Original subtitles

A life story should be...

It should be... Everything should be in it.

Why I joined Elijah Muhammad, and what turned me too...

What experiences I had racially.

I mean, see these things I don't wanna just give away.

People have offered me a lot of money for books.

Yeah, but you know, everything that's written about you

makes people wanna read more about you.

And they keep sayin', "Well, wait'll we read his story by him."

I was nervous. That's a bad feeling.

When you're in the dressing room, and the man says,

"Well, Champ, you got five more minutes,"

you get up and you warm up

and then you look into the monitor,

you see all the people, and you think about

all the cities in all the world watchin',

how much is involved and the investments

you have gone if you lose.

That's gonna destroy you and everything you planned

and everything's involved, and the man's a good opponent.

You walk into the ring, you hear all these people rootin'

and hollerin', and then you see the cameras, the lights...

I'm really frightened, until the first two, three punches.

...gonna be a great evening for boxing fans all over the world.

For the first time in heavyweight championship history,

we have two undefeated fighters in there.

Here is Muhammad Ali!

His opponent, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

the heavyweight champion of the world, Joe Frazier!

Good evening, Joe and Muhammad.

Since this contest is for the final determination

of the heavyweight championship of the world,

we ask you to pay particular attention to the rules

of the New York State Athletic Commission.

Shake hands now, men.

Return to your corners.

♪ Hey, hey, we're movin' on up ♪

♪ Movin' on up ♪

♪ Lord have mercy, we're movin' on up ♪

♪ Movin' on up ♪

♪ Just keep on pushin' ♪

♪ You're a winner ♪

♪ Hey, we're movin' on up ♪

♪ Movin' on up ♪

♪ Oh, baby ♪

♪ Everybody, hey, you know we're movin' on up ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

I'm Cassius Marcellus Clay the Sixth,

and my great-great grandfather was a Kentucky slave,

and he was named after some great Kentuckian.

Cassius Marcellus Clay is a great name in Kentucky.

And, uh, really, where he was from,

where it was all originated, I couldn't tell you,

but since I've reached a little fame in boxing,

most people want to know where am I from and where did I get that name,

but really I haven't really checked on it,

so I see that I'm gonna have to go lookin'...

You'll have to look it up.

See what it's all about, now that I'm getting interviews.

Ali was always a large baby, and when he was 18 months old,

he was very strong, and had big, muscular arms.

One day he was swinging his arms, and he hit me

in the mouth and knocked a tooth out.

Twelve years old, I went to a home show

where they displayed cars and Fridgidaires and everything,

and left my bicycle outside and came out,

it was a drizzling rain that night.

The bicycle was gone,

I just got it for Christmas.

I asked for the nearest police officer.

And they said in the basement of the same building

I had just came out.

Fellow named Joe Martin was training amateur boxers

in a room about this size.

He asked me to take out an application and learn how to fight

so I could beat the fella up who stole my bicycle.

I had a show on television every week.

Amateur boxing, "Tomorrow's Champions."

Wasn't but a short time, I put him on that show,

and that was his first boxing match, was on television.

And I had about 45 fights on that show.

Every Saturday at 6:00.

Three bouts, and two-minute round bouts.

One night when I heard Rocky Marciano...

The world heavyweight champion, Rocky Marciano!

He had beaten Walcott.

And I heard the fella say,

"And still World Heavyweight Champion,

Rocky Marciano!"

Marciano!

Rocky Marciano wins by a knockout.

So I rode off in the rain on my bicycle.

I could just hear the man say it.

"And still the heavyweight champion of the whole world:

Cassius Clay."

And I said to myself,

"The champion of the whole world

can whup every man in Russia,

every man in America,

every man in China,

every man in Japan, every man in Europe.

Every man in America.

The champion of the whole world.

That sounded big, then.

♪ I'm going to Kansas City ♪

♪ Kansas City here I come ♪

♪ I'm going to Kansas City ♪

♪ Kansas City here I come ♪

Cassius Clay!

♪ Gonna get me one ♪

♪ Gonna be standing on the corner ♪

The winner, by a TKO,

Cassius Clay!

♪ Gonna be standing on the corner ♪

♪ Twelfth Street and Vine ♪

♪ With my Kansas City baby ♪

♪ And a bottle of Kansas City wine ♪

Hudson wants to continue,

but the referee awards the victory to Cassius Clay.

♪ They got crazy little women there ♪

♪ And I'm gonna get me one ♪

I was convinced that he would be Olympic champion,

and, uh, he was very scared of airplanes.

He told me that he wasn't going to Rome

unless I could get him on a boat.

Well, I worry more about airplanes than I do boxing.

I mean, I never worry about the fight.

I worry about the flight.

And, uh, I said there's no way.

You're gonna have to fly.

Muhammad is this training hard work,

to force yourself to do it?

You know, I mean, the average person

has gotta get up and go to work every day.

But you're lookin' for things I wanna do for the future,

then you could make your mind up, too, that it's worth it.

Wilbert McClure, light middleweight, Toledo, Ohio.

Eddie Crook, Detroit, Michigan. 165 pounds.

Cassius Marcellus Clay. Light heavyweight, Louisville, Kentucky.

American Cassius Clay

takes on Polish boxer Ziggy Pietrzykowski

for the Olympic light heavyweight boxing championship.

Cassius, were you worried before any of the fights?

Well, yes, truthfully, I was worried before all of my fights

because it's really a big thing to win

a world's amateur championship,

and each fight is a big fight,

so before every fight, I was real nervous.

This southpaw, Pietrzykowski,

has proven extremely challenging

in all his other bouts to date.

No opponent has broken through without being stung

by his quick right jab and staggering left cross.

People really don't know how tough this is.

Just get up tomorrow and jump around for three minutes

and watch how tired you can get.

It's round two, and Clay

is outscoring his opponent.

Pietrzykowski lands a solid left.

Cassius must be cautious with this powerful leftie.

And there's the end of the round.

Champion is one who can rally to the cause

when you're under pressure

and have just a little more than the other guy.

We start the third.

Clay comes out looking lively for the final round.

First two rounds, I was pretty slow gettin' started.

In the third round, he tired out.

He couldn't hold such a fast pace.

So the third round, he was mine.

Clay taking control of the fight here at the end of round three.

And there's the final bell.

Both men left it all in the ring during these punishing three rounds

of gold-medal boxing.

And the winner by unanimous decision is Clay!

I won the Olympic gold medal in Rome, Italy.

I'm defeatin' America's so-called threats and enemies.

Olympic Champion. The Russian's standing right here,

and the Pole right here.

And the flag is going...

And I done whupped the world for America.

I said, "Man, I know I'm gonna get my people freedom now."

I'm the champion of the whole world.

Olympic champion. I know I can eat downtown now.

And I went downtown that day,

had my big 'ol medal on and went in the restaurants,

And I said, "Hm, a cup of coffee. A hot dog."

Lady said, "We don't serve Negroes."

I was so mad, I said, "I don't eat 'em either.

Just give me a couple of hot dogs and a hamburger."

I said three days ago, I fought for this country in Rome,

I won the gold medal, and I'm gonna eat.

And she says, "Well, I'm not the man. Now, he's gotta go."

And I had to leave that restaurant

in my hometown, where I went to church,

and served in their Christianity, and fought...

Daddy fought in all the wars.

Just won the gold medal, and couldn't eat downtown.

I said, "Something's wrong."

