Muhammad Ali (2021): Season 1, Episode 4 - Round Four: The Spell Remains (1974-2016) - full transcript

♪

HE RULES THE NIGHT
SPACE EVEN NOW,

BESTRIDES THE TREACHEROUS
DOMAIN WITH THIGHS OF BRONZE.

A DANCING MURAL OF DELIGHTS.

OH, ALI, ALI...

WHAT MUSIC HURTS THE
MASSIVE HEAD TONIGHT, ALI?

THE DRUMS, THE TIN
CANS, THE GUITARS

AND MBIRA OF ZAIRE?

ALI, ALI, BOMAYE.

THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE?

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST?



ROLL CALL OF BUM-A-MONTH.

THE ROPE-A-DOPE?

THE THRILLA IN MANILLA?

ALI, ALI.

"THE CLOSEST THING
TO DEATH," YOU SAID.

WAS THAT THE GREATEST,
SADDEST PROPHECY OF ALL?

♪

BY THE SUMMER OF 1974,
THE UNITED STATES WAS BESET

BY A CRIPPLING OIL EMBARGO,

SKYROCKETING INFLATION THAT HAD
STAGGERED THE AMERICAN ECONOMY,

AND A CORRUPT AND
SCANDAL-PLAGUED PRESIDENT.

THERE'S THE PRESIDENT
WAVING GOOD-BYE.

YOU CAN HEAR THE APPLAUSE.

AS COURT-ORDERED
DESEGREGATION OF SCHOOLS



SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY

AND WHITE PEOPLE CONTINUED
LEAVING CITIES FOR THE SUBURBS,

SOME BLACK ACTIVISTS

WHO HAD MARCHED AND PROTESTED...

OR EVEN TAKEN UP ARMS...

TURNED TO POLITICS

IN HOPES OF ACHIEVING CHANGE.

ELECTORAL POLITICS BECAME
MUCH MORE IMPORTANT.

A LOT OF BLACK MAYORS
WERE BEGINNING TO BE ELECTED.

MORE TRADITIONAL ROUTES OF
EMPOWERMENT WERE EMPLOYED.

AND I THINK THE
COUNTRY CONCLUDED

THAT VIETNAM WAS A MISTAKE

AND THAT MAYBE ALI WAS
PRESCIENT IN HIS REFUSAL TO GO.

MUHAMMAD ALI'S LOSS
TO JOE FRAZIER IN 1971

AND THEN HIS COMEBACK VICTORY IN
THEIR REMATCH THREE YEARS LATER

HAD SOFTENED PERCEPTIONS OF HIM,

EVEN AMONG THOSE WHO
HAD ONCE DESPISED ALI.

HE CONTINUED TO
VENERATE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD,

THE 77-YEAR-OLD LEADER
OF THE NATION OF ISLAM.

THOUGH THE SECT HAD RECEDED
FROM PUBLIC VIEW, IT HAD,

IN FACT, EXPANDED, WITH OVER 70
MOSQUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY,

MORE THAN 200,000 MEMBERS,

AND A BUSINESS EMPIRE

WITH ASSETS IN THE TENS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IF YOU THINK THE WORLD WAS
SURPRISED WHEN NIXON RESIGNED,

WAIT TILL I WHIP
FOREMAN'S BEHIND.

HE'S SLOW. HE HAS NO SKILL,

NO FOOTWORK. HE'S AWKWARD.

AND I HAVE GIVEN HIM A NAME.

I NAMED FLOYD
PATTERSON "THE RABBIT."

I NAMED SONNY LISTON "THE BEAR."

AND HE SHALL BE KNOWN
OFFICIALLY AS "THE MUMMY."

THE MUMMY.

WHY "THE MUMMY?"

WHY? BECAUSE HE FIGHTS...
WHEN HE'S FIGHTING,

IF YOU EVER WATCH
HIM IN THE RING, HE...

HE DRAGS LIKE THAT
AFTER HIS OPPONENT.

CONSIDERED A LONGSHOT
IN HIS UPCOMING TITLE MATCH

IN ZAIRE, IN AFRICA,
ALI PROMOTED HIMSELF

AS A CHAMPION OF BLACK
NATIONALISM AND ISLAM,

AND THIS TIME DERIDED HIS
OPPONENT, GEORGE FOREMAN,

THE CURRENT UNDEFEATED

HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,

AS "THE CHRISTIAN" AND
THE WHITE MAN'S HOPE.

ALI MAKES THE STAKES
VERY HIGH IN THIS FIGHT.

THIS IS THE FIGHT
ABOUT THE BLACK WORLD.

THIS IS A FIGHT ABOUT
THE WHOLE BLACK WORLD

COMING TOGETHER, WHO'S
GOING TO BE THE CHAMPION

OF THE BLACK WORLD.

AND HE SAYS,
"FOREMAN IS NOT THIS.

"FOREMAN IS THE
WHITE MAN'S CHAMPION,

AND I'M THE CHAMPION
OF THE THIRD WORLD."

FOR ME, GEORGE
FOREMAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN

WHAT I WOULD CALL A
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY FIGHTER.

AT THE SAME 1968 OLYMPICS
WHERE CARLOS AND SMITH

RAISED THE CLENCHED BLACK
FIST, IT IS GEORGE FOREMAN

WHO PULLS THE AMERICAN
FLAG OUT OF HIS TRUNKS

AND STARTS WAVING IT AROUND
AFTER HE WINS A GOLD MEDAL.

SO IN SOME WAYS, IT'S NECESSARY

FOR MUHAMMAD ALI TO FIGHT
GEORGE FOREMAN IN ZAIRE IN 1974,

BECAUSE ALI IS THE ULTIMATE
REVOLUTIONARY ATHLETE

FIGHTING THE
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY ATHLETE.

I'M REPRESENTING GOD.

I'M REPRESENTING THE FREEDOM
OF BLACK PEOPLE IN AMERICA.

I WANT TO WIN SO I CAN COME
HOME AND SPEAK FOR THE BROTHER

WHO'S LIVING IN
RAT-INFESTED HOUSES,

SLEEPING ON CONCRETE
IN THE GHETTO,

CAN'T GO ON TELEVISION TO SPEAK.

SO THIS FOR ME IS A HOLY WAR.

THIS AIN'T JUST NO FIGHT
WITH GEORGE FOREMAN.

I'M FIGHTING FOR THE
FREEDOM AND EQUALITY

OF THE BLACK MAN OF AMERICA.

♪

ON JULY 17, 1974,
MUHAMMAD ALI INVITED

A BUSLOAD OF REPORTERS AND
THEIR FAMILIES TO A PICNIC LUNCH

AT HIS TRAINING CAMP

IN THE POCONO MOUNTAINS
OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

IT HAD BEEN EIGHT WEEKS
SINCE HE'D BEGUN TRAINING

FOR GEORGE FOREMAN,

AND THOUGH ALI HAD
ALREADY TRIMMED TEN POUNDS

FROM HIS 6'3" FRAME, HE
HOPED TO LOSE ANOTHER TEN

IN THE TWO MONTHS
BEFORE THEIR TITLE FIGHT

IN KINSHASA, ZAIRE,
IN SEPTEMBER.

I DON'T HAVE NO
MANAGERS, NO BOSSES.

I RUN WHEN I WANT TO RUN,
TRAIN AS LONG AS I WANT TO TRAIN...

ALI, NOW 32 YEARS OLD,

TOLD JOKES AND STORIES
JUST AS HE ALWAYS HAD.

HE RECITED POETRY,

ORDERED HIS SPARRING
PARTNERS TO PUMMEL HIM...

KEEP BLASTING.

AND PROMISED REPORTERS

THAT FOREMAN "CAN'T
HURT WHAT HE CAN'T HIT."

"BET THE HOUSE ON
ME," HE TOLD THEM.

FOR THIS FIGHT, I'VE
WRASSLED WITH ALLIGATORS.

I'VE TUSSLED WITH A WHALE.

I DONE HANDCUFFED LIGHTNING
AND PUT THUNDER IN JAIL.

YOU KNOW I'M BAD.

I HAVE 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 DEBT.

I CAN DROWN A DRINK OF
WATER AND KILL A DEAD TREE.

WAIT TILL YOU SEE MUHAMMAD ALI.

♪

MOBUTU SESE SEKO IS
THE DICTATOR IN ZAIRE,

WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY
BEEN KNOWN AS THE CONGO,

THE BELGIAN CONGO
WHEN IT WAS COLONIZED.

MOBUTU WILL STAGE THIS
LEGENDARY BOXING MATCH

IN A LOCATION THAT'S, OF
COURSE, QUITE SYMBOLIC

BECAUSE OF THE RISING
CONSCIOUSNESS AROUND AFRICA,

PARTICULARLY FOR
MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS.

MOBUTU SESE SEKO,
THE PRESIDENT OF ZAIRE,

HAD COME TO POWER

IN A BELGIAN- AND
AMERICAN-BACKED MILITARY COUP

THAT OVERTHREW

THE DEMOCRATICALLY
ELECTED GOVERNMENT.

HE ROUTINELY TORTURED
AND KILLED HIS OPPONENTS,

AND AMASSED AN ENORMOUS
PERSONAL FORTUNE,

SIPHONING THE PROFITS

FROM THE COUNTRY'S
BOOMING MINING INDUSTRY

INTO OFFSHORE BANK ACCOUNTS,

WHILE MANY ZAIRIANS SCRAPED BY

WITHOUT ELECTRICITY
OR RUNNING WATER.

MUHAMMAD ALI AND GEORGE
FOREMAN ACCEPTED MOBUTU'S MILLIONS.

HE HAD ALL THE MONEY,

ONE OF THE RICHEST DICTATORS
AT THE TIME IN THE WORLD,

AND SO NOW HE HAD OPPORTUNITY

TO BRING HIS PEOPLE
IN HIS COUNTRY

TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE WORLD.

THAT'S WHAT DICTATORS DO.

THEY STAGE EXTRAVAGANZAS

TO DISTRACT PEOPLE
AWAY FROM THEIR MISERY

AND ALSO TO FOCUS THE
WRONG KIND OF ATTENTION...

THEY THINK IS THE RIGHT
ONE... ON THEMSELVES.

HE'S A DESPICABLE, EXTRAVAGANT
CHARACTER WHO OWNS

NOT JUST HOUSES BUT
STREETS OF HOUSES

IN THE HOME COUNTRY OF
HIS BOSSES, THE BELGIANS.

HE USED TO IMPORT CARTONS
AND CARTONS OF CHAMPAGNE,

SPECIALLY BOTTLED FOR HIM.

HE DRANK NOTHING ELSE BUT THAT
PARTICULAR BRAND FOR BREAKFAST.

THAT'S THE KIND OF
INDIVIDUAL HE WAS.

♪

ON SEPTEMBER 10th,

ALI ALONG WITH HIS WIFE
BELINDA, HIS BROTHER RAHMAN,

HIS MOTHER AND FATHER,

AS WELL AS AN ENTOURAGE OF 2
DOZEN FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES,

ARRIVED IN KINSHASA ABOARD
MOBUTU'S PRIVATE PLANE.

"FOREMAN IS A STRANGER
COMING TO MY HOME TO FIGHT ME,"

HE TOLD A CROWD
OF 5,000 ZAIRIANS

WHO WERE THERE TO GREET HIM.

"HE IS A BELGIAN."

PRESIDENT MOBUTU HAD BUILT
A NEW RUNWAY FOR JUMBO JETS

AND A FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY TO
CONNECT THE AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN.

TO RETROFIT THE CITY'S
DECREPIT 62,000-SEAT STADIUM,

ONE HUNDRED TONS OF
REFRIGERATORS, STEAM TABLES,

SHOWERHEADS, AND
BOXING EQUIPMENT

HAD ARRIVED FROM BELGIUM.

ALI AND HIS ENTOURAGE
WERE HOUSED

AT ONE OF MOBUTU'S
PRESIDENTIAL COMPOUNDS

25 MILES OUTSIDE
OF THE CITY, IN N'SELE.

WE WAS STAYING AT
MOBUTU'S QUARTERS

OUT ON THE CONGO RIVER.

I MEAN, THAT WAS THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL SIGHT I EVER SEEN,

BECAUSE THE RIVER,
YOU COULD SEE THE LILIES

GOING DOWN THE RIVER,

AND IN THE EVENING
THE SUN WOULD SET,

AND YOU WOULD SEE ALL
OF THAT BEAUTIFUL COLOR

IN THAT WATER,

AND I SHOT SOME PICTURES
OF THAT SO I COULD KEEP IT.

♪

GEORGE FOREMAN SEEMED
ILL AT EASE IN AFRICA.

HE HAD ARRIVED TO FAR
LESS FANFARE THAN ALI

AND MOVED INTO THE
VILLA OF A ZAIRIAN OFFICIAL

A FEW MILES DOWN THE
ROAD FROM HIS OPPONENT

AND KEPT MOSTLY TO HIMSELF.

ON SEPTEMBER 16th, FOREMAN'S
SPARRING PARTNER CAUGHT HIM

WITH AN ELBOW, OPENING
A CUT ABOVE HIS RIGHT EYE.

THOUGH IT REQUIRED NO STITCHES,
FOREMAN'S DOCTOR CONCLUDED

THAT THE WOUND WOULD
TAKE WEEKS TO HEAL

AND CALLED FOR THE
FIGHT TO BE POSTPONED.

LOCAL OFFICIALS, WHO HAD
SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

ON PREPARATIONS AND
WORRIED THAT ANY DELAY

COULD MEAN RISKING THE
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS

AND FATAL FLOODS OF THE
UPCOMING RAINY SEASON,

CLAIMED THAT FOREMAN'S CAMP

WAS OVERSTATING THE
SEVERITY OF THE CUT.

I WANT THE PRESIDENT

TO PUT STRICT ORDERS
ON THE AIRPORT.

DON'T LET GEORGE
OUT OF THIS COUNTRY.

PLEASE DON'T LET HIM GO.

I'M READY. I'M DANCING.

GEORGE FOREMAN
WANTED TO GO HOME.

AND I KNOW ALREADY...
AND I ALREADY SAID

IN THE BACK OF HIS MIND
HE GOT ACCIDENTALLY CUT,

BUT HE DON'T WANT
TO STAY IN AFRICA.

I KNOW ONCE HE
GOT BACK IN AMERICA,

HE WASN'T COMING BACK.

IF HE GOT BACK TO
AMERICA, IT WAS OVER WITH.

THAT FIGHT WAS DONE FOR.

WHEN FOREMAN ASKED TO
GO TO FRANCE OR BELGIUM

FOR A SECOND OPINION ON
HIS CUT, MOBUTU SAID NO.

HE HAD REPORTEDLY
CONFISCATED FOREMAN'S PASSPORT.

EVENTUALLY THE FIGHT WAS
RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 30th

AT 4 A.M. ZAIRE TIME.

I'M GOING TO FLOAT
LIKE A BUTTERFLY

AND STING LIKE A BEE.

GEORGE CAN'T HIT
WHAT HIS EYES CAN'T SEE.

NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON'T.

YOU THINK YOU WILL,
BUT I KNOW YOU WON'T.

GEORGE FOREMAN.

BOMAYE. BOMAYE...

SEE, FOREMAN DIDN'T GO OUT.
FOREMAN STAYED IN HIS CAMP.

