The Greatest: Muhammad Ali: Part IV

A boxer who experiences a knockout in the first round may be exposed to less cerebral trauma than the boxer that experiences multiple cerebral concussions throughout the duration of a 10-round bout.

In 1974, Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier and then, in a stunning upset, defeated the seemingly invincible George Foreman.

For Wepner it was a payday and a chance to get publicity for endeavors other than fighting, such as his wholesale beer business.

For Lyle it was merely paid entertainment to get beaten up by the most charming, charismatic fighter of all time, and to do it before a Las Vegas crowd with a backdrop of scantily clad showgirls.

The only heavyweight who could bring real money, the money derived from television sponsors and filmmakers, was Smokin’ Joe Frazier.

The fight was signed and scheduled to be held just outside of Manila in Quezon City, the Philippines, on September 30, 1975. The event was dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila.”

He conducted himself as a gentleman at all times and yet, even when he was the champion, even when he had beaten Ali, he never received the acclaim and respect that he felt the championship deserved.

Young fighters look for a way in, a way to reap the big rewards that boxing promises.

The muscles heal and lift the arms to ward off new blows.

No one knows exactly how much injury a human brain can take before normal human functioning is compromised.

He would take one, two, sometimes four or five punches to the head to get close enough to throw blistering left hooks toward Ali’s body.

The next round saw Frazier slightly disoriented, his eyes puffed up and nearly shut, Ali swinging at will.

Ali moved to the right, toward the closed eye, and sent right hand after right hand into Frazier’s badly swollen head. His face was so distended that it looked monstrous under the glaring ring lights.

If he is a “brawler,” then he must turn his fights into slugfests in which the ability to punch and take a punch outweighs finesse.

The bad form he showed in the ring—leaning away from a punch, keeping his hands too low—was offset by his amazing ability to move.

His foot speed had slowed considerably during the layoff, as was apparent in his first fight on his return against Jerry Quarry.

At the end of his grueling fourteen-round final fight, the Thrilla in Manila with Joe Frazier in 1975, Ali talked about quitting.

The man who loved boxing held on to the sport too long, gave too much credence to the will that had sustained him for so long.

A close-up of Muhammad Ali in 1996 showed an impassive face. The sparkle that had illuminated his expression as he mugged for the cameras of Life magazine was absent.

Now he seemed as slow as he had once seemed fast, as subdued as he had once been lively.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic neurological condition named after Dr. James Parkinson, an English surgeon who first described the illness in 1817. The disease affects certain nerve centers inside the brain, reducing a chemical, dopamine, that is vital to human functioning.

Jerry Quarry, who had fought valiantly against both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, was described as “childlike” when he died at age fifty-three.

Ali’s high profile and his willingness to disclose his condition to the world is one of his bravest, most inspiring acts.

In 1997, Ali testified via a written statement before the House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. The purpose of the hearing was to consider, among other things, whether the federal government should provide $100 million toward research for a cure for Parkinson's disease.

But legends are made by the people who define them, who look at the lives of people like Muhammad Ali and decide from the vantage point of history whether what they have done is worthwhile.

For some black people Liston’s Mob ties were more desirable than Ali’s affiliation with the Nation of Islam, which called attention to race at a time when many African Americans, and whites as well, wanted to put race out of the national vocabulary.

This was the kind of nonsense the media concocted to imply that Ali was not capable of making important decisions.

But he achieved such great popularity that he became a nationally recognized leader of youth—he captivated the minds of American teenagers.

Through his style, speed, and footwork, he showed the world that intelligence, discipline, and determination could overcome the tactics of sheer power and aggression in heavyweight fighting.

Courage does not mean letting go of fear. It means having the will to face one’s fears, to face the dangers in one’s life, and to venture forward to do that which is morally right.