What's My Name: Muhammad Ali (2019) Movie Script

The following

is a presentation of...

Eight, six,

one even for Frazier.

Nine to six for Frazier.

Eleven rounds for Frazier,

four Ali.

The winner

by unanimous decision,

Joe Frazier!

For the first time in his career,

Muhammad Ali was beaten.

I wasn't happy at all.

Why not?

Well, I'm a Muhammad Ali fan,

and, uh, he just let me down.

Good fight.

Very good fight.

But considering

the way Clay fought...

- I don't n-need to like it.

- I thought it was terrific.

- Best fight I ever saw.

- Best fight I ever seen.

I seen 'em

for a long, long time.

Clay's twice the man

I thought he was.

- Really terrific.

- Good decision.

- It was a very good fight.

Very good fight.

Worth the money.

And worth every penny I paid.

Every penny.

I-I don't even feel like

waking up tomorrow.

- Not behind that fight.

- Or that decision.

That's really

upsetting to me.

Well, don't worry about it.

We'll be back.

Them three years

ain't gonna be

three years no more.

We comin' right back to war,

and now when we come back,

we gonna have to really

take the title from a champ.

Joe Frazier, tonight,

have beat a champion.

And he is the champion

of the world, without a doubt.

♪ Hey! ♪

♪ Got to, got to pay back! ♪

♪ Get payback! ♪

♪ Revenge! ♪

- ♪ I'm mad!

- ♪ To bring payback! ♪

♪ 'Bout to get back! ♪

♪ I need some getback! ♪

♪ Payback! ♪

♪ Yeah! ♪

♪ Revenge! ♪

♪ I'm mad! ♪

♪ To get down

with my girlfriend ♪

♪ Huh ♪

♪ That ain't right ♪

♪ Whoo! Talkin' ♪

♪ Holla' and cuss ♪

♪ You wanna fight ♪

♪ You gotta get ready ♪

♪ For the big payback ♪

♪ The big payback ♪

Before the championship fight

with, uh, with Joe Frazier,

I never considered you,

like, a brutal fighter.

And I don't wanna

say it like that,

but I thought

you outpointed Frazier.

Yeah, well, I thought

I won nine rounds.

But I've seen people

protest after decisions,

and it really don't help.

So, I'll just

do better next time.

I think I played too much

with Joe Frazier.

I played three rounds.

I shouldn't have played.

I didn't stay on my feet

and move like I should've.

And tryin' to prove he couldn't

hurt me standing in the corners,

and this... I lost the fight like this.

Judges took it.

One judge gave him...

11 rounds and me just four.

But at the time,

I hadn't won my draft case.

And then one black man

in the million-dollar bracket

who tells it like it is, and you know,

stays with his own kind,

naturally, they gonna pick

the best "boy" to give it to.

But the next time,

I've learned a lesson.

The next time,

there will be no doubt,

for he must go out.

Well, when I'm

in training for fights,

I don't like to be surrounded

in plushness and luxury.

Like the Fontainebleau Hotel,

and the, uh, the Hilton,

and all those places,

you know, you have

the beautiful soft carpets,

you have the chandeliers,

and you know,

you order room service,

and the beds are so nice,

and you got the mirrors,

and it makes you soft.

So, I had to find a old...

a place that wasn't too plush.

And this is why I've just

built a training camp

in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania,

right outside Reading.

I built a 50-by-60 log cabin.

And I bought

about three acres of land,

and I have my cabin there.

It's rugged.

Those living close to nature,

in the solitude,

or peasants

living in the country,

have greater intuition

than educated people

living in the midst

of city life.

Mm-hmm.

- Why?

I'm breathing fresh air.

My mind is clearer.

I'm drinking fresh water

from the ground... God water.

The food that I eat,

the vegetables

are not frozen and sprayed.

It's from

a farm down the road.

So I'm nourishing

my mind and my soul

and my thoughts

with clean air,

real water,

and real food.

That's why they say

God's prophets

and wise men

go off and meditate,

go on top of a mountain,

and they fast

and don't eat a thing,

and they have... they can...

things just come to 'em.

We've seen a lot of camps all over the world.

You know,

usually above a bar,

above a strip joint,

above a drug store,

connected with something,

a resource.

But it's never the thing.

Now, this is the thing.

This is a fighter's camp,

so that's what

Muhammad is doing.

The core conception

is Muhammad.

Design is Muhammad.

The architect's Muhammad.

- The whole schmeer.

- Right.

I want it

real rustic.

Old floors, or...

or the water we using,

no electricity.

Nothing modern.

Right, right.

You putting windows

out here with the view?

Two nice windows where you

can see the view, yeah.

Whose name

is going to be printed

on the big black rock

over there?

Jack Johnson.

First black world

heavyweight champion, so...

The big white rock on the end

is Rocky Marciano,

and, uh, Joe Louis

is the big rock

right in front of the gym.

See, this is gonna be

a well-integrated camp.

I want half and half.

Black and white champions.

What kind of training

are you doing up here?

I'm running up and down the

mountain in these big boots.

I'm chopping down

these trees every day,

as you see

up through here.

And I'm ready.

What kind of shape you in?

You in good shape?

Lookin' for a few bears.

I heard there's some bears

loose around here somewheres.

I'm gon' catch a few

wild bears

and whup them too.

I'm in good shape.

I'm ready.

I'm in topnotch shape.

I'm out to get

my title back

from the new tramp...

I mean new champ,

Joe Frazier.

I'm the real champion,

and I'm gonna prove it.

Now, I'll see you now.

I gotta go chop down

some more trees...

- Okay.

- ...out here somewhere.

This whole estate

has given me the incentive

to keep going.

This is like

a new life here.

Come in here,

go in the gym when I want,

have my own cooks

in the kitchen,

my own bunkhouses,

my own crew,

fresh air, fresh water,

peace, looking at the view.

Can't beat it.

I didn't know

it would be this nice

when I first got it.

It's nice.

Muhammad, in the past,

you've been highly critical

of the American system.

In view of the decision today

by the Supreme Court,

how do you feel

about our system now?

Well, all I have to say

is what's concerning my case.

I don't know what's

happening this moment.

I don't know who will be

assassinated tonight.

I don't know who will be

enslaved or mistreated.

I don't know who will be

deprived of some other justice

or equality,

so I can't say nothin'.

All I can talk

about is my case,

and I'm thankful that

the court's recognized

my sincerity of my beliefs

in this case.

Once he was

a very great fighter,

now he is a worn relic

of the past,

a faded hero of yesteryear,

but still mouthing words

that he can no longer

employ the skills

to back up.

And, uh, he still proclaims

to be that

which he is no longer,

the heavyweight champion

of the world.

So, I am going to bring out

the former heavyweight

champion of the world,

Muhammad Ali.

Howard, every time

you open your mouth,

you should be arrested

for air pollution.

Jimmy Ellis was one of

Muhammad Ali's

favorite sparring partners.

In 1967, I asked Ellis about

his dreams for the future.

Do you enjoy sparring

with the heavyweight champion?

Yeah. When I box with him,

I know I'm boxing

with the best.

You probably know more

about Muhammad Ali's habits

and style than anybody else.

Yeah, I think I know

quite a bit about him.

