RIP Muhammad Ali

The great man has finally gone.

What’s your favourite Al moment?

A very sad day, without a doubt the greatest sportsman ever, the Ali's of this world only come around once in a lifetime. RIP great man.

Too many moments to name.

I always liked the beating he put on Williams. No heavy could of touched Ali that night. He was flawless.

Agreed Adam, that performance was was pure perfection, and was the absolute high water mark of his talents- never again did he look that good. RIP Champ, you will never be matched or forgotten.

Just woke up to this sad news I know he divided opinion but as a boxing fan we have lost a great fighter and a great name.

RIP

Haven't posted for a number of years but spend hours looking through these boards.

Now seams an appropriate time to start posting again.

RIP to the reason me and many others took an initial interest in the sport.

Sad news.

Hard to pinpoint any one moment but for me what stands out about Ali is his courage, he seemingly never had any quit in him.

Fought all comers and even though he wasn't the same after the 3 year exile, he adapted and became a more cerebral fighter, who was also capable of enduring the kind of punishment that would break the will of mere mortals.

The fights against Foreman and Frazier in manilla are my personal favourites.

For someone as handsome as he was, he was as tough and courageous a fighter as there perhaps has ever been.

RIP

The sport had lost a great and an era is over.

Best performance, either Williams or foreman, for different reasons. The former because of the skill shown but the latter because it showed his fortitude. I could also picked the thriller for the same reason but I think Ali's spin made the foreman fight sound like a plan etc and it wasn't. He took a thorough being from possibly one of the hardest punchers in HW history and he rode it and came back at the end.

Like another poster stated before the Williams fight was Ali at his very best

Like another poster stated before the Williams fight was Ali at his very best

Joe frazier: how's the wife, have to say your sons looking more like me everyday.

Ali: you callin' my boy ugly?!

Just one of many of his belters. RIP

Rip champ

After the 3 year break he wasn't the same fighter but was still exceptional

Haye v Bellew gets 73 replies, but the death of the most influencial boxer is history has barely made it into double figures. Words fail me.

Sad times mate. I thought the forum would be buzzing.

B1tch from Bermondsey is more relevant.

So sad to wake up to this news this morning. What happened to the article that was on this morning? It was a great read and very informative.

Sorry just seen its been moved to global announcement.

My favourite Ali moment that I got to see or experience as it happened, rather than in retrospect, was when he won the BBC's 'Sports Personality of the Century' award at the back end of 1999. I think he got more votes from the public than the other nine contenders put together - and we're talking about a list which included the likes of Pele, Don Bradman, Steffi Graf, Jesse Owens, Jack Nicklaus and the like here.

I've always remembered his 'I had a good time boxing, and I may come back!' line vividly, and saw it again tonight as the tributes and memories flooded over the media. Great moment to remember as a young kid particularly as Ali managed to fight through his condition to raise a smile as he said it, which he wasn't able to in a lot of his subsequent public appearances in the seventeen years between then and now.

Already posted this on the global thread, but as there are simply too many memorable quotes from the man himself I'll put one of my favourite lines written about him here, which Harry Mullan used: 'The impossible was his speciality.'

Favourite fight involving Ali? Well, he might have lost it, but for me Ali-Frazier I remains the greatest Heavyweight title fight of all time. His greatest performance? The first Liston fight in my eyes. The less said about the rematch the better, but while others have their theories I have yet to be convinced that the first fight was anything other than a legitimate case of a genuine Heavyweight great being totally outclassed and bamboozled by the greatest of them all. That was Ali the virtuoso.

Crazy that the death of someone who hasn't fought in thirty-five years still makes me feel as if present-day boxing, as if it didn't have enough problems already, has also been struck a blow from which it'll have a hard time recovering from.

"For my money, the best Ali would have been a synthesis of the two incarnations, and that's why it's such a tragedy that we lost those three and a half years.

I still say that the closest we got to seeing this was the second Jerry Quarry fight, in which he displayed something of the old athleticism, terrific coordination and handspeed, and was planting his feet to land some fairly hefty looking punches. Ali toyed with a very good Jerry Quarry in this fight.

A forgotten classic, that one and, ( given that the storied performance against Williams was against a fighter who was shot to pieces, ) I'd say it's a contender for Ali's greatest ever performance as a complete fighting machine."

Ali v Quarry II ( in two parts. )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5LC8rOdpe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5IqkLccQ94

When Windy wrote that Williams was shot to pieces in the Ali fight he wasn't simply being metaphorical:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Williams

Don't think it is fair to cite a fight against a broken fighter as the best performance of such a great career.

