RIP Muhammad Ali
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I think what also gets overlooked a lot is that underneath the bravado, swagger and silky skills was the fact that he was one tough bastard. He could soak up punishment like no other. To execute the rope a dope with Foreman took a lot of courage and a fair bit of intestinal fortitude. In the "Fight" by Norman Mailer he talks of Ali pissing blood for days after the contest.<br><br>
Ultimately his courage probably led to his downfall but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. -
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<p>I think what also gets overlooked a lot is that underneath the bravado, swagger and silky skills was the fact that he was one tough bastard. He could soak up punishment like no other. To execute the rope a dope with Foreman took a lot of courage and a fair bit of intestinal fortitude. In the "Fight" by Norman Mailer he talks of Ali pissing blood for days after the contest.<br><br>
Ultimately his courage probably led to his downfall but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.</p>
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<p>And at the end of the day , that may have been his downfall , </p>
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<p>In the early years , he was so slick he never got hit flush , but that changed at the end, </p>
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<p>And his sparring sessions have become legendary , where he would line up a heap of fresh sparring partners for long sessions,sometimes would do 15 rounds with a fresh sparring partner for each round, and basically cop too much punishment , he was of the belief he could absorb pain like no other fighter </p> -
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<p>And at the end of the day , that may have been his downfall , </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the early years , he was so slick he never got hit flush , but that changed at the end, </p>
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<p>And his sparring sessions have become legendary , where he would line up a heap of fresh sparring partners for long sessions,sometimes would do 15 rounds with a fresh sparring partner for each round, and basically cop too much punishment , he was of the belief he could <strong>absorb pain like no other fighter </strong></p>
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<p>I reckon that's debatable. Rocky Marciano, Jim Jeffries and our own Tuaman were like walking slabs of granite.</p> -
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<p>I reckon that's debatable. Rocky Marciano, Jim Jeffries and our own Tuaman were like walking slabs of granite.</p>
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<p>But they didn't give the lip like he did even when being smashed.</p>
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<div>“I'll beat him so bad he'll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.â€</div>
<div>-Muhammad Ali</div>
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<div>Oh and</div>
<div>“If you even dream of beating me, you'd better wake up and apologize.â€</div> -
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<p> </p>
<p>But they didn't give the lip like he did even when being smashed.</p>
<p> </p>
<div>“I'll beat him so bad he'll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.â€</div>
<div>-Muhammad Ali</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Oh and</div>
<div>“If you even dream of beating me, you'd better wake up and apologize.â€</div>
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<p>Well yeah but that's not what I'm debating, no denying he was the best raconteur in boxing ( if not all sports ) history.</p> -
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<p>I like the stare between Ali and Liston at 0.33-0.35 in the ring after Ali had just beaten Liston in the rematch.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="585280" data-time="1465180429"><p>
I reckon that's debatable. Rocky Marciano, Jim Jeffries and our own Tuaman were like walking slabs of granite.</p></blockquote>
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George Chuvalo hands down for me -
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<p>George Chuvalo hands down for me</p>
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<p>Great call, completely forgot him but don't reckon it's completely unanimous.....knockout loss to Ali notwithstanding George Foreman is another.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="585280" data-time="1465180429"><p>
I reckon that's debatable. Rocky Marciano, Jim Jeffries and our own Tuaman were like walking slabs of granite.</p></blockquote>
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I didn't say he was , perhaps I worded it wrong , he believed he could take more pain than his opponents could , comparing fighters pain tolerance from other eras is irrelevant, he wasn't fighting them -
<p>If you watch the rumble Ali hit Foreman alot - whenever George took a sec break Ali landed super fast combos totally flummoxing him. Foreman couldn't believe he was getting hit by lead rights.</p>
<p>Its not only about taking punishment with Ali, yes Tua could take a punch but how many times could Tua take punches and win the fight on points...thats the difference there.</p> -
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<p>If you watch the rumble Ali hit Foreman alot - whenever George took a sec break Ali landed super fast combos totally flummoxing him. Foreman couldn't believe he was getting hit by lead rights.</p>
<p>Its not only about taking punishment with Ali, yes Tua could take a punch but <strong>how many times could Tua take punches and win the fight on points...thats the difference there.</strong></p>