Ellis took his

sparring instructions

from Angelo Dundee,

who is now training him

for the Ali fight.

I'll come out

the winner

if I'm in shape.

But what worries me now

is this belly I got.

It just won't come off.

How about some of

that poetry of yours?

After I defeat Ellis

in the Astrodome,

I'm gonna run him

and Angelo home!

One minute

remaining in this fight.

Ellis is reeling!

The referee may be deciding

whether he's going

to stop the fight.

He is stopping the fight!

What's the word

on Frazier?

Frazier's not

actually doing

too much right now.

They forced him

to take a fight,

and still, I might not

come off with one win,

because I want one more

shot at Joe Frazier.

So, Muhammad, why

couldn't you put him away?

- Did you hold back?

- Anybody in the world

could have seen that

that man was finished,

and just letting him stay

there was public crucifixion.

And I hope

the judgment system

that we have

around here

will stop fights

when they see people hurt

because as soon

as one's killed,

they'll want to say,

"You wouldn't go to the Army

to fight for your country,

and you don't

like to kill,

then why did you

kill that man?"

All right.

So leave me alone,

and shut up and be glad

you saw a good fight.

We after Joe Frazier,

and he's running,

he's ducking,

and he's talking about

he won't fight for a few years,

and I hope the public

bring him on out

with that title,

and defend it like I did!

I'm still resurrecting

the game,

although they say

I'm not the champion.

Muhammad, knock him out!

What's the matter with you?

They're stopping it,

for the protection of the lad himself!

What a showman!

Look at that!

This athlete's one of

the most unique fighters

in heavyweight history.

The world's greatest

heavyweight,

Muhammad Ali.

Yeah, I kept asking Angelo at the

end of each round, How is it going?

He said, "It could be close,

but you're winning."

Then I looked up and saw

Sammy Davis Jr. at ringside,

unannounced, and when

a man this great

takes time out to come

to see you,

how can you lose?

Ali at 221,

fighting the sixth-ranked

heavyweight, Kenny Norton,

at 210.

You haven't heard much

about Norton,

and this is supposed to be

a routine exercise for Ali.

Ali is wearing

10-ounce gloves,

as Norton will be.

That's the way it is

in California,

and 10-ounce gloves

are a worry

because they can really

punish a man.

The bell for round one.

Norton in the early going

should show

a pretty good left jab.

His best punch

is a left hook.

The man with the highest

total points wins the fight.

Good left there by Norton...

that excited the crowd.

I have a habit

of playing in the ring

with opponents, you know.

They seem to be

so easy to hit,

and sometimes I just like

to show him and the public

how simple this fellow is.

And I played around with him

two or three rounds too,

which I should have opened up.

The crowd now senses

that Ali is doing nothing,

while Norton presumably

may be punching himself out,

so the crowd is

beginning to boo.

We saw Ali last night, at a party,

actually, just sitting there.

You have to wonder if he's

taking Norton too lightly.

All right, we're back

for round eight,

and Ali just hasn't

been right,

and I think he may have

cracked a tooth in his mouth,

judging by the way

he's holding his mouth.

I knew

something was wrong,

but I did not

seriously worry.

See the countdown

on the clock.

One has to wonder,

has he gone stale

from the constancy

of fighting,

no matter the caliber

of opponent?

One has to wonder,

is it all suddenly going out?

Is he now but a relic

of the fighter he was?

Ali is tired!

Ali is really tired.

Good right, Mike,

and that right hurt

Muhammad Ali.

That right hurt Ali.

The countdown to the end

of the fight.

Ali's mouth is bloodied.

A left gets him,

and a good right!

He is all over Ali!

He is punching him

around the ring!

Judge Hal Rickards scores it 5 Norton,

4 Ali.

Judge Fred Hayes...

I can tell you now,

Kenny Norton

has won the decision.

...5 points, Norton.

Ladies and gentlemen,

referee Frank Rustich,

7 points Norton,

5 points Ali.

There it is!

One of the greatest upsets,

again, in boxing history.

Muhammad Ali, I am told,

suffered a broken jaw

in the first round,

in an unbelievable fight

here today.

Muhammad Ali would have

talked to you, I'm sure.

He couldn't because of

the broken jaw.

He has a broken jaw.

He is a beaten man,

and he is a broken fighter,

and so all of

the millions of dollars

that loomed before him

for the Frazier rematch

are suddenly gone.

What was once

a very great fighter

becomes now part of

fistic history,

in all probability.

That's the

end of the story here...

Fight fans

all over the world

were shocked, really,

when a relatively

unknown boxer

broke the jaw of a man

who's been considered

maybe the greatest

fighter of all time,

and defeated him,

and maybe this is

the only man

who can explain

what happened that night.

All sorts of people have been

trying to piece it together.

Do you think it was

a lucky punch?

I really don't know.

My mouth wasn't completely

closed, I remember, but...

You can remember the moment

when it happened clearly?

You know... you know when it...

when the jaw went?

Yeah. I, uh,

don't make excuses,

you know, for losing,

so, but my major reason

was because I didn't

train properly,

taking him for granted,

mainly, um,

not living up to my religious

convictions like I should.

If they told you tomorrow

that you

could not fight again...

if they had a look at your jaw

and said it's just too dangerous,

would you, uh...

would you cry?

No.

I'd rejoice.

I'd be glad that I found out

before I killed myself.

The heavyweight

championship of the world,

the biggest event

in all sports.

The challenger for

the heavyweight title,

Big George Foreman.

The undefeated champion,

Joe Frazier,

cemented his hold on the crown

with a decision over

undefeated Muhammad Ali

in 1971.

Foreman having

a very good round.

Twenty seconds to go...

Frazier's never taken

this kind of punishment.

Frazier is being battered

in Foreman's corner.

Joe's about

to go down again!

Joe's been down four times.

There goes Joe down again.

Frazier doesn't know

where he is.

The fight is over,

and the winner

is George Foreman.

George,

I gotta know about your plans for the future.

Will you

fight Frazier again,

or will you fight

Muhammad Ali?

Right now, that was

my main goal,

was to win the world

heavyweight championship.

You got it now.

I'd like to go out

and tell a lot of kids,

and preach it

for a long time,

that all you gotta do

is work and pray hard,

you can get anything

you want.

I'd like

to spend my whole life

getting that message out.

I want to see

the inside of your house.

- Is this it?

- This is an old, antique house,

replica of

a 200-year-old cabin.

Did you design

this yourself?

Designed everything,

and it's just like

the days of Jack Johnson.

No, come on in,

don't be talkin' 'bout you...

Hey, I love what you've

done with the place.

Oh, yeah,

this is all antique.

I did all this up

myself, Dick.

This is a 200-year-old

rope bed here.

This table weighs

about 850 pounds.

This was made out of

real oak trees.

This is an old antique

pheasant I picked up.

Energy crisis

don't bother me.

I have coal oil lamps.

I've got the big old

coal stove over here,

and the water pump right from

the well under the ground.

Everything's antique.

I like the idea of

getting up in the morning,

just making my coal,

getting a real natural heat,

something you don't get

nowadays.

Everything's just

gas and electric.

This is real. No pollution.

This comes

right out of the ground.

Nice, cold... take

a taste of that, Dick.

- No electricity in here?

- No electricity.

- How do you watch television?