I think a lot of the eulogising in the main stream press has skipped over the main achievements of Ali's career, namely beating the baddest, meanest, toughest fighter on the planet, twice: once as a novice (Liston) and once as a over the hill faded pro (Foreman). Hindsight detracts from how impressive those achievements were. In the first instance a cocky kid danced round and utterly outboxed a tough as nails brute of a fighter who most experts had as a favourite. Over ten years later (ten years!) a slower, no longer unbeatable fighter whose skills had faded stood and traded and beat a mean giant who had recently thrashed Joe Frazier like he was a kid, a man most experts had as a wide favourite.

Never before or since has a heavyweight fought so many top tier fighters and his record against them was stunning. Most wouldn't come back from some of the battles he had and he did it time and time again.

Chelski, I agree with foreman, hard to tell with Liston. The second fight so m shadows the first but respect others don't feel the same.

The foreman fight was sensational bravery and courage. He took a hammering and hung in.

His comments about it being planned and rope a dope, sadly, leaves people to think as it was planned he wasn't taking such a beating. But, he had no plan. He just took an absolute beating and, in my mind, makes it more impressive. I saw an interview with foreman not so long ago where he said he didn't believe it was planned either.

Foreman was such a hard puncher, with both hands, as anybody who saw the Frazier fight is in no doubt.

Stunning performance of toughness, both physical and mental.

you are absolutely correct, post event rationalisation by Ali-it was George that dictated how the fight played out, but that takes nothing away from the extra-ordinary bravery and counter punching that Ali demonstrated

Actually horizon, I think the attempt to rationalise it makes it seem planned and so, to a degree, underplays what an act of human endeavour it was.

Foreman was a beast.

Foreman was on talksport giving a tribute to Ali and he said something interesting.

He stated that Ali was not very fast,he did not punch hard,and he was nowhere near the physically imposing athlete that foreman was yet foreman said he was a phenomenon in front of him.

I think foreman was more overwhelmed by the event and the fact he was sharing the ring with galactico that was Ali.

If you think about it foreman should have beaten Ali he had all the tools and knew how to finish a fight at the same time had he met the 25 year old Ali then foreman would have gone the same way as Cooper, Foley, and Williams.

Happytravelling wrote:Actually horizon, I think the attempt to rationalise it makes it seem planned and so, to a degree, underplays what an act of human endeavour it was.

Foreman was a beast.

One thing that is it odds with the punishment that Ali look in the fight, is the fact that despite of it, it was damn close- it's been awhile since I watched it, but I think after 7 completed rounds there was only a round in it on my card- so whilst he may have been shipping some huge shots,he was landing some great counters- it wasn't at the one sided affair that it's often made out to be. I'd be interested to know what the official score were if anyone out there knows..

Yes, the interview I saw of foreman, he basically said it was his 'immaturity' that lost it for him rather than Ali beating him. Didn't pace himself, pick his shots.

It may be true but may be his ego talking.

But, as I said, anybody in any doubt about how much power he carried in both hands just has to watch the Frazier fight.

I have a feeling the foreman interview I saw he said Ali was moaning and groaning with the punches and was certainly feeling it.

Which is why, I think it was a more impressive show of human endurance than the rope a dope comment leads people to believe.

I like George but I don't agree with his assessment - every time his punch output dropped, even for a split second, Ali made him pay for it. If George tries to pace himself and pick his shots, it becomes even easier for Ali to counter punch him- there's no way that George can out box Ali- in order to win rounds you have to fight a faster pace than Ali can maintain, and deny him room to move . The old adage about a boxer beating a puncher, and a swarmer beating a boxer is true in this case. George's team would have watched Ali's previous fights , and known that the the most successful way to handle him was to pin him on the ropes and punch. The tactics were right-it was his stamina that was the problem.

Foreman was used to people wilting physically and psychologically against him. What he failed to realize was that Ali had already bested another beast in Liston a decade earlier and was never just going to crumble after the first punch. His ego wouldn't allow it, the fact he believed he was fighting for the people of Africa wouldn't allow it, God himself wouldn't allow it.

As years go by there's obviously a misty eyed sentiment about the whole thing and perhaps the talk of Ali being destined to triumph in Zaire has taken on a greater significance since his passing, but whilst each punishing fight and opponent took something from Ali you can be certain that he took a piece of them as well.

Perhaps this is why we're so attracted to boxing; knowing that two men can try and bludgeon each other into submission but at the end, will always carry a piece of that person with them for the rest of their lives. For me, there's no other sport where that phenomenon exists. there's no arena where one's failings will be so cruelly and brutally exposed and there's no other arena where we can marvel at another man and revere them so much.

I'm at an age when I can remember seeing a couple of Ali fights at the end of his career (Holmes/Berbick) and recall my father telling me about how great Ali was in his prime. Obviously I've seen his fights since and have marveled at his ability, been dazzled by his persona and, now, like so many others, deeply saddened by his passing.

Arguments will rage as to who the p4p best ever fighter was but if I'd had the chance to see just one, it would have surely been something to see "The Greatest" in his prime. There will never be another like him, certainly not in my lifetime!

Rest in Peace.