Any of you boys plan to turn pro?

- Cassius? - I was thinkin' about turning pro.

For an example, right now, I'm the world's amateur light heavyweight champion,

and I'm broke.

I'd seen him quite a lot as a kid,

so I got ahold of, um, a black man,

I guess is the word I have to use now,

um, who worked for me.

Very bright young fellow, and I said,

"Do you know Cassius, by any chance?"

And he said, yes, he did,

and I said, "Well, I'd like you to arrange

a meeting between Cassius and me."

♪...gonna move it slow ♪

Any ideas now as to whom you might sign with?

Well, yes, it's best to be with somebody you know

and from your own town, if possible.

Nice, honest crowd, nice clean people,

and with the right backing, I believe I have a nice chance

to become the world's heavyweight champion.

♪ Now listen to the beat ♪

He got 400 dollars a month.

Enough so that he could eat,

and then he got 50 percent of the gate.

♪ 'Cause it's all right ♪

♪ Whoa, it's all right ♪

♪ Everybody clap your hands ♪

Angelo Dundee was comin' through Louisville

with a fighter named Willie Pastrano.

So I called him up, I said, "I'm the world's greatest fighter.

I'm gonna be the world's greatest champion.

I'm now the Olympic champion.

I'm the Golden Gloves champion, the AAU champion,

and I wanna talk to you.

...hand over the receiver,

and I says, There's some sort of a nut downstairs

who wants to talk to us. He sounds like a nice kid, though.

He said, "Aw, come on up."

The conversation went on for about three hours.

And then, after I signed up,

I went to Florida and started training with him.

When he walks into the gymnasium in Miami Beach,

you'll see it's a happy air about it.

This is his place where he can train

and relax and be himself.

The Cubans gave him the pet name "Boca Grande,"

Big Mouth, because he imitates... he's speaking Spanish,

saying nothing for about ten minutes with these fellas,

and they get a kick out of it.

But they dubbed him "Big Mouth" before anyone.

This is no usual fighter. This kid just had that style.

This quickness, reflex action.

He was hungry for, uh, knowledge,

for information.

He kept asking questions about road work

and how many times a day do you eat.

I was very impressed the way he worked. He worked hard.

How many fights you had?

Uh, about 180 amateur fights, lost three.

That was my first three, by the way.

- Yeah. - Um...

Have you ever been knocked out?

Have you ever been knocked out?

Never dreamed of being knocked out.

Cassius Clay,

an 18-year-old amateur boxing champion

with a charming smile, took a physical examination

for his first professional fight.

All Louisville boxing fans turned out

to see their young Olympic gold medal winner.

He did not disappoint anyone,

easily winning his professional debut

with a flashing unanimous decision.

And the winner...

Cassius Clay!

If you ask the average white person,

who's the greatest two fighters ever lived,

he'll say Jack Dempsey or Marciano.

If you ask an Italian, he'll say Benvenuti,

which is nature.

If you ask the average black man on the streets,

he'll say Jack Johnson.

You may hate to admit it because he's black,

but he was one of the greatest.

And after Jack Johnson, every kid all over the world,

every player knows the name Joe Louis.

The name Joe Louis is boxing.

I always wondered when I went to church on Sundays,

I always asked my mother, I said,

"Mother, how come is everything white?"

I said, "Why is Jesus white with blond hair and blue eyes?

Why is the Lord's Supper all white men?

Angels are white.

I said, "Mother, when we die, do we go to heaven?"

She said, "Naturally we go to heaven."

I said, "Well, what happened to all the black angels

when they took the pictures?"

At 188 pounds, Clay is lightning fast.

I said, "Oh, I know.

If the white folks was in heaven, too,

then the black angels were in the kitchen

preparing the milk and honey."

I always wondered why, you know,

Tarzan is the king of the jungle in Africa.

He was white. Everything was white.

And the angel food cake was the white cake,

and the devil's food cake was the chocolate cake!

Young Cassius Clay takes another large step

up the heavyweight ladder.

And everything bad was black.

The little ugly duck was the black duck,

and the black cat was the bad luck,

and if I threaten you, I'm gonna blackmail you...

I said, "Mama, why don't they call it whitemail?

They lie, too."

Gorgeous George, a famous American wrestler,

he was talkin' about,

"I am the prettiest wrestler, I am great.

Look at my beautiful blond hair."

Real conceited and arrogant.

He says, "George, what if you lose?"

"If I lose, I'm catchin' the next jet out to Russia."

I looked at him, I said, "Boy,

he needs a good whuppin'."

When I saw all of those people come to see

Gorgeous George get beat, and they all paid to get in.

That's the thing... they paid to get in!

And I said, "This is a good idea."

And right away, I start talking.

I am the greatest.

I won't return to the United States for 90 days.

I'm too fast.

If you talk jive, you'll fall in fire.

If Doug Jones beats me,

I'll crawl across the ring on my knees,

kiss his feet, tell him he's the greatest,

go to Idlewild Airport,

and catch the next jet out of the country.

With me, it was a little different.

They said, "The nigga talks too much."

"He talks too damn much!

Put your fist in his mouth!"

I heard it ringside.

"Knock that nigger out!

That nigger needs a good whuppin'!

Winner by unanimous decision,

Cassius Clay!

Cassius Clay is stomaching some of the people

who are booing the decision.

Debris is coming into the ring now.

Boo, yell, scream, throw peanuts,

but whatever you do, pay to get in!

You came in the ring with a crown on your head.

- Is that...? - Because I am the king.

I understand you have a queen of England, but you don't have a king.

Were you shocked when you were booed

into the ring by the British public?

No, I was not shocked. I'm always booed.

Everywhere I go, I'm booed. I like to be booed.

That's why I fight hard.

In 1963, when that Henry Cooper hit me...

He hit me with a left hook.

That nick was so hard,

it jarred my colored friends in America.

...knock on the bell.

The bell has sounded,

and he's up in about three,

Clay, and he still

doesn't know where he is.

He's still half out, Clay.

They're working furiously on him in the corner.

Angelo Dundee, his trainer,

he really is giving him a talking-to.

Cooper's left hook finally scores,

and Clay was down

two seconds from the end of the fourth round.

And out they come for round five,

the round in which Clay said he would beat Cooper.

It's round five.

And now he's stepping in, and I think this is it.

The cor... the towel has come in from Cooper's corner,

and Tommy Little's looking at it,

and he's had to stop the fight.

And Clay is getting bombarded with programs

from angry ringsiders.

55,000 to witness,

and this "Lord of the Lip" come over here

and call the exact round again.

We don't believe it. The fifth round came.

I said...

I hit him. I said, "Come on, sucker."

Man said, "break it up."

I said there he is.

There he is, and walked on out of the joint.

Come here, Sam. I got the British Press here.

This is Sam Cooke. As you can see, like me, he's awful pretty.

And we are here now workin' on the record

called, "The Gang's All Here."

Would you like to give us a preview of this disc?

- Well, let's give 'em a sample. - Come on, let's give 'em...

We'll do a lot better if we have the music here with us.

All right, be we gonna do it without the music.

♪ Hey, hey, the gang's all here ♪

♪ Join in the fun ♪

♪ Hey, hey, the gang's all here ♪

♪ We gonna swing as one ♪

♪ Do it again now ♪

♪ Hey, hey, the gang's all here ♪

♪ We gonna swing as one ♪

- I'll see you guys later. - All right, Sam. Yes, sir.