- No television.

I go over in my kitchen

to watch television.

What do you watch?

I watch the Johnny Carson

show, mostly.

Dick Cavett Show

sometimes.

According to who's got

the most colored guests on.

I've been so publicized,

I've won fights so easy,

unmarked.

And you can be intoxicated

with not only alcohol

or narcotics,

but you can be intoxicated

with greatness,

and if a man's intoxicated,

he'll do something

that he wouldn't do otherwise.

So, now that I've been

sobered up a little

and realize that I can slip,

that if I don't work

like I should

and my mind might tell me

to do something

but my body won't.

Well, this is getting me

more hungry,

like I used to be

coming up.

♪...around creating ♪

♪ All the groovy kinds

of love ♪

♪ But I'm a man ♪

♪ Yes, I am ♪

♪ And I can't help

but love you so ♪

♪ No, no, no ♪

♪ But I'm a man,

yes, I am ♪

♪ And I can't help

but love you so ♪

1971.

That's when I met my pro...

my first pro fighter.

He took me up to

Muhammad Ali's training camp,

and I met Muhammad Ali.

Said, "Wow,

I met the heavyweight champion of the world."

Just to meet a star

or celebrity,

and most kids don't get

that opportunity.

♪ Yes, I am ♪

♪ And I can't help

but love you so ♪

I say, "Kids,

your chances of being

a great fighter,

or good enough

to make a good living,

is about a hundred thousand

to one,

and if you spend

most of your life

trying to be a fighter,

and you get hurt

or you don't make it,

your whole life is ruined,

it's too late to get

education,

it's too late to look for

a trade

or something to fall back on.

He liked the way I boxed,

and, next thing you know,

I had a job,

a full-time job,

being a sparring partner

for Ali

for, like, four years.

"Operation Test the Jaw"

is not a karate movie

starring Cary Grant.

It is what Muhammad Ali calls

his first sparring session

since Ken Norton

broke his jaw last March.

This is all of course

in preparation

for Ali to break

Ken Norton's jaw

this September

in Los Angeles.

I'm trim. My jaw is ready.

Look at my body.

Look at me.

In perfect shape,

212 pounds...

same weight

fought Sonny Liston.

Done chopped down

85 trees for this fight.

Talkin' 'bout

Norton closed my mouth.

You tell Norton

he opened my mouth wider.

Don't believe that stuff,

predicting on the predictor.

I'm gonna be so fast.

Watch what I'm gonna do

with my hands

in the ring that night.

I'm gonna be so fast,

if Norton do

any dirty stuff,

I'm gonna reach from nowhere

and pull out a long cane!

Even though Muhammad Ali

is training for Ken Norton,

his mind and his mouth stretch

all the way to George Foreman.

Foreman? I don't know.

George Foreman got the title,

just like Joe Frazier.

He's killing the game.

Frazier had the title

two years, fought twice.

I fought 12 times.

Frazier... Foreman, haven't

heard nothing about him

since he fought Frazier.

All this preparation

to get ready for some man

ranked number 22

in the top ten.

He should fight

the topnotch fighters,

and after I annihilate

Ken Norton,

going to

Jakarta, Indonesia,

to whup

this Rudi Lubbers,

the Dutch

heavyweight champion,

I'm gonna come back and settle this

whole thing with George Foreman,

and for old times' sakes,

I'm gonna whup

Joe Frazier again

right there

at Madison Square Garden.

Now, I'm tired.

I've got to go to work.

I ain't got no time

to be talkin',

playin', and jivin',

'cause I'm a-workin'.

Remember,

in his locker room interview,

we asked him, did he have on

his dancing shoes? He has.

This is the best

I've seen Ali look

since going back

before the Joe Frazier fight.

For a year now,

we've seen the layer

of fat around the midriff,

and you don't see it tonight.

If Kenny Norton

beats this Ali,

Kenny Norton is gonna get

some great, great respect.

Last punch

of the fight for Ken Norton,

and he yelled at Ali.

Ali got him

a split-second after...

When you in the ring

and you hot and you warm

and you started,

and you train all the time,

most fighters are

used to getting hit.

And, uh,

they just ready for it.

They don't feel it.

The punch that might hurt

is a glass scrape

that might tear your skin,

or you might feel the burn

from the leather,

or a thumb might get

in your eye,

but you talkin'

to the wrong man there

when you ask me how'd it feel

to be hurt, or hit.

He's hurt Norton.

Whoa!

Whopping right hand

right on the jaw of Ali.

A good left hook

on the jaw of Norton.

Another hook on

the jaw of Norton.

The crowd is going

absolutely berserk

as these fine heavyweights

unleash their attacks.

Fight of the year.

Three minutes

of excruciating time

for these well-

conditioned performers

on this round.

And he's

on his toes again.

He's on his toes!

It's going the distance.

And there is the bell.

Judge John Thomas

scores it 6-5, Ali.

Judge George Latka

scores it 6-5, Kenny Norton.

Referee Dick Young sees it

7-5 to the winner,

Muhammad Ali!

There's a very

tired Muhammad Ali,

worn out.

Hittin' Cosell on the head,

just like he should!

Get him!

I got Ken Norton

out of the way,

now I'm gon' get

Joe Frazier out of the way!

When I'm through, you won't

hear no more about Joe Frazier.

I'm gonna get Joe Frazier,

I'm gonna wipe out

George Foreman,

then I'm go on and put

two more pages in the book

and get on out of this mess.

At Kennedy Airport

this morning,

Joe Frazier and his rock 'n' roll group,

the Knockouts,

departed for a six-week

European tour.

Do you find this more

difficult than fighting,

or do you have to stay

in the same shape

to dance and sing

as you...

You have to keep the weight down,

you know what I mean?

So, therefore,

while you're onstage,

you keep the weight down,

and it's much easier,

you know?

But let's say after that,

while performing,

that's something different.

It's twice times

as hard as boxing.

♪ Oh, she didn't

bat an eye ♪

♪ As I packed my bags

to leave ♪

♪ Thought she might

start to cry ♪

Who told him he could sing?

He cannot sing.

He has no rhythm,

no footwork, no class.

He cannot talk.

He got him a big band,

he started

traveling the world,

figuring that he's gonna

sell 'em all out.

They said, Joe Frazier appears

this place in England.

The arena held 10,000.

Thirty-seven people

showed up.

A Jasmine mink coat

for Joe Frazier,

54 skins of pure white mink.

He's had this one made

to wear especially

for his upcoming fight

with Muhammad Ali.

That's right.

Not in the ring, but...

To the fight.

Yeah, that's all,

and then, I guess,

after the party,

and just move around

with a little bit, you know.

I like fashion.

That's an important thing.

I love it.

I like to see

people look good,

and so, therefore,

aside from making

people look good,

make myself look good also.

♪ Who to sock it to ♪

A man like Frazier's

got a certain

rough-looking look,

so I have a sparring partner

who reminds me of Joe Frazier.

Flew him all the way here.

- Does he look a lot like...

- Ten thousand miles away.

I think he

reminds me of Frazier.

- I guess I'd best be looking...

- Well...

Gorilla Jones!

Let him out!

Let him in.

He can go a round or two.

Gorilla Jones.

Take your time, Gorilla.

- Are you ready?

