Posted on 07/30/2010 4:17:20 PM PDT by Sioux-san
Although it debuted last year, I just this week happened to catch the HBO documentary “Thriller in Manila.” As fate would have it, I was staying in the town in which the documentary’s antagonist, Muhammad Ali, was born and raised—Louisville, Kentucky.
You read that right, “antagonist.” Stunningly, John Dower’s documentary shows the Ali of his glory years for the cruel, racist, hypocritical, mind-numbed Nation of Islam (NOI) zombie that he was.
It did not surprise me to learn, however, that “Thriller in Manila” is a British production. It is hard to imagine an American director making such a film.
The protagonist in Dower’s film, rightfully so, is the beleaguered Joe Frazier, a sharecropper’s son from South Carolina whom Ali successfully taught liberal America, including black America, to despise.
A few years back, I had written a book on the Ali myth called “Sucker Punch.” Although ESPN did an hour-long show on the book and the New York Times, shockingly, gave it a favorable review, the rest of the media predictably ignored it and continued to lionize Ali.
Dower’s film may have sobered the media up. Seeing Ali’s vicious, gratuitous racist jibes stings more than reading about them.
Dower does not pull his punches. He shows, for instance, Ali speaking to the Ku Klux Klan about the horrors of interracial marriage and then publicly humiliating his Black Muslim wife by showing up in Manila with his exquisitely light-skinned, multiracial girl friend.
What Dower does not do, although he hints at the answer, is to explain exactly how Ali became an American institution—the torchbearer at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, for instance—despite his consistently reprehensible behavior.
(Excerpt) Read more at cashill.com ...
***Joe Frazier, a sharecropper’s son from South Carolina***
Ah yes! Smokin’ Joe Frasier! The man who lost to Casius Clay/Muhammed Ali! Yet in that match he hit Ali so hard it permanently scrambled Ali’s brains and made him “punch drunk” for life.
The loudmouth/draft dodger/who hid in the black muslim religion to keep from being drafted.
Ali became an American institution by being the best heavyweight boxer anyone alive has ever seen...just like Tiger is the best golfer anyone alive has seen...the personal flaws might make them aholes, but they didn’t become legends by some back door, shitty trick pulled on the public...they didn’t get there because they were “historic choices” or the manifestation of liberal and white guilt...like that lying, creepy SOB in the White House...the biggest difference, of course, is that you are not affected by the sports and celebrity goofballs, but Zero will throw us into a civil war...
Wow. I never knew that Ali had supported Reagan and Bush and was Republican! And Malcom X calling himself a zombie, like all muslims...I never knew. Interesting article. I may have to buy the book.
Ali’s treatment of Frazier was appalling. Frazier had a much harder life than Ali (Clay), yet his “blackness” was questioned by the big-mouthed Muslim.
Their first match was about more than boxing. The left, hippies, commies, etc were for Ali, while those who actually loved America were for Frazier.
I do sense that Ali has partially softened in some ways, but I don’t know the man, so I can’t say for sure.
CHeck out Ali’s relationship with Tony Rezko....Yes THAT Tony Rezko!
From: http://www.vdare.com/sailer/080901_chicago.htm
I’m still amazed that I only found out about Rezko’s decades-long relationship with the Black Muslims last week. It showed up in the obituaries of Jabir Herbert Muhammad, the son of Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad of evil memory, whose followers assassinated his rival Malcolm X in 1966.
Jabir’s funeral was quite a success. Both current Nation of Islam boss Louis Farrakhan and The Champ, Muhammad Ali, were in attendance.
Malcolm had converted the young Cassius Clay to Elijah’s race-baiting Islamic heresy in the early 1960s. In 1964, however, Elijah excommunicated the dangerously charismatic Malcolm and installed his own son, Jabir, as Ali’s business manager. The energetic Rezko, who had arrived in Chicago from Syria in 1974, went to work for Jabir in the 1983 and was soon managing the ex-champ’s business affairs.
Rezko, sadly, was unable to make the memorial service because he’s been busy at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center since his conviction on 16 counts in June
Mike Tyson (crap be upon him), in his prime, would KO Cassius Clay (pork be upon him), in his prime, in less than 4 rounds.