♪ Are you ready? ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Am I the greatest? ♪

Now I'm driving long, beautiful Cadillacs,

living in beautiful homes.

I'm colorful, I talk a lot, I'm just different.

I'm something new on the scene, and I'm not only a fighter,

I'm a good showman.

I just cut an album for Columbia Records.

I might retire from the fight game

and go into the recording business.

This thing will sell about four million copies.

It will outsell "My Fair Lady"

and "The First Family" combined.

Do you find it a lot easier

punching holes in records than opponents?

You all right. It's a lot easier,

there's a lot more dough in it.

These records sell for $3.98 apiece,

and already, it's done sold 175,000 in the last two days.

Great fight, kid. You were great.

Let's talk about opponents.

I won't fight nobody under one million dollars guarantee.

If it wasn't for me, the game would be dead.

Liston is known in the fight game

as a man who likes to end fights early.

Sonny Liston wins going away,

knocking out Wayne Bethea in the first round.

In round one, Liston is at top mast and is all business.

A stunning left sends Joiner

crashing to the canvas here in round six.

This Sonny Liston at his explosive best,

throwing bombs with both hands.

A left, a breezy right,

and a solid left to the cheekbone

drop the champion.

The winner,

the new world heavyweight boxing champion,

Sonny Liston!

Do you really think you can beat Sonny Liston?

I don't think I can beat him, I know I can beat him.

As soon as the contracts are signed,

the principals in the this all-time,

all-great heavyweight bout

that will soon be staged and probably has the earmarks

of shattering every existing record...

this is the fight that everyone has been clamoring for,

and as of this minute, it is now official.

Well, Cassius, you've just signed that contract.

Oh, yeah, I've just signed, and my dream...

my dream has came true, and I'm ready to war.

And I've been talkin', talkin' and talkin', and predictin'.

and Liston-Cassius Clay, that's all I've been hearing.

The Bear's gonna knock you out,

and now I'm ready to go.

Sonny, I know you're eating, and I hate to interrupt you,

but would you like to make a prediction

on what's gonna happen in February

to your friend on the right?

If they put a mouthpiece in his mouth

where he can't talk, I'm gonna kill him.

They ain't gon'... I'm not gonna get knocked out!

There ain't a heavyweight in the world on two feet...

there's not a heavyweight who can even keep up with me.

I hit a man so fast,

slow motion cameras can't detect the speed.

Have you made your reservations yet?

I ain't scared of nobody.

It's gonna take a good man to whup me.

You can look at me, I'm loaded with confidence. I can't be beat.

I done had 108 amateur fights,

22 professional fights, and I'm pretty as a girl!

I don't get hit! I don't get hit I'm so pretty!

And I'm tired of talking.

There seems to be a relative lack

these days of colorful individuals.

It's a great pleasure when the occasional rare ones do come along.

Such a man is the gentleman you're gonna meet right now:

Number one contender for the heavyweight crown, Mr. Cassius Clay.

Here he is.

Cassius, when you beat Sonny,

are you gonna give him a rematch?

After I beat Sonny Liston,

you couldn't melt him and pour him on me again.

How about reciting one of your poems, Cassius?

If you like to lose your money, be a fool and bet on Sonny.

Do you plan to retire after Liston beats you?

Aw, no.

I'm tired of hearing Liston.

Everywhere I go, they're talking about Liston.

And he sent this in the mail... a button.

He's gonna button my lips, and all of this.

And I want him, I can't wait for him,

and he's gonna fall in eight.

Yesterday he said,

when Liston fights Cassius the Great,

everyone will compliment him for falling in eight.

Do you have anything to say about that?

The only thing I can say,

don't get your tickets later.

They waitin'... only in the first round, they might miss it.

Well, do you think it'll end in two?

Well, you can bet your life, it ain't going four.

They shouldn't let him in the ring with me.

No, seriously. This is gonna be the biggest upset

in the century of all boxing.

He's an old man, he's 40 years old.

That man don't belong in no ring with no 21-year-old man like me.

- Is Sonny 40? - Goin' on 40.

He's shaving.

I ain't even shaved.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!

Rumble, young man, rumble.

Where's he at?!

218 pounds.

You tell Joe Louis and Sonny Liston that I'm here with Sugar Ray!

Joe Lewis is flat-footed, and Sonny Liston is flat-footed.

Sugar Ray and I are two pretty damsels.

We can't be beat!

Liston, almost the first time he hits him,

could be one, perhaps two. I'll take one.

Liston, obviously, to win the fight,

but I have a feeling it's going to go as far as eight rounds.

Clay will give Liston a good run for his money.

- Clay will win? - No, he won't win,

but he'll give Liston a good run.

Not quite sure that anything human can hurt Sonny Liston.

Liston in the fourth round

because I really think Liston is gonna really...

show that man his mouthpiece ain't valuable.

Fights are always won with fists

and not with mouth talk.

I pick Liston to win by the 5th round.

I'm just ready to fight, and I'm glad it'll be here

while these big-mouthed people here in Miami talkin' about

I talk too much and Liston's gonna whup me...

well, I want all of them to be there.

And I'm gonna shut up all of ya's mouths.

The challenger from Louisville, Kentucky,

Cassius Clay!

Clay!

And his opponent, from Denver, Colorado,

the heavyweight champion of the world,

Charles "Sonny" Liston! Liston!

In the event of a knockdown, the man that is down must take an eight count.

Man standing up will go to a neutral corner while I start counting.

And do not resume boxing until I tell you to do so.

Now I want a clean bout, when I order you to break,

stop punching and step back. Good luck! Shake hands.

The night before, it's hard to sleep.

You watch television, walk around,

think about everything involved... it's rough.

And not from fright, but just nervous.

All this, plus some hard left hooker comin' at ya, too.

Cassius Clay on the move, as we see,

carrying his left hand dangerously low.

Awkwardly fast,

it might keep the champion a bit off-balance.

Very slippery!

The challenger is jabbing all over... body, head...

and right hand! The best punch of the fight so far.

Well, Steve, I think that was the greatest round

of any fight we've seen in a long time.

I think Clay completely outclassed Sonny Liston in this round.

I hope that Clay don't get too much confidence.

If he do, then he gonna get knocked out.

Another jarring right hand that time... another one!

Sonny wobbles! Sonny wobbles!

Cassius has him hurt!

Sonny is... Sonny... is talking to...

Sonny has a big mouse below his left eye.

He has a cut below the eye,

and he's getting hit with all the punches in the book.

Something's wrong with Clay now.

Something's wrong with Clay's eyes or something.

I see that, Joe. His eyes... his eyes are bothering him.

Ladies and gentlemen, we don't know exactly what happened.

They're yelling from Cassius Clay's corner,

something got in his right eye.

However, he's blinking badly.

Sonny's gonna try to pour it on.

Still having some problems with his... with his eyes.

He's blinking, and he's bouncing away continually.

Liston still aiming toward the body with the big punches.

Cassius Clay, Joe,

was continually complaining about his eyes.

He seems okay. Dundee seems to nod toward him.

We're getting ready for number six.

- Did you think it was going this long? - I sure did.

I think the whole country think it would.

Round six.

We know that Sonny,

flat-footed stance most of the time...

Easy target!

Easy!

Very tricky left jab.

Clay with a variety of punches.

It's all in combination.

That's his strong point.

The crowd now cheering the challenger.

