"It's hard to be humble, when you're as great as I am."
Muhammad Ali
Showing posts with label Muhammad Ali. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muhammad Ali. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 May 2018
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Ken Norton 1943 - 2013
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| Image via CrunchBase |
He was the second man to beat Muhammad Ali, breaking Ali's jaw and sending him to the hospital in their 1973 heavyweight fight.
Ken Norton frustrated Ali three times in all, including their final bout at Yankee Stadium where he was sure he had beaten him once again.
Norton, who died Wednesday at the age of 70, lost that fight for the heavyweight title. But he was forever linked to Ali for the 39 rounds they fought over three fights, with very little separating one man from the other in the ring.
"Kenny was a good, good fighter. He beat a lot of guys," said Ed Schuyler Jr., who covered many of Norton's fights for The Associated Press. "He gave Ali fits because Ali let him fight coming forward instead of making him back up."
Norton is the only heavyweight champion never to win the title in the ring, and boxing fans still talk about the bruising battle he waged with Larry Holmes for the title in 1978. But it was his first fight with Ali that made the former Marine a big name and the two fights that followed that were his real legacy.
Few gave Norton, who possessed a muscular, sculpted body, much of a chance against Ali in their first meeting, held at the Sports Arena in San Diego, where Norton lived. But his awkward style and close-in pressing tactics confused Ali, who fought in pain after his jaw was broken.
"Ali tore up his ankle while training and we were going to call the fight off but didn't," former Ali business manager Gene Kilroy said. "Ali said it's not going to be that tough."
It was, with Norton breaking Ali's jaw in the early rounds and having his way with the former champion for much of the night. The loss was even more shocking because Ali had only lost to Joe Frazier in their 1971 showdown and was campaigning for the title he would win again the next year against George Foreman in Zaire.
"Norton was unorthodox," Kilroy said. "Instead of jabbing from above like most fighters he would put his hand down and jab up at Ali."
Kilroy said after the fight Norton visited Ali at the hospital where he was getting his broken jaw wired. Ali, he said, told him he was a great fighter and he never wanted to fight him again.
Ken Norton Jr., a coach with the Seattle Seahawks, confirmed his father's death to The Associated Press before handing the phone to his wife, too distraught to talk.
Norton had been in poor health for the last several years after suffering a series of strokes, Kilroy said.
"He's been fighting the battle for two years," he said. "I'm sure he's in heaven now with all the great fighters. I'd like to hear that conversation."
Norton didn't have long to celebrate his big win over Ali. They fought six months later, and Ali won a split decision.
They met for a third time on Sept. 28, 1976, at Yankee Stadium and Ali narrowly won to keep his heavyweight title.
Norton would come back the next year to win a heavyweight title eliminator and was declared champion by the World Boxing Council when Leon Spinks decided to fight Ali in a rematch instead of facing his mandatory challenger. But on June 9, 1978, he lost a brutal 15-round fight to Holmes in what many regard as one of boxing's epic heavyweight bouts and would never be champion again.
Norton finished with a record of 42-7-1 and 33 knockouts. He would later embark on an acting career, appearing in several movies, and was a commentator at fights.
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who visited Norton at the veteran's hospital in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, tweeted: "Ken Norton was always nice to me even when I was just an amateur fighter. He always treated me like I was somebody. Remarkable man."
Ken Norton Jr. was a linebacker for 13 years in the NFL, playing for Dallas and San Francisco, and coaches the position for the Seahawks. He and his father were estranged for a time in the 1990s before finally reconciling.
Norton always gave his father credit for his career, saying he learned how to train hard by watching him go for early morning runs when he was a child.
"It's been noted that my father and I are on speaking terms and everything's back together now," Norton Jr. said in 1995. "It's part of what I do. No matter what I do, I can't get away from boxing."
Norton, born Aug. 9, 1943, in Jacksonville, Ill., started boxing when he was in the Marines, and began his pro career after his release from duty in 1967. He lost only once in his early fights but had fought few fighters of any note when he was selected to meet Ali.
At the time, Ali was campaigning to try to win back the heavyweight crown he lost to Joe Frazier in 1973.
After that bruising first bout, they faced off two more times, including the final fight at Yankee Stadium on a night when police were on strike and many in the crowd feared for their safety. The fight went 15 rounds and Ali won a decision.
Kilroy said Ali and Norton never had any animosity toward each other and became good friends over the years. Still, Norton always thought he had won all three fights.
Norton would come back in 1977 to win an eliminator against Jimmy Young and was declared champion by the WBC when Spinks was stripped of the title.
