39:41,943 --> 01:39:45,243
"There'll be a fight when
George Foreman tells us
1949
01:39:45,276 --> 01:39:48,909
he wants to fight," said Ali's
promoter and attorney Bob arum,
1950
01:39:48,943 --> 01:39:51,809
who believed that it
would take $10 million,
1951
01:39:51,843 --> 01:39:55,309
$5 million to each boxer,
to get the match made.
1952
01:39:56,909 --> 01:40:00,043
But arum was not the
only promoter with plans
1953
01:40:00,076 --> 01:40:02,109
for Muhammad Ali.
1954
01:40:02,143 --> 01:40:05,376
NARRATOR: Don King had once
run an illegal numbers game
1955
01:40:05,409 --> 01:40:08,243
in Cleveland, Ohio
before he was found guilty
1956
01:40:08,276 --> 01:40:10,043
of second-degree murder
1957
01:40:10,076 --> 01:40:12,709
for stomping a former
associate to death
1958
01:40:12,743 --> 01:40:18,376
outside a bar in 1966
over an unpaid debt.
1959
01:40:18,409 --> 01:40:21,943
When the judge unexpectedly
reduced his life sentence,
1960
01:40:21,976 --> 01:40:26,743
king ended up serving
less than 4 years in prison.
1961
01:40:26,776 --> 01:40:30,209
After his release, he
convinced Ali to box
1962
01:40:30,243 --> 01:40:33,643
at a benefit for a failing
Cleveland hospital.
1963
01:40:33,676 --> 01:40:36,976
Though their efforts raised
tens of thousands of dollars,
1964
01:40:37,009 --> 01:40:39,809
forest city hospital
saw little of it
1965
01:40:39,843 --> 01:40:42,843
and closed 5 years later.
1966
01:40:45,076 --> 01:40:48,576
But Don King had
discovered his calling.
1967
01:40:48,609 --> 01:40:50,309
KING: I am very happy
to be a part of this,
1968
01:40:50,343 --> 01:40:52,376
and I am an
extraordinary hustler.
1969
01:40:52,409 --> 01:40:55,976
So therefore, I feel that I
am likened to only 2 or 3
1970
01:40:56,009 --> 01:40:57,952
giant promoters in the
lifetime that we have lived in,
1971
01:40:57,976 --> 01:41:00,643
and that's p.T. Barnum and
Michael Todd and yours truly.
1972
01:41:00,676 --> 01:41:04,909
NARRATOR: Loud and blustery,
Don king spoke in rhythmic torrents,
1973
01:41:04,943 --> 01:41:09,409
quoted Shakespeare liberally,
and kept his savings in cash,
1974
01:41:09,443 --> 01:41:12,476
so that the white man
could not take his money
1975
01:41:12,509 --> 01:41:17,043
and no one could find
out how much he had.
1976
01:41:17,076 --> 01:41:20,643
He was persistent and
persuasive, and as an emerging
1977
01:41:20,676 --> 01:41:23,643
black promoter in a
white-controlled profession,
1978
01:41:23,676 --> 01:41:27,876
he could offer a powerful message
to the African-American boxers
1979
01:41:27,909 --> 01:41:31,643
who dominated the sport...
That he understood them
1980
01:41:31,676 --> 01:41:34,843
in ways white
promoters never could.
1981
01:41:34,876 --> 01:41:39,009
King bought a stake in several
up-and-coming heavyweights,
1982
01:41:39,043 --> 01:41:41,843
staged dramatic
promotional campaigns,
1983
01:41:41,876 --> 01:41:43,809
double-crossed his partners,
1984
01:41:43,843 --> 01:41:49,576
stiffed the boxers, and dropped
them as soon as they lost.
1985
01:41:49,609 --> 01:41:53,576
NARRATOR: But before he could
represent Ali, king needed to
1986
01:41:53,609 --> 01:41:57,076
get approval from Elijah
Muhammad, who had quietly
1987
01:41:57,109 --> 01:41:59,609
embraced the boxer again.
1988
01:41:59,643 --> 01:42:04,376
At a meeting in Chicago, king
asked the nation of Islam's leader
1989
01:42:04,409 --> 01:42:07,376
why he allowed a
white man, Bob arum,
1990
01:42:07,409 --> 01:42:09,943
to promote Ali's fights.
