38 years ago today, inside a packed out Superdome in New Orleans, ageing superstar Muhammad Ali did what he should have done in the first place and defeated rank amateur Leon Spinks. Seven months previously, a woefully out of condition Ali was upset by the 1976 Olympic gold medal winner, losing a 15-rounder that was somehow scored as a split decision against “The Greatest.”
The February decision handed in in Las Vegas should have been … Read Article
New York, NY, September 7, 2016 – It was the biggest fight in boxing history – a star-studded, must-see live event unlike any other before or since. The first bout in the epic trilogy of fights between boxing immortals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took place on March 8, 1971 from Madison Square Garden in New York City with a backdrop steeped in politics, race relations, money, power, celebrity and athletic greatness. Spike TV takes … Read Article
Muhammad Ali had his “Anchor Punch.” Bruce Lee had his one-inch punch.
Ali had his “Shuffle.” Lee had lethal power in both feet.
And, yes, some fight fans have even debated, and did debate back in the early 1970s, over who would have won if these two iconic figures had met in a bout. Maybe the idea of Ali and Lee(who passed away, shockingly, in 1973) fighting isn’t all that crazy.… Read Article
It was a truly landmark event not only in boxing, but in the careers of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, in black music and in the career of the man behind it all, Don King. It was “The Rumble in The Jungle” of 1974 and, in honour of The Greatest, who as we all know passed away in June of this year, promoter extraordinaire King is planning a sequel, a “Rumble in The Jungle II” … Read Article
A huge party was taking place last night in Las Vegas, as the iconic and quite beautiful hotel Caesars Palace celebrated its 50th birthday. The hotel, one of the oldest in Las Vegas, opened its doors on August 5, 1966 and a weekend-long series of celebrations came to and end with a stunning fireworks display last night. Fight fans of course used to regularly pack out Caesars Palace when the biggest fights, the most special … Read Article
Being too young (unfortunately) to have seen the great – The Greatest – Muhammad Ali fight live, even on TV, the first indelible memory I have of the immortal legend occurred twenty years ago today. Ali, by this time ravaged by Parkinson’s, quite simply made around half the world’s population shed a tear as he bravely forced his almost uncontrollable arms to assist him in accepting one of the finest honours that can be bestowed … Read Article
Richmond, VA (6/30/16) – The Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, are proud to announce they will be honoring the life of the late Muhammad Ali at The Diamond starting on July 19th, marking the 20th Anniversary of Ali lighting the Olympic Torch. The Squirrels will be wearing unique jerseys featuring a butterfly and a bee on the front and boxing gloves with numerals on the back (Click here for rendering). … Read Article
Big George Foreman, with the passing of the great (or greatest) Muhammad Ali, has become the oldest living former world heavyweight champion, and the 67-year-old legend sure has a number of tales to tell. Foreman has literally seen it all, done it all, and lived to tell the story of it all. George has had some quite amazing life, no doubt. But despite all he has witnessed, the incomparable Ali still leaves George somewhat mystified … Read Article
THE FIGHT GAME WITH JIM LAMPLEY: A TRIBUTE TO MUHAMMAD ALI, an HBO Sports presentation exploring his impact on sports, culture and politics, debuts TUESDAY, JUNE 14 (11:00-11:50 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. The special will be hosted by the four-time Sports Emmy® winner, who has hosted HBO Boxing since joining the network in 1988.… Read Article
It might seem an odd choice as it is certainly no Ali book that either celebrates or holds up The Greatest’s legend as a God-like figure who is deservedly idolised the world over, but Mark Kram’s superb book, Ghosts of Manila has been paid another visit during this, the time of Ali”s passing. The sad news has upset millions, and by way of tribute a far less scrutinising book would make far more a palatable … Read Article