There you see them, Joe Polino

trying to keep that that tough pose.

I think he don't see too well out both his eyes,

'cause they're pretty well puffed out.

And I think Clay got all the company he needs now.

They might be stopping it!

That might be all, ladies and gentlemen!

It's recorded as a seventh-round knockout,

and thank you, Barney, you did a good job.

Man is floating on the world,

on the ocean of activity,

not knowin' where he's goin', not knowin' what he's doin',

and what seems to be important to man

is the moment that he calls the present.

The past is just a dream to him,

the future's in the mist,

and the only thing that's clear to man is the present.

- I am the king of the world! - Hold it, hold it!

- I'm pretty! - You're not that pretty.

I'm a bad man! I shook up the world!

I shook up the world!

I shook up the world!

- I am the greatest! - All right, Cash.

What you gonna say now, huh?

He pulls his head back.

He holds his hands too low. Well, I'm still pretty.

The Bear couldn't hurt me.

The Bear couldn't even get a good lick, I'm so pretty.

Oh, I'm so great!

Oh, I'm so pretty!

I shook up the world.

- Now I'm through talkin'. - Come on, now.

I'm through talkin'. You write... You write the results.

Malcolm X, what do you think

of Cassius's victory in Miami?

I think it was a great victory.

He proved he was the best man.

Where were you during the fight?

I was in the auditorium, watching the fight.

- Right at ringside? - Right at ringside. I was in seat 7.

♪ Shake ♪

♪ Shake ♪

♪ Shake ♪

♪ Shake... ♪

I was with him during the nine days

when he was training for the Liston fight,

and he seemed very sincere.

Whether he has understanding

to equal his sincerity is another thing.

♪ Come on, loosen up them shoulders ♪

♪ Shake ♪

♪ Oh, mama, shake ♪

♪ That's the way to do it ♪

♪ Shake ♪

♪ Oh, you're lookin' good now ♪

♪ Shake, yeah ♪

♪ Now shake, that's what you wanna... ♪

Do you think that Cassius's being a Black Muslim

has had anything to do with this victory?

I haven't heard him say he was a Black Muslim.

I have heard him say that he believes in the religion of Islam,

which makes him a Muslim.

And it did have a great deal to do with his victory

because he's a clean-living young man,

and this is the main thing that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad does teach

in spreading the religion of Islam throughout the...

among our people in this country.

The leader of the Black Muslim sect

has termed Cassius Clay's victory over Sonny Liston a religious victory.

At the group's convention in Chicago,

Elijah Muhammad came closer than anyone so far

in proclaiming Clay a member of the Black Muslims.

Clay has hinted that he is at least on the fringe;

Elijah Muhammad all but pushed him across.

The enemy wanted him to come out all blasted.

They had said that he would... ha ha!

Liston would "tear up that pretty face of yours."

But Allah and myself said, "No, no."

How long has Cassius been a Black Muslim?

- Do you know that? - Well, I don't know.

Cassius is probably more capable of speaking for himself

than any other man in this country.

Cassius Clay is a name no more,

- is that right? - Yes, sir.

It's Muhammad Ali.

"Muhammad" means "worthy of all praises,"

and "Ali" means "most high"

in the Asian-African language.

How long have you had the name?

Well, for about, mmm...

two weeks now.

Has anybody special gave you the name?

Yes, sir, my leader and teacher,

the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

Here come Cassius, the exact contrast

of everything that was representative of the Negro image.

He said he was the greatest,

all of the odds were against him,

he won, he became victorious, he became the champ.

They knew that as soon as... if people began to identify with Cassius

and the type of image he was creating,

they were going to have trouble out of these Negroes,

because they'd have Negroes

walking around the streets saying, "I'm the greatest."

They are Black Muslims,

a national religious cult

that says it will take over the United States

and eventually the world.

And the FBI says the movement is a potential threat

to the internal security of the United States.

A prominent Muslim

is heavyweight champion Cassius Clay,

or Muhammad Ali.

Just one man like me

been so attacked for just his name,

with everybody I see on TV shows

have changed their names,

then me bein' more crucified than them,

and I haven't done nothin' illegal.

This is what cause your riots and make people hostile.

News stories out of New York about people are gonna

come up here, heavily armed, looking for you.

No, that's just rumors,

tryin' to scare me.

Scared of what? I walk through hell every day.

No guards... don't need 'em.

Pickin' on a clean, righteous man like me

and hollering about...

What they come to tell me they're coming to get me for?

Why don't you go on the highway and stop 'em! Hmm?

South Florida's Muslim leaders

are responsible directly to Muslim headquarters in Chicago,

where the Honorable Elijah Muhammad

runs the organization with an iron fist.

Cassius, what brings you to Chicago?

To have dinner with my leader and teacher,

the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

- You're going to see him in Chicago here? - Yes, sir.

Where you gonna have dinner with him, Cassius?

Hmm, I don't know yet.

Why are you seeing him?

Hmm, tryin' to learn somethin'.

You planning on fighting this year before the year is out?

Well, I don't know. I might retire. I'm considering retirin'.

- I'm really tired of fightin'. - At your age?

Yeah, I'm tired. I don't have to fight no more.

You think you might retire without another fight?

That's right. I don't like boxing.

Boxing means nothin' to me.

What do you like?

Hmm, uh, well,

I like, just... I like what all, uh, Negroes like,

and what they're fighting for is freedom.

And I understand that the Civil Rights bill

is gettin' ready to die. All that kind of stuff.

Then they so shook up about where I go to eat dinner.

It's a shame in the eyes of the intelligent world

to even ask me them kind of questions,

where am I goin' to dinner.

If you quit fighting,

will you go full time into civil rights work?

No, I don't know if I call it civil rights.

Well, what will you do for an occupation if you stop fighting?

I don't know what I'll do. God's got me here for somethin',

I can feel it.

I was born for everything that I'm doing now.

No fear of nothin' is in my heart.

Not even airplanes... I used to be scared of them.

You've been invited to a number of countries too,

- haven't you, Cassius? - Yes, sir.

Countries such as, uh...

Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya...

- Pakistan? - Pakistan, Malaya,

- When do you plan to go? - In a couple of months

I'd like to start my world tour,

and I expect to be gone for as long as a whole year.

Why are we called Negroes?

"Nation of birth."

"nation of birth."

So if our nationality is Negro, then where is Negroland?

I said, "That's God's truth. This is what I been lookin' for."

And the so-called Negro, it's a fact he's from Asia and Africa.

And they have a language.

Now, it's a fact this is not our homeland.

We was brought here as slaves.

Now, why we don't know one word of our language?

What happened to our language?

He said we've been completely stripped

and cut off from all knowledge of self by the slave master.

I said, "That's the truth, that's the truth."

He said, "We been taught to hate our own selves.

We call each other niggers, boos, shines, jigaboos, spooks.

We hate each other.

All his people are gonna intermarry

and get out of our race

and mix our blood with others.

We're the only people who wants to get away

and identity himself with someone else.

That's what God taught Elijah Muhammad.

And Elijah Muhammad teaches us

that it's just truth that God taught him,

and if God taught him, and we believe he's from God...

- Then it must be true. - Then we believe it. Yeah.

Most of my knowledge comes from travelin',

talkin' to people...

we don't realize how much gold and how much wisdom

is in places where you don't think it is.