- This isn't a little corny, is it?

This gets me ready

for Joe Frazier.

- He resembles Joe Frazier.

- Time!

♪ One, two, three ♪

♪ Make it funky! ♪

When you see me

get into that ring

with Joe Frazier

at 210 pounds,

which is two pounds lighter

than I was 10 years ago,

this time, I'll be dancing.

But people want to see a fight,

not a dance.

All that money to come

and see you and I fight,

and you gonna dance.

Dancing

and whupping you...

Here comes Muhammad Ali.

Here comes Joe Frazier,

"Smokin' Joe."

When I get those

little bitty gloves on,

and be real serious,

and no playing,

no standing in the corner,

everybody knows he's gon'

have on gloves like me.

We always

have on the same...

All right, then!

You could get hurt!

You could... no,

you'll hurt your hands.

We're waiting

for the bell, round one,

and there it is,

and here's Don Duncan.

Thank you, Dan Patrick.

There's the bell.

That's the end of round one.

And Ali gave us a bit

of a shuffle

at the end of the round,

and goes back to his corner.

Have you ever considered

you've taken

lots of blows to the head,

both of you,

throughout your career,

and there's the possibility

of permanent brain damage.

- Anything could happen.

- Cars.

More people are killed in this

country in cars than war.

What are we gonna do,

quit driving cars?

We heard that.

Let me put it another way.

And I know you're

not concerned about

two black fighters' brains

being hurt that much, now.

I know you're not that

wrapped up over our brains.

You really considered...

you really worried

about my brains,

or anybody else's brain?

We not worried about it,

so why should you?

You should worry about what

else is happening in the world.

Then what kind of sport

is it, can it be,

where a guy...

where a guy goes in a ring

and gets his jaw broken?

Watch your handling.

What kind of sport is this...

when a guy gets

in a damn car

in your country,

and go around a damn track,

and hit a pole

and he burn up?

Don't get

on our little sport.

We don't have nothin'

over here no way,

but a job, and a few of us

can't get nothin'

unless we can box,

and now you want

to run that out.

Under New York scoring...

Ali opening up!

Well,

the crowd loves it,

and with round 12

coming up, Don,

a lot depends right here.

Now they shake hands,

and here is Don.

There it is!

The winner

by unanimous decision

is Muhammad Ali!

There it is,

the winner

by unanimous decision,

Muhammad Ali.

I hit him

with everything.

The man took

a terrible beating.

He wouldn't fall.

I said, "Are you crazy?"

I hit him there.

I said, "You must be crazy!"

He said,

"That's right, I'm crazy!"

He just kept coming.

"I'm crazy!" Damn.

There they are,

in the center of the ring.

What do you think

about Muhammad Ali

when you're in there

like this?

All right now,

you know... George Foreman...

just been offered

five million dollars apiece

by the government of Zaire.

And, if he can win

this fight tonight,

which I don't think he will,

he'll have to defend

his champion again

in the Congo!

Oh, good right hand

on left-hand side

of the face of Norton.

Norton is a bit stunned

as Foreman is teeing off,

and it looks like Norton

has really been staggered

as he went up

against the rope.

Foreman just banging on

in the second round.

Norton is down again!

Left hand to the side

of the head.

His legs are rubbery

and the left hand

goes to the side

of the head.

A right uppercut,

a left jab.

And Norton tumbling

to the canvas.

He doesn't know where he is.

I don't know if Norton can make it.

It might be

all over right here.

It looks like it may be

all over, and it is all over!

George Foreman remains the

heavyweight champion of the world.

He hit Ken Norton just

like he do all his opponents.

Caught him out.

This man depends on gettin' his man

in the first one or two rounds.

If he don't do that,

he's frustrated.

Stick him with left jabs

and right crosses,

tie him up and box him,

and you will retire him.

- Ali...

- I'm the man that's gonna whup George Foreman,

and I'm gonna whup him,

of all places, in Africa,

in the Congo,

where the Lumuba boys are!

Ali, now that you have

your cool about you

and you're calmed

down at this point,

I want you to answer

this question:

How could that man go

24 rounds with you and only two

with the heavyweight

champion of the world?

Because George Foreman

is not as good of a fighter

scientifically as I am,

but I'll admit,

he's stronger

and he hit harder.

I'm not a hard puncher,

I'm not known for being a hard puncher.

I've fought many men like

Floyd Patterson, Zora Folley,

George Chuvalo,

who were stronger than I am,

many I couldn't knock out...

Sonny Liston...

but I'll tell you this.

Boxing ability, speed,

whuppin' him on points,

for the distance, if necessary,

then I'll whup him.

Well, fighting

in your home territory,

you couldn't be any happier the way

this is coming up in September.

Why would you call Africa

my home territory?

You've been telling me

that for ten years.

That's right,

and if you come over there

talkin' like that,

we'll cook ya!

That's it from Muhammad Ali.

Last night, I had a dream,

when I got to Africa,

I had one helluva rumble,

I had to beat

Tarzan's behind first

for claimin' to be

the king of the jungle.

For this fight,

I wrestled with alligators,

I've tussled with a whale,

I done handcuffed lightning

and put thunder in jail.

You know I'm bad.

I've murdered a rock,

I injured a stone,

and I hospitalized a brick.

I'm so bad,

I make medicine sick.

I'm so fast, man,

I can run through a hurricane

and don't get wet.

When George Foreman meets me,

he'll pay his debts.

I can drown a drink of water

and kill a dead tree,

wait till you see

Muhammad Ali.

Under the auspices

of President Mobutu,

from the heartland of Africa,

the world heavyweight championship fight,

this is the biggest, most expensive,

single sports event in history.

It was mind-boggling.

You look around, you don't

see but 200,000 black people.

You know what I mean?

Damn! Whoa! You know?

This is an awesome bar,

of George Foreman against the

boxing skills of Muhammad Ali.

Is this definitely,

whatever happens,

your last fight?

My last.

This is the last...

Win or lose, it's your...

There ain't

no such thing as lose.

This is the last

of Muhammad Ali,

so enjoy the fight,

get to the theater, and see...

the most scientific, the most

creative, the most artistic,

the most talked about,

the most colorful,

the most wisest,

the most controversial,

the boldest, most courageous,

the greatest fighter,

the best-lookin'

physically of all times,

this will be the last rumble,

and I invite all

of you to be there

among those of us

who dare to dare.

George Foreman hasn't gone,

in the past four years,

beyond two rounds in any fight.

Can Ali dance

and stay away from him?

Beforehand,

you go into the ring,

and you wanna go out there

and execute some of

the things you've practiced.

This time,

this man got me to the point

where I just distaste

his presence in boxing.

I really want to beat him more

than anything in the world.

I wanna beat him.

Just before the fight,

I'm looking at him,

and the man's giving us instructions,

I said, "Sucker,

you are in trouble tonight."

"You are fighting the greatest

fighter of all times.

You said I was the greatest,

but you gonna see. I'm fast,

sucker, I'm gonna burn you up.

You're fightin' your idol.

When you were a little kid,

you were hearin' about me.

You're meetin' your master,

your idol.

Here we ago.

Ali, quickly across the round.

Foreman a bit cocky

in the first round,

looking to drop that left hook.

A straight left jab

thrown by Foreman

has Ali in the corner...