AND I WOULD WATCH ALI
WALK THROUGH THE STREETS.

PEOPLE TOUCHED
HIM. ALI WAS LOOSE.

AND HE KNEW THEY LOVED HIM.

ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN KINSHASA

MADE A CHOICE FOR
HIM OVER FOREMAN.

AND SO WHEN THAT FIGHT HIT,

EVERYBODY... I DON'T KNOW
ANYBODY WANTED FOREMAN TO WIN.

WHEN ALI RAN IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

AROUND MOBUTU'S COMPOUND,
CROWDS TURNED OUT TO CHEER HIM,

CHANTING "ALI,
BOMAYE," "ALI, KILL HIM."

ALI, BOMAYE! ALI,
BOMAYE! ALI, BOMAYE...

♪

ONE DAY IN N'SELE, ALI
RAN INTO VERONICA PORCHE,

AN 18-YEAR-OLD PRE-MED STUDENT
FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

WHO HAD BEEN HIRED BY DON
KING TO HELP PROMOTE THE FIGHT.

THEY HAD MET WEEKS EARLIER

AT AN EXHIBITION
MATCH IN SALT LAKE CITY.

AT FIRST, HE PAID
LITTLE ATTENTION TO HER,

BUT AS SHE BOARDED
THE BUS BACK TO KINSHASA,

HE OFFERED TO JOIN HER.

THE TWO SPENT THE TRIP

DISCUSSING THEIR
CHILDHOODS AND FAMILIES.

IT MADE A GOOD IMPRESSION

BECAUSE I SAID, "OH, HE'S
A NICE GUY. HE'S HUMBLE."

HE'S NOT, YOU KNOW...
THAT PUBLIC PERSONA

WAS NOT THERE.

AND NOT THAT I DISLIKED
THE PUBLIC PERSONA,

IT WAS MORE WHEN
HE WAS BRAGGING.

ALI HOPED TO SEE HER AGAIN.

BELINDA HAD RETURNED
TO THE UNITED STATES

WHEN THE FIGHT WAS POSTPONED.

THE FIRST CONVERSATION
THAT WE HAD

WHERE HE EXPRESSED
INTEREST IN SEEING ME AGAIN,

I SAID, "WELL, YOU'RE MARRIED."

AND HE TOLD ME HE
WAS GETTING DIVORCED.

I ASKED ONE PERSON, WHO TOLD ME,

"YEAH, THEY'RE HAVING
A LOT OF PROBLEMS."

AND ANOTHER PERSON SAID,
"WELL, THEY'RE BOTH MY FRIENDS,

SO I DON'T WANT
TO SAY ANYTHING."

I DID TRY TO FIND OUT IF...

I DIDN'T JUST TAKE
HIS WORD FOR IT.

BUT I BECAME CONVINCED
THAT HE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH,

SO THAT'S WHY I
DID SEE HIM AGAIN.

IN FACT, ALI WAS SEEING

AT LEAST TWO OTHER
WOMEN IN AFRICA.

WHEN BELINDA RETURNED TO ZAIRE,

SHE STAYED IN A
HOTEL IN KINSHASA.

SHE AND ALI QUARRELED;

HE ACCUSED HER OF HAVING
SLEPT WITH ANOTHER MAN.

VERONICA REMAINED OUT OF SIGHT,

QUIETLY VISITING
ALI AT HIS COMPOUND.

SO WE WOULD WALK ALONG
THE WATER IN THE EVENINGS.

IT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL,

AND TALKED, AND HE GAVE
ME A LOT OF HIS LECTURES

THAT I LATER FOUND OUT
THAT HE HAD TAKEN IDEAS

FROM SUFI BOOKS
AND HAD WRITTEN THEM.

BUT AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT
HE HAD WRITTEN IT ALL HIMSELF,

AND TOPICS LIKE
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.

AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL.

I ACTUALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH
HIM LISTENING TO THOSE LECTURES.

♪

AS THE FIGHT APPROACHED,

MORE THAN 600 JOURNALISTS
ARRIVED IN ZAIRE,

INCLUDING GEORGE PLIMPTON,
HUNTER S. THOMPSON,

AND NORMAN MAILER.

TIME!

I FIGHT IN MANY
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES,

AND IT'S A GREATER FEELING
FIGHTING IN A BLACK COUNTRY.

I FIGHT IN AFRICA BECAUSE
I'M FIGHTING IN MY HOMELAND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AMERICA'S NOT MY
ORIGINAL HOMELAND.

MY ORIGINAL HOMELAND IS AFRICA.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION, GEORGE FOREMAN.

GEORGE FOREMAN,

WHO HAD FINALLY
RESUMED FULL WORKOUTS,

MADE LITTLE TIME FOR REPORTERS

AND GAVE THEM ALMOST
NOTHING TO WRITE ABOUT.

THOUGH HIS TRAINING
SESSIONS WERE WELL-ATTENDED,

HE BARELY
ACKNOWLEDGED THE CROWD,

PREFERRING TO PUT IN HIS WORK

AND RETURN TO THE
HOTEL IN KINSHASA,

WHERE HE WAS NOW STAYING.

I'LL BRUISE UP GEORGE FOREMAN.

IF I DON'T KNOCK HIM
OUT, I'LL CUT HIM UP!

ALL AROUND HIS FACE
WILL BE NICKS AND CUTS.

I'M SO SHARP, WHEN I'M FINISHED,

IT'LL LOOK LIKE I
HAD A RAZOR BLADE.

MOST PEOPLE THOUGHT,
TO BE TRUTHFUL,

THAT FOREMAN
WOULD WIN THAT FIGHT,

EVEN IF THEY LOVED ALI.

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND,
I MEAN, FOREMAN WAS

THIS OVERWHELMING,
BIG KNOCK-OUT ARTIST

WHO JUST WHUPPED EVERYBODY,

YOU KNOW, AND EVERYBODY
COULDN'T GET PAST THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY
JUST THOUGHT THAT HE WAS

GONNA DESTROY ALI.

THE DAY BEFORE THE FIGHT...

WHAT ALI HAD DUBBED
"THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE,"

HIS TRAINER, ANGELO DUNDEE,
HEADED TO THE STADIUM

TO INSPECT THE RING,

WHICH HAD BEEN BUILT
BENEATH A TEMPORARY TIN ROOF

IN CASE THE HEAVY
RAINS FINALLY ARRIVED.

HE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE SAW.

THE CANVAS FLOOR
WAS SOFT AND SLANTED,

AND THE ROPES
SAGGED FROM THE HEAT.

THE TRAINER TIGHTENED THE
ROPES AND LEVELED THE FLOOR

AS BEST HE COULD.

AT 2 A.M. ON OCTOBER 30th,

ALI BOARDED A BUS
TO THE STADIUM.

THE MOOD IN HIS
DRESSING ROOM WAS GRIM.

EVERYBODY BUT THE
FIGHTER WAS FEARFUL

HE WOULD BE HURT OR WORSE.

ALI WASN'T SCARED.

ALI HAD NO FEAR.

MY BIGGEST FEAR IS, SHOULD HE
GET HURT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO

FOR A HOSPITAL OVER HERE?

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS
THE BIG FEAR FOR ME.

BUT ALI HAD NO FEAR

BECAUSE THE HONORABLE
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD TOLD HIM,

"ALLAH IS IN YOUR CORNER.
HE DOESN'T HAVE ALLAH."

AND THAT WAS ALI'S
BOOSTER ROCKET.

FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE FIGHT,

THE BOXER SQUEEZED INTO A
TOILET STALL WITH HIS MANAGER,

HERBERT MUHAMMAD, AND
READ ALOUD FROM THE QUR'AN.

IN GEORGE FOREMAN'S
DRESSING ROOM,

THE CHAMP JOINED HANDS
WITH HIS CORNERMEN,

INCLUDING ALI'S ONE-TIME
TRAINER ARCHIE MOORE.

"I PRAYED THAT GEORGE WOULDN'T
KILL ALI," MOORE SAID LATER.

THERE YOU SEE HIM,
PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE SEKO,

THE MAN THAT ABSOLUTELY
RUNS THIS COUNTRY.

AND WHAT A JOB HE HAS DONE.

NEVER BEFORE IN THE
HISTORY OF BOXING

AND PERHAPS IN ALL
SPORTS HAS THERE BEEN

AN EVENT THAT PACKS THE DRAMA,

THE TRUE EXCITEMENT,
THE SUSPENSE,

AND ESPECIALLY THE
MYSTIQUE OF THIS SPECTACLE.

THEY SAID IT COULDN'T HAPPEN
IN THE DEEPEST PART OF AFRICA,

BUT HERE WE ARE.

GEORGE FOREMAN
HAS THAT SERIOUS LOOK.

ALI DEFINITELY TALKING TO HIM.

LOOK AT THE STARE
ON GEORGE FOREMAN.

LOOK AT ALI GIVE HIM THE WORD.

SO THE STAGE IS SET, ROUND ONE.

THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

OF THE WORLD AT STAKE.

HERE WE GO. ALI
QUICKLY ACROSS...

MUHAMMAD ALI STRUCK FIRST,

SURPRISING ALMOST EVERYONE.

THE LIGHT RIGHT HAND

TAKEN ON THE FOREHEAD BY
GEORGE FOREMAN, THE CHAMPION.

THOUGH HE MADE FOREMAN
CHASE HIM INTO THE CORNERS

AND ALONG THE ROPES DURING
ROUND ONE, HE DID NOT DANCE.

♪

FOREMAN LAUNCHED
PUNCH AFTER PUNCH,

ASSUMING HE'D NEED TO LAND
JUST ONE TO END THE FIGHT.

THE REFEREE SEPARATES THEM.

ABOUT 8 SECONDS LEFT
IN THE ROUND, ROUND ONE.

FOREMAN AND ALI
ENDING ROUND ONE.

IN ALI'S CORNER
BEFORE ROUND TWO,

HIS TEAM BEGGED HIM
TO STAY OFF THE ROPES

AND AWAY FROM FOREMAN.

HERE WE GO, ROUND NUMBER TWO...

ALI SHOCKED EVERYBODY
'CAUSE HE WOULDN'T TELL NOBODY

WHAT HE WAS DOING,

AND ANGELO DUNDEE AND ALL OF
THEM WAS PULLING THEIR HAIR OUT.

FOREMAN TRIES TO WORK THE BODY.

NEITHER ONE OF THOSE
PUNCHES DID ANY DAMAGE.

NONE OF THOSE PUNCHES
ARE DOING ANY DAMAGE AT ALL.

NONE, ABSOLUTELY NONE.

THERE'S THE LIGHT
FLICKING LEFT HAND

TO THE FACE OF GEORGE FOREMAN.

FOREMAN PUSHING
THE HEAD BACK OF ALI.

WE WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE
A LITTLE BIT OF PUFFINESS

UNDER THE LEFT EYE
OF GEORGE FOREMAN.

THE LEFT EYE, NOT THE RIGHT EYE.

OH, WHAT A COMBINATION
LANDED BY ALI

TO THE FACE OF GEORGE FOREMAN.

ROUND THREE JUST UNDERWAY...

IN ROUND THREE, ALI
WENT BACK TO THE ROPES

AND ALLOWED FOREMAN
TO SWING AWAY AT HIS BODY

WHILE HE FIRED COMBINATIONS
AT THE CHAMP'S HEAD.

LEFT HAND, LIGHT LEFT
TAKEN ON THE CHIN OF ALI.

THAT WILD LEFT
HAND IS NOT SCORING.

FOREMAN SETTING HIM
UP AGAINST THE ROPES.

WHAT A VICIOUS, FAST
COMBINATION BY ALI.

ALI DEFINITELY SHOWING
SOME HAND SPEED IN THIS FIGHT.

THERE'S THE CHANT "ALI,
BOMAYE." THAT MEANS "ALI, KILL HIM."

THE ROPE-A-DOPE IS A... TRAP
THAT MUHAMMAD EMPLOYED

TO ENSNARL GEORGE FOREMAN.

MUHAMMAD LAYS AGAINST THE
ROPES, INVITES GEORGE FOREMAN

TO "POUND AWAY, BRUH.
NOT GONNA HIT MY HEAD,

AND IF YOU DO,
LIKE, I CAN TAKE IT."

AND IF YOU'RE MOVING AROUND
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING,

GUESS WHAT.

YOU'RE USING UP YOUR
ENERGY FOR YOUR LEGS.

SO IT'S SMARTER TO
LAY AGAINST THE ROPES.

LOOK AT HIM WHISPERING
IN THE EAR OF FOREMAN.

WHY HE CONTINUES TO TAUNT HIM.

ALI SUPER CONFIDENT.

ANGELO IS SCREAMING,
"GET OFF THE ROPES!

STAY OFF THE ROPES.
STAY OFF THE ROPES!"

AND AFTER ONE OF THE ROUNDS,
HE CAME AND HE SAT DOWN,

AND HE SAID, "SHUT THE F UP."

HE KNEW EXACTLY
WHAT HE WAS DOING.

THE LEFT HAND SCORES AGAIN.

FOREMAN LOOKING
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

LOOKS, HAS A TREMENDOUS
LOOK OF DETERMINATION.

STAGGERED! FOREMAN STAGGERED...

ALI LANDED SIX STRAIGHT
SHOTS TO FOREMAN'S HEAD

EARLY IN THE FOURTH ROUND,
THEN SETTLED INTO THE ROPES

AND COUNTERPUNCHED AS THE
CHAMP TRIED TO PUMMEL HIS BODY.

ALI PICKS IT UP A LITTLE BIT.

ABOUT 40 SECONDS LEFT
IN ROUND NUMBER FIVE.

GOOD CRISP LEFT, A
COMBINATION BY ALI

LANDS ON THE HEAD OF FOREMAN.

FOREMAN WITH THAT
RIGHT HOOK. ALI'S STARTING...

WITH 30 SECONDS
REMAINING IN ROUND FIVE,

ALI STAGGERED FOREMAN
WITH A SHARP RIGHT HAND,

FOLLOWED BY A FLURRY OF
SHORT PUNCHES TO HIS HEAD.

AND THE SHOTS THAT
LAND... ALI LANDS ON HIM,

BEAUTIFUL SHOTS, MAN.

THEY'RE NOT TEXTBOOK SHOTS.

THEY'RE SHOTS THAT ONLY
MUHAMMAD ALI CAN THROW,

ANGLE-WISE.

BY THE SIXTH ROUND,
FOREMAN HAD SLOWED,

HIS FACE PUFFY AND BRUISED.

ALI IS USING HIS MIND
AS WELL AS HIS FIST.

HOW DO YOU BEAT THIS GUY?

FOREMAN, THERE'S NO
ESCAPING ANY OF THOSE PUNCHES,

AND YOU DON'T NEED
ME TO TELL YOU THAT.

WELL, YOU LET HIM
PUNCH HIMSELF OUT.

FOREMAN DEFINITELY
SHOWING SOME FATIGUE

IN THE WANING SECONDS
IN ROUND SEVEN.

AND ONCE HE GETS TIRED,
ALI FLIPS THE SWITCH.

HERE WE GO. THE BELL
SOUNDS, ROUND NUMBER EIGHT.

FOREMAN LOOKING TO
DELIVER THE REAL HEAVY BLOWS.

NOW HE'S POUNCING THERE.