If it wasn't for the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,

I never would have heard about this

or even thought about going to these countries,

and this is a golden Muslim mosque

that was presented to me by the Islamic Council of all Egypt!

And I want one more thing to say, I haven't explained to you yet,

and this mosque, I'm very honored,

and I hope that he will receive it,

this is a gift, our leader and teacher,

for wakin' all of us up,

because we were in a bad state of conditions

before we heard him.

Why did you fall out with Elijah Muhammad?

Well, some internal disagreements and differences

that I would rather not go into,

but I think that it will come out in public before long.

Harlem has come to this fond farewell...

to one of its brightest hopes,

extinguished now and gone from us forever.

Malcolm...

was our living black manhood.

This was his meaning to his people...

and in honoring him,

we honor the best in ourselves.

The heavyweight champion of the world,

Muhammad Ali!

Muhammad Ali, better known as Cassius Clay.

...round one, here we go.

I had a cracked rib that night.

James Ellis hit me last two days in training.

But I overcame it with a shot of Novocain

the night of the fight.

But that whole rib was painin' me,

I was hoping I didn't get hit there,

'cause I'd've fell out right there.

Look, man! That's a hit!

Ha! Somethin' to think about, ain't it?

Sonny Liston.

I know I can hear the winos and the hobos

and the little people who bet the nickels and the dollars in the poolroom now.

"He's a bad man, ain't he?

He hit that man so hard!

Don't never bet against him no more.

I don't know what he's gonna do.

He told us to get there early."

I know a lot of people missed the fight.

Walking around, you know,

we have people that like to come to the fights late,

showin' off their pretty suits, you know,

all the players, you know.

They missed the fight.

Ohhhh, shoot.

Second fight with Sonny Liston,

I hit him so fast

slow-motion cameras couldn't detect the speed.

People said it was a fix

because they couldn't see the punch.

Well, "Sports Illustrated"

clocked my fastest punch

at 4/100 of a second.

- How hard was it? - Let me tell you...

4/100 of a second.

Which is exactly an eye blink.

- Eye blink, OK. - And then the people who missed that punch

blinked at that moment.

I'm gonna hit you six times before you count two.

Okay.

- Go. - One, two!

You wanna see it again?

Boxing is a stepping stone

just to introduce me to the audience.

If I was still in Louisville, Kentucky,

and never was a boxer, I might get killed next week

in some type of freedom struggle and you'd never read the news.

But now if I even...

say the wrong thing, it makes news.

I have today ordered to Vietnam

to increase our active fighting forces

by raising the monthly draft call

from 75,000 to... 125,000 men...

almost immediately.

♪..red, white and blue ♪

The boys in Vietnam we're throwin' away,

you may save their lives.

They are dyin' today

to free somebody they don't know.

See, the greatest sports title mean nothin'

if you cannot be free!

♪ It ain't me ♪

♪ It ain't me... ♪

My only interest in fighting him

is merely to take the championship away

and to put it back to where it belongs:

all America, not just the Black Muslims.

People like Patterson,

they don't take no parts in freedom movement

or Black Power, takin' stands or givin' up nothin'

or buckin' the system that is against their people,

so they just... some people slow and some are quick.

I'm very happy that Mr. Clay

took the time out to come up to my camp.

As far as they way he's carrying on is concerned,

I think that it's sort of... it will help my fight.

If your trainers had fought me, you'd apologize!

From Louisville, Kentucky...

the heavyweight champion of the world,

Muhammad Ali!

This will be a mismatch. First, I'm gonna punish him.

I want to take him and give him a good whuppin'.

I don't think he deserves a quick knockout.

Before he fights me,

he'd rather be caught in the middle of Vietnam with a beanshooter.

The winner, and still heavyweight champion of the world,

Muhammad Ali!

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us here.

He says we believe that we who declare ourselves

to be righteous Muslims

should not participate in wars

which take the lives of human beings.

We do not believe that this nation

should force us to take part in such wars

by we have nothing to gain from it

unless America agrees to give us the necessary territory

wherein we may have somethin' to fight for.

This country was set up on the basic concept

of religious freedom or freedom of expression.

I don't believe that he should be persecuted or ridiculed

because of his beliefs.

The man is a Muslim,

and this is his belief, he doesn't believe in war,

and I think he should be deferred.

He is a great champion, they should respect his beliefs.

That's why I'm here right now.

The tragedy to me is that

Cassius has made millions of dollars

off of the American public,

and now he's not willing to show his appreciation

to a country that's giving him,

in my view, a fantastic opportunity.

Why me, a man who pays the salary

of at least 50,000 men in Vietnam,

a man who can pay in two fights

for three bomber planes...

I'm fightin' for the government every day!

You were faced with the same problem in World War II.

No, not quite.

I was only waitin' for 'em to send for me,

and when they sent for me, I went.

So it wasn't the same problem,

it was just that I was champion at the time

that World War II started,

so when my time came up, I had to go.

Do you think there's anything wrong

in someone like Cassius Clay refusing induction?

- Yes, sir, I certainly do. - Why?

Because he's no better than the rest of us.

I'd like to say something right here.

Cassius Clay, yes...

Why you wanna say "Cassius Clay"

when Howard Cosell and everybody is calling me Muhammad Ali?

Why you gotta be the one, of all people who's colored

to keep saying "Cassius Clay"?

Uh, Howard Cosell is not the one's gonna fight you. I am.

- Now, if you... - You make it really hard on yourself now.

Why don't you keep the thing in the sport angle?

Why don't you call me my name, man?

Well, what's your name?

You told me your name was Cassius Clay a few years ago.

I never told you my name was Cassius Clay.

- Well... - My name is Muhammad Ali,

and you will announce it right there in the center of that ring after the fight

if you don't do it now.

For the benefit of this broadcast,

him, all right? Uh...

You actin' just like a old Uncle Tom.

Another Floyd Patterson. I'm gonna punish you.

Let me tell you something, man. You ain't got no...

- Back off of me! - Don't call me no Uncle Tom.

That's what you are, a Uncle Tom.

Why you gonna call me Uncle Tom?

You heard me. Just back off of me!

- And so, ladies and gentlemen... - Uncle Tom!

as the two contestants prepare for battle right now...

Back off me, man!

Back off me, man!

...another interview has been recorded for posterity

as the two gentlemen continue to promote the fight.

Uncle Tom!

Perfect. That's it.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Come on! Come on!

Keep shooting.

A lot of people have asked about

that interview we did together with Terrell,

coast-to-coast, a week or so ago,

where you and Terrell almost came to blows.

And many people have said it was a publicity stunt, that you staged it.

They have a right to believe so, Howard,

because many things in the past that I have done

was publicity stunts, that's all.

But this time, it was serious.

Do you hate him?

No, I don't really hate him,

but I don't really hate no one,

but I don't like him for his actions

and the way he was actin'

and insistin' on calling me Cassius Clay,

knowing that my name now is Muhammad Ali

and I'm a Muslim,

and whenever this is discussed, it's serious,

I don't play with the religion or the name.

So he really made me angry.

That was not play. That was real.

Shake hands now

and come out fighting.

He knows that's not my name,

and I don't like it,

so I'm gonna have to whup him.

To describe it, it's beatin' him,

makin' him look bad

or makin' him look silly,

showin' him that he has no class,

talkin' to him, askin' him questions,

like "What's my name?" while I whip him,

whip him until he say "Muhammad Ali"

and just ridicule him and shame him

in front of the world.

