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OT: RIP The Greatest


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Just heard on the news last night he was hospitalized, and woke up to this.

 

I remember clearly all the hype and funny, clever poetry leading up to his title fight with Liston.

 

I stood behind him in all the following fights, and was on his side during his Viet Nam troubles.

 

Will never be another like him. He made the sport of boxing thrilling, entertaining and exciting.

 

Rest in Peace Champ.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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Ali was a true American hero, IMHO, a man of courage, dignity, and deep conviction. For anyone who grew up watching him, there will never be another public figure quite like him. May peace be upon him.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

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I remember the days when boxing was free on TV every Friday night. I loved watching boxing and still do. Although I like the lighter weight fights better than the heavy weight fights as there is more action, I can never down play the rope a dope concept Ali made famous LOL! Ali was the Greatest! and always will be IMHO. RIP Champ! Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! :cool::thu::2thu:
Take care, Larryz
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Somehow, in a sport I loathe, he made me a fan (of him, not the sport.) Since he was smaller than a lot of his opponents he had to win with strategy, not just brute force, & I think that was what was thrilling. He was smart, articulate, politically committed, spiritually questing; an icon for the 60's.
Scott Fraser
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I have to wonder, where now there`s so much calculated `controversy` associated with marketing and advertising, if it`s even possible for someone to stand up to the status quo the way he did.

And to look pretty the whole time-he wasn`t The Greatest for nothing...

Same old surprises, brand new cliches-

 

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I too loved watching him. His out of ring talk made boxing more exciting and his in the ring skill was awsome to watch. Predicting what round a fight would end and his sayings like the float like a butterfly -----. Great fights with Frazer and Norton and others. Rest in peace. Jim
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Stefan Molyneux has an interesting post on the Internet called "The Truth about Muhammad Ali" - a different take, not worshipful, but not disrespecting the guy either.

Me personally? Great athlete, and a courageous man. Not perfect, but NO ONE is. I enjoyed his "I am the greatest" shtick.

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There was a bit in today's paper obout the re-releasing of Will Smith's movie "ALI" to theaters.

 

For some sort of tribute I'm guessing.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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Tribute schmib-bute, They are doing it mostly for the money is my guess. Cash in on the sadness. They are also scalping the tickets to his funeral tomorrow in Louisville. The world of humanity is full of leeches in these cases.
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Watched the Mohammad Ali memorial on TV today from start to finish. Some of it was boring, but a bunch more was very interesting. I enjoyed it. I practiced my scales and licks and chords on guitar at very low volume instead of my daily 45 minute set. Being entertained and getting my daily practice in all at the same time. And at the lower guitar volume I got some excellent tonal ideas which I would not have realized should I have done my daily thing as usual Thanks Mr. Ali. You was a good'un RIP
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I didn't see any of Ali's funeral or memorial service. And right now, I'm saddened by the death of Detroit hockey great GORDIE HOWE to much care.

 

They did have some similarities though...

 

Both stayed at the top of their sport despite being what many considered TOO OLD to do so.

 

Both outwardly bragged about their abilities but mostly otherwise possessed an admirable level of humility.

 

Both did a lot, after leaving their sports, to involve themselves with encouraging youngsters to do well in sports and other activities to keep those kids off the streets and out of trouble.

 

And I think Gordie once said that he too, thought Ali was "the greatest".

 

Gordie had suffered a major stroke a year or so ago and many thought that was it at the time. But his son, a doctor, arranged some experimental stem cell treatment that led to an amazing recovery. But sadly, it didn't help him last as long as many hoped.

 

People STILL joke about the "Gordie Howe hat trick". A goal, assist and a fight! :D

 

We called him "Mr. Hockey" 'round these parts, and he'll be sorely missed.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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"The Greatest", I don't know about that, could be, but the most popular ever, I can agree with that easily.

 

I think someone should consider the actual heavy weight boxing statistics. Many wins and no defeats makes for "the greatest ever". I think there were some who did that since records were kept.

 

From a Google search;

 

On April 27, 1956, world heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano retires from boxing at age 31, saying he wants to spend more time with his family. Marciano ended his career as the only heavyweight champion with a perfect record49 wins in 49 professional bouts, with 43 knockouts.