Ali dances back, hangs on.

What a tremendous set this day,

in round number one.

Ali!

First round, I laid

in the corners, right?

I said, "Come on,

show me something!"

I talked through

the whole fight.

I said, "Show me something."

"They told me

you could hit hard."

"You're just a sissy."

"Come on. You can do

better than that, George.

You wanna corner me? Here I am!

You been waitin' to corner me.

"You're the world

heavyweight champion."

"You're the world...

come on! Keep punchin'!"

"I want you to get tired."

I said, "Uh-oh. This is

the wrong place to get tired."

This is the wrong place to get tired!

He's breathin'!

I said,

"Aw, you finished, boy.

You are in trouble."

I said, "You don't have but two

chances, slim and none."

Muhammad Ali has won

by a knockdown!

The place is going wild!

The thing they said

was impossible is done!

This is the most joyous scene ever

seen in the history of boxing.

♪ Get down, get down ♪

As of now,

they that say I'm the greatest

of all time, just shut up.

So I got the whole critics

and the boxing experts

on a big spot,

'cause George Foreman

was dangerous,

he was terrible,

he was gonna wear me down.

He was gonna get me in a corner

and just murder me, and I,

as always, I proved

to still be the greatest.

- Did he scare you?

- Yeah, I was scared to death.

I was reading a piece that

Norman Mailer wrote about you.

It described you as the second

most prominent American,

second most prominent

after Nixon.

You might dispute that,

but would you like to president?

- No. No, sir.

- No?

Too dangerous.

Like, in other words,

there's a ship.

People are dancin'

on the ship.

A lot of money's on the ship,

a lot of food's on the ship,

and I cannot integrate

on the ship.

I cannot have

equality on the ship.

I'm just

in the galley workin'.

And I never could get up

and see the captain of the ship.

Now, all of the sudden,

the man tells me,

"Say, come on down, I'll

lead you out of the galley.

I want you to come up here and...

here, have something to drink.

What do you want?"

And giving me number one spot...

from the galley

to the number one spot.

I said,

"This ship must be sinkin'.

Why is he so nice to me now?

What moved him

to call me up here?"

Black men have been mayors now.

One might be the president.

America's in too much trouble.

I don't want that job now.

See, I'm lookin' at

the black people as a nation.

We have prostitution problems,

we got dope problems.

Gang fightin' among self,

a lack of love for self.

No respect for our women.

We don't have no property,

we don't have no land.

We done worked 400 years

to make this country

the wealthiest country

on the planet.

This is our problem.

This poem is entitled

"Truth."

T-R-U-T-H.

"The face of truth is open.

The eyes of truth are bright.

The lips of truth

are ever-closed.

The head of truth is upright.

The breast of truth

stands forward.

The gaze of truth

is straight.

Truth has neither

fear nor doubt.

Truth has patience to wait.

The words of truth

are touchy.

The voice of truth

is deep.

The law of truth

is simple:

All that you sow, you reap.

The soul of truth

is flaming.

The heart of truth is warm.

The mind of truth is clear

and firm

through rain and storm.

Facts are but its shadow.

Truth stands above all sin.

Great be the battle of life,

truth in the end shall win.

The image of truth

is Elijah Muhammad,

wisdom's message his rod.

The sign of truth

is the crescent.

The soul of truth is God.

Life of truth is eternal,

immortal is its past.

Truth has power to endure,

truth shall always last."

There.

That's my masterpiece.

Very good.

What we got over there?

Stop messing with the food...

Boy, looky here!

Oh, boy, a big pot

of raw spinach.

...or you'll burn yourself.

Nothin'

but real iron.

Straight from

the mountain to Muhammad.

Wear him out!

This defensive tactic

of laying against the ropes

and allowing the opponent

to wear himself out,

was employed

in the Foreman fight,

and Ali says it will enable him

to prolong his career

by ten years.

Muhammad, uh,

I don't want to see you

end up on Queer Street.

What do you...

what do you mean,

you mean like...

Is that what you mean?

Oh.

There's an old boxing term

called Queer Street,

which means a guy...

I never heard the term

"Queer Street" in boxing.

Oh, come on, now.

Are you serious?

Not-not in boxing.

You mean punch drunk?

Yeah, a guy who ends up,

um, you know, without...

doesn't have

the goods anymore.

He's fought too long and

is out there...

See, well, that happens to

people that get hit too much.

He's a little punchy.

You know,

even in a car accident,

you can be shook up,

brain can't take but so much.

Put the camera on close-up.

Let me show you something.

No, put the camera

on close-up.

Stop right there.

If you in topnotch shape with experience,

you know how

to stand there for a while.

Like, all these fellows

threw shots all day.

Didn't one come through.

Laying on the ropes

a la Zaire,

where he allowed

George Foreman

to punch himself out.

Ali is in the corner

with the rope-a-dope tactic,

when George Foreman

used himself up.

Every punch,

he's growing tired,

and after three or four

rounds of that

and 15 to go,

no contest.

There's the culmination.

Ali has the man in trouble.

He's trying to hold on.

He's still on his feet.

Ali floors him!

Muhammad Ali

the way he can be

even at 33!

Unanimous decision

for Muhammad Ali!

...without

yet an interview.

He just took off!

...boxer of the world,

Muhammad Ali!

Ali disappeared!

Fighting is hard,

fighting hurts.

You've been hurt

less than most,

your face isn't

marked up much,

but was it fun,

or just a means

to something?

Well, it was fun

being seen on television,

winning the Golden Gloves,

wearing my jackets,

then you go through a stage

where it's no longer fun,

becomes a business.

After this fight,

I'll hear no more

about Joe Frazier

because I will

totally destroy him.

This time I will show you

that he was a tramp

all the time.

He was an illusion champion.

He got the title because

the draft took my title,

then, when I came back,

they had me because

I was four years off.

I got warmed up a little.

I beat his behind.

Now I'm really on top...

not only on top,

but I have my crown back,

and I'm gonna show you

that I'm much older,

much more wear and tear,

more experienced,

and I'm still the king

of all kings,

and he must lose

in a round I choose!

This will be

Ali's fifth fight

in the last 12 months.

By comparison to

the first two Frazier fights,

the importance of this one...

is it less than the first

and more than the second,

or how would you

characterize it?

It's time now

to show the people

that I'm truly much, much,

much more greater than he is,

because he got his name

when my title was taken

because of draft reasons

and he built himself up.

So, he wasn't really

a true champion.

He didn't beat the champion;

he was just

a little substitute

during my absence.

Ali

with a rope-a-dope.

After four years,

they gave me a chance

to come back.

Then... then he was

fighting a true champion,

but it wasn't really fair

'cause I wasn't too active.

...leading his own cheering!

Second time,

I was more active.

I danced 12 rounds

with him.

In the last two rounds

I had a lot of fight

left in me,

came back and beat him

and Foreman.

This has to have been

one of the most bruising

heavyweight championships

of all time.

Now I've had 41 rounds

of fighting this year.

He's only had nine.

So, now I have everything

together

about like it should be.

What I'm gonna do

to him this time,

I have to show you

this time

what I should have did

in the first time.

Doctor comes up

and looks at Frazier.

I think it's gonna be over.

It's all over.

Muhammad, can you say

a word now around the world?