Now the bell for round eight.

Clay is talking to Terrell.

He's asking what his name is.

He said he'd humiliate him.

I hardly think it's necessary.

Don't you agree, Joe?

I don't... I think...

Clay can do what he want to do in that ring.

What's my name?!

You saw what just happened in the ring.

It spoke for itself.

That was the big three-word question

that was answered last Saturday on television

in advance by Ernie Terrell.

He said his name is Cassius Clay.

Do you still hate this man?

Uh, I don't hate the man as a fighter.

I still dislike what he represent and what he said.

It's unnecessary, it's not in pro sports,

and he shouldn't bring it in.

I respect all fighters for ability,

but not for nonsense.

I think this proves to the public

and all of the doubters out there

that Ernie Terrell has no class whatsoever

and you cannot compare him even in my, uh...

I don't think you have to say that, really.

The man fought a courageous fight.

You would say everything if I'd lost.

Especially you.

And I won, let me have my say.

Terrell, I proved that he wasn't nothin'.

- All right. - It's a joke calling him a champion.

And he better pronounce my name right from now on.

"Humility" is hardly the name of Muhammad Ali.

Muhammad Ali is his name, by his choice.

Hell, no, we won't go! Hell, no, we won't go!

Hell, no, we won't go! Hell, no, we won't go!

Hell, no, we won't go!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Mr. Muhammad Ali

has just refused to be inducted

into the United States armed forces.

Notification of his refusal

is being made to the United States Attorney,

the state director of the Selective Service system,

and the local Selective Service board

for whatever action's deemed to be appropriate.

I will bring Mr. Ali in for his comments.

I wrote a little poem on that thing about Vietnam.

- Heard my little Vietnam poem? - No, I haven't, no.

"Clean out my cell and take me to jail,

better there fed than in Vietnam dead."

I don't need the WBA.

I have world recognition,

not only in this country but all over the world,

and the WBA is nobody to me.

They made themselves look like fools

by taking the title, and it's up to them

to give it back.

Anybody who's doin' the right thing,

they catch a lot of hell.

You cannot please God and the devil too,

so I'm pleasing God.

I'm rejected here and rejected there, not wanted here,

and I have a good feelin' spiritually because I'm right.

If I wasn't right, then they would accept me.

Nine top Negro athletes meet with Cassius Clay

to discuss his anti-draft stand.

They include Bill Russell, Lew Alcindor,

and former pro footballer Jimmy Brown.

Says Brown after the meeting,

"The champ is sincere in his religious beliefs.

He believes in his religion, and his stand is based wholly on that."

Clay's induction refusal cost him his title

and he faces a possible five-year prison sentence.

He claims exemption as a minister

of the Black Muslim faith.

What did you discuss back in the hotel room?

Nothin'. Just friends, just like Khrushchev and Kennedy

and everybody when all of the politicians

of all of the white races come together,

although they believe differently, think different,

whites can come together and discuss the common cause,

but whenever a few of us come together, the world is shook up.

And I say whatever went back there is our business.

Reverend King, do you agree?

Oh, yes, yes.

We had a very good discussion

on many matters,

and of course, these are not things that we discuss here,

but we do have common problems and common concerns.

And above all, as Muhammad Ali has just said,

we are all victims of the same system of oppression.

And even though we may have different religious beliefs,

this does not at all bring about a difference

- in terms of our concerns. - Still brothers.

One more question. Do you share the same concern

that Muhammad has for his draft status?

Oh, I certainly do.

My views on the draft are very clear: I'm against it.

And I think the sooner our country does away with the draft,

the better it will be for everybody.

I'm very disturbed about the militaristic posture of our nation,

and I think until we have a radical reordering of priorities

in our country, we are going more and more

to the depths and, I should say, to the doom.

I have some very sad news for all of you,

and I think sad news for all of our fellow citizens

and people who love peace all over the world,

and that is that Martin Luther King

was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis.

We came in chains,

we came in misery,

now all our sufferin' and pain's

a part of history.

We came in chains, you must remember that,

for that and that alone explains

exactly where we're at.

We came in chains,

we came as livin' loot,

so you could boast slave-gotten gains.

We've groaned beneath your boot,

we came in chains,

and how our blood was spilled

together with our sweat,

it stains this nation we helped build.

We came in chains, we didn't volunteer,

and yet today the fact remains

we're still held captive here.

We came in chains, now I say "Cut us loose."

Though that may go against your grain, still there's no excuse.

We came in chains, now who down there's gonna bear the cost?

Till every one of us regains the freedom we have lost.

We came in chains, and now your choice must be

to either blow out all my brains

or else you'll set me free."

...new heavyweight champion...

That decision speaks for itself.

Jimmy, I won the tournament, we're in good shape.

You've got back-to-back champions,

you were Muhammad Ali's trainer and manager,

what if Muhammad comes back?

Whom would you represent?

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

It'll be a pretty bridge. I ain't worried about it right now.

I'm happy I got this guy. He's the champion right now. Period.

I would like to hear this from you,

and I want the world and the cameras to hear it.

Who's the heavyweight champion of the world?

One more time.

Who's the champ of the world?

...for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Oh! A tremendous left hook!

He cannot be saved by the bell!

This fight may be over.

This fight may be over.

This fight is over, Angelo Dundee!

Over!

It is over, a knockout in the fourth...

Muhammad Ali! Muhammad Ali!

- Who's the greatest? - Muhammad Ali!

- Who's the greatest? - Muhammad Ali!

Why is this group picketing here tonight?

Because they recognize the fraud

which the white power structure,

the white vultures, as I've called them, on the boxing world,

is trying to perpetrate.

Muhammad Ali has not lost his title.

I consider myself

the heavyweight champion of the world

until the champ get back in action again.

And when you say "the champ gets back in action again,

I assume you're talking about Muhammad Ali?

That's right, and I would like to face him.

And how do you think that would come out?

Well, I think I'll take him.

♪ Hold on ♪

♪ I'm comin' ♪

♪ Hold on ♪

♪ I'm comin'... ♪

What was the feeling when you heard about the ruling?

- Was it one of relief? - Well, yes,

a feelin' of freedom,

a chance to perform the trade that I know best,

the way I've been earning my living just about all my life.

And it was cut off, I was glad to know

that I have the freedom to go back to workin'

so I can take care of my family.

♪ Hold on, I'm comin'... ♪

You're going to try and come back.

You admit that you are not in the shape you should be in.

Quarry figures the time is right to take you.

That's natural. I've been off three years,

and I've only had six weeks' notice for this fight,

which is usually something considered impossible

for a heavyweight to do.

Is it your present belief

that you can ever again be as a fighter

what once you were, the same skills,

the same swiftness, the same destructiveness?

I don't think no human can be the same

after three years of anything.

We naturally get older.

I have six gray hairs in my head now,

where a few years ago I had just one.

So naturally we never can be like we used to be.

He's got this possible prison sentence hanging over him.

Doesn't that affect him at all in his training?

Nothing bothers this guy.

Nothing bothers him, what's gonna be is gonna be.

I think his attitude is like mine: Que sera sera.

What's gonna happen with the government

and this court trial that's hanging over his head,

that'll come later.

This is still in the court of appeals.

Until we cross these bridges and be successful,

then there's a possibility that I might have to do the five years in prison.

Return of the champion,

Muhammad Ali!

Do you think you're gonna be the heavyweight champion of the world again?