His fight against Holmes in 1978 at Caesars Palace was his last big hurrah, with the two heavyweights going back and forth, trading huge blows inside a steamy pavilion in the hotel's back lot. The fight was still up for grabs in the 15th round and both fighters reached inside themselves to deliver one of the more memorable final rounds in heavyweight history.
When the decision was announced, two ringside judges favoured Holmes by one point while the third favoured Norton by a point.
Norton was badly injured in a near fatal car accident in 1986. He recovered but never regained his full physical mobility.
"The doctors said I would never walk or talk," Norton said at an autograph session in 2011 in Las Vegas, lifting his trademark fedora to show long surgical scars on his bald head.
Kilroy said Norton was visited at the hospital by former fighters, including Tyson, Earnie Shavers and Thomas Hearns.
Norton fought only five more times after losing his title to Holmes. His final fight came Nov. 5, 1981, when he was knocked out in the first round by Gerry Cooney at Madison Square Garden.
Information on services and other survivors was not immediately released by the family.
#RIP
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Ali Louisville Home for Sale
A big piece of Louisville history is up for sale: the house where boxing great Muhammad Ali spent his boyhood.
Owner Steve Stephenson said Monday he's asking $50,000 for the small white house with a sagging front porch overhang.
The house is situated along a tree-lined western Louisville neighbourhood made up of mostly neat, modest homes.
his parents and brother before he went onto greatness. Here he is shown posing at twelve, prior to his amateur ring debut in 1954, a three minute, three round split decision over another novice named Ronnie O'Keefe, in Louisville, Kentucky
A sign in front of the house says the property is for sale by owner, rather than through a realtor. Stephenson declined to provide further details.
The house is assessed at $23,260, according to the Jefferson County Property Value Administrator's website.
In front of the one-story home is a state historical marker recognising the residence as Ali's boyhood home, when he was known as Cassius Clay. The marker says Ali lived in the mostly black neighbourhood with his parents and brother and attended local public schools.
It was at the home where the future boxing champion's 'values were instilled,' the marker says.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the city has an interest in preserving the home of a world-famous native son.
'Anything we can do to preserve and expand his legacy, we want to do that,' Fischer said Monday before an appearance elsewhere in the city. 'His home serves as an inspiration for people to look at that and say, "If this young guy, why not me?" '
The three-time world heavyweight champion remains one of the most recognisable figures on the planet, even though his public appearances have become sporadic as he fights Parkinson's disease.
Ali's influence extended far beyond the boxing ring. He retired from the ring in 1981 and devoted himself to social causes. He travelled the world on humanitarian missions and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2005.
Through it all, Ali kept his ties to his hometown. The Muhammad Ali Centre, a museum and education centre in downtown Louisville, is one of the city's prime tourist attractions. Ali came home for a 70th birthday bash early this year.
A few houses down from the home, neighbour James Calloway reminisced how his mother saw the boxing great's generosity early on, when a young Ali carried her laundry basket to a neighborhood Laundromat.
'He was real neighbourly,' the 63-year-old Calloway said.
It was at his childhood home where Ali began dreaming of boxing greatness.
Ali took up boxing at age 12, when his bike was stolen and he wanted to find and whip the culprit. The boy was introduced to Joe Martin, a police officer who coached boxing at a local gym. Ali flourished in the ring, becoming a top amateur and Olympic gold medallist.
Calloway recalled how Ali would run with boots or leg weights to build up his strength and endurance. And how Ali, after making it big in the ring, would come back to the neighbourhood in his big tour bus.
Another neighbour who didn't want to be identified said vehicles occasionally stop in front of the old Clay family home to read the historical marker. The home is several blocks from a main downtown thoroughfare.
Now, the home is showing outward signs of disrepair.
'I think it's a disgrace,' said Calloway, who thinks it should be turned into a museum.
Fischer said it's nothing that can't be repaired.
'We all show our age ... from time to time, but we'd be able to fix that up, no problem,' he said.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Muhammad Ali Honoured in London
Muhammad Ali was honoured on Wednesday night by celebrities from the world of sport and showbusiness.
The 70-year-old former heavyweight boxing world champion, who also won an Olympic gold medal, was being celebrated at the Sports For Peace gala in central London.
Ali's younger brother, Rahaman Ali, 69, said: 'He's very happy and proud to be here.
'He was a part of the 1960 team, and he's glad to be here.
'He won in 1960, and he thinks the US team are going to be the champs this year.'
Ali picked up the gold medal for the United States in the Rome Olympics in 1960 in the light heavyweight class. He was then known as Cassius Clay.
