The psychedelic haze of the hippy era had already withered upon the vine, as the bitter nettle stem of the grim Viet Nam War was oozing and seeping deep into the consciousness of the United States, dividing families of a nation and its entire society as never before, during the post Civil War modern era, when suddenly, Fight of the Century, struck home, dazzling and enrapturing a radically changing World, way back yonder, half a century ago… today.
The panel assessing this poignant moment in history was Bob Arum, Neil Leiffer, Jim Lampley, Jimmy Lennon Jr and Mauricio Sulaiman. Although five decades have passed, this event holds vivid and cherished memories, giving us the reasons why it remains, the greatest sports spectacular of them all.
Jim was a socially conscious 21 year old student at the University of North Carolina back then, working towards graduation, and as such couldn`t afford to see the fight live. In the days that followed he hoped against hope the result was not valid. But of course it indeed was the case.
Neil who was a year younger was in the thick of it, propped up on the ring apron, on Joe`s side of the ring, but rooting for Ali. Bob was a slim 39 year old lawyer, representing Ali, since the late 1960`s, reminding us that even though Ali made his comeback in 1970, the world had forever lost the peak three and a half years of the fabled career. Richard Nixon was in his second term as President and by 1971 a significant proportion of the US population opposed the Viet Nam War.
Jim agreed, recalling there was a huge philosophical dividing line. Ali was Jim`s childhood hero. Growing up in a small town in the South, his mother raised Jim to never countenance racism in any way, so Ali`s courage in all matters meant: “He was my everything. To come back and have this opportunity was a tremendous stimulus.”
Jim also said that people forget how prominent Joe Frazier was at that time, but simultaneously how much he learned from Ali, saying: “He taught me my position on the Viet Nam War. And concerning his fight with Joe, it showed me that you can lose and still have the same public affection. It was truly a great fight and there were two winners.”
Bob says that needle crept in because Ali called Joe Uncle Tom, which was not the case. It was an unfortunate situation which stuck in Joe`s craw. It left a bad taste. Neil explained that minus an audience for Ali to play up to, the two men got on well. He got them in a studio for a photo shoot and locked the doors to the scrutiny of the outside world and the two were happily talking about all sorts of things, because there was no one else to “Entertain.”
The friendship extended still further. Bob reveals that Joe loaned, but in fact gave Ali money to live during the tough times of his licence being suspended, suffering the lean years of the college speaking circuit and the crumbs of a hamburger advert. Then with the intervention of Jimmy “The Greek,” an initiative to try and hold The Fight in Las Vegas. Bob met with the Governor of Nevada Paul Laxalt, and a deal was in place for Joe and Ali to each get three hundred thousand dollars. But Howard Hughes who owned many of the casinos in Las Vegas was against it. Bob saved the day and blushes by diplomatically withdrawing the licence for the fight there. Eventually Madison Square Garden and the fighters each took home a payday purse of two and a half million dollars.
There are but few great snappers at any big fight. Neil who took one of the great sports photos of all time in the Ali VS Liston fight two, with Ali glowering over the felled Liston, and Larry Merchant open mouthed several rows back in the audience.
And the spread eagled one of a laid out Cleveland Williams with a camera perched in the eagles nest of the Houston Astrodome. Neil explains: “I got lucky, but I DIDN`T MISS. Sure you have to be in the right seat, but you also have to be lucky!” For Fight of the Century Neil says that magazines like Sports Illustrated didn`t have beat photographers, but luckily got the opportunity to set up the pool of snappers, and as such gained two seats of their own. He himself was lucky enough to cover thirty five of Muhammad Ali`s fights.
Jimmy Lennon Jr, who was then twelve years old in junior high school, soaking up all the pre fight publicity for The Fight, like Joe Frazier soaking his head in rock salt, Mum and Dad in their finest clothes going to the closed circuit event, while he was munching his tv dinner. Also the realization, years later of the punishing nature of the fight and the injuries suffered.
Then the personal memories of Muhammad Ali, which transcend boxing and define him as a truly great human being for all times and all ages. Jim remembering how Ali babysat his eight-year-old daughter Brooke, while he was on errands and the photo of the three of them on that magical day sits on his desk. During her graduation speech from the American School in London, Brooke mentioned all of this. So much more poignant than quoting Frost or Browning.
Bob remembering Ali and Herbert Muhammad coming to Friday night kosher dinners at his home in Manhattan with his family. Jimmy remembering a stifling evening in Jakarta in Indonesia with Ali, being relieved when leaving in an air conditioned car, only to see the window in the great man`s vehicle winding down and him waving to his legions of fans. An example and an inspiration.
Neil taking Ali to a Viet Nam War memorial to photograph him and people crowding around him, but not one negative comment. Bob agreed by saying people had realized instinctively that what Ali had said about the war was correct.
Bob remembering he and Ali being invited to the home of the so called richest Pakastani man in Britain only to be driven to a poor part of London and a tiny house where the people present had to take it turns to eat at the table. He himself had commented to Ali, who was at the piano, that they`d been played, and that they had been conned: “We have been taken.” But Ali smiling and assuring him: “It doesn`t harm to be gracious.”
Many of the early Charlie Chaplin movies, filmed on nitrate have crumbled to dust and been lost to posterity forever. Hopefully this and other memories of Ali, Joe and their Fight of the Century won`t be confined to the vaults. Rather younger generations can learn, savor and delight in the knowledge and wonderment of what made them so great, and what all of us old buffers continue to get so worked up about.
Sheer greatness like this comes around… but once in a lifetime.
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