DAVE667 wrote:Foreman was used to people wilting physically and psychologically against him. What he failed to realize was that Ali had already bested another beast in Liston a decade earlier and was never just going to crumble after the first punch. His ego wouldn't allow it, the fact he believed he was fighting for the people of Africa wouldn't allow it, God himself wouldn't allow it.

As years go by there's obviously a misty eyed sentiment about the whole thing and perhaps the talk of Ali being destined to triumph in Zaire has taken on a greater significance since his passing, but whilst each punishing fight and opponent took something from Ali you can be certain that he took a piece of them as well.

Perhaps this is why we're so attracted to boxing; knowing that two men can try and bludgeon each other into submission but at the end, will always carry a piece of that person with them for the rest of their lives. For me, there's no other sport where that phenomenon exists. there's no arena where one's failings will be so cruelly and brutally exposed and there's no other arena where we can marvel at another man and revere them so much.

I'm at an age when I can remember seeing  a couple of Ali fights at the end of his career (Holmes/Berbick) and recall my father telling me about how great Ali was in his prime. Obviously I've seen his fights since and have marveled at his ability, been dazzled by his persona and, now, like so many others, deeply saddened by his passing.

Arguments will rage as to who the p4p best ever fighter was but if I'd had the chance to see just one, it would have surely been something to see "The Greatest" in his prime. There will never be another like him, certainly not in my lifetime!

Rest in Peace.

Another fantastic post and agree fully.

Thanks Adam...I do have the occasional decent post in me!

DAVE667 wrote:Thanks Adam...I do have the occasional decent post in me!

No doubt!

Ali was a legend. A lot of sh1t and stirring goes on with boxing, but if you can't admire Ali, something is seriously wrong. Greatest man ever in Sports!

What makes Ali stand out as the greatest sportsman ever lived,it wasn't just his awesome boxing ability, it was his infectious personality, everyone who met and spoke to him didn't have a bad word to say about him, and a man who stood up for his beliefs.

We always say there'll never be another but that's the plain truth there wont.

Nico the gman wrote: everyone who met and spoke to him didn't have a bad word to say about him,

Suspect if the late great Joe Frazier was still around he may contradict that view!

Rowley wrote:

Nico the gman wrote: everyone who met and spoke to him didn't have a bad word to say about him,

Suspect if the late great Joe Frazier was still around he may contradict that view!

Suspect the same holds true for George Foreman (in private at least).

Favourite Ali quote (which technically wasn't a quote) to the boss man Hugh McIlvanney the morning after The Rumble:

As he started the next sentence, Ali remembered the presence of his aunt, Coretta Clay, and the other cook, Lanna Shabazz, who had just been asked to “fix two steaks and scramble about eight eggs” for him. He checked himself, then shaped rather than spoke the words: “Ah done fuc ked up a lot of minds.”

DAVE667 wrote:Thanks Adam...I do have the occasional decent post in me!

That's your 2016 quota filled then Dave. We can look forward to normal service bring resumed for the remainder of the year.

Haz what you last wrote made no f#@%ing sense whatsoever.

There is nothing I can say that would do his memory justice.

There is a lack of responses because most of us realise words cant capture the man.

Muhammad Ali said this ,when asked about how he thought he would be remembered. These words have stayed with me for years.

“I don’t know, but I’ll tell you how I’d like to be remembered: as a black man who won the heavyweight title and who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him and who helped as many of his people as he could– financially and also in their fight for freedom, justice and equality. As a man who wouldn’t hurt his people’s dignity by doing anything that would embarrass them. As a man who tried to unite his people through the faith of Islam that he found when he listened to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. And if all that’s asking too much, then I guess I’d settle for being remembered only as a great boxing champion who became a preacher and a champion of his people. And I wouldn’t even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was."

I would always have admired his ability, heart and achievements but it's lines like the last sentence above that made me love the guy

milkyboy wrote:I would always have admired his ability, heart and achievements but it's lines like the last sentence above that made me love the guy

Absolutely...Jeff Powell wrote that the last words Ali spoke to him were,

"Float Like a Butterfly,
Sting Like a Bee,
If you wanna fly high,
Remember Me."

Rest easy, Champ!

It's funny, if you had a good prospect, you would show them Ali.

They would be amazed how great he was. The catch is, you would tell your fighter to fight the complete opposite. Not to lean back from punches. Keep your hands high. Throw more hooks, go to the body.

The fact that Ali became the greatest, when doing so much wrong, is truly remarkable. Nobody could fight like Ali.

The Best!

Just dropping in to pay my respects to the Greatest ever to lace them up. RIP Champ!

Rowley wrote:

Nico the gman wrote: everyone who met and spoke to him didn't have a bad word to say about him,

Suspect if the late great Joe Frazier was still around he may contradict that view!

I believe Smokin Joe and Ali more than made up in their late retiried years.