Sports stars from around the world attended the gala evening at the Victoria and Albert Museum in central London.
Former world and European champion, and 1988 Olympic silver medallist, Colin Jackson said: 'It's absolutely wonderful to be here.
'Any time we can celebrate anything with a sporting icon, it's just fantastic.
'When you just look around the people here, you can understand and magnitude of this man.'
Asked what Ali brought to sport, and the Olympics, the 45-year-old Welshman said: 'He brought excellence. He brought skill and maturity.
'He showed that the Games themselves are about fun and young people.
'We have all got family members and close friends like him, people with a cheeky personality and who are good at their job.
'He showed sports stars that everyone can be like that.'
Former tennis star Boris Becker said: 'Muhammad Ali is the greatest of all time. The greatest living sportsman.
'To be in his presence one more time is a big honour and a privilege.
'He presented his sport all over the world. From an athlete he became a peacemaker, he became a global warrior and just a spokesperson for the right causes. He has had just an incredible life.'
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Ali Makes Marlins Park Throw-in
The mystery of who would throw out the Miami Marlins' unannounced first pitch in their new Marlins Park was finally put to rest Wednesday night, but the talk is not dying down.
Owner Jeffrey Loria's surprise guest turned out to be the greatest himself, boxing legend Muhammad Ali. But a rousing cheer from the crowd quickly turned to a heavy hush at the sight of the obviously ailing 70-year-old, whose body is overwhelmed by the effects of Parkinson's Disease resulting from a lifetime of blows to the head.
It was hardly the inspirational scene in Atlanta in 1996, when a trembling but dignified and triumphant Ali touched the world by lighting the Olympic Torch, one of the Games' most meaningful moments. Ali, who no longer speaks in public, was wheeled onto the field in a cart moving at a very slow crawl, his arms shaking heavily while a smiling Loria clutched one hand and supported Ali with an arm around his shoulders.
The reaction from the sympathetic crowd wasn't what the Marlins apparently intended: the stadium's PA announcer, after what seemed like several minutes of near-silence, valiantly tried to start an "Ali! Ali!" chant over the loudspeaker.
Eventually, shortstop Hanley Ramirez took the ball from Ali's right hand, and the game was on. But though the appearance had all the star quality a five-minute first pitch on ESPN could possibly hope for, the effect was both upsetting to some and to all in stark contrast with the flashy style and celebratory mood that accompanied the rest of the team's Opening Day ceremonies. The crowd both in stadium and on Twitter reacted with an apparent mix of depressed sympathy, mass confusion, and, at least online, open suspicion over Loria's motives.
"It was uncomfortable," observed Fox Sports' senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal. "And I think unnecessary."
Ali maintains strong ties to Miami from training at South Beach's famous 5th Street Gym to winning his first title fight over Sonny Liston in Miami in 1964.
"The opening of Marlins Park started off with a parade of showgirls and Jose Feliciano singing the National Anthem," wrote Deadspin's Erik Malinowski. "It ended with the sad, shameless sight of Loria trotting out Ali's disease-ravaged body for a forced on-field ceremony. Happy Opening Day, everyone."
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Angelo Dundee 1921 - 2012
Legendary American boxing trainer Angelo Dundee has died at the age of 90, according to reports.
Dundee, who guided the career of Muhammad Ali, is said to have died of a heart attack on Wednesday evening after suffering from a blood clot in recent weeks which saw him hospitalised in Florida before being moved to a healthcare centre.
Dundee will be largely remembered as Ali's trainer, guiding the heavyweight from his early days as a professional right through a career which saw the boxer become 'The Greatest' by winning the world heavyweight three three times and engaging in numerous epic fights.
His son Jim told the Miami Herald: "He was recuperating and coming along quite well. He was already making plans to (go) to Las Vegas for another event in two weeks. Thankfully, the whole family was with him. We have lost a great man.
"My dad led a wonderful life. Sadly, many of the great people from that generation are gone. This is the end of an era."
Dundee will be remembered in England for his role in Ali's defeat of British icon Henry Cooper at Wembley in 1963.
Cooper floored Ali - then still using his birth name of Cassius Clay - at the end of the fourth round in London with a trademark left hook which scrambled the American's senses. Ali was saved first by the bell, however, and then by Dundee, who breached the rules by helping him to the corner.
Dundee then illegally used smelling salts to help his fighter regain his senses and made a small tear in one of Ali's gloves, forcing a welcome delay while a new pair were sought. Ali then went out and beat Cooper on a cuts stoppage in the very next round.