I was surprised

Joe had so much stamina,

and if I didn't have

the condition,

I know I would have lost.

This is too painful.

It's too much work. I might have

a heart attack or something.

I wanna get out

while I'm on top.

So I'll go beat up

Joe Frazier.

Okay, he beat

Joe Frazier. Good fight.

Tomorrow's another day.

Who did I help?

I didn't help nobody

but myself.

I like doing

something worthwhile.

Fightin' is nothin'.

I think about people,

45, 50, 60 years old,

gettin' up,

goin' to work every day.

They still go to work.

And I'm about ready to retire,

and I'm established.

And I'm thirty-three.

The question tonight,

and it may be

very interesting indeed, is,

ballooned up to 230 pounds

at 34 years of age,

how great

is Muhammad Ali now today?

I wanna quit

at the end of '76,

and this year we should make

about 20 more million dollars

in five fights,

which 80% of it

I plan to donate

to charitable causes.

I have never seen you so off on your timing,

missing so many lefts

and rights.

I'm getting old.

That's why I'm quitting this year.

If I don't take the money

to give it to my people

as some kind of way up,

then I'm not doing nothing.

So if we can't help people

with our life and make a name

that's gonna live,

ain't no sense in being here.

♪ Feel the funk y'all ♪

Muhammad Ali is guaranteed $6 million

for putting his

World Heavyweight Championship

on the line against Ken Norton,

who will earn about a million.

They're fighting now.

Norton is going at Ali.

This is a fight here, Dick.

They're slugging it out now.

Some fools still think Norton can beat me

after I destroyed his daddy,

which was Foreman,

after I destroyed Joe Frazier

who will destroy Norton.

He still thinks he can fight,

whup me, and people do, too.

So I have something

still to prove.

And after I'm through

with Norton,

I can say goodbye

to everybody out there.

I think

Kenny Norton is crying.

It looks to me

like he's crying.

He must've thought

he won the fight.

You got a whole lot

of commotion going on here.

Are you my man

or Norton's man?

Are you my man?

I like you better

than Carter or Ford.

Muhammad,

since this is a political year,

do you have a favorite among

the presidential candidates?

And more interestingly,

has anyone asked you for support?

No. No, they haven't.

I made a statement

the other day

about I'm not voting

for no one.

Evangelista has gone the distance

against Muhammad Ali.

I don't care what people really expect.

All I care about is winning

and getting paid

and being the world champion

and ready for another day.

Shavers is trying to

survive till the final bell.

What a fight!

It's over!

Muhammad Ali, you have said

that you would like to get out

of boxing and carry a briefcase

and be sort of

a black Henry Kissinger.

Did your fight this week

persuade you

that maybe

it's getting to be that time?

Yes, sir.

Have you bought a black briefcase?

No,

I have a couple of briefcases.

Are you still the world's greatest fighter?

Some people are now saying

that you can sting like a bee

but you can't float

like a butterfly anymore.

Well, I'm getting old now.

I don't float like I used to.

I'm a little slow now.

So you are getting past it?

Yeah, I'm getting old,

and I'm getting tired

and might get knocked out soon.

...scores 135-

136.

..scores 142-

141.

The new undisputed...

Spinks has won it!

Leon Spinks has won

the heavyweight championship

of the world!

Incredible.

The end of a boxing era

came like

a right hook out of nowhere

last night in Las Vegas.

A 24-year-old ex-Marine

with a little over one year's

professional experience

dethroned the most famous

boxing figure of all time,

as Leon Spinks

wrested the heavyweight title

from Muhammad Ali

in a 15-round split decision.

Muhammad,

on a day like this,

the day of what will be

your last fight forever more,

do you find yourself

thinking back

over your whole boxing career,

your whole life?

I probably will later,

but not now.

This fight that's coming up

in a few hours

is more important than

all that I've done in the past,

for the fact

this is the last one,

and I want to go out

being the first black man

to retire champion

and the first man to gain it

three times.

You sound almost tired,

and the fight's at hand.

I'm not so tired until you're

gonna hear it in my speech.

I'm just relaxed.

I'm not tired.

I'm in top shape.

Probably in better shape

than I was for

the Thrilla in Manila

and George Foreman,

although I'm older.

I've had a few fights

since then,

but this is befitting of me

to do the impossible.

I cannot consider myself

the greatest of all times

if I can't come back

and get this title

from the likes of a man

like Spinks.

I've done this

the first time.

This time,

you will see the real Ali.

I predict it to this camera,

to anybody watching this fight,

and if I'm not

telling the truth,

you can play this thing over

and show it to the public,

make me look like a fool.

I will destroy Spinks.

There's the bell,

and we're underway.

Round one.

The champion Spinks

coming right out

against a moving,

advancing Muhammad Ali.

He's moving. He's dancing.

He's been doing it for six,

now going on seven minutes.

No question this is already

a different story

than the last time.

Ali's dictating the pace of the fight.

Ali is dictating where

he fights and when he fights.

A big left for the former champion.

Ali again

is in complete control.

Well, a good scene,

round seven,

and Ali

does his little shuffle,

and the crowd loves it!

"Ali! Ali!"

He is showing a young Leon Spinks

what it's like to be in

with the real Muhammad Ali.

Ten Ali, one even, four Spinks.

Eleven Ali, four Spinks.

Ten Ali, one even,

four Spinks.

The new champion,

Muhammad Ali!

Ali is the world

heavyweight champion

for the third time,

and here come...

The top story in sports

is a report that Muhammad Ali

finally, at age 37,

has officially retired

as champion of

the World Boxing Association.

I'm not gonna set up...

or stand up

and do like many people

I seen goin' out.

It's just so good to...

you know, I hate to...

I'm happy...

to be gettin' out.

I mean, it's been hell.

Russia is invadin' a Muslim country,

Asiatic country,

lookin' probably

to take oil wells in Persia,

lookin' to take

freshwater ports...

which could lead

to nuclear war.

My purpose in comin' here

was to try to stop that.

With Soviet invading forces

in Afghanistan,

we and the other nations

of the world

cannot conduct business as

usual with the Soviet Union.

That's why the United States

has imposed

stiff economic penalties

on the Soviet Union.

And I have notified

the Olympic Committee

that neither

the American people nor I

will support sending

an Olympic team to Moscow.

If the African people

helped by not going

to the Olympics,

I figure this would

have to show the Russians

and the world

what they're doin'.

There are two bad white men in the world:

the Russian white man

and the American white man.

They're the baddest two men

in the history of the world.

And if these two white men

start fightin',

all us little black folks are

gonna be caught in the middle.

So we all should try to help

stop these two white fellas

from fightin'.

- Right?

- Yeah! Right!

White House officials say

they expect

a number of other countries

to go along with

Mr. Carter's request.

That means a boycott.

Why did we go to the moon?

Because it's there.

Why are we trying to go to Mars?

Because it's there.

Columbus wouldn't have discovered

America if he didn't take a risk.

So he who is not courageous

enough to take a risk

will accomplish nothing

in life.

I'm a risk-taker.

I'm now shootin'

for immortality.

But you got immortality now,

nobody's ever gonna surpass that record...

Not four times.

Four-time world champion.

They might surpass three,

but if I get four,

I know they won't do five.