Several people have described the scene at Ali’s training facility before the first Frazier fight.
One day he called Frazier a “gorilla” and chanted it over and over: “Gorilla, gorilla, gorilla.” and eventually all the (all-white) writers began to chant with him: “GORILLA, GORILLA, GORILLA.”
Charming. Imagine any white person in America doing this without the special “dispensation” that Ali gave them.
Frazier also had a hand in helping Ali get his boxing license back after the draft-dodging layoff. Frazier knew a payday when he saw one and may have been a little selfish knowing that he’d never be considered a real champion until he faced Ali. But still it must have gone down hard when Ali started those “gorilla” antics.
Amen
<< Mike Tyson (crap be upon him), in his prime, would KO Cassius Clay (pork be upon him), in his prime, in less than 4 rounds. >>
With all due respect, you couldn’t be more wrong.
Tyson never would have gotten CLOSE to Ali, and Ali would have won ANY fight against him on points EVERY time.
Frazier was more of a warrior than Tyson and Frazier only won one of three fights against Ali, and that was after Ali was idle for three years. Can you imagine Frazier quitting like Tyson did against a light heavyweight like Holyfield? I can’t.
That's why I stipulated "in his prime." Tyson's prime was relatively short lived. He didn't have the mental strength to linger there. And I still say he'd kick Clay's ars.
After Tyson beat Michael Spinks, Eddie Futch, who trained Spinks, said he’d lost the fight before he even stepped into the ring. He said that was true of most of Tyson’s opponents. He added that he believed the first good boxer that Tyson fought who wasn’t afraid of him would beat him.
Aside from being a traitor to his wife whom he cheated on, his parents who named him, his country by being a draft dodger, and his religion; why not attempt to construct a hero out of him. He was good boxer but WAY over hyped.
Mike Tyson was one of the most over-rated boxers in history. He was a great ‘puncher’, but whenever he was matched against anyone with a modicum of technique such as Lennox Lewis or Holyfield, he was completely outclassed. He spent most of his fights looking for the one-punch KO, while eating jabs and combinations the whole way. Once he became the champ, he never really fought anyone who really had a shot. Once he did (Holyfield, Lewis), he was always out-boxed.
Heck, Francois Botha was beating Tyson on points through 5 rounds before being KO’d, but we are talking about a journeyman fighter (a decent one in his day), not a true contender. Most of Tyson’s fights after winning the title were against the proverbial “tomato cans”.
That being said, he was a tremendous PPV draw in a ‘freak show’ kind of way. It’s a shame he didn’t have a half decent financial manager. He might have a little nest egg, instead of being broke after earning about $400million through his career.
I remember watching the Ali - Ken Norton fight on Wide World of Sports in, I think, 1973.
Norton broke Ali’s jaw in the second round, but no one but Ali knew it at the time (except maybe Norton). Norton kept working on that jaw for the rest of the fight and won a close decision. I think it went 15 rounds.
After I learned that his jaw was broken, yet he continued to fight and give Norton all he wanted for 13 rounds, I decided that was the toughest thing I’ve ever seen a man do. Period.
Maybe. But then again, maybe not. Ever hear of a guy named Rocky Marciano? Undefeated in 49 fights. Also won the computer-generated fight upon which the movie “Rocky Balboa” was based. Also, in his prime, I think Joe Louis could have taken out Ali or Rocky (Marciano, that is).
Maybe.
Ali is the type of fighter that gave Tyson fits. He was faster, in better shape and much smarter than Tyson. He would not have stood toe to toe in a slug fest.
That would have been a fight for the ages.
IIRC Clay spent a week in the hospital after the “Thriller in Manila”.
The photos I’ve seen look like Tyson was way bigger and much more defined. But he literally was burned out and washed up by the age of 24. I don’t think Clay even reached his prime until his late 20’s.
It would be one for the ages, no doubt. I honestly lost my love for boxing after watching the Ray Mancini vs Duk Koo Kim fight, in which Kim died. My friends and I used to gather for the fights and hoot and holler... but that fight left a sour taste.
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