Ali interviews Frazier in August of 1970

[La_Vibora]

Good stuff there butterfly, thanks for taking the time to post it!! How ironic that you posted the info about Ali warning Frazier about getting onto motorcycles and then things happening how they did with Chico.

[butterfly1964]

Good stuff there butterfly, thanks for taking the time to post it!! How ironic that you posted the info about Ali warning Frazier about getting onto motorcycles and then things happening how they did with Chico.

Yeah, it's real sad.


RIP Chico!

[wmute]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to butterfly1964 again.

you the man

[Southpaw Stinger]

Good stuff butterfly.

[DELETED ACCOUNT 06]

That was really interesting. I never knew they were good buddies.

I really enjoyed having a good look at that. Thanks

[butterfly1964]

Good stuff butterfly.

Thanks.

[Keleneki]

Thanks butterfly1964. That was an awesome read.

[butterfly1964]

Thanks butterfly1964. That was an awesome read.

My pleasure.

[Buckfever]

Man thanks for that. That just rocks!!!

[QueensburyRules]

ALI: You got good days ahead, man. You gotta fight Bobby Foster. That's gonna be some good money. People say, "Well, Foster's fast. He hits hard; he don't get hit easy; his arms are long; he's got a jab." With all that build-up, you whip him easy. That'll be a easy payday and you still ain't hurting the Heavyweight Division. You still got them heavyweights left.

FRAZIER: Yeah, yeah!

ALI: You still got Mac Foster coming up; he gonna be a million-dollar gate. You got George Foreman, that be a million-dollar gate. And by the time that gets ripe, they gonna be a couple more of them, see? So you got it made, if you just play it cool. And in the meantime, you can be getting some action and some big money. I wonder why Bobby Foster agreed to it.

FRAZIER: Well, you dig, Bob getting old. Must don't give a damn.

ALI: He wants to get his last good payday, too.

FRAZIER: Right, right.

ALI: You ain't really scared of Bob Foster?

FRAZIER: In no way. He lost to every heavy he fought. Zora Folley, Terrell, Jones -- all beat him. I'd wreck him.

ALI: But tell the truth, now, man. If you fought me, wouldn't you be scared?

FRAZIER: No, man. Honest to God.

ALI: You really wouldn't be scared?

FRAZIER: No kinda way.

ALI: I mean my fast left jab, and the way I dance?

FRAZIER: Noooooo! I'd get close to you. They talk about how fast you is, moving away. But you gonna find out how fast I am moving in.

ALI: You remember that time you came to see me fight Zora Folley? You was on your way up. You wanted to learn from me.

FRAZIER: We all have a time for learning.

ALI: You believe you know enough now to fight me?

FRAZIER: Hell, yes! Maybe even if I didn't know enough, I would never turn you down. Any man that turn a man down in his profession, he's less than a man.

ALI: Not necessarily. I mean, the man could just be wise and biding his time. But like, if you ducked me now, you'd think "I'm less than a man," 'cause you The Champ and you supposed to be ready. But what I'm saying is, do you think you could decision me, or do you really think you could stop me before fifteen?

FRAZIER: Sure I think I could stop you before fifteen.

ALI: You really do?

FRAZIER: I really do. You see, the kinda stuff I'm gonna put on you, man, you ain't had to dig yet. You ain't never seen this before. You understand?

ALI: It's impossible for you to get away from my jab. Impossible!

FRAZIER: See, them other cats out there let you have your own way. Just like they let me let me have my way--

ALI: You take your way!

FRAZIER: I take my way, right. But they let you have your way. They let you jump around the ring, and dance and all that--

ALI: You couldn't stop me from jumping around thering and dancing. What you gonna do?

FRAZIER: I'd get right dead on you! Every time you breathe, you be breathing right down on my head.

ALI: You be tired after five, six rounds of scuffling.

FRAZIER: You be tired trying to get away, too. Running and jabbing and ducking and dodging . . . you be tired, too.