 

I remember watching Marciano fight when I was a kid in the early to mid 50's my dad was a boxing fan.

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"Ranking in boxing history

 

Ali is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time by boxing commentators and historians. Ring Magazine, a prominent boxing magazine, named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras.[187] The Associated Press voted Ali the No. 1 heavyweight of the 20th century in 1999.[188] In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis.[189] Ali was named the second greatest pound for pound fighter in boxing history by ESPN, behind only welterweight and middleweight great Sugar Ray Robinson.[190]" Wiki... <---someone in the boxing world must have thought he was the greatest LOL! :cool:

 

Take care, Larryz
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Hair splitting aside, as I earlier said, Ali made boxing more entertaining and exciting. And at a time when the sport was only followed by "die hard" fans of the sport. Ali got more people interested in it whereas before Ali(or Clay if you will)they merely dissmissed it as a sport for the mentally or intellectually inferior. Either that, or it was just like it was presented in "Requiem For A Heavywheight"(in which a young Cassius Clay made a brief appearance).

 

For an example, how big was the send-off for Rocky Marciano when HE died? Did HIS funeral pre-empt any normal television broadcasts? Sure, he might have deserved the same, but did he get it?

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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Last night I fell asleep watching boxing on free TV. Every once in awhile boxing comes on on a Sunday night local channel. Not nearly as exciting as watching the Pay for View class of fighters but I still like watching boxing when I get the chance...

 

What really gets me moving are the fake fight movies. Like Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, Cinderella Man, Creed, etc. There is just something about the way the movies create realistic fights with slow-mo, make up, etc. I find myself bobbing and weaving and falling out of my chair LOL!

 

There is no doubt that Rocky Marciano was one of the greatest boxers. There is a long list of other great boxers as well. Not all of them get a great send off in the end and many of them just fade away... :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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I remember there was a computer simulated match or series of matches that had Ali vs. Marciano assuming each was at their prime. At that time they were considered the two best heavyweights of the century. I listened on the radio. Not sure who the computer had as winner but I do remember it was very close. Seems like it was a three fight series. Jim
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Hair splitting aside, as I earlier said, Ali made boxing more entertaining and exciting. And at a time when the sport was only followed by "die hard" fans of the sport. Ali got more people interested in it whereas before Ali(or Clay if you will)they merely dissmissed it as a sport for the mentally or intellectually inferior. Either that, or it was just like it was presented in "Requiem For A Heavywheight"(in which a young Cassius Clay made a brief appearance).

 

For an example, how big was the send-off for Rocky Marciano when HE died? Did HIS funeral pre-empt any normal television broadcasts? Sure, he might have deserved the same, but did he get it?

Whitefang

 

Popularity is what got Ali his Greatest of all time, human beings are emotional creatures, and react emotionally in most cases like the death of Ali. As far as I am concerned Ali was the most popular by far, bar none. The best however never got defeated. If it was a real war, at the end of each fight the only guy left standing when he was done was Marciano. Just my $.02, but that is how I see it. Ok Ali did more for the sport than anyone. Marciano just won every time and retired quietly. The Louisville lip never stopped being a great man with his concern for others.

 

Still in all, the only guy left standing at the end of every fight was Rocky Marciano. In real fighting the winner is the best, and Rocky was the winner every time....

 

I rarely react emotionally to the rich and famous. I always do try and think of things with reason not my feelings. Ali was the "Greatest Ever" because he evoked an emotional response in almost everyone he touched. But the facts bear it out, Rocky #1 in the win loss ratio.

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Marciano hit so hard, no one seemed to be able to stay standing. Ok he may have lost to Ali in his prime, because Ali was a slick boxer, that will never be known, they lived at different times. I remember watching both of them in their primes. Marciano hit so hard if he did connect very few seemed to be able to stay upright.

 

There is no winner in this argument, we are talking popularity vs win loss ratio. Some of us think the popularity is most important, some of us (me) can see the win loss ratio aspect as the most meaningful.

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Don't forget, even when he lost, middleweight Jake LaMotta never got knocked down. His losses were all very close decisions.

 

In their primes, most heavyweights in MY lifetime and before were examples of physical excellence. Seems like in the last twenty years or so most heavyweight boxers seem to have the emphasis on the "heavy" many looking like they're in the third trimester. :D

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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