Plus, I know Larry Holmes.

I trained him,

- I taught him everything he knows.

- He was your sparring partner.

I taught him everything he knows,

but not everything I know.

- Oh...

- That's where the surprise is comin'.

- He really believes he can beat me.

- Yeah.

Howard Cosell is saying

the same things about you

that Larry Holmes

is saying about you.

Well, he is!

He said publically,

he said, "Ali is finished."

I didn't say it!

Don't look at me like that.

He said it, Muhammad.

And Larry Holmes said

you are 38 and over the hill.

- No way!

- No way, right?

- What do you say?

- I'm lost for words.

Have you got a nickname

for him yet?

Well, he's got

a peanut-shaped head.

I named him The Peanut.

The Peanut?!

And I says, "After the fight,

I'm gonna shell you,

pack you up, and send you

to Plains, Georgia."

Holmes unbeaten in 26 fights.

There's the left!

And down went Ocasio!

And Holmes lands

a crushing right uppercut

that sends Weaver sprawling

for the ring rope!

Introducing

the WBC heavyweight champion...

Ken Norton!

And in the red corner,

the challenger,

weighing in at 209 pounds,

hailing from

Easton, Pennsylvania,

the Easton Assassin,

Larry Holmes!

Fifteen rounds of boxing.

We're in round one,

it's just underway.

As you know,

the world title at stake.

No damage done.

Larry Holmes is actually a bit taller...

maybe by a half an inch,

maybe as much as an inch.

Remember those tassels

like that that Muhammad Ali wore

the first time he met Joe

Frazier after the layoff?

Larry Holmes has them on.

He's copied everything

from Ali.

I'll eat him up.

This guy.

Kenny Norton,

doing what he has to do to win!

143...

142, Holmes.

143, 142...

Norton.

143, 142...

for the new...

Larry Holmes has done it!

The new heavyweight champion

of the world!

Do you pray a lot,

to Allah, yourself?

About five times a day.

Five times a day.

Are they set prayers,

or ad-lib?

Do you

think them up as you go?

Usually when we're in cars

or on airplanes,

you have to just

say 'em to yourself,

but we have, probably,

over 100 different prayers...

prayers for success, prayers for travelin',

prayers for victory,

and for many things.

Do you pray for victory

in fights?

All the time.

If I was fightin'

a young Frazier in his prime,

or a young Sonny Liston,

or a young George Foreman,

I wouldn't do it.

But I can beat Larry Holmes.

He's the man I trained,

I know I can beat him.

I see his weak points.

He's tired after eight rounds.

And then I'm just gonna do it.

Oh, Holmes is in trouble.

He dance like me,

he tries to tell jokes like me,

he tries to do

the rope-a-dope like me,

and he tries to write poems

like me...

everything he do is me.

He meet the real me,

meet his idol,

he's gonna freeze.

I'm gonna do him in.

You guys spent time

sparring together,

you spent a lot of time

outside the ring together...

is it difficult to go in there

with a friend?

I don't wanna

fight Muhammad.

Muhammad is a legend.

Let him stay home in his rocking chair.

Stay home, old man.

You don't need me. Take it and run.

♪ Well, regeneration... ♪

The question I'm gettin' is,

"Why are you doing it?"

The reason is,

I'm out to conquer...

immortality.

♪ We gon' make it right,

if it takes all night ♪

He won't go eight rounds.

I predict it.

Ali will fall.

The old man is

in serious trouble.

Fighting out of Louisville, Kentucky,

introducing Muhammad Ali!

Fighting out of

Easton, Pennsylvania,

he is the WBC heavyweight

champion of the world,

Larry "The Easton Assassin"

Holmes!

Fifteen rounds of boxing.

I have a poem for you.

Gimme a poem.

Here it comes.

Ali comes out

to meet Holmes,

but Holmes

starts to retreat.

If Holmes goes back

an inch farther,

he'll wind up

in a ringside seat.

Holmes hasn't caught him yet,

but Ali hasn't thrown

any punches yet, either.

Ali swings to the left,

Ali swings to the right,

look at Ali carry the fight.

Holmes is not

intimidated by him.

No, I'd say

they both respect each other,

in spite of what they said.

Holmes keeps backin',

but there's not enough room,

it's a matter of time,

then Ali lowers the boom!

Ali's only thrown one punch in two rounds.

Now he leans to the right,

what a beautiful swing,

and the punch throws Holmes

clean out of the ring.

Whoa!

Kind of sad to this point

to think how great

Muhammad Ali was in his prime,

and to see a man

that's just kinda trying to,

it looks to me, hang on and keep

the thing going for one more time.

- Holmes is still rising...

- Wow.

...but the referee

wears a frown,

for he can't start countin'

until Holmes comes down.

Quick combination by Larry.

Ali clowning again...

We can't believe it,

Holmes disappears from view,

the crowd is getting frantic,

but our radar stations

have picked him up,

he's somewheres

over the Atlantic.

The whole attack for Holmes

is centered on

the head of Ali.

Who would have dreamed

when they came to the fight

that they'd witness

the launching

of a colored satellite?

You get the idea that Muhammad Ali

might explode

at any time, too, 'cause he...

I don't think

he's figured something to do.

Keep the pressure!

Keep it up!

Friendship is a priceless gift

that cannot be bought

nor sold...

but its value is far greater

than a mountain made of gold.

For gold is

cold and lifeless,

it can neither see nor hear,

in time of trouble,

it's powerless to cheer.

Gold has no ears to listen,

no heart to understand,

it cannot bring you comfort

or reach out a helping hand.

So when you ask God for a gift,

be thankful if He sends

not diamonds,

pearls, or riches,

but the love

of real true friends.

It's the end of round ten.

I think he's gonna stand and keep goin'.

What a courageous stand.

He handled it

with dignity.

I think Angelo wants him

to stop the fight.

The game's over!

Stop the fight!

And Angelo Dundee

wants to stop the fight.

That's it!

They've stopped

the fight, a TKO!

I did what I had to do,

and I still love the guy.

I don't care what nobody say,

he's one hell of an athlete.

Was the emotion

at the end of the fight

really the sadness

of beating your idol?

Yes, it is.

But, you know,

we all come, and we all go.

Ain't happy this man left,

but he believes

so strongly in hisself.

He thought he could beat me,

so he came back, gave me a try,

and you can't knock a man

for trying.

I'll always respect the man,

people all around the world

respect the man,

and he's going down in history

as one of the greatest

fighters of all time,

and especially in my time.

Larry, I'd like you to

explain why you've been crying.

You know, I really respect

a whole lot...

really respect Ali

a whole lot.

It hurt you to punish him that way,

didn't it?

I feel that he fought one of the baddest

heavyweights in the world today,

and you cannot

take credit from him.

How you feelin', Muhammad?

How do I feel?

I feel with my hands.

Why is there so many press

in here?

You glad to be back

in England, Muhammad?

Oh, yeah, I'm always glad

to be back in England.

I love England.

I'm glad the sun's shinin'.

I don't see no rain

and fog today.

Muhammad,

the $64 question:

are you gonna box again?

I shall return!

Who will your opponent be,

Muhammad?

My managers and trainers

are negotiating

for probably...

some top contender.

My mind is not 100% sure yet.

Uh...