1991
01:42:09,976 --> 01:42:12,876
Don King assured him
that he could do it better.
1992
01:42:14,509 --> 01:42:18,743
Even though king rejected an
invitation to join the nation of Islam,
1993
01:42:18,776 --> 01:42:23,276
Elijah Muhammad gave
the promoter his blessing.
1994
01:42:23,309 --> 01:42:27,576
ARUM: King's pitch with every
black athlete was, "don't do
1995
01:42:27,609 --> 01:42:30,576
"business with the Jew,
do business with me.
1996
01:42:30,609 --> 01:42:32,609
I'm the same kind as you."
1997
01:42:34,076 --> 01:42:37,576
NARRATOR: Don King told Ali
and Herbert Muhammad that he
1998
01:42:37,609 --> 01:42:42,043
would get Ali and George
Foreman $5 million each...
1999
01:42:42,076 --> 01:42:46,676
Twice what Ali and Frazier
made in their title fight.
2000
01:42:46,709 --> 01:42:51,009
King promised Ali an advance
and agreed that if he failed
2001
01:42:51,043 --> 01:42:54,876
to make any of the subsequent
payments, Ali could walk away
2002
01:42:54,909 --> 01:42:58,543
and keep whatever
he'd already been paid.
2003
01:42:58,576 --> 01:43:02,343
ARUM: And, Herbert came to
me and said, "what should he do?"
2004
01:43:02,376 --> 01:43:04,609
I said, "get a down
payment, take the money,
2005
01:43:04,643 --> 01:43:06,476
"and it's easy money.
2006
01:43:06,509 --> 01:43:09,143
"You'll... you'll get the down
payment and walk away.
2007
01:43:09,176 --> 01:43:12,109
No way he's gonna
get the money."
2008
01:43:12,143 --> 01:43:15,276
NARRATOR: "This isn't just
another fight," king told Ali.
2009
01:43:15,309 --> 01:43:17,209
"Freedom. Justice.
2010
01:43:17,243 --> 01:43:19,776
"That's what you'll be gaining
for your people by getting
2011
01:43:19,809 --> 01:43:21,443
the title back."
2012
01:43:23,076 --> 01:43:28,343
On February 14, 1974,
king flew to California,
2013
01:43:28,376 --> 01:43:30,976
where George Foreman
was training for an upcoming
2014
01:43:31,009 --> 01:43:33,276
bout with Ken Norton.
2015
01:43:33,309 --> 01:43:36,209
The promoter cornered the
champion in the parking lot
2016
01:43:36,243 --> 01:43:38,009
of his hotel.
2017
01:43:38,043 --> 01:43:41,843
Recently divorced, his
finances in disarray after
2018
01:43:41,876 --> 01:43:45,143
heeding the shabby advice
of his handlers, and unable to
2019
01:43:45,176 --> 01:43:48,976
fight in the U.S. due to liens
on his earnings, Foreman was
2020
01:43:49,009 --> 01:43:51,009
in a foul mood.
2021
01:43:51,043 --> 01:43:55,676
The men paced the lot for two
hours as king made his pitch.
2022
01:43:55,709 --> 01:43:59,443
"I know people been screwin'
you," king told the champ,
2023
01:43:59,476 --> 01:44:03,176
"but I'm going to give you a
chance to make $5 million."
2024
01:44:03,209 --> 01:44:08,043
King also promised
Foreman he could deliver Ali.
2025
01:44:08,076 --> 01:44:11,643
KING: It was very difficult
for George Foreman.
2026
01:44:11,676 --> 01:44:14,843
When I went to George
Foreman and I presented that
2027
01:44:14,876 --> 01:44:18,509
Ali was my friend and that I
could deliver him, you know,
2028
01:44:18,543 --> 01:44:23,643
he say, "what can I win
beating up an old man?"
2029
01:44:23,676 --> 01:44:27,009
He says, "if I hurt him,
everybody gonna look at me
2030
01:44:27,043 --> 01:44:29,676
"with disdain because
the people love him.
2031
01:44:29,709 --> 01:44:33,243
And besides that,
he talks too much."