Many consider me still champion

because I'm undefeated,

but Frazier has built up enough interest

where people believe that he owns half of the title or all of it.

So I would say that I'm the retired champion

making a comeback to fight the present champ.

Referee Tony Perez

has signaled the fight is over,

apparently because of an eye cut.

Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay, whichever you want,

he is still plenty fast

and his left jab is still a dynamite punch.

Doctor, is there any doubt about their condition?

- They're both in great shape. - Why you no go the army? You chicken?

- Both fighters are in exceptional shape. - Say that one more time.

- Say that one more time! - Vocally as well as physically.

- Yes, absolutely. - Why you don't go the army?

Why you not go the army?

I will tell you Monday night in the first clinch we get in.

Ah, chicken. You big chicken.

Good deal. Keep talkin'!

- Chicken! - He never shoulda started talkin'.

- Not with Muhammad Ali. - Clay. Clay.

You Clay?

I said Muhammad Ali.

Clay?

You will call it when the fight comes off.

- Clay? Clay? - Wait till the fight comes.

Please tell everybody to get to your theaters!

I've never had a man that I wanted to whup so bad.

Monday night, Madison Square Garden will be sold out.

Theaters throughout the world will be sold out.

He will have to fight, and he's puttin' hisself

on a big spot, because a man

who talks this much and lose,

it sets him back a long ways... I've never lost.

1:30 left in the fight.

Oh! That left!

What a... It came from nowhere!

Ali came through with a left.

The crowd screaming.

The first knockdown of the fight.

He took the mandatory eight.

And now Ali is behaving like the old Ali.

One more knockdown in this round,

the fight is automatically over.

Bonavena is running.

If he goes down again...

It's over!

Ali is the knockout winner!

I'm going up to ring center.

Joe Frazier's on the telephone.

What's he sayin', Muhammad?

Howard Cosell is agitatin', as usual.

I think you done proved yourself as a professional fighter.

I done proved myself,

so I'll get my couple days rest,

and since we can't get along,

we just gonna have to get it on.

I fought Jerry Quarry, gave him a chance.

After Jerry Quarry, few weeks later

I fought the rough Oscar Bonavena,

the man who almost whupped Joe Frazier.

Joe Frazier fought his last fight with Bobby Foster,

Detroit, Michigan.

They drew about 4500 people,

place held about 11,000.

I do more than that in training.

- Welcome back. - Take this picture.

This is the hotel manager.

- Hi. - Tom Lehr.

He feeds me kosher food every day.

Yes, and it's good, too.

- How ya doin'? - They sure are.

- How ya feel? - Awright.

Who are you for, Joe Frazier or me?

They told me Joe Frazier's new champ. What do you think?

- Who are you? - Who am I?!

Know how you whip Joe Frazier?

Know how you beat a man like Joe Frazier?

Just keep your distance on him.

Keep movin'.

Keep Joe Frazier on the end of your left jab, see.

Just a step ahead of him, see.

He's easy to hit, and every once in a while put it on him.

He's like a robot.

You wind him up, you wind up the little doll,

and let him go, he just keep comin'.

And everybody hit him, and he just keep comin'.

They tell me he's gotta get in close.

Tie him up and walk with him.

He big, so...

Then back to the stick.

Let me show you somethin'. Keep stickin' Joe, see?

Stick Joe. Then every once in a while,

put one of them combinations on him

and you follow him.

And the only way he will win is taggin' me,

he's in trouble.

Because I've never really been out

or really hit hard.

I want 'me to build him up real big,

make him just a terror and a giant.

And right after the fight, I'm gonna break my neck gettin' to the newspaper stand

to see what's the excuse is the next mornin'.

I'm just waitin' to see what the excuse is gonna be

when I whup Joe Frazier.

Will you train any differently

for this fight with Clay, or is he just another opponent?

I just think he's another man.

People probably look at him different, ya know,

I just look at him another... I call him guy, ya know,

another guy, you know what I mean?

For the last 27 guys I've been fightin',

they been bigger than me,

I mean, I'm a small man.

So I, ya know, go out there and go to work.

I'm the champ, no doubt about that.

And Ali usually go around hollerin'

he's the champ, you know, and he called me a dumb fighter,

but I tell him nobody never took my championship away from me.

You gonna see a new guy out there, real new.

And one thing that Clay, they takin' the title away from him,

we fought for the title and we earned the title.

Now they give him a license, so we ready to fight him,

we're gonna give him another shot at the title.

I think he deserve it, and we're gonna give him a shot at it.

Why do you insist on calling him Clay?

Because that's his name. I know him as Clay.

He called me Yancey Durham, or Yank.

Call me anything he want to call me,

so I call him what I want to call him.

His name is Cassius Clay to me.

Whether he resent that or not, that's what I call him.

Always called him that, always will call him Cassius Clay.

He's meetin' Muhammad Ali,

the original champion.

I just defeated Sonny Liston

at the time he just got out of the Olympics.

Joe Frazier's a street fighter,

he walks in, he slugs, he fights wild, he's no skill.

All of his opponents beat him for the first two or three rounds.

But wait until I get Joe Frazier.

He called you a good street fighter.

Does that make you mad?

Don't make me mad at all.

I feel like I'm just as much fighter as him.

How do you rate him as an opponent?

I think he's a good fighter,

You make any forecasts about the fight?

What you mean, forecasts?

- You gonna win? - Sure.

If Joe Frazier whups Muhammad Ali,

he'll be the greatest fighter that ever lived.

Believe me, this will be no contest

to prove I'm still the best.

This is the greatest fight in 240 years.

March 8th in the Garden, that's right.

Commissioner, may we precede Ali?

What do you say you're gonna do to Frazier?

I'll predict that when I meet Joe Frazier,

this will be like a good amateur

fightin' a real professional.

This will be like a kid out of the Olympics

meetin' the fastest heavyweight champion that ever lived.

He's goin' way back in the time of, let's say,

twenty years ago.

This is the day, man. You understand?

You're not fightin' Quarry, you're not fightin' Oscar Bonavena,

you're not fightin' Sonny Liston,

you're fightin' Joe Frazier!

- That's not the point. - That's the point!

Joe, what's your prediction?

My prediction, the fight won't go the distance.

- I'll stop him. - Stop me?

- You! - Wait till I get you in the ring!

Get your hands off me!

♪ One, two, three, four! ♪

♪ Get up, get on up ♪

♪ Get up, get on up ♪

♪ Get on the scene, get on up ♪

♪ Like a sex machine, get on up ♪

♪ Get up, get on up ♪

♪ Get up, get on up ♪

♪ Be on the scene, get on up ♪

♪ Like a sex machine, get on up ♪

This thing is bigger than boxing.

People are watchin' this fight

in countries that don't watch fights.

People, women, people of all races,

they don't come to fights, there's never been an event

in the history of the planet Earth this big.

And if you wanna challenge me, call anybody.

We're all watched, in all countries,

even back to Arabia in the holy city of Mecca.

All back in Egypt, all back in Syria,

Pakistan, all back in Estonia, Russia,

Red China, Vietnam,

people actually waitin' for the outcome

who don't follow nothin' from America.

This is the biggest event

in the history of the whole planet Earth.

- Ya understand? - I understand.

Not because of Joe Frazier.

Muhammad Ali

in the red trunks.

Joe Frazier in the green trunks.

They appear very light.

A packed house at Madison Square Garden.

Muhammad Ali opening up fast.