ALMOST FALLS OUT OF THE RING!

THIRTY SECONDS
LEFT IN ROUND EIGHT.

ALI, A SNEAKY RIGHT HAND.

ANOTHER SNEAKY RIGHT HAND.

THIS TIME, HE'S WORKING OVER
THE SHOULDER OF FOREMAN.

IT'S A COMBINATION!

3, 4, 5...

♪ IT'S A NEW DAWN,
IT'S A NEW DAY ♪

♪ IT'S A NEW LIFE
FOR ME, YEAH... ♪

MUHAMMAD ALI HAS DONE IT!

THE GREAT MAN HAS DONE IT!

THIS IS THE MOST
JOYOUS SCENE EVER SEEN

IN THE HISTORY OF BOXING!

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SCENE.
THE PLACE IS GOING WILD...

MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AFTER
HE WAS EXILED FROM BOXING

AND STRIPPED OF HIS
CROWN, MUHAMMAD ALI WAS

ONCE AGAIN THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

IT'S AN AMAZING THING TO WATCH.

AND THIS GUY WHO
TOLD US BACK IN 1964

THAT HE SHOOK UP THE WORLD,

THIS IS 10 YEARS LATER,
HE'S GONE THROUGH EXILE,

HE'S, YOU KNOW, HAD
HIS TITLE... EVERYTHING.

HE'S COME BACK.

THE COMEBACK'S BEEN GOOD,
BUT IT'S NOT BEEN GREAT.

NOW HE'S FIGHTING
SOMEBODY HE'S NOT SUPPOSED

TO BE ABLE TO BEAT, AND HE
BEATS HIM IN THIS DRAMATIC FASHION

IN THIS SYMBOLIC LOCATION.

IT'S THE FULL CIRCLE OF
HIS CAREER AS A BOXER.

NOW HE'S BACK ON TOP.

CONGRATULATIONS.

AM I THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME?

MUHAMMAD, YOU TOLD
ME IN DEER LAKE YOU WERE

THE GREATEST OF
ALL TIME, AND I THINK...

ALI IS THE ONE WHO
GETS TO BE MADE WHOLE.

HE HAS TO BE MADE WHOLE.

THE REASON WHY WE LOVE
HIM IS BECAUSE HE'S THE ONE

WHO ACTUALLY GOT IT ALL BACK.

IF HE DOESN'T WIN THAT FIGHT,

IF HE DOESN'T COME
ALL THE WAY BACK,

HE GETS BROKEN
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

HE GOT TO BE BEAUTIFUL.
HE GOT TO BE FULL FLOWER.

HE GOT TO USE THE FULL TALENT,
SO YOU COULD SEE ALL THE GIFTS.

AND THAT'S WHY WE
LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

PEOPLE EVERYWHERE CHEERED

ALI'S UNEXPECTED TRIUMPH.

"IT'S A VICTORY OF ALL THE
OPPRESSED IN THE THIRD WORLD,"

WROTE A SENEGALESE JOURNALIST.

"THE WHOLE OF AFRICA
HAS UNITED ITSELF

"BEHIND MUHAMMAD ALI...

THE BELOVED ONE
ON OUR CONTINENT."

I THINK THAT WHAT
IT DID FOR AMERICA,

IT MADE AFRICA REAL FOR A
LOT OF PEOPLE WHERE IT WASN'T.

THIS IS A PLACE, AND IN THIS
PLACE, A GREAT THING HAPPENED.

BACK IN LOUISVILLE,
ALI JOINED JOE MARTIN

AND FRED STONER...
HIS FIRST TRAINERS...

AND AN OVERFLOW CROWD
AT RIVERFRONT PLAZA

AS THE CITY CELEBRATED
MUHAMMAD ALI DAY

AND RENAMED A DOWNTOWN
STREET IN HIS HONOR.

IN CHICAGO, MAYOR RICHARD DALEY,

WHO, IN 1966, HAD RESCINDED
ALI'S BOXING LICENSE,

AWARDED HIM THE
CITY'S MEDAL OF MERIT.

PRESIDENT GERALD
FORD SEEKING, HE SAID,

TO "HEAL THE WOUNDS
OF RACIAL DIVISION,

VIETNAM, AND WATERGATE,"

INVITED THE BOXER
TO THE OVAL OFFICE.

MUHAMMAD ALI, FORD SAID,
"WAS A MAN OF PRINCIPLE."

MUHAMMAD ALI WAS THE MOST
IMPORTANT MAN IN THE WORLD.

EVERYBODY KNEW HIM. EVERYBODY.

YOU KNOW? IT WAS A
GREATNESS THAT NOBODY HAD.

AND THERE WERE NO
DOORS CLOSED TO HIM.

IN THE FALL OF 1974, ALI AND
BELINDA SOLD THEIR HOME

IN NEW JERSEY AND
BOUGHT A TUDOR MANSION ON

CHICAGO'S SOUTH SIDE,

DOWN THE STREET FROM THE HOME
OF THE AILING ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.

ALI HAD ALSO PURCHASED
A CONDOMINIUM IN CHICAGO

FOR VERONICA, WHOM
HE HAD SECRETLY MARRIED

IN A SMALL ISLAMIC CEREMONY
BEFORE THEY LEFT ZAIRE.

BELINDA, WHO WOULD SOON
CHANGE HER FIRST NAME TO KHALILAH,

KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.

AND VERONICA STILL
BELIEVED THAT ALI

INTENDED TO DIVORCE HIS WIFE.

I WAS NOT SAVVY
AND NOT EXPERIENCED.

ALL I KNEW IS I LOVED HIM,

AND I THOUGHT THAT'S
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING,

AND THAT'S WHAT ALL THE
SONGS OF THAT ERA SAID.

SO, THAT WAS

MY EDUCATION
ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.

♪

ON FEBRUARY 25, 1975,

ALI WAS AT DEER
LAKE WHEN WORD CAME

THAT ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAD DIED.

ALI IMMEDIATELY
RETURNED TO CHICAGO.

THOUGH HE WAS STILL
OFFICIALLY SUSPENDED

FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM,

HE HAD CONTINUED TO VISIT
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD REGULARLY

AND PRAISE HIM PUBLICLY,

AND REMAINED AMONG THE
SECT'S LARGEST DONORS.

THE LEADER'S FAMILY AND
CLOSEST ADVISORS CLOSED RANKS

AROUND WALLACE MUHAMMAD,
HERBERT'S YOUNGER BROTHER,

AS ELIJAH'S SUCCESSOR.

AFTER EMBRACING TRADITIONAL
ISLAM YEARS EARLIER,

WALLACE HAD FREQUENTLY REBELLED
AGAINST HIS FATHER'S TEACHINGS

AND HAD BEEN CAST
OUT OF THE SECT

FOR CHALLENGING ELIJAH'S CLAIM

THAT HE WAS THE
MESSENGER OF ALLAH.

BUT HE HAD RECENTLY
BEEN REINSTATED.

BROTHER HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION MUHAMMAD ALI.

A DAY LATER, ALI SWORE
HIS ALLEGIANCE TO WALLACE.

BROTHER WALLACE IS
NOW IN THE POSITION

OF THE HONORABLE
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT
HIM, YOU ARE LOOKING AT

THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD.

MUHAMMAD DID NOT
HESITATE TO GO WITH WALLACE.

HE, ACTUALLY, IN
HIS HEART, FOLLOWED

THE TEACHINGS OF WALLACE
MUHAMMAD MORE CLOSELY

THAN THOSE OF ELIJAH
MUHAMMAD ANYWAY

BECAUSE HE LOVED ALL PEOPLE.

I THINK WALLACE MUHAMMAD
WAS TEACHING THE THINGS

THAT MALCOLM X HAD
GONE OVER TO SAUDI ARABIA

AND DISCOVERED ON HIS OWN.

OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS,

WALLACE STEERED THE
ORGANIZATION TOWARD

A MORE MAINSTREAM
INTERPRETATION OF ISLAM.

HE DISBANDED THE FRUIT OF ISLAM,
THE ORGANIZATION'S ENFORCERS,

DECLARED THAT DEVILS
COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED

BY PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES,
EFFECTIVELY OPENING MEMBERSHIP

TO WHITE PEOPLE, AND HE
CHANGED THE GROUP'S NAME

TO THE WORLD COMMUNITY
OF ISLAM IN THE WEST.

WALLACE HAD A MUCH
MORE OPEN IDEA OF ISLAM,

MUCH MORE IN ACCORD
WITH ORTHODOX ISLAM.

THAT ENABLED MUHAMMAD ALI

TO OPEN HIS EMBRACE
TO MORE PEOPLE.

AND IT ALLOWED HIM
TO BE MORE UNIVERSAL

IN HIS EXPRESSION OF ISLAM.

AND IT WAS A VERY
GOOD THING FOR HIM.

♪

IN THE SPRING OF 1975,

ALI EARNED MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS FIGHTING AND DEFEATING

CHUCK WEPNER, RON LYLE,

AND JOE BUGNER.

BOTH VERONICA AND
BELINDA... NOW KHALILAH...

OFTEN TRAVELED WITH HIM.

AT FIRST, THE PRESS
IDENTIFIED VERONICA

AS THE FAMILY'S BABYSITTER
OR KHALILAH'S COUSIN,

BUT RUMORS BEGAN TO CIRCULATE.

A "HAREM ATMOSPHERE PREVAILED"
AROUND ALI, WROTE ONE REPORTER,

WHO NOTED THAT KHALILAH HAD
BEGUN INTRODUCING VERONICA

AS "ALI'S OTHER WIFE."

KHALILAH HAD GROWN TO
ACCEPT HER HUSBAND'S CHEATING,

AT TIMES EVEN
FACILITATING HIS LIAISONS,

AND SHE OCCASIONALLY
BEFRIENDED HER RIVALS.

ALI HAD FATHERED CHILDREN
WITH AT LEAST TWO OTHER WOMEN

DURING THEIR MARRIAGE,
BUT THROUGH IT ALL,

KHALILAH STAYED WITH HIM.

- I - HAD TO BE HIS WIFE,

AND THEN I HAD TO
BE HIS FRIEND, TOO.

WHEN HE HAD A PROBLEM
WITH A PATERNITY SUIT

OR SOME CHICK JUST TRYING
TO MILK HIM FOR MONEY,

HE HAD TO COME TO ME
AND TELL ME ABOUT IT.

"AND THEY SAID THIS IS MY KID."

I HAD TO NOT BE A WIFE
AND BE HIS FRIEND AND SAYS,

"LET ME LOOK AT THE
KID. I'LL SEE IF IT'S YOURS."

WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR
THAT ALI'S RELATIONSHIP

WITH VERONICA HAD DEVELOPED
INTO SOMETHING MORE,

KHALILAH AGREED TO PUT
UP WITH HER PRESENCE

IF IT MEANT AVOIDING A DIVORCE.

IT GETS VERY COMPLICATED.

ONE OF THE FACTORS WAS THAT
HIS MANAGER, HERBERT MUHAMMAD,

DID NOT WANT HIM TO DIVORCE
HER BECAUSE SHE WAS A MUSLIM.

THAT'S ENOUGH. THAT'S ENOUGH...

ON JULY 1, 1975, ALI
ANNOUNCED HIS NEXT FIGHT:

A TIE-BREAKING THIRD SHOWDOWN

WITH HIS OLD
NEMESIS JOE FRAZIER.

THE FIGHT WOULD BE HELD IN
OCTOBER IN THE PHILIPPINES

AND WOULD COME TO BE KNOWN
AS "THE THRILLA IN MANILA."

BY THIS POINT, YOU WOULD
HAVE THOUGHT THAT THEY

HAD EARNED EACH OTHER'S RESPECT.

NEITHER ONE REALLY HAD NEARLY
AS MUCH TO PROVE ANYMORE.

ALI WAS WHOLE AGAIN.
FRAZIER WAS ON THE DOWNSIDE.

THAT THERE WOULD'VE
BEEN SOME MOMENT THERE

WHERE YOU COULD HAVE
SAID FINALLY, "RESPECT."

NO, NO, NO RESPECT.

THAT THIS IS, THIS
CHAPTER IS NOT FINISHED,

THAT THIS BATTLE
IS NOT FINISHED.

FERDINAND MARCOS,

THE CORRUPT AND AUTHORITARIAN
DICTATOR OF THE PHILIPPINES,

HOPED TO IMPROVE HIS REPUTATION

AND PUT HIS COUNTRY IN THE
SPOTLIGHT BY HOSTING THE BOUT,

JUST AS MOBUTU HAD IN ZAIRE.

MR. PRESIDENT, WHAT DO YOU THINK

THIS SORT OF FIGHT WILL
DO FOR THE PHILIPPINES?

WELL, IT DOES PUBLICIZE
THE PHILIPPINES,

INCLUDING THE FACT THAT
THE GOVERNMENT IS STABLE

AND THAT WE HAVE
PEACE AND ORDER.

WHEN MARCOS AND
HIS WIFE IMELDA INVITED

THE FIGHTERS TO THE
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE,

ALI BROUGHT
VERONICA, NOT KHALILAH.

THAT'S ALL YOU'RE
GONNA SEE ME DO

TO JOE FRAZIER'S HEAD ALL NIGHT.

I'M GONNA STOP ALL THESE PEOPLE

TALKING ABOUT JOE FRAZIER.

THEY STILL THINK JOE
FRAZIER CAN WHUP ME.

I'M GONNA SHOW 'EM. YOU
SEE HOW HE'S BOUNCING, HMM?

SEE HIS HEAD?

ALI INSULTED
FRAZIER'S INTELLIGENCE,

CLAIMED HE SMELLED BAD,

AND SNUCK INTO ONE OF
FRAZIER'S TRAINING SESSIONS

TO HARASS HIM FROM THE
CATWALK ABOVE THE RING.

BY MY MEASURE, THE TWO
WORST EPISODES OF ALI'S LIFE

WERE HIS CASTING
ASIDE OF MALCOLM X

AND HIS TREATMENT OF FRAZIER
GOING INTO THE THIRD FIGHT,

THE THRILLA IN MANILA.

GOTTA HOLD THE GORILLA.

GOTTA CAPTURE THE GORILLA.

THIRD FIGHT, THEY BOTH
WERE KIND OF OVER THE HILL.

IT WAS GOING TO BE A
WAR, AND ALI KNEW THAT.

HE KNEW THAT THE TIME
WAS RUNNING OUT ON HIM.

SO, IT WAS A CRUEL,
INSENSITIVE, VILE EPISODE,

AND FRAZIER NEVER FORGAVE HIM.

FRAZIER HOPED TO SURPRISE
ALI WITH A NEW WEAPON.

HE HAD BEEN WORKING
ON HIS RIGHT CROSS.

"WHATEVER HAPPENS," FRAZIER
TOLD HIS TRAINER, EDDIE FUTCH,

"DON'T STOP THE FIGHT.

"I'M GONNA EAT THIS HALF-BREED'S
HEART RIGHT OUT OF HIS CHEST.

THIS IS THE END OF HIM OR ME."

ALI SKIPPED ROADWORK
AND SPARRING SESSIONS.

"I'M ALREADY IN PERFECT
SHAPE," HE CLAIMED.

"I'LL BE SO MUCH SUPERIOR,
I'LL KNOCK HIM OUT."