I can do better than I did

the last time, with Holmes.

You haven't finished

with boxing, definitely,

- can you tell us that?

- That's right.

- You're still in there?

- You're not as dumb as you look.

Thank you.

Judge Alonzo Butler votes it 97-94.

Judge Clyde Gray votes 99-94.

Judge Jay Edson

votes 99-94.

Unanimous decision

for Trevor Berbick!

Well, there you have it.

Trevor Berbick

with the unanimous victory.

Muhammad,

has it settled in your mind now,

after losing,

this is it for you, you should

never come back in this ring again?

Well,

I'm sure that this is enough to convince me.

Today I got hurt, and I saw the shots,

but couldn't take 'em.

Father Time just got me.

It looked to us at ringside

that you were slow,

you were telegraphing

your punches,

the eyes could see it, but the physical

ability just couldn't get it there.

That's right.

I think

that's the trouble.

Father Time caught me.

In my young days,

I wouldn't have

had much trouble,

but I think time got me.

- And this is it for you?

- I'm sure it is. This is it.

I'm sure I'm going

to wake up next week,

say I'm coming back,

but as of now,

I'm retiring.

I don't think

I'll change my mind.

Muhammad,

thank you so very much,

and thank you from all

of us around the world.

Thank you.

Can I get your autograph

if I go get a piece of paper?

- Would you pay a dollar?

- What?

Would you pay a dollar?

I was joking.

Get a piece of paper.

OK, come on!

They're gonna say, "He's got brain damage.

He's fightin' horses."

Everything God created has a purpose.

Trees have a purpose.

The moon has a purpose.

Rain, snow, cats, dogs...

everything have a purpose.

And the wise man is he or she

who knows their life purpose.

In this situation,

every head must bow,

every tongue must confess...

this is the greatest

of all time.

That's real nice for him

to pay a good compliment,

- but the man is the greatest.

- You think he could hit harder than Earnie Shavers?

Do I think?

Are you colored?

Most surely God's highest form of life,

human beings

have a purpose,

and the wise man

is he or she

who knows their life purpose.

Saddam Hussein has allowed the guests

to return to America with us.

The first question that we should deal with

is a very sensitive area:

everybody talks about

Muhammad Ali's health,

Muhammad Ali...

and obviously the things

that you're going through now.

Would you like

to comment on that?

I have what they

call Parkinson's syndrome.

It causes a tremor

in your ha-hands,

and... it affects the speech.

So all that old talk,

"I'm the greatest,"

I have to slow down now.

It seems to bug other people

more than it does you.

When I sit and talk to you,

you seem to be fine

with the speech

and everything.

Sometimes.

It don't bother me, but...

I hope it gets better.

Yeah. Yeah.

We're all prayin' for you.

We're all prayin'

for you.

My purpose was to be a heavyweight champion

and live a clean life,

and... in spite of all the money

and all the fame,

and do all I can

to help other people.

I'm just gonna

show you a picture,

and you can react to it

any way you want to.

You can talk.

Now, I know

you can talk.

You've talked to me,

you talk to Lonnie,

you talk to Howard.

On this day,

he didn't want to talk.

In his kitchen,

away from the microphone,

Ali explained that he didn't want

people to feel sorry for him,

didn't want to be pitied,

didn't want people to say,

"Poor Ali. He fought too long."

He still has no regrets

about what boxing did to him,

because of what boxing

has done for him.

Ali. Ali! Ali!

- Don't wake him.

- Touch him. Touch him.

- No. Well...

- Ahem.

- Hello.

- Sometimes he does that.

That happened after the

Frazier fight in Manila.

What happened?

I don't know,

I wasn't there,

but ever since the

Frazier fight in Manila,

Muhammad will...

it's sort of like narcolepsy,

he'll just start sleeping,

but he'll have these flashbacks,

and he'll have...

it's like nightmares,

and his face will twist up

like he's boxing.

And he'll throw punches

at people.

And he does it

at night sometimes.

Whenever he starts

snoring heavily,

I have to get out of the bed,

because I know it's gonna start.

- Really? So, when he starts...

- Go to the next room.

- So he's not... putting on when he's doing it?

- No.

This actually happens.

And the doctor told us

not to really try to wake him

if that does happen,

'cause he might end up with a heart attack,

because it might frighten him.

So I don't.

I just get up and move.

That's... that's the hard part.

You have to sort of...

- Yeeeaaa...!

- You got me.

OK, we have the next question

right up here in the balcony.

Right, sir.

Muhammad, I'd like to know

what you're gonna do

when you retire from boxing.

I think, uh...

I think he's probably

taking the last count,

but I'll do my best

to wake him up.

Just sleep.

That's all I'm gonna do.

That's all he wants to do

when he retires.

When I retire from boxin',

I really don't know...

I wanna say something

right here,

this might make you all think.

What I'm gonna do

when I get out of boxing

is to get myself ready

to meet God,

because God is watching me.

He wants to know how do we treat each other,

how do we help each other.

So this is a test

to see where will we spend

our life, in heaven or hell,

and that's eternity.

This is not the life now.

Your real self is inside you.

Your body gets old,

but your soul and your spirit never die.

So when I die, if there's a heaven,

I want to see it.

So God is testing us on how we

treat each other, how we live,

to see where

our real home be in heaven.

We came in chains,

we came in misery,

now all our suffering

and pain's a part of history.

We came in chains,

you must remember that,

for that and that alone

explains

exactly where we're at.

We came in chains,

we came as livin' loot;

so you could boast

slave-gotten gains,

we've groaned

beneath your boot.

We came in chains,

and how our blood was spilled,

together with our sweat

it stains this nation

we helped build.

We came in chains,

we didn't volunteer,

and yet today the fact remains

we're still held captive here.

We came in chains,

now I say cut us loose,

though that may go against your grain,

still there's no excuse.

We came in chains,

now who down there's gonna bear the cost

till every one of us regains

the freedom we have lost?

We came in chains,

and now your choice must be

to either

blow out all my brains

or else just set me free.

Ali! Ali! Ali!

♪ Ali! Ali! Ali! ♪

♪ Ali... ♪

♪ One, two, three,

make it funky ♪

♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ Ha! ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ I got to ♪

- ♪ Make it funky... ♪

I'm writing the greatest

short poem of all time.

This poem tell how it feel

to be as great as me.

This is it,

the greatest short poem

of all time:

"Me? Wheeeeee!"

♪ Got to do it ♪

♪ Make it funky,

oh yeah ♪

♪ Make it funky ♪

♪ Make it funky,

make it funky ♪

- ♪ Oh, yes, I got to ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ Oh yes, I need to ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ I want to say now ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

♪ Oh yes, I got to do it now ♪ -

♪ Make it funky ♪

♪ Oh yes, I got to do it now ♪

♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ Ha! ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ Good God ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ Get it now ♪

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

- ♪ Ha ha! Ha!

- ♪ Make it funky ♪

♪ Good God ♪

♪ Make it funky ♪

♪ Take me home ♪

- ♪ To the bridge ♪

- ♪ Funky ♪

- ♪ To the bridge ♪

- ♪ Funky ♪

♪ Make it funky ♪

♪ It's so funky ♪

♪ I can't help it, boy ♪

What's My Name: Muhammad Ali (2019) - full transcript