Comments Thread For: Anniversaries, Documentary Rip Open Heavyweight Wound

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  • BIGPOPPAPUMP
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    #1

    Comments Thread For: Anniversaries, Documentary Rip Open Heavyweight Wound

    By Lyle Fitzsimmons - I’d love to just give her the 10 bucks back.

    If it were at all possible, I’d drop a crisp Alexander Hamilton in an envelope, address it to Grand Island, N.Y., and return the proceeds I youthfully snatched from my sister, Roberta, back on Oct. 2, 1980.

    Hell, I’d even pay whatever interest has compounded over 30 years and a couple days.

    If quick financial reparation was the only real hurdle to guarantee a hero’s return to 100 percent status… consider it cleared, with my compliments.

    In reality, though, it’s been a good deal costlier for all of us.

    Though the myriad health challenges faced by Muhammad Ali over the last three decades are hardly a news flash, they’re always driven home a little harder when the calendar flips to early October.

    And it just so happens this year – 2010 – makes it a milestone anniversary.

    Thirty years ago this past Saturday night, the three-time heavyweight champion met a devastating career Waterloo in Las Vegas – taking a 10-round thrashing from an in-his-prime Larry Holmes in an ill-advised try for reign No. 4 as the division’s best fighter.

    He went on to one more 10-round sleepwalk with a non-violent Trevor Berbick 14 months later, but it’s the feeling of most that the beating suffered at the fists of an unbeaten Holmes is hugely responsible for worsening the post-Manila struggles “The Greatest” has faced ever since. [Click Here To Read More]
  • Tiozzo
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    #2
    It really is sad that while Ali was still showing willingness to fight on, all his handlers, entourage and the commission let him do just that when he was already showing signs of health issues and was just a shell of his former self.

    But he hasn't been the only one put in that position. His case is more talked about because he has Parkinson as a result of bad handling. But there have been so many fighters who fought for way too long, taking a lot of punishment and suffering many KOs in the process, and we can blame the commission and their entourage too, just as is the case for Ali.

    Maybe we should praise DiBella and all of Jermain Taylor's entourage for encouraging him to hang up the gloves (at least for a while).

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    • Dave Rado
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      #3
      Originally posted by LeTombeur
      Maybe we should praise DiBella and all of Jermain Taylor's entourage for encouraging him to hang up the gloves (at least for a while).
      Absolutely - and I can't think of any other obvious examples like that. In general, if a fighter wants to fight too long, everyone else goes along with it.

      Holyfield and Toney are both showing signs of incipient brain damage, but are still allowed to fight on, and there are many other examples. You're right that Ali only gets the publicity for it because he's so famous, and because he was so joyously alive and vibrant when he was young and the deterioration is such a huge contrast - but it is the exception rather than the rule for a boxer who wants to fight on too long to be prevented from doing so.

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      • Steven Adams
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        #4
        these Sanctioning commissions... they even let a 63-65 year old Balboa take on Antonio Tarver back in 2005? I thought it was a movie.

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        • komandante
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          #5
          I blame nobody but Ali, it was all Karma and same thing will happen to Floyd.

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          • Dave Rado
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            #6
            Originally posted by komandante
            I blame nobody but Ali, it was all Karma and same thing will happen to Floyd.
            You're sick.

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            • Chief2ndzOnly!
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              #7
              Originally posted by komandante
              I blame nobody but Ali, it was all Karma and same thing will happen to Floyd.
              GOD dont like UGLY. And what you posted is pure UGLYNESS.

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              • Chief2ndzOnly!
                Long Live Walt Liquor!!!!
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                #8
                Great article. I agree 100% with Lyle.

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                • jbpanama
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                  #9
                  I was at Ringside that night, and attended many of the training sessions, leading up to the fight, and after the workout, he'd "hold Court", answer questions, and talk ****,
                  He , said he taught Holmes everthing Holmes knows, but didn't teach him everthing He (ALI) Knew..etc. Was sharp and lucid, and appeared confident...
                  But on fight Night, he had washed the rinse out of his hair, and the Gray was there; so he knew what was to come...
                  After Holmes, his handlers, should have never allowed the Berbick Fight....
                  With Ali, that was probably easier SAID than Done....

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                  • jbpanama
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                    #10
                    Originally posted by jbpanama
                    I was at Ringside that night, and attended many of the training sessions, leading up to the fight, and after the workout, he'd "hold Court", answer questions, and talk ****,
                    He , said he taught Holmes everthing Holmes knows, but didn't teach him everthing He (ALI) Knew..etc. Was sharp and lucid, and appeared confident...
                    But on fight Night, he had washed the rinse out of his hair, and the Gray was there; so he knew what was to come...
                    After Holmes, his handlers, should have never allowed the Berbick Fight....
                    With Ali, that was probably easier SAID than Done....
                    Again the Promoters, and hangers on, had Robbed
                    him to the extent, that he needed the BREAD!!!

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