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES,

IN COOPERATION WITH DON KING
PRODUCTIONS, INCORPORATED,

PROUDLY PRESENT
THE THRILLA IN MANILA.

WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS
TWO EXTRAORDINARY HEARTS.

IT'S NOT STYLES. IT'S HEARTS.

INTRODUCING THE CHALLENGER

AND FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, JOE FRAZIER.

FRAZIER!

FRAZIER SAYS, "I'M GONNA WIN."

AND EVERYTHING, HIS WHOLE
HEART, HIS WHOLE SOUL,

EVERYTHING IS HIM WINNING.

IN THE RED CORNER,

WEIGHING 224 1/2 POUNDS...

THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD, MUHAMMAD ALI.

ALI!

SO JOE IS NOT INTIMIDATED,
AND ALI'S NEVER INTIMIDATED.

IN THE RING THEY GO.

THE ACTION

BEGINS.

ALI SCORING QUICKLY
WITH A COUPLE OF LEFTS.

THE TWO MOST FAMILIAR
FIGHTERS IN THE WORLD

MEETING FOR THE THIRD TIME.

I THINK ALI WILL FIND FRAZIER
A DIFFERENT CUSTOMER

IN TERMS OF ANY
ROPE-A-DOPE TACTICS.

BY DEFINITION, GEORGE
FOREMAN WAS A SLUGGER.

JOE FRAZIER, HE KNOWS
ABOUT PACING HIMSELF,

WHEN TO, LIKE, YOU KNOW,
STEP BACK AND TAKE A BREATH,

WHEN NOT TO PUNCH,

WHEN TO TIE UP BECAUSE WHEN
YOU'RE TIED UP WITH SOMEONE,

NOT ONLY IS HE RESTING,
BUT YOU'RE RESTING.

ROUND TWO JUST GETTING UNDERWAY.

OH! A GOOD RIGHT LEAD
SNAPPED FRAZIER'S HEAD BACK.

AGAIN, THAT RIGHT LEAD.

A KEY TO THE FIGHT THUS FAR.

ALI IS NOW SCORING
AGAINST JOE FRAZIER.

BY THREE ROUNDS,

IT LOOKS LIKE JOE'S
GONNA GET KNOCKED DOWN.

WE'VE GOT LESS
THAN 30 SECONDS LEFT,

AND ALI IS CLEANING UP
ON FRAZIER'S HEAD HERE

IN THE LATE GOING.

SUDDENLY, FOURTH ROUND,

FRAZIER HITS ALI
WITH A RIGHT HAND.

ALI SAYS TO HIM, "OLD MAN,
YOU AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT HAND.

YOU AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT HAND."

BUT IT SLOWED ALI DOWN BECAUSE
HE HAD TO CHANGE HIS STRATEGY.

NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN,
FRAZIER'S WINNING THE FIGHT.

♪

FRAZIER ALWAYS ON TOP OF
ALI, TRYING TO GET THROUGH,

ALWAYS THE AGGRESSOR.

GOOD LEFT HOOK BY JOE FRAZIER.

QUICKLY, ALI COVERS UP...

IN THE SIXTH,

FRAZIER LANDED TWO VICIOUS
LEFT HOOKS, STAGGERING ALI.

OH, ANOTHER GOOD
LEFT BY JOE FRAZIER.

QUICKLY, JOE CHANGES
THE NATURE OF THIS FIGHT...

"GET OFF THE ROPES,"
DUNDEE SHOUTED AT ALI.

JOE IS ALL OVER HIM THIS ROUND,

AND THOSE BLOWS HURT.

GOOD LEFT TO THE MIDSECTION,
A RIGHT TO THE CHEST,

ANOTHER LEFT HOOK
TO THE RIGHT JAW OF ALI.

EARLY IN THE SEVENTH, ALI
WHISPERED IN FRAZIER'S EAR:

"OLD JOE FRAZIER, THEY TOLD
ME YOU WERE WASHED UP."

"THEY LIED, PRETTY
BOY," RESPONDED FRAZIER.

ALI ON HIS TOES STILL,

TRYING TO CREATE A
MOVING TARGET FOR FRAZIER.

OH, GOOD BLOWS BY ALI.

A COUPLE OF QUICK FLICKING
LEFTS, FOLLOWED BY A RIGHT.

GOOD LEFT HOOK THERE BY FRAZIER.

LESS THAN A MINUTE TO GO
IN THIS, THE TENTH ROUND,

AND ALI SEEMS A WEARY FIGHTER.

AT THIS POINT IN A FIGHT,
THE KEY QUESTIONS BECOME

STAMINA AND STRENGTH.

GOOD RIGHT THERE BY ALI.

JOE TAKES TOO MANY TO
THE HEAD AS HE DID THERE.

THAT'S WHY HIS EYES ARE
SO SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE.

THOUGH BOTH MEN WERE EXHAUSTED,

IN THE 12th, ALI TOOK CHARGE,

NEARLY CLOSING
FRAZIER'S LEFT EYE

AND DRAWING A TRICKLE
OF BLOOD FROM HIS MOUTH.

FRAZIER WAS BLIND
IN ONE EYE ALREADY.

ALI CLOSED THE OTHER
EYE DURING THE FIGHT.

BUT FRAZIER WANTS TO GO.

THE GUY WANTS TO GET IN
THE RING AND FIGHT BLIND.

IN THE OTHER CORNER, ALI IS
EXHAUSTED. HE CAN'T STAND UP.

♪

THE BELL FOR ROUND 13.

JOE FRAZIER'S LEFT EYE IS A
MESS. NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT.

IT'S BEEN ANOTHER
GRUELING, BRUISING STRUGGLE

BETWEEN THE TWO...

IT WAS SO BRUTAL, BRUTAL.

EACH MAN GIVING EVERYTHING,

IN SOME WAYS REMINISCENT
OF THE CLASSIC FIRST FIGHT

IN MARCH OF '71.

THERE'S ALI ACTUALLY...

THE MOUTHPIECE WENT
FROM THE RIGHT LEAD.

THE MOUTHPIECE WENT.
YOU SAW IT FLY OUT.

ALI IS NOW REALLY
GIVING IT TO FRAZIER.

FRAZIER'S IN TROUBLE.

JOE COMING BACK TO THE
MIDSECTION, BUT ALI COVERED.

♪

LESS THAN A MINUTE
LEFT IN THE 13th ROUND

WITH ALI PUNISHING FRAZIER.

ALREADY THE MOUTHPIECE IS
GONE. HE HAS STAGGERED FRAZIER.

FRAZIER, HIS LEGS ARE
LIKE WET SPAGHETTI.

ALI DOESN'T LOOK
TOO GOOD EITHER.

THAT'S HOW MUCH THESE
GUYS LEFT IN THE ROUND.

BY THE TIME THEY GET
TO THE 14th ROUND, I SAY,

"I WISH THIS THING WOULD END.
WHY DON'T THEY SEND THEM HOME?

TELL 'EM IT'S A DRAW. YOU
BOTH ARE GREAT. GO HOME."

I CAN'T WATCH IT ANYMORE.

ALI IS GIVING IT TO HIM AGAIN,

AND JOE CAN'T ANSWER BACK.

THE SWINGS ARE WILD.

ALI IN TOTAL COMMAND.

LOOK AT THAT, LEFT
AND THEN THE RIGHT...

IN THE LAST MINUTE
OF THE 14th ROUND,

ALI UNLEASHED A FLURRY OF BLOWS

TO FRAZIER'S ALREADY
SWOLLEN AND BLOODIED FACE.

SOMEHOW, FRAZIER
STAYED ON HIS FEET.

MUHAMMAD HIT HIM
WITH, I THINK, LIKE,

IT WAS TWO OR THREE SHOTS
AT THE CLOSE OF THE ROUND.

AND THOSE TWO OR THREE
SHOTS DISORIENTED JOE.

THE BELL RINGS, AND THE
REFEREE HAS TO STEER HIM

BACK TO HIS CORNER.

AND HE'S DAMAGED, BUT
HE DOESN'T WANT TO QUIT.

"NAH, NAH, DON'T... DON'T...
DON'T STOP IT. DON'T STOP IT."

MUHAMMAD, HE'S OUT OF IT.

HE SAID THAT THAT FIGHT WAS
THE CLOSEST THING TO DEATH.

HE'S NEAR DEATH.

EDDIE FUTCH LEANING
OVER HIS FIGHTER.

LOOK AT FRAZIER'S EYES.

EDDIE FUTCH HAD SEEN FOUR
FIGHTERS DIE IN THE RING.

HE REFUSED TO LET
HIS BOXER CONTINUE.

"JOE," HE SAID. "IT'S OVER."

FRAZIER DIDN'T WANT TO
QUIT. FUTCH MADE HIM QUIT.

ONE OF THE GREAT MOMENTS
IN BOXING HISTORY, ACTUALLY.

FUTCH DOESN'T WANT
THE FIGHTER TO GO ON,

TELLING THE REFEREE.

JOE FRAZIER IS IN HIS
CORNER, ON THE STOOL.

LOOK AT ALI GETTING
READY TO GO OUT.

NOW HE REALIZES FRAZIER
WILL NOT COME OUT.

MUHAMMAD ALI IS

STILL THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

IT ASKED EVERYTHING OF THEM,

AND THEY GAVE
EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW.

AND YOU DON'T SEE THAT
HAPPEN VERY OFTEN IN ANY...

IN ANYTHING, ANY GAME,
ANY LIFE, YOU KNOW.

AND THERE IT'S NAKED.

THERE YOU COULDN'T MISS IT.

AS ALI'S CORNER CROWDED
AROUND HIM TO CELEBRATE,

HE COLLAPSED ONTO THE CANVAS.

THEY TURNED EACH OTHER
INTO MONSTERS, YOU KNOW.

AND THAT'S BOXING AT
ITS CRUELEST, YOU KNOW,

BUT THAT'S WHAT THE
GAME IS, YOU KNOW.

IT'S A NAKED ASSAULT
ON THE BRAIN, YOU KNOW.

IT'S A CRUEL GAME.

AND THEY WERE AT THEIR
BEST CRUELEST THAT NIGHT.

THEY DIDN'T FIGHT FOR
THE WBC CHAMPIONSHIP.

THEY DIDN'T FIGHT FOR
THE WBA CHAMPIONSHIP.

THEY DIDN'T FIGHT FOR THE
CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE PLANET.

THEY STOOD TOE-TO-TOE
ON A MELTING ICE FLOE

AND FOUGHT FOR THE
CHAMPIONSHIP OF EACH OTHER.

AND FOR EACH OF THEM, THE
OTHER GUY WAS AHAB'S WHITE WHALE.

♪

FRAZIER WAS TOO BATTERED

TO ATTEND THE RECEPTION AT THE
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE THAT NIGHT.

ALI WOULD URINATE
BLOOD FOR WEEKS.

"WE WENT TO MANILA AS
CHAMPIONS," ALI SAID LATER,

"AND WE CAME BACK AS OLD MEN."

THAT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, A
BARE KNUCKLES MATCH, MAN,

AT LIKE THE BAR DOWN THE STREET.

WHAT MUHAMMAD ALI AND
JOE FRAZIER EXPRESSED WAS

MAJESTIC, MAN.

IT WAS VIOLENT AND CONFLICTING
AND AT TIMES, LIKE, YOU KNOW,

QUITE MOVING.

THAT'S THEIR GIFT TO US.

♪

I'M GIVING YOU A FEW
MINUTES, AND THEN I'M LEAVING.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO
SAY ABOUT JOE FRAZIER NOW?

HE'S GREAT.

HE'S GREATER THAN
I THOUGHT HE WAS.

WHEN I SAY GREAT, HIS
STYLE IS THE STYLE THAT

ONLY HE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL WITH.

I THINK HE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT.

WATCHING THE INTERVIEWS
AFTER THE THRILLA IN MANILA,

IT'S APPARENT ALREADY.

HE'S TALKING
DIFFERENTLY, SLOWER.

SOMETHING'S OFF.

IT'S HARD, BECAUSE,
SLOWLY, WE'RE GOING TO SEE

A DIFFERENT HUMAN BEING,

AND WE'RE GOING TO WATCH
THIS MAN DETERIORATE IN PUBLIC,

ONE OF THE MOST
HEARTBREAKING THINGS EVER.

♪

BY THE SPRING OF 1976, HE
AND KHALILAH WERE SEPARATED

AND EACH LIVING IN
THEIR OWN APARTMENTS.

"THERE ISN'T ANY MARRIAGE,"
SHE TOLD ONE REPORTER.

"IT'S PAST ME NOW."

I DECIDED I'M GONNA
HAVE TO DIVORCE THE GUY.

I'VE BEARED A LOT OF
EMBARRASSING SITUATIONS.

I BLAME MYSELF, AND, YOU KNOW,

I JUST DIDN'T CARE
EITHER AFTER A WHILE,

AND IT HURT ME, TOO.

MY DAD AND MY MOM DIVORCED

WHEN WE WERE VERY
YOUNG. WE WERE, LIKE, FIVE.

MOST OF MY GROWING UP, I
LIVED WITH MY GRANDPARENTS,

MY MOM'S PARENTS.

AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE

OF HAVING MY DAD WITH ME
AFTER THE DIVORCE, OBVIOUSLY.

IT WAS A PAINFUL TIME FOR US.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE MISSED HIM.

VERONICA WAS PREGNANT NOW.

THEY WERE SPENDING
TIME AT AN 80-ACRE FARM

IN BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN,

THAT ALI HAD PURCHASED
THE PREVIOUS FALL.

WE WERE IN LOVE.

AND I KNEW HOW MUCH HE
LOVED ME. HE KNEW I LOVED HIM.

HE KNEW I WAS LOYAL TO
HIM ONLY, NOBODY ELSE.

AND I KNOW HE
APPRECIATED THAT A LOT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE
WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER.

I WANTED TO HAVE KIDS.

SO HANA WAS VERY
WELCOME, YOU KNOW.

ALI'S MOTHER ODESSA,

TIRED OF HER HUSBAND'S
DRINKING AND CAROUSING,

HAD SEPARATED FROM
CASSIUS CLAY SENIOR,

AND MOVED INTO ANOTHER
HOUSE IN LOUISVILLE,

BOUGHT FOR HER BY HER SON.

ALI HAD TOLD WALLACE MUHAMMAD
HE WAS FINISHED WITH BOXING,

BUT HE NEEDED THE
HUGE PAYDAYS TO MEET

HIS EVER-INCREASING EXPENSES.

HE FOUGHT FIVE
TIMES IN 15 MONTHS.

JEAN-PIERRE COOPMAN,

JIMMY YOUNG,

RICHARD DUNN,

KEN NORTON FOR A THIRD TIME,

ALFREDO EVANGELISTA.

THOUGH HE WON EACH
TIME, THE 35-YEAR-OLD ALI

WAS CLEARLY IN DECLINE,

SLOGGING THROUGH ROUND
AFTER PUNISHING ROUND,

UNABLE TO AVOID PUNCHES THAT
HE HAD ONCE DODGED WITH EASE.

AFTER A BRUTAL 15-ROUND VICTORY

OVER EARNIE SHAVERS
IN SEPTEMBER OF 1977,

SOME OF HIS ASSOCIATES
HAD SEEN ENOUGH.

