BoxRec

Following the 'Thrilla and Manila' in 1976, Muhammad Ali was interviewed by Howard Cosell, asking his opinion on the various eras and champions til the present day, from Jack Johnson to Dempsey to Baer to Charles and Louis and Walcott and Marciano and Tunney, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWkm7C4v ... r_embedded

^^^Part One

Thanks for this HH.

How you been ?

Yw Kym.

Worn out man. Been working selling produce, setting up stands, making road trips. A guys gotta make a living, u know?

Or atleast try to. Thats the hard part..no matter what
you do...some times it seems your staying in the same
place or worse..

This is a good find, I have only ever seen snippets of
these interviews.

Ain't it the truth?

well Robinson and Homicide Henry seeing as how I'm the first guy that's not one of you two too post on this thread I have to ask what exactly was it that Ali said about the all time greats. I've heard him say he could outbox Marciano and Joe Louis before but I don't know what he thinks of the rest of them.

Ali was a bit wishy washy on Marciano. At first he showed great hesitation, that Rocky hit so hard that he shook generations, but when Cosell pressed him, then Ali went on to say that at his best, he didn't know whether or not he could defeat Marciano, but he felt he would have out pointed him.

This, mind you, was after the Thrilla in Manila, and Ali said he felt Marciano was better than Joe Frazier.

Ali says it how he says it. He does take the diplomatic view on some
fighters.

Here is the fact...most boxing experts have never laced up the gloves,
yet when a champion of say Ali or Holmes calibre gives their opinion on
a past great...these experts know better.

Meanwhile ill keep watching boxing and have my own opinions, free of what
I am told, by some so called experts.

HomicideHenry wrote:Ali was a bit wishy washy on Marciano.

- Ali could be wishy washy when having to seriously formulate cogent answers to questions about boxing, but he was never wishy washy in his unabased admiration for Rocky.

Rocky literally was The Rock amongst Rocks at Ali's Deer Lake training camp and Rocky counted himself as one of Ali's admirers in fisticuffs.

Marciano always seemed to have the respect of the fighters of his
era. And he always had it for them. Would have been a treat to hear
the conversations had between the Rock and Ali.

Robinson wrote:Marciano always seemed to have the respect of the fighters of his
era. And he always had it for them. Would have been a treat to hear
the conversations had between the Rock and Ali.

Except for Cockell.