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 ...
Ali was allowed to push down on the back of the head and neck of his opponents all fight long thus greatly exhausting them...he could not have survived to the later rounds with the heavy hitters like Frazier and Foreman.
Mike Tyson would have killed him.
Tyson would never have been able to catch Ali. Ali was to quick. He would have rope-a-doped him to death.
BUT, if Tyson could hit him, it would have been lights out.
‘Ali’ is a disgraced muslim who should have stuck with ‘Cassius Clay.’
There - fixed.
He might do that too. But Tyson was a Pit Bull to Clay’s Afghan Hound.
You must have missed the Tyson / Buster Douglas fight. Douglas beat Tyson's ass by out-boxing him (and by not crapping his shorts before the first round). Ali, whatever else you might say about him, could flat-out box. And he could take a punch - go ask George Foreman about that.
Tyson would have been toast.
Tyson was in his prime 4 years before the Douglas fight. Like I said, his prime was very short lived. Everyone has an opinion. Mine is that Cassius Clay would have had a come to Jesus moment had he fought a 20 year old Mike Tyson. It might have even saved Clay from becoming a lousy mooslim.
It's pretty ironic that you say that. When Ali beat George Foreman, Foreman was - by his own admission - shattered. It may have ultimately led to Foreman's literal Come to Jesus moment. For what it's worth Foreman (in his prime) was the Tyson of his day only bigger, stronger and with a functioning brain.
Tyson's prime ended when Douglas proved he could be beaten by out-boxing him.
It’s obvious you know boxing...Marciano was top 3-4 (I have a grandson named Rocky and it ain’t Balboa)), Louis 2-3...no doubt...Dempsey! Hes gotta be on that short list. But the rankings most say the same thing; Ali. Some ranked Ali tied with Louis, which I think is probably a close call, too. Before my time, but Louis and Marciano (and Dempsey, IMO) are on the same level. No doubt and a good call. I just think that Ali was really #1. Style, grace, innovation, speed (he doesn’t make anybody’s big hitter list) and as much as people hate to here it, brains. He was a general and a surgeon. He fcut that ring down into a postage stamp when he wanted and turned it into a football field when he wanted to. He went toe to toe in some pretty tough fights with some HEAVY punchers, though, too...tough call. I think we both have good reasons for the picks made. They sure can make a good barroom come alive...but I stick with the Champ.
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=6087&more=1
http://www.boxingscene.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-4071.html
http://coxscorner.tripod.com/heavyweightchart.html
http://www.theslot.com/alltime.html
http://www.mademan.com/mm/10-best-heavyweight-boxers-all-time.html
http://boxing.about.com/library/weekly/aa123099b.htm
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=11414&more=1
Lighter-skinned blacks, like Ali, always seem to have a chip on their shoulder, as if they have to prove that they’re really black.
Look at most of the race-baiters, they tend to be lighter-skinned blacks. As if they have to compensate for something.
Ali was allowed to push down on the back of the head and neck of his opponents all fight long thus greatly exhausting them...he could not have survived to the later rounds with the heavy hitters like Frazier and Foreman.”
Yet, he is ranked # 1 by almost every knowledgeable source in the world.
Mike Tyson would have (been killed by) him. Tyson isn’t even on a top ten list anywhere.
Tyrell Biggs put up a great fight, but got greedy in the 8th (I think...) and Tyson took total advantage and destroyed him then. I always wondered if Biggs could have won that fight, either by decision or a KO later in the bout. Guess we’ll never know.
I never heard about the Rezko connection - if Cashill knew, I am sure he would have mentioned it. I will send your comments on to Jack.
YOur light-skinned comment brought our current POTUS and his ATtorney General to mind - it seems like this is pretty universal in the Leftist world of bi-racial folks - the ones who stuck by them (their white families) are crap and the ones who left them behind are the heroes. Go figure...
FWIW - a girl I knew ran into Ali after his boxing days. He was alone sitting on a bench and she had no idea who he was. She just started talking to him to be social and ended up talking for two hours.
The following day, she saw a news account and realized who she had been talking to... she said he was very nice and fun to talk to. He advised her to stay in college, BTW.
My favorite story about the Champ;
DUBLIN — Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is on a sentimental journey to see his little-known Irish roots.
Tens of thousands are awaiting the three-time world heavyweight champion’s arrival Tuesday in the western Irish town of Ennis, the home of Ali’s great-grandfather Abe Grady. Fans have adorned shops and streets with posters of Ali and red, white and blue USA bunting.
They plan to watch live on TV screens as the Ennis council names Ali as its first “freeman,” a civic honor.
Grady settled in the United States in the 1860s and married a freed African-American slave. One of their grandchildren, Odessa Lee Grady Clay, was Ali’s mother.
Genealogists established Ali’s Irish links in 2002, but Ali – who is 67 and suffering from Parkinson’s disease – has never visited Ennis before.
If you watched Tyson when Cus D’Amato had him, Iron Mike was pretty good at picking off punches and slipping his way past the other guy’s guard. That said, I think you’re right — young pre-layoff Muhammad Ali could do things in a boxing ring that nobody has done before or since.
Heck, Ali/Clay could retreat from you, plant and fire a jab that would tear your head off in one fluid motion. A thing of beauty. His timing never returned after the layoff. He was still light years ahead of the others. Only Frazier seemed to have the formula to beat him. All 3 fights were wars. Manila nearly killed them both.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.