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<p>No comparison there, night and day. Ali was never a big hitter but he hit so fast and so much cleaner and better.....</p> -
<p>Watched a tribute show hosted by Michael Parkinson yesterday on Channel ten in Australia</p>
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<p>As Mick above alluded to, typically Parkinson didn't drop the ball and had a "greatest hits" tribute of Ali and Parkinsons interviews over the years - 3 interviews spanning about 12 years - in the can for the inevitable passing away.</p>
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<p>Thing is, for me, Ali has sort of been passed away for the last 20-25 years, in that his diseases have left him unable to contribute any speeches, opinions or words of wisdom. All the Ali footage we have which shaped him as the greatest boxer and orator ended in the 80's and even the 96 torch lighting ceremony in Atlanta showed a mute Ali.</p>
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<p>For that reason the Parkinson interviews are a great receptacle to try to understand the great man and some of the stories and his storytelling make this tribute really worthwhile watching. And it doesn't have the usual fucking faff that other tributes have</p>
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<p>Sorry I can only find these links at the moment, not the tribute per se but amazing insights to the man</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/muhammad-alis-most-memorable-tv-8112488'>http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/muhammad-alis-most-memorable-tv-8112488</a></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Muhammad+Ali+on+Parkinson+1971+full+interview+Part+'>https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Muhammad+Ali+on+Parkinson+1971+full+interview+Part+</a></p> -
My father, like many others, was a huge Ali fan and coming from a boxing family his name came up a lot. But away from the ring the guy was just a good human. Thats what made him great. He just wanted equality for all and the world is so much better for having him in it. Im over this year. Take a break Death youve done enough.<br><br>
Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Razbra" data-cid="585316" data-time="1465200723">
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<p>My father, like many others, was a huge Ali fan and coming from a boxing family his name came up a lot. But away from the ring the guy was just a good human. Thats what made him great. He just wanted equality for all and the world is so much better for having him in it. Im over this year. Take a break Death youve done enough.<br><br>
Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk</p>
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<p>Him beating George Foreman probably made the latter such a good bloke too in a funny way. Read an article in which they quoted Foreman, he's the last of that big three now.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="585294" data-time="1465182962"><p>
Great call, completely forgot him but don't reckon it's completely unanimous.....knockout loss to Ali notwithstanding George Foreman is another.</p></blockquote>
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Chuval went the distance with Ali twice didn't he?<br><br>
I've watched those fights a few times, fuck he's hard. Never knocked down in an extensive amateur career and the pros, not even in sparing.<br><br>
Agree though, it's hardly unanimous. ESPN did a list of the greatest chins in boxing history, it's a good read .<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3184174">http://espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3184174</a> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="585318" data-time="1465201022"><p>Him beating George Foreman probably made the latter such a good bloke too in a funny way. Read an article in which they quoted Foreman, he's the last of that big three now.</p></blockquote>Amazing that he came back age 45 and reclaimed the title. Goes to show how he and his contemporaries probably stacked up against the younger generation of boxers
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="585287" data-time="1465181804">
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<p>Well yeah but that's not what I'm debating, no denying he was the best raconteur in boxing ( if not all sports ) history.</p>
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<p>No not just raconteur, he could really outpsyche boxers.</p>
<p>If all you are interested in is how tough he was, he wasn't built like those brick shithouses but he would take a huge amount of punishment in some of those fights. But personally I don't judge a boxer's greatness in terms of how many punches they can take.</p> -
<p>My earlier point wasn't so much about the physical ability to take punishment and comparing him to others , but more the mental strength to go through the pain barrier and the damage he may have done to himself trying to prove a point .<br><br>
its something we can't measure anyway ,</p>
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<p>but Ali would practice taking punishment , by getting fresh sparring partners to hit him over and over when he was past the point of exhaustion ,.<br><br>
Those close to him suspect it was in those sparring sessions that the damage was done to his health , not so much the fights themselves.</p> -
He probably thought he was invincible at the time. A lot of boxers need protecting from themselves for sure and I think Nevada State Athletic Commission have much to answer for in letting the Larry Holmes fight go ahead. It was already apparent that Ali was not right. Must have been horrible for Holmes too, having to fight one of his heroes in such a state.