TEDDY BRENNER, MADISON
SQUARE GARDEN'S PROMOTER,

TOLD HERBERT MUHAMMAD
THAT THE GARDEN

WOULD NOT OFFER
ALI ANOTHER FIGHT.

"I WISH HE CALLS
IT A DAY BEFORE HE

FALLS OFF THE
TIGHTROPE," SAID BRENNER.

LAB TESTS BY THE NEW YORK
STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION

REVEALED THAT ALI'S KIDNEYS
WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED

AND COULD FAIL IF EXPOSED
TO MORE PUNISHMENT.

"HE SHOULD QUIT AND QUIT
NOW," SAID FERDIE PACHECO,

WHO, AFTER 15 YEARS
AS ALI'S RINGSIDE DOCTOR,

DECIDED TO MOVE ON.

HIS FATHER TOLD HIM, "QUIT,
SON, BEFORE YOU GET HURT."

HE STARTS ASKING PEOPLE, "DO
YOU THINK I SOUND DIFFERENT?

DO YOU THINK MY
WORDS ARE SLURRING?"

YOU KNOW, "DO I SEEM
DIFFERENT TO YOU?

DO YOU THINK I'M BRAIN DAMAGED?"

HE'S ASKING REPORTERS
THIS QUESTION,

AND IT'S HEARTBREAKING,

AND HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER
ARE TELLING HIM, YOU KNOW,

"YOU DON'T SOUND THE
SAME. YOU DON'T SOUND RIGHT.

WHY CAN'T YOU SPEAK RIGHT?"

AND HE KEEPS BOXING,
AS HE BELIEVES LIKE,

AS HE'S ALWAYS
BELIEVED, THAT YOU KNOW,

EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALL RIGHT.

ANGELO DUNDEE
CALLED IT ALI'S DECISION.

"ONLY WHEN THE MAN COMES
TO ME AND ASKS DO I TELL HIM

WHAT'S IN MY HEART,"
SAID THE TRAINER.

EVERYBODY WANTED HIM TO
RETIRE THAT CARED ABOUT HIM.

BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS THAT FIGHT

THAT SOMEBODY
WOULD CALL HIM ABOUT,

AND USUALLY IT WAS HERBERT.

I THINK OF EVERYONE,
MUHAMMAD RESPECTED

HERBERT MUHAMMAD'S
OPINION THE MOST.

HERBERT GREW TO HAVE A CERTAIN
LIFESTYLE BECAUSE OF MUHAMMAD.

I THINK HE WAS INFLUENTIAL
IN HIM CONTINUING TO FIGHT,

BECAUSE IT MEANT
MORE MONEY FOR HIM.

THE PROMOTER BOB ARUM
HAD ALREADY IDENTIFIED

THE CHAMP'S NEXT OPPONENT,
A 24-YEAR-OLD EX-MARINE

NAMED LEON SPINKS, WHO HAD
WON GOLD AS A LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

AT THE 1976 OLYMPICS.

THE 15-ROUND MATCH WAS
SET FOR FEBRUARY 1978.

VICTOR SOLANO, AN AMATEUR BOXER

WHO HAD BEFRIENDED ALI

AFTER A SPARRING
SESSION IN LOS ANGELES,

TRIED TO HELP MUHAMMAD PREPARE.

HE ONLY TRAINED
FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS

FOR THAT FIGHT,

AND HE GOES, "OH, THIS
GUY'S JUST AN AMATEUR.

"HE'S JUST AN AMATEUR,
AND I FOUGHT JOE FRAZIER.

"I FOUGHT GEORGE FOREMAN.
I FOUGHT ALL THESE GUYS.

THIS GUY'S ONLY HAD SIX FIGHTS."

SO HE WOULD RUN
MAYBE A FEW BLOCKS,

GET BACK IN THE LIMOUSINE,
GO BACK TO SLEEP.

SPINKS TOOK ALI
COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE.

SPINKS COMES FLYING OUT HERE

AND GOES RIGHT AFTER
THIS GREAT CHAMPION,

ABSOLUTELY SHOWING
NO RESPECT AT ALL.

SPINKS DID A LOT OF DAMAGE
TO HIM, A LOT OF DAMAGE.

ALI SHOULD BE PUNCHING
WITH BOTH HANDS,

BUT INSTEAD IT'S
SPINKS WHO COMES BACK,

AND HE'S THROWING EVERYTHING
HE'S GOT IN BOTH PUNCHES.

ALI IS COVERING UP. HE'S
KEEPING HIM IN HIS CORNER.

HE WILL NOT LET HIM OUT.
ALI'S GOT TO GO TOE-TO-TOE...

HE THOUGHT, "WELL...
I'VE DONE IT BEFORE,

"I'LL DO IT AGAIN.

"THE LAST ROUND I'M
GOING TO COME OUT,

AND I'M GOING TO
GIVE IT ALL I GOT."

SPINKS IS IN THE CORNER,

AND ALI'S GOT HIM
WHERE HE WANTS HIM.

AND SPINKS COMES BACK WITH
A COUNTER, ANOTHER COUNTER,

ANOTHER, ANOTHER.

AND THERE'S SPINKS
BACKING UP THE CHAMPION...

BUT THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT.
THERE... THERE WAS NOTHING.

IT'S EIGHT SECONDS AWAY...

HE'S JUST HAMMERED ALI. ALI
LOOKS LIKE HE'S IN TROUBLE.

HE'S LEANING AGAINST THE ROPES.

TWO SECONDS. IT'S
ONE, AND AT THE BELL...

JUDGE HAROLD
BUCK SCORES 144-141.

THE NEW... FIGHT
ANNOUNCER: THERE IT IS!

LEON SPINKS HAS PULLED IT OFF.

AFTER ONLY SEVEN
PROFESSIONAL WINS,

LEON SPINKS WAS HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

BEATING MAYBE THE
GREATEST FIGHTER OF ALL TIME...

ALI SAID TO ME, "BOB, YOU
GOT TO DO ME A FAVOR.

YOU GOT TO MAKE THE REMATCH."

AND I SAID, "ALI, I'LL MAKE THE
REMATCH ONLY ON ONE CONDITION:

WIN OR LOSE, IT'S THE
END, YOU'LL RETIRE."

"I PROMISE YOU," AND
HE AGREED TO RETIRE.

BUT NOW I GOT BEAT.
I'M ALL WASHED UP.

"THE GREATEST' IS GONE."

"HE'S WASHED UP. HE'S OLD."

NOW I GOT SOMETHING
TO GET UP AND PROVE,

TO SET A RECORD THAT YOU
KNOW WON'T... NEVER BE BROKEN

IN THE NEXT HUNDRED,
TWO HUNDRED YEARS.

I MEAN, TO WIN THE TITLE
BACK FOR THE THIRD TIME...

AND HE GOT HUMBLE, AND
THEN THAT'S WHEN HE SAID,

"YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GET UP

"AND RUN WITH THE
MOON AND THE STARS.

"I'M GOING TO GO
BACK AND CHOP TREES,

AND GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING
TO WHAT MADE ME GREAT."

♪

PRESENTING THE CHALLENGER

OF TONIGHT'S BOUT...

THE FORMER TWO-TIME
GREAT CHAMPION

FROM LOUISVILLE,
KENTUCKY, IN WHITE TRUNKS,

WEIGHING IN AT 221...

MUHAMMAD ALI, THE GREATEST.

WELL, I THINK

HIS BRAVEST FIGHT WAS

THE SECOND ONE WITH SPINKS.

YOU KNOW?

HE GOES THERE, HE'S
TOO OLD TO BE BOXING.

HE SHOULDN'T BE BOXING ANYMORE.

BUT HE SAID, "BUT
THIS GUY BEAT ME, OK."

AND HE PLANNED
THE PERFECT FIGHT.

ROUND ONE.

THE CHAMPION SPINKS COMING

RIGHT OUT AGAINST

A MOVING AND DANCING
MUHAMMAD ALI...

ALI IS LURING HIM
INTO THESE TRAPS.

LOOK AT ALI DANCE.
HE'S A THING OF BEAUTY.

A LITTLE SHUFFLE IN THE NEUTRAL
CORNER BY THE FORMER CHAMPION.

THE CHAMPION IS... THE
FORMER CHAMPION STILL MOVING,

STILL FRUSTRATING THE
CHAMPION, LEON SPINKS.

OH! A GREAT RIGHT HAND BY ALI.

A TERRIFIC RIGHT HAND TO SPINKS,

AND HE GRIMACED.

COMING IN, HE GOT ANOTHER
RIGHT HAND IN HIS FACE.

ANOTHER RIGHT HAND.

AND WITH THE FINAL 10
SECONDS IN ROUND 4...

AND JUST WATCHING
IT WAS, LIKE, AMAZING.

OK, THEY'RE OUT IN THE
MIDDLE FOR ROUND EIGHT.

AND HE OPENED IT
WITH TWO GOOD HOOKS

RIGHT OFF OF SPINKS' JAW.

OH! A GREAT LEFT HOOK,
AND SPINKS MAY BE HURT.

OVER 15 ROUNDS, ALI
COMPLETELY OUT-BOXED SPINKS.

IT'S ALL ALI. IT'S ALL ALI.

ANNOUNCER 1:1:30
REMAINING IN THIS FIGHT.

AND NOW HERE IN NEW ORLEANS,

AT THE AGE OF 36 YEARS OLD,
HE IS SHOWING A YOUNG MAN

WHAT BOXING IS ALL ABOUT.

HE IS SHOWING A YOUNG LEON
SPINKS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE

IN WITH THE REAL MUHAMMAD ALI.

THAT IS ABOUT IT, FOLKS.

IT'S ALL OVER.

THE NEW CHAMPION,
MUHAMMAD ALI...

MUHAMMAD ALI HAD WON THE
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

FOR THE THIRD TIME,
SOMETHING NO ONE IN HISTORY

HAD EVER DONE BEFORE.

"THANK GOD IT'S OVER," SAID ALI.

I NOTICED A COUPLE OF TIMES,

THERE WAS LIKE A LITTLE
SHAKE ON THE THUMB.

A LITTLE BIT, EVEN AT THAT TIME.

I NOTICED SOMETIMES MAYBE
AFTER... HITTING THE SPEED BAG,

THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A
TREMBLE, A LITTLE SLIGHTLY,

BUT YOU COULDN'T SEE...
YOU HAD TO SEE IT, YOU KNOW,

BUT YOU KNEW SOMETHING
WAS ALREADY WRONG.

MY MOM USED TO SAY
THAT SHE SAW SIGNS

AS EARLY AS THE SPINKS FIGHTS.

AND IF YOU REALLY LOOK
BACK, A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT

THAT MY FATHER WAS JUST MATURE.

HE WAS SPEAKING MORE
SLOWLY. HE'S OLDER NOW.

I SAID, "BUT HE WAS
NOT REALLY THAT OLD."

HE JUST DIDN'T FEEL THE
SAME. HE THOUGHT IT WAS AGE.

AND BECAUSE HE WAS SO
EXTRAORDINARILY QUICK

WITH HIS MOVEMENTS AND
HIS SPEED AND HIS SPEECH,

THAT WHEN HE SORT
OF SLOWED DOWN,

PEOPLE JUST ASSUMED
IT WAS JUST AGE.

♪

IN JANUARY OF 1979,
ALI AND VERONICA,

NOW LEGALLY MARRIED,

BOUGHT A MANSION IN
THE HANCOCK PARK SECTION

OF LOS ANGELES.

IN ADDITION TO
TWO-YEAR-OLD HANA, THEY HAD

A SECOND DAUGHTER, LAILA,
WHO HAD JUST TURNED ONE.

IN JUNE, ALI OFFICIALLY RETIRED,
QUIETLY RELINQUISHING HIS TITLE

IN A LETTER TO THE WORLD
BOXING ASSOCIATION.

HE WENT ON A FAREWELL TOUR...

HASH BROWNS? ORE IDA?

ENDORSED SCORES OF PRODUCTS...

MOTORCRAFT PARTS,
THEY HAVE THE STUFF.

MOTORCRAFT IS TESTED TOUGH.

ACTED IN FILM AND
ON TELEVISION...

I'M JUST A SIMPLE MAN...

AND FOUGHT IN SEEMINGLY HARMLESS

EXHIBITION MATCHES
AROUND THE WORLD.

♪

BUT HE GREW BORED.

ON FEBRUARY 15, 1980,
HE TOLD A REPORTER

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THAT HE HAD BEEN APPROACHED

BY PROMOTERS AND
WAS INCREASINGLY SURE

HE WOULD RETURN
TO THE RING AFTER ALL.

NOW 38 YEARS OLD,
HIS HAIR GRAYING,

AND, ACCORDING TO SOME REPORTS,
WEIGHING ALMOST 270 POUNDS,

ALI HADN'T HAD A REAL
FIGHT IN 17 MONTHS.

ALMOST NO ONE BELIEVED
IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

"I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIM FIGHT
ANYMORE," SAID ODESSA CLAY.

BUT SOON, DON KING PHONED
HERBERT AND ALI WITH AN OFFER.

THE PROMOTER NOW MANAGED

A FORMER SPARRING
PARTNER OF ALI'S,

WHO HAD RECENTLY CAPTURED
THE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE.

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME
BACK," KING TOLD THEM,

"YOU CAN ONLY
FIGHT LARRY HOLMES."

♪ UH! ♪

♪

HE WAS 30 YEARS OLD

AND UNDEFEATED IN 35
PROFESSIONAL FIGHTS.

HE WAS MY FRIEND.

WHEN ALI CAME TO MY FIGHTS
TO SEE ME IN THE RING BOXING,

HE'S SITTING THERE AT RINGSIDE,

MAN, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I...

"MAN. YEAH, ALI, HE'S
WATCHING ME FIGHT!"

MAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

I MEAN, I WAS LIKE A LITTLE
KID IN THE PLAYGROUND.

MUHAMMAD ALI HAS
SEEN THE BRIGHT SIDE,

AND NOW HE'S ON THE DARK SIDE.

I'M THE LIGHT SIDE NOW.

WHAT DO YOU THINK
YOU'LL DO WITH HIM?

BEAT MUHAMMAD ALI, OF COURSE,

BUT I WILL FEEL SAD

ABOUT BEATING MUHAMMAD ALI

BECAUSE MUHAMMAD IS
A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME.

NOW HIS TIME HAS
PASSED. IT'S MY TIME NOW.

HE SHOULDN'T HAVE
NEVER FOUGHT ME.

BUT TO GET THAT $10 MILLION,

THAT $10 MILLION

WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO FIGHT
HOLMES AND EVERYBODY ELSE.

AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID.

AND THAT'S HOW I
GOT IN TO FIGHT ALI.

THE BOXERS AGREED TO
FACE EACH OTHER IN LAS VEGAS

IN THE FALL OF 1980.

"SOME OF OUR MOSQUES
ARE IN TROUBLE,

AND SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS
ARE CLOSING," EXPLAINED ALI.

"I WOULD RETURN
TO KEEP THEM OPEN."

WHEN ALI FOUGHT
LARRY HOLMES, HE SAID,

"I TAUGHT HIM
EVERYTHING HE KNOWS.

I DIDN'T TEACH HIM
EVERYTHING I KNOW."

I TAUGHT HIM HOW TO TRAIN.

HE COME TO ME RAGGED AND HUNGRY.