He may try to blitz him here in round one.

Frazier is more vulnerable in the first round,

and Muhammad Ali knows that.

That is one of the most exciting first rounds

I think we've seen in a long time.

Gettin' in that ring with Joe Frazier

in front of all them people, bangin' on you, could kill you.

I'm really frightened and I feel funny

and I feel surprised and shocked.

Until the first two or three punches.

And after he hits me, I get mad.

Fifteen seconds to go in the round.

That was the best punch of the fight.

If I had fought Frazier

say, three years ago when I supposed to be at my best,

I think I wouldn't have done as good,

because I'm stronger now.

Joe Frazier just spit some blood,

he is bleeding inside the mouth.

Round three.

Round three!

Come on, Joe!

The Muhammad Ali that we remember

three-and-a-half years ago was a dancer.

He's not dancing tonight.

He may be trying to slug with Joe.

That's still a good...

Ali stepped into that punch instead of moving.

After I saw he could take everything that I had

and I saw his power,

if you'll notice, after the fourth round

I got mostly flat-footed.

Took my time, to preserve energy.

And I needed it, too.

Good one-two, and a jab.

Frazier taunting Ali.

He's just smiling at him.

Frazier's just laughing at him.

Talking to him.

That's the way Muhammad Ali used to taunt his opponents.

Round seven is over.

A terrific round.

Ali seems a little disgusted with himself,

but he's pretty tired.

Ali! Ali! Ali!

The crowd is chanting "Ali,"

and Joe says come on out and fight.

I let the critics and the newspaper writers get to me.

They were saying if I got caught in the corner,

the fight would be over.

And I deliberately stayed in the corner for three rounds

and let him take shots at my arms and my body,

and I was just touching his head

and talking to him and playing with him,

and I lost those rounds.

Ali covering up on the ropes.

That was a wicked punch.

So was that!

Actually, what do you think of this?

I think he's trying to psych Joe out,

but I think Joe was hurting him.

I think so too.

I think he's taken quite a whipping.

And the crowd has changed.

Before they were yelling "Ali, Ali!"

Now they're yelling "Joe! Joe!"

Round eleven.

No knockdown.

No, nope. No knockdown.

Muhammad Ali slipped down that time.

That one hurt.

And Ali looks staggered!

Muhammad Ali was rocked!

He's holding on desperately!

Thirty seconds to go in the round.

Thirty seconds.

Muhammad Ali is in real trouble.

Muhammad Ali walked into the ropes!

He almost went down.

Ten seconds...

The round is over.

The round is over. The round is over.

What a round.

Muhammad Ali was really out that time.

See, in a boxing match,

there's a lot of thinkin' and timin',

and you have to pace yourself, like a horse race.

They'll start off kinda slow, and they'll take their time,

and probably the winner of the race

is number nine in the whole bunch.

Round twelve.

Who thought it would go this far?

Muhammad Ali gamely trying to fight back.

But he is clinching.

Frazier let him get away

after that big eleventh round.

You don't remember the actual punch,

and the pain from it, it's just numb.

Muhammad Ali is missing a lot of those punches.

Frazier laughed at him again.

That's the end of the 12th round.

That was a tremendous round. Ali made a great comeback.

Yes, but Frazier had him on the ropes.

Round thirteen of a fifteen-rounder.

They're fighting like lightweights now.

There's a spot of blood on the shoulder of Ali,

I guess it's from Frazier, but I don't see where.

And Ali seems to be coming back.

It's almost over, this round.

There's the bell The round is over.

Round 13 is over, and what a round.

That Joe Frazier's gotta be some kind of a man.

Frazier's right eye looks as though it might be closing.

He's got swelling around both eyes.

Ali came through very well in this round,

scoring repeatedly and seeming to get stronger.

These boys are in magnificent physical shape.

This is the final round of the fight,

and what a fight it's been.

The 15th and final round.

Referee Arthur Mercante has them touch gloves,

something they've been doing all night.

Now Muhammad Ali's got a little pop in his jabs.

I have to give it to him, I ain't takin' nothin' from him.

He's really good as far as sluggin' is concerned.

He's not skillful, but he's real strong and he keeps comin'.

He takes five or ten punches to land one,

but when he hits you, you're shook.

Punches that knock you out, you really don't see 'em.

In the eleventh round, I didn't hardly see that punch, that was a hard one.

But the fifteenth round, I saw it comin',

and suddenly I leaned back and leaned right into the hook.

The power of it knocked me down,

but it wasn't enough to hurt me internally.

Frazier largely goes for the body.

But Muhammad Ali covering up.

The crowd, needless to say, is in a bedlam.

Oh! What was that?

If Joe had followed that up,

he would have been...

Muhammad Ali has never taken such a battering.

Muhammad Ali gamely fights back.

Frazier is tired, and his eyes are closing.

I got hit more in this fight

than my last six fights put together.

I think the punches I actually landed, the round's won.

I believe I had the edge, but it was close.

Referee Arthur Mercante

scores it 8, 6, 1-even for Frazier.

One vote for Joe Frazier.

Artie Aidala, 9 to 6 for Frazier.

Frazier is the winner!

Bill Recht, 11 rounds for Frazier,

4 for Ali.

The winner by unanimous decision

and still the heavyweight champion of the world,

Joe Frazier!

Joe Frazier!

For the first time in his career,

Muhammad Ali was beaten.

You think your religion influenced this decision?

Oh, yeah, naturally. One judge made 11 for him.

Shoot, man, if I took that whuppin' Joe Frazier took,

I'd have been probably ready to quit.

Joe Frazier took a terrible whuppin', beatin', a batterin'.

I didn't take no batterin'.

I took a couple hard left hooks that stunned me,

but I didn't take no lotta jabs and uppercuts

and hooks and crosses,

and I didn't take no big whuppin'.

Frazier took a terrible beatin'.

Which still lets me know how good I am,

even after the layoff.

So my confidence is really stronger than before the fight,

because I figured he would be tougher than he was.

I was thinkin' probably, "Man, whew!"

He'd be rougher than that.

He was easy to hit and... everything.

Next time won't be no match.

Next time there won't be no show.

I'll be on my toes, I'll be movin' more,

I won't play three rounds, I'll keep my guard up,

I'll be more serious next time,

I know him now...

next time it'll be a easy fight.

♪ When the night has come ♪

♪ And the land is dark ♪

♪ And the moon is the only light we'll see ♪

♪ No, I won't be afraid ♪

♪ No, I won't be afraid ♪

♪ Just as long as you stand ♪

♪ Stand by me ♪

♪ And darlin', darlin' ♪

♪ Stand by me ♪

♪ Oh, stand by me ♪

♪ Oh, stand ♪

♪ Stand by me, stand by me ♪

♪ If the sky that we look upon ♪

♪ Should tumble and fall ♪

♪ Or the mountains ♪

♪ Should crumble to the sea ♪

♪ No, I won't be afraid ♪

♪ No, I won't be afraid ♪

♪ Just as long as you stand ♪

♪ Stand by me ♪

♪ And darlin', darlin' ♪

♪ Stand by me ♪

♪ Oh, stand by me ♪

♪ Oh, stand now ♪

♪ Stand by me, stand by me ♪

♪ And darlin', darlin' ♪

♪ Stand by me ♪

♪ Oh, stand by me ♪

♪ Oh, stand now ♪

♪ Stand by me, stand by me ♪