ALI: No, seriously, man, you really think you can whip me? You know, somebody told me you was glad I'm not allowed to fight. Murray Worner -- you know, the guy who staged that fake Marciano fight? He said you didn't dare get in the ring with me.

FRAZIER: No, man. No! Look. I wish it was in my power to give you a license. I would give you my own license if they'd let me fight you. That's how bad I want you.

ALI (long pause): But I really believe you afraid of me.

FRAZIER (long pause): No, I sure ain't.

ALI: I really believe that after I get in good shape, and after I get trim . . . You had Quarry and Ellis talking about how they wasn't gonna run and the press played it up.

FRAZIER: So in other words you gonna run a little bit, too, huh?

ALI: I'm gonna dance and move like Sugar Ray. It's impossible for you to whip a heavyweight Sugar Ray with your style, man.

FRAZIER: I been up against real race horses out there. But I whip 'em down to a slow trot. I put quicksand under their feet.

ALI: I gotta admit you good, but I'm the fastest. Fastest in the history of the whole world.

FRAZIER: Maybe, maybe moving away. But I'm the fastest moving in.

ALI: Let me tell you the way I would have whipped you, man. Now, in the first place, you don't have no jab.

FRAZIER (aghast, almost stops car): I don't have a jab?

ALI: Keep driving! Watch it! No, you don't have no jab.

FRAZIER: Man, I'd tear your head off with a jab! I'd hit you with a jab like a machine gun.

ALI: Look, Joe. Let me be frank with you. What you must realize is what you have riding against you if you ever fought me: you'd fight the two-time National Golden Gloves Champion--

FRAZIER: Hold it!

ALI: Let me finish!

FRAZIER: Now, hold it! You are two-time champ, but what about me?

ALI: You wasn't no Golden Gloves Champion.

FRAZIER: You kidding?

ALI: Not Golden Gloves. What you ever win? The New York title?

FRAZIER: I won the New York title, right. And then I won it here in the East for '62, '63, and '64.

ALI (contemptuously): Local titles. I know you an Olympic Champion like me, but here's what you must realize. I'm a two-time National AAU Champion.

FRAZIER: What's more, I was a heavyweight.

ALI: I defeated --

FRAZIER: You was light-heavy!

ALI: No, I was heavyweight.

FRAZIER: You won in the Light-Heavy Division, man. I was always heavy. I used to weigh about two-thirty when I was about fifteen, sixteen years old. I went in the gym to lose weight. That's when I went in and found out I had a punch. You know, they had like seventeen heavyweights in the gym when I started. I ran 'em all out. I used to tote them steers when I worked in a kosher slaughterhouse. Then I'd come to the gym and chase everybody out of there--

ALI: Your running-out days are over.

ALI: Here's what you must realize. I fought Sonny Liston twice, when he was at his best. Then I beat Fast Floyd Patterson. I beat the Champion of Germany, Mildenberger. All these title defenses. Henry Cooper, Brian London . . .

FRAZIER: What you want me to do?

ALI: And I fought Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams . . .

FRAZIER: Which one you want me to fight?

ALI: Leaving off myself and you, who you think would be the best two to fight the all-time title?

FRAZIER: Oh, like Joe Louis and Jack Johnson.

ALI: That's who I think.

- -Believe this was a long ride in Joes convertible Caddy when Joe offered a ride to the now broke Ali during his ban.

I think this is when Joe gave him a loan, prob a couple thou to tide him over until they could fight.

Ali workin' Joes mind for weaknesses bouncing off Joes unshakable self belief.

I saw Ali acting out his bio in the filming in downtown Houston.

He was aleady in an open phone booth shouting Ali gibber thru the phone before slamming the phone down to jump out an in his own Caddy convertible before shouting out some more unintelligible noise to the paid crowd and roaring off.

Never any impetus to pay for such nonsense, and sure enough it later came out the thing was mostly nonsense from beginning to end.

Noone did farce better than Ali...NOONE!!!