GAVE HIM A JOB AS A
SPARRING PARTNER.

TOOK HIM OUT OF
EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA,

A LITTLE PEANUT-HEAD,
NOTHING, NO MONEY, BUM.

TAUGHT HIM HOW TO DANCE.

SHOWED HIM HOW TO... YOU SEE
HIM IMITATING ME... SHOWED HIM

HOW TO DANCE IN THE RING.

HE TRIES TO IMITATE ME, BUT
HE GETS TIRED AND CLUMSY.

HE CAN'T DANCE.

LISTEN, TRIED TO
TEACH HIM HOW TO TALK.

HE CAN'T TALK. DON'T
ASK HIM NO QUESTIONS.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

DO YOU NEED THE MONEY?

WHO DON'T NEED MONEY?

MUHAMMAD ALI NEVER
SHOULD'VE FOUGHT LARRY HOLMES;

LARRY HOLMES NEVER
SHOULD'VE FOUGHT MUHAMMAD ALI.

THAT'S THE BUSINESS.

AND THAT'S ALSO
ALI'S CONSTANT LOOK

FOR ONE MORE CHANCE
TO GET ON STAGE.

IN JULY, DOCTORS
AT THE MAYO CLINIC

GAVE ALI A RIGOROUS
PHYSICAL EXAM.

THOUGH THEY DETECTED
DIFFICULTY WITH HIS SPEECH,

MEMORY, AND COORDINATION,

THEY TOOK HIS WORD
THAT HE WAS JUST "TIRED,"

AND CLEARED HIM TO FIGHT.

♪

ALI DYED HIS HAIR BLACK
AND SHED 30 POUNDS.

HE BEGAN TO LOOK
MORE LIKE HIS OLD SELF.

BUT WHEN HE INSTRUCTED
HIS SPARRING PARTNERS

TO PEPPER HIS HEAD WITH
PUNCHES, THEY FOUND IT TOO EASY.

ANGELO DUNDEE BEGAN SECRETLY
CUTTING THE ROUNDS SHORT

TO SPARE HIS FIGHTER.

THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE MATCH,

HERBERT MUHAMMAD'S PERSONAL
PHYSICIAN GAVE ALI MEDICATION

TO CORRECT WHAT HE SAID
WAS A THYROID IMBALANCE.

THE PILLS ACCELERATED
HIS METABOLISM,

WHICH CAUSED RAPID WEIGHT LOSS,

AND LEFT HIM FEELING
WEAK AND TIRED.

DAYS BEFORE THE BOUT,

ALI COLLAPSED WHILE
ON AN EARLY MORNING RUN

AND WAS TREATED FOR DEHYDRATION.

A SPARRING PARTNER WORRIED
THAT ALI WAS UNFIT TO FIGHT,

BUT HERBERT MUHAMMAD INSISTED
THAT IT WAS TOO LATE TO CANCEL.

THERE HE IS, THE RETURNING HERO,

MAYBE NOT THIS TIME
THE CONQUERING HERO,

MUHAMMAD ALI...

ON OCTOBER 2, 1980, A
CROWD OF NEARLY 25,000

PAID A RECORD-BREAKING
$6 MILLION

TO FILL A TEMPORARY ARENA
BUILT ALONGSIDE CAESARS PALACE.

BUT HERE COMES LARRY HOLMES,

THE WBC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION...

WHAT I FELT THAT I HAD TO DO IS

TAKE CONTROL RIGHT OFF THE BAT,

MAKE HIM RESPECT ME
IN A DIFFERENT SETTING

THAN HE DID WHILE
I WAS IN THE GYM.

SO THEREFORE, MY
STRATEGY WAS TO GET TO HIM,

PUSH HIM AROUND.

I'M GONNA HANDLE HIM.

THE BELL FOR ROUND ONE.

♪

HOLMES REALLY WOULD LIKE TO
MAKE MINCED MEAT OF HIM EARLY

IF HE CAN.

25 SECONDS INTO ROUND ONE.

WITH ALI, YOU MUST
CONSTANTLY LOOK FOR STRATEGY,

TRYING TO OUTSMART THE OPPONENT.

AND I THOUGHT, "OK,
IT'S ANOTHER MAGIC TRICK

HE'S GOING TO SHOW US."

AND SO, YOU KEPT THINKING...
YOU... ME... KEPT THINKING,

"ALL RIGHT. HE'S DONE
NOTHING FIRST ROUND.

"HE'S DONE NOTHING
THE SECOND ROUND.

ANY MINUTE NOW, HE'S GOING
TO BE MUHAMMAD ALI AGAIN."

♪

ALI POSTURING AND TALKING,

BUT NOT PUNCHING,
NOT AT THE MOMENT.

♪

SEEMS TO ME, THERE IS
A SWELLING TO ALI'S FACE.

SO FAR, IT IS
UTTERLY NO CONTEST.

THIRD ROUND, YOU KNOW,

THEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT HE
WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING.

OH, A GOOD LEFT AND
A RIGHT THAT SENT ALI

BACK AGAINST THE ROPES...

AND THEN IT WAS REALLY SAD.

THEN IT WAS LIKE
WATCHING A TRAIN WRECK,

LIKE A FRIEND GET
RUN OVER BY A TRUCK.

ALI GETS WEARILY TO HIS FEET

AS WE PREPARE FOR ROUND NINE.

♪

OH, A GOOD, SHARP
LEFT JAB BY HOLMES.

THERE IS A FLOW OF
BLOOD UNDER THE LEFT EYE.

ALI COVERING, AND YET
TWO OF THE LEFTS GOT IN.

AND I COULD DO PRETTY
MUCH WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

BUT AS THE ROUNDS END,

I SAID TO ALI, "DON'T KEEP
TAKIN' THESE PUNCHES.

DON'T TAKE NO MORE SHOTS."

HE CUSSED ME OUT.

HE CALLED ME NAMES
AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

HE CALLED ME EVERY
NAME IN THE BOOK

THAT I'D NEVER HEARD
HIM SAY, YOU KNOW?

OH, THAT RIGHT HURT ALI!

AND I SAID, "OK, TAKE
THIS. BANG, BANG, BANG."

OH, HE'S READY TO GO.
THIS MUST BE STOPPED.

IT IS A SAD WAY TO END.

YOU START THINKING, YOU KNOW,

"I DON'T WANT TO WATCH THIS.

"I DON'T WANT TO
SEE THIS ANYMORE.

"I'VE SEEN ALL THE MAGIC.

THE MAGIC IS GONE
NOW," YOU KNOW.

AND SO THAT WAS PROBABLY
AS EMOTIONAL A NIGHT

AS I'VE EVER SPENT
AS A SPORTSWRITER

BECAUSE I CARED ABOUT HIM.

I LIKED HIM. YOU KNOW, IF
HE LOST, THAT WAS ONE THING,

BUT DON'T GET KILLED IN THERE.

THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.

ALI SLUMPED ON HIS
STOOL AFTER THE TENTH,

A ROUND IN WHICH HE ATTEMPTED
JUST FOUR FEEBLE PUNCHES.

OK, IT'S OVER...

FROM HIS SEAT, HERBERT
MUHAMMAD SIGNALED

TO ANGELO DUNDEE
TO STOP THE FIGHT.

HOLMES HAD
DOMINATED EVERY ROUND,

LANDING 340 PUNCHES TO ALI'S 42.

WHEN YOU FIGHT A
FRIEND... TO ME, A BROTHER...

THEN YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.

YOU CAN'T GET HAPPINESS.

I TOLD HIM, I SAID, "I LOVE YOU,
AND I REALLY RESPECT YOU."

I WAS GOING TO MEET MY
WIFE, AND I WAS CRYING.

AND EVERYBODY SAID,
"WHY YOU CRYING?"

I SAID, "BECAUSE
I LOVE THIS GUY."

THE GUY WAS MY MAN."

AND, SEE,

THAT PART MADE ME GET...
MY EYES GET WATERED THERE.

I STILL CRY A LITTLE BIT,

'CAUSE THE MAN HAD
SO MUCH TO OFFER.

ALI SAID HE CHECKED
INTO THE HOSPITAL

BECAUSE HE HADN'T FELT
WELL BEFORE LAST WEEK'S FIGHT,

AND HE WANTED TO
KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG.

I WASN'T MYSELF THE
NIGHT I FOUGHT HOLMES.

I COULDN'T GET
AWAY FROM PUNCHES.

MY TIMING WAS OFF...

DOCTORS DETERMINED

THAT HE HAD OVERDOSED
ON THYROID PILLS,

BUT FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF
AN UNDERLYING AFFLICTION.

"HE APPEARS TO BE
IN EXCELLENT HEALTH,"

REPORTED ONE OF HIS EXAMINERS.

NOT EVERYONE AGREED.

"IN TWO OR THREE YEARS, WE'LL
SEE WHAT THE HOLMES FIGHT

DID TO HIS KIDNEYS AND BRAIN,"

SAID HIS FORMER FIGHT
DOCTOR FERDIE PACHECO.

"HE WAS A DAMAGED
FIGHTER BEFORE THE FIGHT,

AND NOW HE'S GOING TO
BE DAMAGED EVEN MORE."

HERBERT MUHAMMAD
BLAMED ALI'S VANITY,

ALLEGING THAT THE BOXER HAD BEEN
TOO CONCERNED WITH LOOKING GOOD.

"I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD
FIGHT AGAIN," SAID HERBERT,

"BUT IF HE INSISTS, I'LL
TELL HIM 'I'LL BE WITH YOU.'"

DON KING CLAIMED HE WOULD
ADVISE ALI AGAINST ANOTHER BOUT,

BUT ALSO SAID HE WOULD
PROMOTE ONE IF ASKED.

"I SHALL RETURN," DECLARED ALI.

I'M ONLY SAYING JUST
BACK IT UP A LITTLE BIT.

WOULD YOU BACK IT
UP A LITTLE BIT, PLEASE?

TRUE TO HIS WORD,
THE FOLLOWING YEAR,

HE FACED 27-YEAR-OLD
TREVOR BERBICK

IN NASSAU, IN THE BAHAMAS.

ALI HAD ADVERTISED THE BOUT

AS THE FIRST IN A
SERIES OF FIGHTS

TO REGAIN THE HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN.

I'VE GOT A CHANCE TO GO DOWN

AS THE GREATEST ATHLETE,
NOT BOXER, IN HISTORY.

I CAN MAKE SO MANY PEOPLE WRONG.

SO MANY OF THE WRITERS
WILL HAVE TO EAT CROW.

I HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE
TO BEAT, NOT JUST BERBICK.

SO I DON'T HAVE NO EXTRA
TIME TO CLOWN FOR YOU.

ALMOST 40 YEARS OLD,
HE WEIGHED 236 POUNDS,

NEARLY 20 MORE THAN
WHEN HE FOUGHT HOLMES.

AND IN THE DAYS
BEFORE THE FIGHT,

HE HAD STRUGGLED TO
COMPLETE HIS MORNING RUNS.

BERBICK'S ALL OVER

ALI ON THE ROPES.

TWO OF THOSE RIGHT HANDS...

IT WAS

A HORRIBLE FIGHT.

WE WERE JUST CRINGING
IN THE STANDS, JUST,

"DADDY, PLEASE, JUST
THROW THE TOWEL IN."

WE DIDN'T WANT TO
WATCH HIM ANYMORE.

ALI WAS REALLY HURT
THAT TIME. HE'S WINCING.

IT WAS VERY HARD TO WATCH.

THOUGH ALI LASTED
ALL TEN ROUNDS,

THE DECISION WAS UNANIMOUS.

BERBICK'S LANDING
SOME GOOD PUNCHES

WHILE ALI TRIES TO HOLD ON.

THERE IT IS.

TREVOR BERBICK IS THE
UNANIMOUS DECISION...

RASHEDA JOINED ALI
IN HIS DRESSING ROOM

AFTER THE FIGHT.

"I WANTED HIM TO LOSE," HER
SISTER MARYUM SAID LATER.

"IF HE WON, HE'D KEEP FIGHTING,

AND I DIDN'T WANT HIM
TO FIGHT ANYMORE."

HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW?

DO YOU THINK IT'S TIME NOW,

THAT YOU SHOULD GIVE SOME
SERIOUS THOUGHT TO THIS?

I FELT MORE LIKE RETIRING
A MINUTE AFTER THE FIGHT.

PROBABLY NEXT WEEK,
I'LL BE TRYING AGAIN.

I THINK I'LL QUIT.
FATHER TIME CAUGHT ME.

YOU THINK FATHER
TIME CAUGHT YOU?

YOU THINK MAYBE NEXT
WEEK, YOU'LL THINK ABOUT IT,

BUT NOW YOU'RE...

I THINK FATHER TIME WINS.

♪

HIS CAREER WAS OVER.

MUHAMMAD ALI HAD
CAPTURED THE GOLD MEDAL

AT THE ROME OLYMPICS IN 1960.

HE HAD WON 56 PROFESSIONAL
FIGHTS, LOST JUST FIVE

TO JOE FRAZIER, KEN NORTON,
LEON SPINKS, LARRY HOLMES,

AND TREVOR BERBICK,

AND HAD WON THE HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP THREE TIMES.

HIS FIGHTS HAD EARNED
HIM MORE THAN $50 MILLION,

MORE THAN ALL THE PREVIOUS
HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS COMBINED.

BILLIONS OF FANS ACROSS
THE WORLD HAD WATCHED HIM

FIGHT IN PERSON, IN MOVIE
HOUSES, AND ON TELEVISION.

AND HE HAD ABSORBED TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF PUNCHES

TO HIS BODY AND HEAD.

HE SHOULD HAVE QUIT,

SHOULD HAVE QUIT AFTER
BEATING FOREMAN IN ZAIRE.

THAT'S WHEN THE MOVIE ENDS.

IT CAN'T GET BETTER
THAN THIS, YOU KNOW.

BUT THE ATTENTION IS
A DRUG, TOO, YOU KNOW.

THE ADRENALINE IS A
DRUG, TOO, YOU KNOW.

THE CELEBRITY IS A DRUG, TOO.

HE COULDN'T RESIST THAT.

♪

IN NOVEMBER OF 1982, MUHAMMAD
ALI RETURNED TO THE GYM

TO TRAIN FOR A
3-WEEK EXHIBITION TOUR

WITH STOPS IN SAUDI
ARABIA, INDIA, AND PAKISTAN.

THE PROFITS WOULD GO
TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION

OF A NEW MOSQUE IN CHICAGO.

"MY LIFE IS JUST
STARTING AT 40," HE SAID.

"I'M DOING THIS FOR
THE MOSLEMIC RELIGION."

SINCE RETIRING FROM BOXING,
ALI'S CONDITION HAD WORSENED.

OVERWEIGHT AND OFTEN FATIGUED,
HE SPOKE SOFTLY AND HESITANTLY,

AND SHUFFLED WHEN HE WALKED.

I PROBABLY WAS FIVE
YEARS OLD, AND I REMEMBER

JUST HIM STUMBLING WHEN HE
WALKED OR LOSING HIS BALANCE,

OR THIS GLAZE IN HIS EYE.

I REMEMBER ONCE HE WAS
PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER,

AND THEY WANTED... THEY
THOUGHT HE WAS DRUNK,

AND MY FATHER DIDN'T DRINK.

