Epic. The knockout punch in the 8th, a complete shock out of nowhere at the end of yet another dull rope a dope round, is in the all time highlight reel. Ali bomaye!!

I remember that fight well and remember the next morning riding my bike around shouting " Ali" . However " The Thrilla in Manilla" was IMO his most epic fight. Simply brutal. Neither man was the same after that fight, how could you be? Life draining.
Rest in Peace

Not the best quality, but my family and I were fortunate enough to meet Ali at a book signing when I was very young. I was about 4 years old if I recall. He was always one of my Dad's greatest sports heroes and was a legend in our household. It is comforting to know that he is at peace.

The Greatest!

Derek

Another Perspective
 

If I had to guess, I would think that no one who reponded to my post is a veteran. If you have any interest in the perspective of veterans like me, you may wish to read this..........

https://joebrunoonboxing.wordpress.c...is-not-a-hero/

If not, that's fine.

.

.

+1 I'm on this site because I love
baseball cards not to read some
BS hate piece. Go to Facebook and
post that crap

It takes as much if not more of a hero to stand up for what you believe in when virtually all oppose you and face the consequences than it does to play follow the leader without even considering the bigger picture.

Heroes can stand out FROM a crowd as well as IN a crowd.

I know a lot of veterans and live next to one of the largest military installations in the world, but it does not keep me from being an independent thinker.

I consider myself a conservative and revere what many veterans have sacrificed, but not all of them are heroes...or even good people (and that's before and after their service) ...so, again...independent thinking is the way to see things in proper perspective.

Radical views in either camp (conservative and liberal) are neither valid nor healthy in either the short or the long run.

...and Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, races, and religons...so take the blinders off and see things as they should be.


Raymond Culpepper
in Columbus, GA next to Fort Benning

Thanks...... Very even minded thoughtful
and intelligent response. Wish I had just
a little bit of your wisdom sir. I would be a
much better person

It's a bit of a stretch to say I knew Ali, but I knew him when I saw him.

In the early eighties during the "fitness" phase of my life, while jogging on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles not far from where Ali lived at the time, a convertible with the top down passed, a man in the back seat stood up and pointed in my direction and shouted "I want you", as if I was a fighter training to fight him. I waved and kept running. The man was definitely Ali.

Even in the best shape of my life, I was never able to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.:D

Ok forget all the bs stuff. The pre 1967 Ali was the most graceful, beautiful heavyweight I have ever seen. He was as light on his feet as a welterweight and had hand speed like a lightweight but hit with decent heavyweight power. Maybe the best ever (personally I'd go with Louis at his best) but you could toss a coin between him and Louis and I'd not seriously quarrel with any result.

I think most of us can say that we are now jealous of Mr. Burkett. What a great story!



In a similar vein, I once was in a crowd (not on the golf course) that Arnold Palmer waved to...does that count?
How about spotting John Wayne's silhouette while he was filming 'The Green Berets' here in Columbus and at Fort Benning?


.

Since autographs are often a major discussion point on this site, I thought I would post a couple articles dealing with acquiring the autographs of all 50 of Ali's professional opponents. The first 40 or so of Ali's opponents are easy autographs to acquire. Alejandro Lavorante is tough; he died in 1964 of injuries sustained in the ring. Fellow Ali opponent Sonny Banks was also killed in the ring in 1965.

Alfredo Evangelista is a notoriously reluctant autograph signer. Tony Esperti (Ali's third pro opponent) went to prison following a 1967 mob hit.

The list grows completely cold, though, at 49 of 50 autographs. "Slim" Jim Robinson fought Ali in Ali's fourth pro bout. A Robinson autograph is like chasing a unicorn. No one is even really sure what happened to Robinson.

http://archive.boston.com/news/globe...e_mr_robinson/


http://espn.go.com/espn/eticket/stor.../jimmyrobinson

I've got to jump in on this. Complete ignorance here. He did not dodge the draft. He refused to be inducted due to his religious convictions. He was arrested and convicted of violating the Selective Service Laws. He appealed and the U.S. Supreme Court agreed by an 8-0 vote (Thurgood Marshall recused himself). That is called courage of your convictions. He was willing to stay in this country and face the consequences of his actions unlike the cowards who hid in Canada. You should educate yourself before you brush your teeth with gunpowder and start shooting off your mouth.

Well said! Independent thought is tough for the weak minded.

George, thank you for your service. Sorry that your feelings are so bitter about another American passing. Luckily, we all have the opportunity to make our own decisions and to hold our own beliefs, whether we fought for them or not.

Ali, whether you agree with his stance or not, made people think. He made people take notice. He made the world a different place. As much as some want to point a scolding finger at him, there is no denying that he had equally as much positive impact.

Ali was one that was polarizing and as well as immediately identifiable. I'm pretty sure that there may never be another as affable and as loquacious while being simultaneously as dominant.

to George
 

Your posts make me wish I could do to you what Ali did to Terrell

Olympics
 

I was there and the roar when he appeared was one of the most amazing moments I have ever experienced. I screamed as loud as I probably ever have and cried at the realization that he was finally vindicated and that so many loved him! Rumble, young man, rumble!!

Read the whole thing just now, Didn't change my mind one bit. I think what he did with the draft was a mistake. Whichever man hasn't made mistakes should take 2 steps forward. I prefer to put his whole life in perspective, and from that vantage point, he is still a hero to many. He had his own reasons for not wanting to go into the service. I can't say I blame him on some level due to the race situation back then. But he should have gone in like everyone else and he paid a price for not going.

.

According to the two articles it was "Sweet Jimmy" Robinson, not "Slim" Jim Robinson. The way they talked in the articles, if it was "Slim Jim" the mystery would have been solved very quickly :).

I graduated from the same high school here in Louisville, KY.....Central High.....as Ali. Although about 25 years later. It was an inner city High School and I was bused there in the early 1980's busing experiment. I met a ton of great people there and have life-long friendships as a result.

Some people think Ali stood behind Islam as a way to get out of service in Vietnam as if he just adopted that religion for that quick reason. Ali held fast to his beliefs on Islam until the day he died, so if he did just hang on to it for that reason, it was a sly 50-60 year ploy...

While I don't necessarily agree with the decision on Vietnam, I can't possibly fathom the strength it would take to make that stand and then lose everything you worked so hard to get and have the case hanging over you for many years before it was decided. I would hope I would have the same convictions to stand on something if I felt so strongly....

Not many minds are gonna be changed about Ali even after his passing. I think those who wanted to change them already have and many, like Leon said, take his whole life into consideration when rationally looking at any person. I know as a Louisvillian, Kentuckian and American, I'm proud of Ali and all he stood for. Our city, state, country and world is ultimately a better place because of it.

If you are ever in Louisville, there's an Ali Museum on Main Street in walking distance from the Louisville Slugger Museum. It's a fantastic place and about a 2 hour diversion, well worth the time.

Louisville Ali Museum
 

Been there twice--I second the recommendation, a great place to go

Thanks for the correction. :) I remember how interesting I found the articles when I read them several years ago and wanted to share them with the board. I had a brain freeze and confused my Jim Robinsons.

May "Ali" rest in peace

If Ali was unable to resist Don King's suitcase full of $50,000, no way would he have been able to turn down a suitcase full of 50,000 Frank bucks. ;)

I am a US Army veteran. And you are dead wrong. He had more guts than guys facing bullets in a horribly unjust civil war that we knew we were losing almost from the get go. And only stubborn politicians forced the unneeded deaths of 50,000 Americans and maybe 1,000,000 Vietnamese.
You can be more of a patriot if you question your government than if you just blindly follow it.
You have to separate your government from your country.