Philadelphia-born Dundee's achievements were not limited to Ali's glory, though. He played a significant role in the successes of the likes of Willie Pastrano, Jose Napoles, Jimmy Ellis, George Foreman and, famously, 'Sugar' Ray Leonard.
Dundee, whose wife died in 2010, is survived by a son and daughter, six grandchildren and a great grandchild.
Rest in Peace
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Muhammad Ali Celebrates 70
Muhammad Ali's talent, charisma and strong principals were responsible for raising boxing's popularity across the world, according to former US president Bill Clinton.
Clinton also credited Ali, who turned 70 on Tuesday, with helping pave the way for Barack Obama to become the country's first black president.
"He made millions of people believe. He was something unique," said Clinton.
Three-time world heavyweight champion Ali won 56 bouts over a 21-year career.
He also made plenty of headlines outside of the ring with his sharp words and refusal to take part in the Vietnam War.
But Clinton believes his fellow American's legacy will be the way he got the whole world talking about boxing again in the 1960s.
"People had moved away from boxing. It was a huge deal in America in the 1940s and 1950s and then they wrote it off," he told BBC Sport boxing commentator Mike Costello.
"Then here comes Muhammad Ali, first as Cassius Clay, looking like a ballerina in the boxing ring - reminding people it was a sport.
"He made it exciting and meaningful again. He was entertaining and when he was younger he was always mouthing off. But it was part of his schtick.
"He made it part theatre, part dance and all power."
Ali risked his glittering career, and his reputation, to oppose the Vietnam War. He refused to serve in the US Army when he was called up for service and was subsequently arrested for committing a felony.
Boxing authorities suspended his licence and stripped him of his titles before he was found guilty of the offence after a 1967 trial. The US Supreme Court reversed the conviction four years later.
"It could have destroyed him but it didn't - because people realised he had been very forthright and he was prepared to pay the price for his convictions," said Clinton. "On balance he won more admirers than detractors."
Ali's success helped break down racial barriers in the US and create the path which eventually led to President Obama's election in 2008, according to Clinton.
"All those people from the Civil Rights years and also every African-American who did everything that destroyed the old stereotypes have helped," said Clinton, 65.
"There was nothing inferior about Ali - he was superior on merit without regards to his race when it came to what he loved.
"All this stuff played a role. Society changes slowly, like icebergs turning in the ocean. Sometimes great symbolic events affect changes of consciousness of a whole country. Ali reflects a lot of that."
British broadcaster Sir David Frost, who famously verbally sparred with the boxer during television interviews at the height of his fame, believes Ali touched the hearts of millions with his words.
He said: "Over the years Muhammad Ali spoke with peace. Not just for boxing but peace in general.
"Although he spoke in this war-like rhetoric, it was already clear that the man beyond that rhetoric was a warm and friendly and peaceable man.
"He became the most famous man in the world for a long time. He's not far off it now even."
Former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Joe Bugner fought Ali in 1973 and 1975, losing on points on each occasion. He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It was a great pleasure to fight him on both occasions.
"He was more of an athlete than a fighter. He was a highly intelligent athlete, who utilised every inch of the boxing room."
Frank Bruno insists the world will never see another boxer like Ali, whom he believes put "boxing on the map".
"He paved the way for boxers like myself to want to go into boxing and make a living for themselves," said Bruno.
"We're grateful we had Muhammad Ali to inspire us."
David Haye, who won the WBA heavyweight crown in 2009, added: "I believe he is the world's greatest ever athlete bar none."
FACTFILE
1942: Born Cassius Clay on 17 January 1941 in Louisville, Kentucky
1960: Wins Olympic light-heavyweight gold
1964: Beats Sonny Liston to be crowned world heavyweight champion
1964: Changes his name to Muhammad Ali after joining Nation of Islam religious movement
1967: Refuses to step forward in US Army induction for Vietnam service
1971: Suffers first professional loss in 'The Fight of the Century' against Joe Frazier
1974: Regains title with shock win over George Foreman in fight billed as the 'Rumble in the Jungle'
1975: Beats Frazier in the 'Thriller in Manila' to take crown for an unprecedented third time
1981: Fights for the final time in defeat by Trevor Berbick
1984: Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease
1996: Lights Olympic flame at opening ceremony of Atlanta Games
1999: Voted BBC's Sporting Personality of the Century
Sunday, 15 January 2012
Muhammad Ali Celebrates 70
Muhammad Ali showed he can still attract sell-out crowds as the former heavyweight champion prepares to celebrate his 70th birthday on Tuesday.