AND HE COULDN'T WALK THE LINE.

AND THEY REALIZED,
"OH, HE'S NOT DRUNK.

"THIS IS, YOU KNOW,
MUHAMMAD ALI, AND, YOU KNOW,

SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT."

BUT HE HAD PARKINSON'S,
AND NO ONE KNEW.

THE CORNERMEN AND CONFIDANTS,

FACILITATORS AND HANGERS-ON

WHO HAD TRAVELED THE
GLOBE WITH ALI, READYING HIM

FOR EACH FIGHT AND
REVELING IN HIS ADVENTURES,

HAD LARGELY MOVED ON.

BUNDINI BROWN, WHO
SUFFERED FROM DIABETES

AND WAS DRINKING EXCESSIVELY,

NOW LIVED IN A SHABBY
MOTEL IN LOS ANGELES.

WHEN BUNDINI WAS
PARALYZED IN A FALL,

ALI VISITED HIS FRIEND AT
GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL.

MUHAMMAD AND I
ENTERED, AND WE WALKED IN,

AND MUHAMMAD, I
KNEW HE WANTED TO CRY,

BUT THEN HE JUST
GRABBED HIS LIPS,

"HEY, DREW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE SO
HAPPY AND EVERYTHING.

NO MORE SICKNESS, NO MORE...
NO MORE TRIALS," HE GOES.

THEN HE WENT, "HEY, DREW."

HE WENT, "FLOAT LIKE A
BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE.

RUMBLE, YOUNG MAN, RUMBLE, HA!"

AND THEN DREW STARTED SHAKING
AND STARTED CRYING EVEN MORE,

AND THEN HE BENT
DOWN, AND HE KISSED HIM,

AND MUHAMMAD JUST HELD
HIS HAND, AND MUHAMMAD WAS...

FINALLY, TEARS
CAME DOWN HIS EYES,

AND THEN WE LEFT.

DAYS LATER, BROWN WAS DEAD.

HE WAS 59 YEARS OLD.

♪

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1984, ALI
CHECKED HIMSELF INTO NEW YORK'S

COLUMBIA-PRESBYTERIAN
MEDICAL CENTER.

AFTER DAYS OF
TESTS, DOCTORS SAID

HE HAD PARKINSON'S SYNDROME.

WHEN MY DAD WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED

WITH PARKINSON'S, HE WAS
SHOCKED LIKE ANYBODY WOULD BE.

"THERE'S NO CURE?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

AND MY DAD LOVED THE CAMERA.

HE LOVED TALKING. HE
LOVED CLOWNING AROUND.

HE LOVED BEING MUHAMMAD ALI.

BUT WHEN PARKINSON'S
ROBBED HIM, OR TRIED TO ROB HIM,

OF HIS SPEECH AND HIS WAY
THAT HE WOULD COMMUNICATE

WITH PEOPLE, HE WAS TAKEN ABACK.

AT THE HOUSE ON FREMONT PLACE,

FRIENDS, CELEBRITIES, AND
FANS CONTINUED TO DROP BY,

BUT ALI AND VERONICA
WERE GROWING APART.

HE HAD BEEN CHEATING
ON HER FOR YEARS.

IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY PAINFUL,

ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING.

I THOUGHT I'D DIE.

AND AFTER A WHILE,
I BECAME NUMB.

TWO YEARS EARLIER, WHILE
ON A TRIP TO LOUISVILLE,

ALI HAD INVITED LONNIE
WILLIAMS TO JOIN HIM FOR LUNCH.

♪

THE TWO HAD FIRST
MET IN THE EARLY 1960s,

WHEN LONNIE WAS
IN THE FIRST GRADE.

WE MOVED IN NOT KNOWING
WHO LIVED ACROSS THE STREET.

NOW, ACTUALLY MUHAMMAD
DIDN'T LIVE THERE, JUST HIS PARENTS.

AND IT WAS SHORTLY
AFTER WE MOVED IN

THAT WE FIRST MET HIM,

AND WE REALIZED, YOU
KNOW, THAT, "OH, YOU KNOW,

THERE'S SOMEBODY FAMOUS
ACROSS THE STREET HERE."

THEIR MOTHERS HAD BECOME CLOSE,

AND, OVER THE YEARS,

ALI HAD SEEN LONNIE
WHEN VISITING LOUISVILLE.

NOW LONNIE WAS TROUBLED
BY ALI'S CLUMSY GAIT

AND MUMBLED SPEECH.

SOON, SHE RELOCATED
TO LOS ANGELES.

BEFORE LONG, ALI WAS
SEEING LONNIE REGULARLY.

IN 1985, VERONICA TOLD
MUHAMMAD SHE WANTED A DIVORCE.

IT WASN'T AS IF I
WAS ANGRY WITH HIM.

I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.

WE WERE VERY CIVIL AND FRIENDLY.

HE WAS HOPING THAT I
WOULD CHANGE MY MIND.

BUT I THINK HE WOULD
HAVE BEEN JUST AS NICE

EVEN IF HE HAD
ACCEPTED IT ALREADY.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY HE WAS.

ON NOVEMBER 19, 1986,

MUHAMMAD ALI
MARRIED LONNIE WILLIAMS

BEFORE A HANDFUL OF FRIENDS
AND FAMILY IN LOUISVILLE.

SEEKING QUIET, THE NEWLYWEDS
MOVED TO ALI'S FARM IN MICHIGAN.

FOR DECADES, ALI HAD SHARED
HIS INCOME FREELY WITH FAMILY,

FRIENDS, AND STRANGERS,

AND HAD GOTTEN INVOLVED

IN COUNTLESS DUBIOUS
BUSINESS VENTURES.

LONNIE BROUGHT
ORDER TO ALI'S FINANCES.

SHE NOT ONLY TOOK CARE OF HIM

AND SHE NOT ONLY,
YOU KNOW, LOVED HIM

AND STARTED A
NEW FAMILY WITH HIM,

SHE BECAME, REALLY,
THE C.E.O. OF ALI, INC.,

AND GOT RID OF A
LOT OF THE PEOPLE

WHO'D BEEN LEECHING MONEY,

GOT RID OF A LOT OF
THE BAD BUSINESSES

THAT HE'D BEEN A PART OF,

AND, STARTED TO FIND WAYS
THAT THEY COULD MAKE MONEY

IN HIS POST-BOXING CAREER.

♪

HIS DEVOTION TO ISLAM

INCREASINGLY SHAPED
HIS DAILY ROUTINE.

HE PRAYED FIVE TIMES
EACH DAY FACING MECCA,

CALLED FRIENDS TO DISCUSS THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RELIGIONS,

AND DISTRIBUTED AUTOGRAPHED
PAMPHLETS THAT HE HOPED

WOULD HELP CORRECT COMMON
MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT HIS FAITH.

♪

WHEN HE TRAVELED
IN THE MUSLIM WORLD,

MASSIVE CROWDS GREETED
HIM AS "MUHAMMAD ALI CLAY"

TO DISTINGUISH THEIR HERO FROM
THOUSANDS OF FAITHFUL MUSLIMS

ALSO NAMED MUHAMMAD ALI.

DURING A GOODWILL
VISIT TO PAKISTAN IN 1987,

MUHAMMAD AND LONNIE VISITED
SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND MOSQUES.

THEY DELIVERED CANNED MILK
TO AN AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMP

ALONG THE BORDER

AND ENCOURAGED
GUERRILLA FIGHTERS THERE

IN THEIR LONG STRUGGLE TO
EVICT THE OCCUPYING SOVIET ARMY

FROM AFGHANISTAN.

HE NEEDED LOVE LIKE HE
NEEDED AIR TO BREATHE.

SO THE PEOPLE DID
PROBABLY MORE FOR HIM

THAN HE DID FOR THEM, IF NOT
AT LEAST EQUAL, YOU KNOW?

SO HE WAS SO GRATEFUL
FOR THE LOVE THEY GAVE,

HE WAS SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.

IN 1989, HE WAS ON THE ROAD

MORE THAN AT HOME, VISITING
ENGLAND, SENEGAL, SWITZERLAND,

AND SAUDI ARABIA.

IN APRIL, HE AND LONNIE
MADE A PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA

DURING THE HOLY
MONTH OF RAMADAN.

ALI HAD VISITED
MECCA BEFORE, IN 1972,

BUT NOW ADMITTED THAT HE

HADN'T FULLY APPRECIATED
ITS SIGNIFICANCE

AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HIS
COMMITMENT TO HIS RELIGION

HAD LONG BEEN IMPERFECT.

"I FIT MY RELIGION TO
DO WHATEVER I WANTED.

"I DID THINGS THAT WERE WRONG,
AND CHASED WOMEN ALL THE TIME.

EVERYTHING I DO NOW
I DO TO PLEASE ALLAH."

ONE OF MY FATHER'S
FAVORITE SAYINGS WAS,

"RIVERS, LAKES, AND STREAMS
ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES,

"BUT THEY ALL CONTAIN WATER.

"SO DO RELIGIONS
HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES,

BUT THEY ALL CONTAIN TRUTH."

HE ALWAYS TAUGHT ME THAT
THERE'S ONLY ONE TRUE RELIGION,

AND THAT'S THE RELIGION
OF THE HEART, HE WOULD SAY.

"AND AS LONG AS YOU DO RIGHT
AND YOU TREAT PEOPLE RIGHT,

"I BELIEVE YOU'LL GO TO HEAVEN

NO MATTER WHAT YOU
CALL YOUR RELIGION."

AS HIS SYMPTOMS PROGRESSED...

HIS SPEECH MORE SLURRED,
HIS TREMORS MORE OBVIOUS,

HIS ONCE EXPRESSIVE
FACE NOW FROZEN...

ALI SPOKE OF HIS PARKINSON'S
AS A TRIAL FROM GOD

AND A PUNISHMENT FOR HIS SINS,

BUT ALSO AS A BLESSING
THAT KEPT HIM HUMBLE.

MUHAMMAD, GOOD MORNING.

THANKS. GOOD MORNING.

HOW YOU BEEN?

TIRED, TRAVELING...

HE HAD ONCE LOVED TO ADMIRE

HIS OWN REFLECTION AND
CROW ABOUT HIS GOOD LOOKS.

BUT WHEN HE SAW A RECORDING
OF HIMSELF ON THE "TODAY SHOW,"

ALI RECOILED.

"THAT MAN LOOKED
LIKE HE'S DYING," HE SAID.

IN 1996, ALI TRAVELED TO CUBA

ON A HUMANITARIAN MISSION,
VISITING CHILDREN'S WARDS

AND DELIVERING MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

ALI AND HIS COMPANIONS
ATTENDED A RECEPTION

WITH FIDEL CASTRO.

♪

UNABLE TO SPEAK,

ALI ENTERTAINED
THE CUBAN PRESIDENT

AND HIS GUESTS,
PERFORMING MAGIC TRICKS.

AFTERWARDS, BELIEVING
THAT IT WENT AGAINST ISLAM

TO DECEIVE PEOPLE, HE REVEALED
THE SECRET TO EACH TRICK.

HE'D BEEN FORGOTTEN
TO SOME EXTENT.

I THINK PEOPLE DON'T
APPRECIATE THAT,

IN THE LATE EIGHTIES,
EARLY NINETIES,

ALI DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH
ATTENTION TO MAKE HIM HAPPY.

HE'D GO OUT AND DO
EVENTS FOR $1,000, $2,000.

HE'D SIT ALL DAY
SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS

AT A TRADE SHOW,
AND HE WOULDN'T LEAVE

WHEN HIS TIME WAS UP UNTIL
EVERYBODY GOT THEIR AUTOGRAPHS

BECAUSE HE WANTED
TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY

AND HE WANTED THE ATTENTION.

IN 1996, THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE,

PLANNING THE SUMMER GAMES
IN ATLANTA, ASKED MUHAMMAD ALI

TO LIGHT THE TORCH AT
THE OPENING CEREMONIES.

AT FIRST, ALI DECLINED.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO
BE SEEN SHAKING

AND STUMBLING ON THAT STAGE.

BUT HIS FRIEND HOWARD
BINGHAM CONVINCED HIM.

"THIS IS THE THING WHERE THE
WORLD IS SAYING, 'THANK YOU

FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER
YOUR LIFE, '" BINGHAM TOLD HIM.

"THERE WILL BE 3 BILLION
PEOPLE WATCHING."

♪

THE PLANS WERE KEPT SECRET.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE HER?

JANET EVANS.

CONSIDERED THE GREATEST
FEMALE DISTANCE SWIMMER

OF ALL TIME.

AND IT WAS PLANNED
VERY BRILLIANTLY.

I MEAN, PEOPLE REALLY THOUGHT
THE SWIMMER JANET EVANS WAS

GOING TO BE THE PERSON WHO
WAS GOING TO LIGHT THAT TORCH,

BUT INSTEAD OUT OF
NOWHERE COMES MUHAMMAD ALI.

♪

NAOMI SHELTON & THE
GOSPEL QUEENS: ♪ I'LL TAKE ♪

♪ THE LONG ROAD... ♪

YOU HADN'T REALLY
SEEN HIM IN A WHILE.

YOU KNEW HE WAS SICK, AND
WHEN YOU WOULD SEE HIM,

HE WAS CLEARLY SHOWING
THE EFFECTS OF THE ILLNESS,

BUT HE HADN'T BEEN
SEEN THAT MUCH,

AND THEN HERE HE IS IN
THIS BIG, PROMINENT MOMENT.

AND HE'S HOLDING THAT
TORCH, AND HE'S SHAKING.

AND, I, MAN, I'M
ABOUT TO CRY NOW.

IT WAS HARD TO WATCH BECAUSE YOU

DON'T WANT TO SEE
YOUR GUY LIKE THAT.

YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE
THAT, BUT YOU... YOU SAW IT.

HE WAS DEFENSELESS NOW.

HE CAN'T HURT US
ANYMORE, YOU KNOW.

HE CAN'T MAKE US MAD
ANYMORE, BECAUSE NOW HE'S...

THE GAME THAT WE ASKED
HIM TO PLAY TO ENTERTAIN US

HAS LEFT HIM LOOKING LIKE THIS.

AND NOW WE FEEL SOME
SYMPATHY, IF NOT GUILT.

WE SEE HIM SHAKING,
TREMBLING UP THERE.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, MOVING...

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ATHLETE
IN MOTION YOU'VE EVER SEEN,

AND NOW HE CAN'T HOLD
THE TORCH, YOU KNOW.

SO, WE FEEL GUILT,
AND WE FEEL SYMPATHY.

WE WANT TO HUG HIM.
WE WANT TO EMBRACE HIM.

WE WANT TO ASK HIS
FORGIVENESS, YOU KNOW.

FOR EVERY REASON
THAT WE DISLIKED HIM,

NOW WE LOVE HIM, YOU
KNOW, BECAUSE HE WAS RIGHT.

♪

IT WAS STRIKING TO
SEE THIS EVOLUTION

NOT IN ALI, BUT IN US.

IT JUST STRUCK ME SO
AMAZINGLY TO WATCH ALI,

LIKE, LIGHTING THIS TORCH,

PEOPLE WEEPING.