2032
01:44:33,276 --> 01:44:36,143
And I say, "that's
it, George. That's it.
2033
01:44:36,176 --> 01:44:38,876
"I have to agree with you
there. Shut his mouth."
2034
01:44:38,909 --> 01:44:40,552
♫ The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy
for the Devil" playing ♫
2035
01:44:40,576 --> 01:44:42,576
NARRATOR: "This is my
promotion," said king,
2036
01:44:42,609 --> 01:44:45,243
pointing to the skin on his arm.
2037
01:44:45,276 --> 01:44:48,543
"I'm giving you my
trust," Foreman told him.
2038
01:44:48,576 --> 01:44:51,009
"You got the fight."
2039
01:44:51,043 --> 01:44:56,409
Before parting ways, king had
Foreman sign 3 blank pages,
2040
01:44:56,443 --> 01:45:00,543
promising he would fill in
the details later and then send
2041
01:45:00,576 --> 01:45:03,443
the agreement to
Foreman's lawyer.
2042
01:45:03,476 --> 01:45:05,576
ALI: George hits
much harder than I do.
2043
01:45:05,609 --> 01:45:10,276
NARRATOR: On march 26,
1974, Muhammad Ali sat
2044
01:45:10,309 --> 01:45:15,309
ringside in Caracas, Venezuela
as Foreman stopped Ken Norton
2045
01:45:15,343 --> 01:45:18,309
2 minutes into round 2.
2046
01:45:18,343 --> 01:45:21,409
ALI: I'm sure that when I
meet George Foreman,
2047
01:45:21,443 --> 01:45:24,343
this is gonna be a tough fight,
2048
01:45:24,376 --> 01:45:26,943
but I'm sure and confident
after watching this that
2049
01:45:26,976 --> 01:45:29,076
I'll be the next world
heavyweight champion.
2050
01:45:29,109 --> 01:45:32,176
Will you be fighting him in
Africa in September as reported?
2051
01:45:32,209 --> 01:45:34,609
Yes, I'm gonna fight him in a
place where you can't come.
2052
01:45:34,643 --> 01:45:36,409
Howard, I'm gonna
fight him in the Congo
2053
01:45:36,443 --> 01:45:38,243
where the lumumba boys are.
2054
01:45:38,276 --> 01:45:41,643
And if you come over there
agitatin', you'll get cooked!
2055
01:45:41,676 --> 01:45:45,309
NARRATOR: In the weeks since Ali
and Foreman had signed with king,
2056
01:45:45,343 --> 01:45:48,243
the promoter had chased
financing from wall street
2057
01:45:48,276 --> 01:45:53,609
to Dallas to Madison square
garden and eventually to Paris,
2058
01:45:53,643 --> 01:45:55,409
where he convinced
representatives
2059
01:45:55,443 --> 01:45:58,809
of the republic of Zaire,
a former Belgian colony
2060
01:45:58,843 --> 01:46:03,009
in central Africa,
to back the fight.
2061
01:46:03,043 --> 01:46:06,576
On the flight home from
Caracas, Muhammad Ali had
2062
01:46:06,609 --> 01:46:10,376
quizzed the former
heavyweight champion Joe Louis.
2063
01:46:10,409 --> 01:46:13,843
"Did you ever chop wood when
you were in training?" He asked.
2064
01:46:13,876 --> 01:46:16,976
"All the time," responded Louis.
2065
01:46:17,009 --> 01:46:21,476
"I think I'll chop some before
the Foreman fight," said Ali.
2066
01:46:21,509 --> 01:46:25,509
"Better chop a
lot," Louis advised.
