Your Earlier Memory Of Ali.

[taansend]

Every fight fan (and most sports fans) whether 7 or 77 has knowledge of Ali.

Really, you have to be over 40 (or so to remember him as a fighter. But I'm sure he stands out in younger fans memories too.

My earliest memories of him are vaguely of the Thrilla in Manila - although more so from him being on tv than the fight. I remember well his bouts with Spinks - the rematch was on my 10th birthday.

But I also remember he promoted these big burgers on TV. Burgers weren't a big deal in the UK in the 70's so it stood out. The commercial went something like "You need a big mouth to eat a big burger" & then he took a bite out of it. I can even picture him doing it.

[Scott9945]

My first awarness of Ali came when he was Cassius Clay and challenging Liston. My older brother went to see it closed circuit and my father and I listened to it on the radio. Most heavyweight title fights were on live radio back then. I was very young but I clearly remember how shocked everyone was with the fights outcome.

[Anthony342]

Probably of hearing about his career, as he was retired for a few years by the time I started watching boxing around 1987. First big live memory was when he lit the Olympic torch in Atlanta in 1996 and the Sportscentury bio on him in 2000.

[GrandpaBernard]

You know it's strange. I'm a hardcore boxing fan, but I have no idea of how Ali was introduced to me.

[Ray Corso]

I rarely watch fights that I've seen more than once! I just watched Clay vs Liston 1 and at 22 years old Ali was working his magic even as a kid! He learned alot in that fight about himself and consequently boxing! He found the hold behind the head to rest, tie up and basicly control! He found how to distance himself and anticipate!!
Ali did have a history in thye gym with Liston as a spar partner to Sonny and after his early success Dundee felt they could win against him! He was right!
Ray.

[joseph5620]

Ali is my earliest memory of boxing in general. He is the boxer that opened my eyes for boxing even though he was retired from boxing when I stated following it. This goes all the way back to when I was no more than six years of age. As I got older I read every book and watched as much film on Ali as possible.

[Panamaniac]

As a result of his winning trilogy against Ingo (Ingemar Johansson), I became a fan of Floyd Patterson just before "Cassius Marcellus Clay" burst upon the boxing landscape. He captured my imagination in short order as he went on to predict the round in which he would dispose of his opponents with "poetry" as in "they all must fall in the round I call." I also remember inside-the-ring routines with Drew "Bundini" Brown like "Rumble, young man, rumble, ahhhh" and "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see." The media gave him nicknames like "The Louisville Lip" and "Gaseous Cassius."

[S. Saddler 1310]

Ali is like your mother or father. you don't have a first memory of him. he was just always there.

bless his heart.

[S. Saddler 1310]

You know it's strange. I'm a hardcore boxing fan, but I have no idea of how Ali was introduced to me.

that's what i'm talking about.

[rightsideup]

my first memory of ali was the fight of the century build up I have since seen most of his fights read countless articles and books plus watched documentaries and movies of the most famous person on the planet. God bless ali