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This month I had the honor- at least for me- of venturing up to Muhammad Ali's Deer Lake Training Camp. After watching the recent ESPN doc "Muhammad & Larry", I started to wonder what the state of the camp was, and, to my great appreciation, it's pretty intact. I called up the owner and arranged a private tour.
Being a longtime Ali fan/collector/supporter, it was almost a religious pilgrimage, and incredibly moving. Not every boxing fan will feel that way, but even so, this place is historic. Basically, from 1972 to 1981, Ali trained for nearly every fight of his career. Everyone from Elvis to Michael Jackson came and stayed in the camp.
The point is, it's 95 % likely to be closing at the end of this year, after a sale. The cabins will be knocked down, the rocks with fighter's names on them (painted by Cassius Clay Sr.) will be destroyed, and, apparently, new real estate will go up. Noone cares about historic places where money and real estate is concerned.
I suggested to the owner that a donation website could be set up- but he said it was doubtful. So, alright. We won't focus on that. Instead, I wanted to suggest, any Ali fan or boxing historian- you should really consider travelling to this camp before the Autumn is over. I'm even considering seeing if a bunch of boxing fans would want to chip in and stay a weekend... just to be there once, before it's gone, is something to remember, and a great lifetime experience. So, is anyone interested in going?
Being a longtime Ali fan/collector/supporter, it was almost a religious pilgrimage, and incredibly moving. Not every boxing fan will feel that way, but even so, this place is historic. Basically, from 1972 to 1981, Ali trained for nearly every fight of his career. Everyone from Elvis to Michael Jackson came and stayed in the camp.
The point is, it's 95 % likely to be closing at the end of this year, after a sale. The cabins will be knocked down, the rocks with fighter's names on them (painted by Cassius Clay Sr.) will be destroyed, and, apparently, new real estate will go up. Noone cares about historic places where money and real estate is concerned.
I suggested to the owner that a donation website could be set up- but he said it was doubtful. So, alright. We won't focus on that. Instead, I wanted to suggest, any Ali fan or boxing historian- you should really consider travelling to this camp before the Autumn is over. I'm even considering seeing if a bunch of boxing fans would want to chip in and stay a weekend... just to be there once, before it's gone, is something to remember, and a great lifetime experience. So, is anyone interested in going?
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