Hundreds of people gathered in his hometown of Kentucky at the first of five parties to mark the occasion.
Ali, who made a brief appearance to the waiting crowd, was joined by more than 300 guests, including Lennox Lewis.
'I feel so proud and honored that we're able to show our feelings and show our support for him,' Lewis said.
The private party also doubled as a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for the Ali Center, a six-year-old cultural and education complex designed to be a legacy to his social activism. The six-story centre also retraces Ali's career, including his epic bouts against Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Sonny Liston.
The guest list also included Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee and three American hikers who were imprisoned in Iran. Ali, perhaps the most prominent U.S. Muslim, lobbied for their release. Rocker John Mellencamp headlined the entertainment.
Dundee, who traveled from Clearwater, Florida, for the celebration, said he hears from Ali about once a month.
'We're like family,' Dundee told The Courier-Journal of Louisville. 'We've always been family and we're always going to be family. He'll say, "Angie, I want to come and train. That's what I miss the most. Being in the gym. Working up a sweat."'
The self-proclaimed "Greatest of All Time" remains one of the world's most recognisable figures, even though he's been largely absent from the public eye recently as he fights Parkinson's disease.
His wife Lonnie Ali said recently that the boxing great has mixed feelings about the landmark birthday.
'He's glad he's here to turn 70, but he wants to be reassured he doesn't look 70,' she said.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jnr on January 17 1942, Ali took up boxing at age 12, when his bike was stolen and he wanted to find and whip the culprit. The boy was introduced to Joe Martin, a police officer who coached boxing at a local gym.
Ali flourished in the ring, becoming a top amateur and Olympic gold medalist. He made his professional debut in Louisville and arranged for a local children's hospital to receive proceeds from the fight.
Lewis said Ali ranks as the greatest of heavyweights, and he said he was inspired by Ali's fights.
'I used to get mad if I didn't see the Ali shuffle,' Lewis said. 'So I was always watching him, expecting some type of antic.'
Ali won the heavyweight title in 1964, defeating the heavily favoured Sonny Liston. Soon after, Ali - who was raised in a Baptist family - announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name.
While in his prime, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown in 1967 for refusing to be drafted for military service during the Vietnam War. He cited his religious beliefs as the reason for his refusal.
His decision alienated Ali from many across the U.S. and resulted in a draft-evasion conviction. Ali found himself embroiled in a long legal fight that ended in 1971, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favour.
Ali lost his first bid to regain the heavyweight crown when Frazier knocked him down and took a decision in the "Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden in 1971. Ali regained the heavyweight title in 1974, defeating Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle." A year later, he outlasted Frazier in the epic "Thrilla in Manila" bout.
Last year, a frail Ali rose from his seat and clapped for his deceased rival at Frazier's funeral.
Ali's last title came in 1978 when he defeated Leon Spinks.
Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and devoted himself to social causes. He traveled the world on humanitarian missions. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal.of Freedom.
Monday, 7 November 2011
Ali Prays for Smokin' Joe Frazier
Muhammad Ali has said he is praying for Joe Frazier following the news of his great rival's battle against cancer.
It was revealed over the weekend that Frazier, 67, who fought Ali in three famous bouts during his career, is in hospice care with liver cancer.
Ali, 69, said: "The news about Joe is hard to believe and even harder to accept. Joe has a lot of friends pulling for him - and I'm one of them.
"Joe is a fighter and a champion and I am praying he is fighting now."
The former world heavyweight champion added: "My family and I are keeping Joe and his family in our daily prayers."
In the first of their encounters in the ring - the so-called 'Fight of the Century' in 1971, Frazier inflicted a first defeat on Ali courtesy of a points decision.
In two further fights, including the 'Thriller in Manila' in 1975, it was Ali who was victorious.
The pair had a fractious relationship during their fighting days, stemming primarily from Ali's taunting of Frazier in the build-up to their trilogy of fights.
However, the pair are thought to have been on better terms in recent years.
Former heavyweight boxer Larry Holmes also gave his support to former sparing partner Frazier.
"If you talk about heart, determination, courage, all that good stuff, you're talking about Joe Frazier," said Holmes. "I got my fingers crossed.
"I've been watching the news all day and all night, trying to find out what's happening with him. I know it don't look good, but if anybody can beat what he's up against, you'd have to think Joe would be the guy."
Frazier held the world title himself between 1970 and 1973, claiming the belt by defeating Jimmy Ellis in New York before relinquishing it to George Foreman.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Moments of Wisdom - Muhammad Ali
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark."
Muhammad Ali
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