2067
01:46:25,543 --> 01:46:28,876
MICK JAGGER: ♫ I watched with
glee while your kings and queens ♫
2068
01:46:28,909 --> 01:46:33,109
♫ fought for 10 decades
for the gods they made ♫
2069
01:46:33,143 --> 01:46:37,009
♫ I shouted out, "who
killed the Kennedys?" ♫
2070
01:46:37,043 --> 01:46:40,676
♫ when after all, it
was you and me ♫
2071
01:46:40,709 --> 01:46:42,276
♫ ooh ooh ♫
2072
01:46:42,309 --> 01:46:45,343
♫ let me please
introduce myself ♫
2073
01:46:45,376 --> 01:46:48,476
♫ I'm a man of
wealth and taste ♫
2074
01:46:48,509 --> 01:46:50,009
♫ ooh ooh ♫
2075
01:46:50,043 --> 01:46:53,676
♫ and I laid traps
for troubadours ♫
2076
01:46:53,709 --> 01:46:56,776
♫ who get killed before
they reach Bombay ♫
2077
01:46:56,809 --> 01:46:58,609
♫ ooh ooh ♫
2078
01:46:58,643 --> 01:47:01,009
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2079
01:47:01,043 --> 01:47:04,943
♫ pleased to meet you,
hope you guessed my name ♫
2080
01:47:04,976 --> 01:47:07,043
♫ ooh ooh ♫♫ oh, yeah ♫
2081
01:47:07,076 --> 01:47:08,343
♫ ooh ooh ♫
2082
01:47:08,376 --> 01:47:10,209
♫ but what's puzzling you ♫
2083
01:47:10,243 --> 01:47:13,276
♫ is the nature of my game ♫
2084
01:47:13,309 --> 01:47:15,076
♫ ooh ooh ♫♫ aw, yeah ♫
2085
01:47:15,109 --> 01:47:17,376
♫ ooh ooh ♫♫ get down with it ♫
2086
01:47:17,409 --> 01:47:21,109
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2087
01:47:21,143 --> 01:47:25,643
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2088
01:47:25,676 --> 01:47:29,876
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2089
01:47:29,909 --> 01:47:33,776
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2090
01:47:33,809 --> 01:47:36,309
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2091
01:47:37,109 --> 01:47:39,709
ANNOUNCER: Next time, the
conclusion of "Muhammad Ali"...
2092
01:47:39,743 --> 01:47:41,152
GERALD EARLY: This is the
fight about who's gonna be
2093
01:47:41,176 --> 01:47:42,809
the champion of the black world.
2094
01:47:42,843 --> 01:47:44,776
ANNOUNCER: The
rumble in the jungle...
2095
01:47:44,809 --> 01:47:47,409
CROWD: Ali, bomaye!
2096
01:47:47,443 --> 01:47:49,376
ANNOUNCER: The
thrilla in Manila...
2097
01:47:49,409 --> 01:47:50,752
HOWARD BRYANT: This
chapter's not finished.
2098
01:47:50,776 --> 01:47:52,476
This battle's not finished.
2099
01:47:52,509 --> 01:47:54,643
ANNOUNCER: And the
legacy of a champion.
2100
01:47:54,676 --> 01:47:56,743
RASHEDA ALI: Boxing
was this much.
2101
01:47:56,776 --> 01:48:01,809
His evolution into the person
he is today is way bigger.
2102
01:48:01,843 --> 01:48:03,476
ANNOUNCER: Next time, don't miss
2103
01:48:03,509 --> 01:48:05,476
the final round of
"Muhammad Ali."
2104
01:48:35,276 --> 01:48:37,176
♫ Ooh ooh ooh, oh, yeah ♫
2105
01:48:37,209 --> 01:48:39,276
♫ ooh ooh ♫
2106
01:48:39,309 --> 01:48:41,843
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2107
01:48:41,876 --> 01:48:46,509
♫ oh, oh, what's my name? ♫♫ ooh ooh ♫
2108
01:48:46,543 --> 01:48:50,576
♫ baby, baby, oh,
what's my name? ♫
2109
01:48:50,609 --> 01:48:53,776
♫ Tell me, sweetie,
oh, what's my name? ♫
2110
01:48:53,809 --> 01:48:55,443
♫ Ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2111
01:48:55,476 --> 01:48:58,576
♫ ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ♫
2112
01:48:58,609 --> 01:49:01,343
♫ ooh ooh ooh, ooh ooh ooh ♫
2113
01:49:01,376 --> 01:49:05,843
♫ ooh ooh ooh ooh ♫
2114
01:49:05,876 --> 01:49:09,909
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2115
01:49:09,943 --> 01:49:14,376
♫ ooh ooh, ooh ooh ♫
2116
01:49:14,409 --> 01:49:15,743
♫ ooh ooh... ♫
2117
01:49:18,243 --> 01:49:19,976
♫ ♫
191088
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