I watched "The Rumble in the Jungle" last night on ESPN, the Ali/Foreman fight in Zaire. 1974. Different world. Ali meant so much then. Always excited us. His antics look silly now, his pathological egoism, his naive puns. But there was a sweetness to him, too. He was offered a teaching position at Oxford. Never could understand that one. Didn't know what Islam was then except for the big, angry-looking men who guarded Elijah Muhammed. Ali changed us. Most famous man to ever walk the planet until Michael Jackson. Old at thirty-two, we couldn't believe he would beat Foreman's size and strength until he stepped into the ring. Ali was big, almost as big as Foreman. Ali cheated, fought dirty, pulled on Foreman's neck, put him in headlocks. He never quit talking, fighting only the last thirty seconds of every round. Foreman exhausted, Ali caught him, knocked him to the ground. It should have been the end of Ali's fighting career. But history teaches us. Over and over again, we hang around too long, too enamored of the money, the spotlight, even us who never had it. We all keep waiting for the miracle.
I was thinking about that yesterday...expecting the miracle but not really believing it will arrive...
ReplyDeleteAli was Ali. What a character. My dad witnessed the Ali-Fazier fight of 1971. My dad got an autograph on an 8x10 glossy made out to his 11 year-old son. "To Ed, from Muhammad Ali." On my wall. He may have pulled questionable tactics in the ring, but he was his own man in real life, without question. He stood up for Islam when it wasn't popular. He stood up against the Vietnam war when it wasn't popular. And he kicked the shit outa some serious boxers.
ReplyDelete"Muhammad Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing. Ali was named "Fighter of the Year" by Ring Magazine more times than any other fighter, and was involved in more Ring Magazine "Fight of the Year" bouts than any other fighter. He is an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and holds wins over seven other Hall of Fame inductees. He is also one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated."
He gets my full and unqualified respect.
correction -- I was 6 in 1971 (who keeps filling my wine glass?!). And maybe Ali hung around too long. I don't know. What does that mean? I'm not an Ali scholar, but the guy is a star to me. Too bad about the parkinsons affliction, which my mom has developed. That's the miracle I'm waiting for -- the cure. Many more people waiting for the miracle of cure than the miracle of fame, I believe.
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