IT'S AMAZING, AND YOU...
AND YOU CAST BACK

NOT SO MANY YEARS BEFORE,

AND SOME HUGE AMOUNT
OF THE COUNTRY THOUGHT

THIS GUY WAS THE ANTICHRIST,

OR THEY CHOSE TO HATE HIM,

OR THEY MADE HIM A FOIL

TO THE OTHER GUY
THAT THEY LIKED BETTER.

AND IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE
THAT HUMAN BEINGS

ARE CAPABLE OF
LEARNING SOMETHING.

♪

THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE
CAUGHT ALI BY SURPRISE.

"PARKINSON'S ROBS
YOU OF CONFIDENCE,"

LONNIE TOLD A REPORTER.

"NOW HE KNOWS THE PUBLIC
WILL LOVE HIM AND ACCEPT HIM

NO MATTER WHAT HE HAS."

NAOMI SHELTON & THE
QUEENS: ♪ YES, I WILL ♪

ALI, LATE IN LIFE, TALKED ABOUT

THIS TALLYING
ANGEL, HE CALLED IT,

THAT THERE WAS AN ANGEL UP THERE
WHO COUNTED ALL THE GOOD THINGS

YOU DID IN LIFE AND ALL THE
BAD THINGS YOU DID IN LIFE,

AND IF YOU HAD MORE BAD
THINGS THAN GOOD THINGS,

YOU WERE GOING TO HELL,

AND HE HAD A VERY VIVID
IMPRESSION OF WHAT HELL MEANT.

AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT
HE HAD A LOT OF NEGATIVE MARKS,

THAT THE TALLYING ANGEL
WAS NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY

WITH THE WAY HE HAD
TREATED WOMEN, IN PARTICULAR.

♪

30 YEARS AFTER ALI
FIRST FACED JOE FRAZIER,

A REPORTER ASKED HIM ABOUT
THEIR LONG-RUNNING FEUD.

"I CALLED HIM A LOT OF NAMES

THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE
CALLED HIM," ALI ADMITTED.

"I APOLOGIZE FOR
THAT. I LIKE JOE FRAZIER.

ME AND HIM WAS A GOOD SHOW."

FRAZIER NEVER FORGAVE ALI.

LATER, HE EXPRESSED SORROW
AT HAVING ABANDONED MALCOLM X.

"TURNING MY BACK ON MALCOLM
WAS ONE OF THE MISTAKES

THAT I REGRET MOST
IN MY LIFE," HE WROTE.

"I WISH I'D BEEN ABLE TO
TELL MALCOLM I WAS SORRY,

THAT HE WAS RIGHT
ABOUT SO MANY THINGS."

DADDY EVOLVED. HE BECAME BETTER.

AND DADDY SAID THAT,
"I'M BIGGER THAN BOXING."

THAT MEANT BOXING WAS THIS MUCH.

♪

HIS EVOLUTION INTO
THE PERSON HE IS TODAY

IS WAY BIGGER THAN
HIM JUST BOXING.

AND I THINK HE KNEW THAT,

AND HE CARRIED IT WITH HIM...

HIS LOVE.

♪

AND HE GAVE IT TO EVERY
SINGLE PERSON HE MET.

AND I THINK THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

♪

AS THE 20th CENTURY
CAME TO AN END,

"NEWSWEEK," "TIME," AND
"SPORTS ILLUSTRATED"

ALL NAMED HIM ATHLETE
OF THE CENTURY.

IN THE DAYS AFTER THE TERRORIST
ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001,

AMERICAN MUSLIMS WERE
THE VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES

SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH.

"I AM A MUSLIM. I AM AN
AMERICAN," ALI RESPONDED.

"IF THE CULPRITS ARE MUSLIM,

"THEY HAVE TWISTED
THE TEACHINGS OF ISLAM.

"WHOEVER PERFORMED
THE TERRORIST ATTACKS

"DOES NOT REPRESENT ISLAM.

GOD IS NOT BEHIND ASSASSINS."

WHAT I HOPE IS THAT
MUHAMMAD ALI WILL BE

A CONSTANT REMINDER TO AMERICA

OF JUST HOW THOROUGHLY AMERICAN

A BELIEVING, PRACTICING,
SINCERELY COMMITTED MUSLIM

CAN BE.

WHATEVER ONE'S BACKGROUND
IS, ALI BELONGS TO AMERICA,

ALL OF US.

AND I THINK THAT HE
BELONGS TO ALL OF US,

BECAUSE HE AFFECTED ALL OF US.

AND I HOPE THAT THAT'S PART OF
THE LEGACY THAT HE WILL LEAVE,

THAT AMERICA WON'T FORGET
ALI AS THIS AMERICAN MUSLIM

WITH EQUAL EMPHASIS
ON AMERICAN-MUSLIM.

ON NOVEMBER 9, 2005,

PRESIDENT GEORGE
W. BUSH PRESENTED ALI

WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL
MEDAL OF FREEDOM,

THE HIGHEST CIVILIAN
HONOR IN THE UNITED STATES.

THAT SAME YEAR, THE
MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER,

A MUSEUM DEDICATED
TO HIS LIFE AND LEGACY,

OPENED IN LOUISVILLE.

MUHAMMAD ALI WAS AN ACTIVIST

WHO FOUGHT TO
REACH US A CERTAIN WAY

AND TO MOVE AMERICA
IN A CERTAIN WAY

AND MOVE INDIVIDUALS
IN A CERTAIN WAY.

"I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS
PATH. I BELIEVE THAT I'M RIGHT.

AND EVEN IF I'M NOT
RIGHT, I'M STILL ME."

AND TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THAT
AND TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS

GOING TO BE AN ENORMOUS
PRICE TO PAY FOR THAT

AND TO HAVE THAT
BE GENERATIONAL,

TO HAVE THAT LIVE ON BEYOND
YOU IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE.

EVERYTHING THAT HE
DID COULDN'T BE UNDONE.

♪

AS MY DAD'S CONDITION
PROGRESSED,

IT BECAME MORE DIFFICULT
TO JUST WALK AND TO EAT

AND TO JUST DO...
JUST THE LITTLE THINGS.

YOU KNOW, GETTING UP OUT OF BED,

GETTING... YOU KNOW, WALKING FROM
ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, YOU KNOW?

THE STOOPED POSTURE, YOU
KNOW. THAT'S THE LEANING OVER.

IT WASN'T SO EASY AT THE END

BECAUSE OF THE PARKINSON'S,
BUT HE STILL ENJOYED HIS LIFE.

AND I NEVER, NEVER HEARD
DADDY COMPLAIN, NOT ONE TIME.

BUT ON THE DAYS WHEN
HE SOUND GOOD, OH...

THE SUN CAME OUT.

ON JUNE 2, 2016,

MUHAMMAD ALI CHECKED INTO A
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, HOSPITAL

WITH A RESPIRATORY INFECTION.

ALI'S CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
TRAVELED FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

TO BE AT HIS BEDSIDE.

AT 8:30 P.M. ON JUNE 3rd,

DOCTORS DISCONNECTED
HIM FROM THE VENTILATOR

THAT WAS HELPING HIM BREATHE.

♪

AS HIS RESPIRATION
GENTLY SLOWED,

AN IMAM SANG THE
MUSLIM CALL TO PRAYER:

"THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH,

AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER."

SOON, HE WAS GONE.

MUHAMMAD ALI WAS 74 YEARS OLD.

I GOT A TEXT FROM THIS FRIEND.

THE TEXT SAID,
"MUHAMMAD'S GONE."

"MUHAMMAD'S GONE. DAMN."

LIKE FUCK, MAN.

YUP. "MUHAMMAD'S GONE. DAMN."

I DIDN'T KNOW HIM.

I MET HIM TWICE,
BUT HE WAS FAMILY.

♪

EVERYTHING MY BROTHER
SAID HE WOULD DO

AS A CHILD, HE DID IT IN LIFE.

HE SAID HE WAS GOING
TO BE A GREAT MAN,

GOING TO BE A BOXER, BE A POET,

BE KIND AND GOOD
TO PEOPLE, BE RICH.

ALL THOSE THINGS HE
DID BEFORE HE DIED.

SO HE DIED A RICH, HAPPY MAN.

♪

I LOVE MY DAD,

BUT MUHAMMAD TAUGHT
ME A LOT OF STUFF

THAT MY DAD DIDN'T TEACH ME.

HE TAUGHT ME HOW
TO HAVE COURAGE,

AND HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO, UM...

♪

FACE ADVERSITY.

I... I MISS HIM.

IT'S JUST SO HARD TO EXPLAIN.

IT'S JUST LIKE PART OF
YOUR HEART'S JUST BROKEN

EVEN TO THIS DAY, YOU KNOW.

IT'S JUST LIKE YOU CAN
STILL HEAR HIS VOICE,

YOU CAN STILL HEAR HIM
SINGING, LAUGHING, JOKING,

SAD, HAPPY, YOU KNOW.

BUT, UM, WE GO ON.

♪

HE USED TO HAVE THIS DREAM

THAT HE TALKED ABOUT
AND WROTE ABOUT,

HOW HE WAS RUNNING DOWN
BROADWAY WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER,

AND HE SAID HE DREAMT
THIS DREAM ALL THE TIME,

AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
PEOPLE WERE IN THE STREETS,

AND THEY WERE CHANTING
HIS NAME AND WAVING AT HIM,

AND HE LOOKED AT THEM,
AND HE'D WAVE BACK,

AND HE WOULD JUST
TAKE OFF FLYING.

♪

IT WAS SO FUNNY

BECAUSE AS I WAS IN THE
CAR FOLLOWING THE CASKET

TO HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE,
AND THERE WERE ALL THE PEOPLE

IN THE STREETS, AND
THEY HAD THE SIGNS UP,

AND THERE WAS NOT A
GAP FOR MILES WE DROVE.

IT WAS JUST AMAZING BECAUSE
THE STREETS AND THE BRIDGES,

AND IT WAS JUST LINED WITH
THICK CROWDS OF PEOPLE

CHANTING HIS NAME.

AND, I THOUGHT, "OH, MY
GOD. THIS WAS HIS DREAM."

THE FUNERAL PROCESSION
WOUND THROUGH LOUISVILLE,

PAST THE MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER,

ALONG MUHAMMAD ALI BOULEVARD,

PAST HIS CHILDHOOD
HOME ON GRAND AVENUE,

WHERE THE HEARSE WAS ALMOST
SWALLOWED UP BY THE CROWD,

AND THEN, FINALLY, TO
CAVE HILL CEMETERY.

HIS HEADSTONE WAS ENGRAVED
WITH A LINE HE LIKED TO QUOTE:

"SERVICE TO OTHERS
IS THE RENT YOU PAY

FOR YOUR ROOM IN HEAVEN."

"IF THE MEASURE OF GREATNESS
IS TO GLADDEN THE HEART

"OF EVERY HUMAN BEING
ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH,

THEN HE TRULY WAS THE
GREATEST," WROTE BOB DYLAN.

"IN EVERY WAY HE
WAS THE BRAVEST,

THE KINDEST, AND THE
MOST EXCELLENT OF MEN."

♪

OH, ALI, ALI.

BLACK TARANTULA WHOSE
ANTICS HYPNOTIZE THE FOE.

BUTTERFLY SIDE SLIPPING
DEATH FROM ROCKET PROBES.

BEE WHOSE STING, UNSHEATHED,

PICKS THE TEETH OF THE
RAGING HIPPOPOTAMUS.

WARRIOR WHO SAID,
"I WILL NOT FIGHT,"

YET PROVED A PROPHET'S
CALL TO ARMS AGAINST A WAR.

CASSIUS MARCELLUS, WARRIOR,

MUHAMMAD PROPHET,

FLESH IS CLAY, ALL,
ALL TOO BRITTLE MOULD.

THE BOUT IS OVER.

FRAYED AND SPLIT
AND AUTOGRAPHED.

THE GLOVES ARE HUNG UP IN
THE HALL OF FAME... STILL LOADED,

EVEN FROM THAT FIRST
BLAZE OF GOLD AND GLORY.

AWED MULTITUDES WILL GAZE,

NEW QUESTERS FEAST
ON THESE MEMENTOS,

AND FROM THEIR SHELL-SHOCKED
REMNANTS REINVOKE THE SPELL.

BUT THE SORCERER IS GONE,

THE LION WITHDRAWN TO
A LAIR OF TIME AND SPACE

INACCESSIBLE AS THE
SACRED LINING OF A CROWN

WHEN KINGS WERE KINGS,
AND LORDS OF RHYME AND PACE.

THE ENCHANTMENT IS OVER,
BUT THE SPELL REMAINS.

♪

♪

♪ THEY SAY EVERYTHING
CAN BE REPLACED ♪

♪

♪ THEY SAY EVERY
DISTANCE IS NOT NEAR ♪

♪

♪ SO I REMEMBER EVERY FACE ♪

♪

♪ OF EVERY MAN WHO PUT ME HERE ♪

♪ OH... ♪

♪ I SEE MY LIGHT ♪

♪ COME SHINING ♪

♪

♪ FROM THE WEST
DOWN TO THE E-E-EAST ♪

♪ ANY DAY NOW ♪

♪ ANY DAY NOW ♪

♪ I SHALL BE RELEASED ♪

♪

♪ THEY SAY EVERY MAN
NEEDS PROTECTION ♪

♪

♪ THEY SAY EVERY MAN MUST FALL ♪

♪

♪ SO I SWEAR I SEE
MY REFLECTION ♪

♪

♪ SOMEWHERE INSIDE THESE WALLS ♪

♪ OH... ♪

♪ I SEE MY LIGHT ♪

♪ COME SHINING ♪

♪

♪ FROM THE WEST
DOWN TO THE E-E-EAST ♪

♪ ANY DAY NOW ♪

♪ I SHALL BE RELEASED ♪

NOW BATTING, NUMBER 9,

TED WILLIAMS.

CAN LOOKING BACK
PUSH US FORWARD?

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
MISS BILLIE HOLIDAY.

WILL OUR VOICE BE
HEARD THROUGH TIME?

CAN OUR PAST INSPIRE OUR FUTURE?

MASSIVE ACT OF CONCERN.

BANK OF AMERICA PROUDLY SUPPORTS

KEN BURNS

AND THE STORIES FROM OUR
PAST THAT HELP US MOVE FORWARD.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "MUHAMMAD ALI"

DAVID M. RUBENSTEIN,

INVESTING IN PEOPLE
AND INSTITUTIONS

THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE
PAST AND PREPARE US FOR THE FUTURE;

BY THE ARTHUR VINING
DAVIS FOUNDATIONS,

INVESTING IN OUR COMMON FUTURE;

BY THE BETTER ANGELS
SOCIETY AND ITS MEMBERS

ALAN AND MARCIA DOCTER,

MR. AND MRS. PAUL TUDOR JONES,

THE FULLERTON FAMILY
CHARITABLE FUND,

GILCHRIST AND AMY BERG;

THE BROOKE BROWN
BARZUN FOUNDATION,

OWSLEY BROWN III FOUNDATION.

AND AUGUSTA BROWN
HOLLAND FOUNDATION,

PERRY AND DONNA GOLKIN,

JOHN AND LESLIE McQUOWN,

JOHN AND CATHERINE DEBS,

FRED AND DONNA SEIGEL,

SUSAN AND JOHN WIELAND,

AND BY THESE
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS.

MAJOR FUNDING WAS ALSO PROVIDED

BY THE CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING

AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS

TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.