Ali reportedly on his last legs

Sad to think of such an amazing sporting icon and funny man to be close to death. If there is any justice in life he will pass quickly with no more pain.

Imagine the beating he would give the klitschko brothers in his heyday? Probably take them both at the same time.

Just seen this. Very sad. I saw Muhammad Ali once when I was in Dubai in 1989. He was coming out of a hotel and was mobbed by a massive crowd who were waiting outside that went absolutely mad when he appeared. Sporting legends don't come any bigger.

Indisputably the sporting genius of the 20th century.

'I'm so fast and I'm so pretty, I could kiss myself !'

There seem to be conflicting reports about how close to the end he is but when he does go,without exaggertation, it will seem as if part of my life goes.My all time sporting hero,bigger than Nicklaus,Boycott,Davis,Mariner-and thats saying something.I'll never forget the feeling of numbed disbelief when he lost to Frazier in their first fight-it was impossible,he couldn't lose-i nearly died that night,it was just awful.Only matched by the euphoria and elation after the Rumble in the jungle-doubt if any other boxer in history would have had the gumption to fight the way Ali fought that fight and finally win back the title that those Kluxxers took away from him in 1967.To think we didn't really see him at his peak,utterly criminal-i don't think he'd have been beaten for years and years [if at all] had things run their natural course.I just can't imagine anyone being able to beat him at his best-handspeed,footwork,reflexes,ability to take a punch and recover,underestimated knock out power,it was all there.So sad and sobering to see him now-a stark reminder of human mortality,even for the greatest among us.

Float like a butterfly,sting like a bee.

For me, you could throw a blanket over Ali, Nicklaus, and Pele in terms of being sheer geniuses and worldwide iconic sporting legends.

The two stand-outs I've had the privilege to watch live would be Woods and Gascoigne.

I absolutely agree with all of that Greenskin. I became a boxing fan when he appeared on the scene having not had a lot of interest before. He was around in the days when boxers were proper boxers and not fed on a diet of fodder to make a name for themselves. There were some great fighters around in his time unlike the crap of today who wouldn't be worthy of tying his boots. To see him in his present state is enough to make you weep.

Subject of a brilliant song by Faithless too. Maxi Jazz was obviously influenced by Ali.

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

I absolutely agree with all of that Greenskin. I became a boxing fan when he appeared on the scene having not had a lot of interest before. He was around in the days when boxers were proper boxers and not fed on a diet of fodder to make a name for themselves. There were some great fighters around in his time unlike the crap of today who wouldn't be worthy of tying his boots. To see him in his present state is enough to make you weep.

Yep,from Sonny Liston through Patterson,Chuvalo,Folley,Cooper to Frazier,Foreman,Bonavena,Quarry,Norton and Holmes [an abomination of a fight,for which King should have had his testicles removed with piano wire and replaced with perma agony causing devices],there were class acts all over the place back then.The nadir for me came when that British guy,can't even be bothered to remember his name, gobbed at his russian opponent in the pre fight build up,told you all you need to know about the man and the "class"on offer in the game these days.Only Tyson and Lewis have come anywhere remotely near the class [in the ring,anyway] of those guys in the past 20 odd years IMHO.If i was dying tomorrow and had one sporting event in the past that i could attend for a last request,it would be the first Clay v Liston fight-wow!

I shook up the world! I shook up the world!

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And he did shake up the world,too.

Some brief clips from Parkinson interviews

ALI

A remarkable, remarkable man - the likes of which we're unlikely to see again

Damn your eyes Mike, I was just sorting out a link to Ali and Parky!

WOW - what memories

Ali - THIS IS YOUR LIFE

I am the greatest

I had no real interest in boxing before the young Cassius Marcellus Clay came along and then I couldn't wait for his next fight.

I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.

If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.

Muhammad Ali

Just been watching this excellent youtube video on Muhammad Ali ,'The Greatest of All Time' .

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Watch the Nixon clip at 22 min 35 secs. It struck a chord with me. How ironic for Nixon to say it.

Mike Searle wrote:

WOW - what memories

Ali - THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Wonderful. Thanks for that.

Moist_Von_Lipwig wrote:

Mike Searle wrote:

WOW - what memories

Ali - THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Wonderful. Thanks for that.

Thanks from me too. Brought a tear to my eye.

Tringreen wrote:

Moist_Von_Lipwig wrote:

Mike Searle wrote:

WOW - what memories

Ali - THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Wonderful. Thanks for that.

Thanks from me too. Brought a tear to my eye.

Indeed twas fabulous watching that. What year was it? Ali looked as if he was in the early stages of his illness.

Czarcasm wrote:

Tringreen wrote:

Moist_Von_Lipwig wrote:

Mike Searle wrote:

WOW - what memories

Ali - THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Wonderful. Thanks for that.

Thanks from me too. Brought a tear to my eye.

Indeed twas fabulous watching that. What year was it? Ali looked as if he was in the early stages of his illness.

1978

More here.

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Moist_Von_Lipwig wrote:

More here.

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I hadn't seen that one before - brilliant - many thanks