I'm pretty. Muhammad Ali was indisputably a great boxer and ultimately a good human being. MA: Right. This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 18:34. They have alienated many from learning about Islam. MA: Its Just Muslim. "Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on . Ali at a news conference on October 28, 1984. So many people of all races and nationalities. He attended the induction but refused to answer . You understand? I dont see the audience. Ali knew how to captivate his global audience through his words and actions both in and out of the ring. Frank Sinatra. I beat people up. Muhammad Ali, 74, died Friday in Phoenix after suffering from Parkinson's disease for more than two decades. If I'm gonna die, I'll die now right here fighting you, if I'm gonna die. Im not trying to get power over white. MA: Let me tell you something - Ive never said this before. I didnt cut Folley at all. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 42 and died in 2016 at the age of 74. And at that time, things werent integrated. I fear aeroplanes. Yes! The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Muhammad Ali - "The Greatest ". MP: No no. Do I do what? ", "I've wrestled with alligators. I had to go to see what he would do - would he win or lose? They make a million dollars, they get a Rolls Royce and a nice home and a white wife and think, well, I made it. You think Im going to appear on American television and tell you I dont believe in what Elijah Muhammad teach and Im one of his number one main followers? I gave him a whooping and a spanking because I was looking towards those who backed him. If I was still in Louisville, Kentucky and never was a boxer I still might get killed next week in some kind of freedom struggle and youd ever hear the news. But I made a good living speaking in colleges. He has no rhythm, no footwork, no class, he cannot talk. I was the one who heard the truth. Could I put this to you? Transcript. Documented by. Part of this is frequently paraphrased out of context as: I'm not gonna help nobody get something my negroes don't have. Ali first met Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad 's chief disciple at the time in Detroit in 1962. MA: Its a little bit of showbiz and helps the crowd. They thought he might have some trouble. If my mind can conceive it; and my heart can believe it then I can achieve it. Its been declared a pacifist movement. Impossible is nothing. I was so busy I didnt have time to run in street gangs. I'm so mean, I make medicine sick." "I'm not the greatest. Every intelligent person wants their child to look like him. You can do what you want. She said, Listen, you quit saying that, boy. I was always curious. Subscribe and you'll know every time we have a new post. UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Ali, Ali, Ali, Ali. . This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Ali. Get ready to meet God.. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus . muhammad ali i am the greatest speech transcriptlist of alberta feedlots. Ali was honest enough to admit it. When you're 65, ain't too much more to do. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. And he had Floyd Paterson in his room, he came to Las Vegas and he was singing in a nightclub and saying Floyd was his boy to whoop that old black Muslim. "It's a sad day for life, man. More. No good in him, no justice, he's gonna be destroyed! But my main fight is for freedom and equality. 1 0 obj
ALI: He is the greatest. I won the Olympic gold medal in Rome, Italy. MA: No. MP: I read a book about you and he said one theory put forward by way of explanation towards your opponents before fights was in fact that this was nerves. Ali explained the various . I talk to God everyday. But America still dropping bombs. So I can love freedom and the flesh and blood of my people moreso than I do the money. And if that bum even messes my hair up Ill annihilate him. (30 October 1974). If I told you that the clothes you have on wove . It's an opinion. If . 8. I was 21 years old, I was the Olympic champion but I hadnt started talking yet. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. "If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it.". A sweeping biography of one of the greatest and most provocative athletes of all time"a life that needs to be understood whether you care a whit about boxing or not" (The Boston Globe). So, like Floyd Paterson and other fighters, they just dont take part. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky. I don't have a mark on my face, and I upset Sonny Liston, and I just turned twenty-two years old. MA: A couple. Music legend John Legend reads Muhammad Ali's speech against the Vietnam War in 1966. \$0__`x~:MC?eb-3J
_P4qRM.rJd=/M/8g~0i&1?Ap_d$:e[}@WVU6a(Biac)Qe~uKMuDG/GGCyJxO4vFfa;|MtwXx@4`l[EPZ0,'BlX At the time, he was 21 years old. This kid's got a right. Takeaway: Releasing an album to trash talk Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Alis former name) released an album that exclaimed his greatness. While you dont necessarily have to be a poet, think of delivering key lines in the form of 140-character tweets. A character, a comedian, and a sometimes poet. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies aged 74; Follow live reaction and tributes; The fights "To make America the greatest is my goal, so I beat the Russian and I beat the Pole. With the help Yahoo! As quoted by Lisa L. Colangelo and Clem Richardson in "Muhammad Ali Defends His Religion,". The eagles like to hang out in the mountains. Is Poland considered a Communist country? I was in a Broadway musical called Big Time Buck Wright. A boxing legend, a sporting legend, a human legend. They look like me, we all happy and I dont have no trouble. Check out our i am the greatest speech muhammad ali selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our prints shops. I cant tell you. MA: Im defeating Americas so-called threats and enemies. Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. MA: Yeah, hes OK now. No woman can really identify with me and the way I act and the way I talk. When the flights all right and smooth Im still thinking, what if the engine blow up? What if a fools got a bomb on it?. Pigeons fly with pigeons. I dont wish for nothing like that but I feel that things are too quiet. Muhammad Ali, The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey. MA: Despair? You my opposer when I want freedom. We owe Ali for teaching us these very important lessons. MP: You mentioned that you wrote poetry other than boxing - do you ever write about this other side of you? I'm the double greatest. Life Lessons From Muhammad Ali. MA: But life is too short for me to be doing that. MP: Are you saying that every white man in America is a devil? And Jack Johnson had this great boxer style. I said, Momma, why is everything white? I always wondered. A gold medalist at the 1960 Olympics, he won the . He is the greatest! Thousands of people lined the streets of Louisville, Ky., today to pay respects to boxer Muhammad Ali. And then he got in his opponents corner and got some deodorant and sprayed it, holding his nose, and he was trowing out at people and making out all kinds of bad gestures. He was a slave trader from England. But it's good that he's being allowed to work again, as you know he couldn't work for three years. Right after a fight I run right to the dressing room and right to the mirror and make sure Im still, you know, presentable. Get ready to meet God.'. But usually m on the spot with my predictions and some people really gamble and bet money on the rounds I say. England's people have never lynched us, raped us, castrated us, tarred and feathered us, burned us up, pulled our sockets apart, stick knives in pregnant women's stomachs, enslaved us, rob us of our names, our knowledge, our Elijah Mohammad's been preaching that the white man of America God taught him is the blue-eyed, blond-headed Devil! "If you just asked him, he'd tell you. It was one right hand. Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head. Ali will never die," Don King, who promoted some of Ali's biggest fights, told The Associated Press news . And then this is when I knew something was wrong. We love the classics -. Should I let those rattle snakes come down, hoping that those one thousand get together and form a shield? (2:58) What is the greatest speech ever? ", "I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin' hell but as long as they ain't free, I ain't free. MP: When is your first recollection, as a child, of being a second class citizen? And I understand that the worst people in England at a time were ran to America, for some reason. Last night I had a dream, When I got to Africa, A poem about Foreman and the "Rumble in the Jungle" match (1974), Comment prior to the "Rumble in the Jungle" (30 October 1974), as documented in. You saying God made you. Cassius Clay can sing, but singing didnt help him to become the heavyweight champion of the world; swinging helped him become the heavyweight champion. We don't have no more influence, we can't do nothing much at 65, your wife will tell you that. Theres people dancing on a ship. So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if sends not diamonds, pearls or riches but the love of real true friends. You are as old as you think you are. ALI: For I am the man this poem is about, the next champ of the world, there isn't a doubt. All kinds of things set us back, but life goes on. My friends should not cry. You my enemy. Impossible is temporary. And this is what I plan to do after Im through fighting - working with nothing but the people, the little people in the alleys: the downtrodden people, going out and helping them with my image. MA: Listen, bluebirds fly with bluebirds. Can I ask what the problem is, if it is indeed a problem to you, about being regarded as one of the most attractive men and the fan adulation from women? Then, he spread it over a span of a lifetime and he served it to each and every deserving person he met.. I loved Muhammad Ali, he was my friend. Muhammad Ali's wife Lonnie is perhaps his most famous spouse due to the length of their marriage. The nigger needs to go over." Our team is always happy in helping you deliver an experience. "Don't count the days; make the days count.". 3 0 obj
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"What I suffered physically was worth what I've accomplished in life. Takeaway: In this video, Muhammad explains his view on what really matters in life and receives an ovation from the audience. stream
Introduction. In Hawaii they closed all the factories and had televisions on every street corner and people came out to watch the fight on the streets. Tony Galento was a little heavy-set fella who hit real hard to the body. You dont shoot yourself. Listen. MP: Well its in every article Ive ever read about it. But I dont control the aeroplane or the pilot. You've been unconscious for about 8 years if you're 30 years old.". His motto was "I am the greatest!". Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) spars with challenger Floyd Patterson in 1965. To others hes a political leader, a figurehead in the battle between black and white. He might as well have joined the Ku Klux Klan. I don't want to marry a white woman. MP: Yes, I was going to ask you about what attracted you to leave to the Muslim faith. I didnt run with a gang - I didnt have time. The big fight is coming up Ali and Frazier. And Elijah Muhammad was taught by Allah, who we refer to as God, to teach us the truth that will free us. Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., grew up in the American . But the same people that are with me for not going to Vietnam because I saved them and their children. The buzzard like to fly in the desert. I'm the greatest thing that ever lived. Rest in peace champ, and thanks for making the world a better place. Said they were going to slice the guards face but there was no guards face sliced - they just wanted to kill back people. MP: Are you able to say how you might have managed against some of the great ones of the past? Gorgeous George, a famous American wrestler who is deceased now, was there talking before myself. If youre just looking for presentation services though, please just exit out this box and continue along. But weve been there 600 years and there aint no peace between black and whites because the cultures are different - like the Chinese and Mexicans cannot integrate: the music is different, the eating is different. Cos the war got unpopular and so many black militants were trying to do all they could. Like. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He made all of us. Boxings a rough sport and you get hit a lot. I'm the double greatest. MP: But thered certainly be problems a buzzard mating with a sparrow, wouldnt there? Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer. I am not Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., 17 January 1942 - 3 June 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist, who was the Heavyweight Champion of the World three times between 1964 and 1979. But people talk about fighters dying and how brutal it is. MP: What about the other thing that can happen in a fight: brain damage. I noticed here the police do not have guns and do not hit people with sticks. Too dangerous. But the people didnt know. Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. It happens every day. Ali was the first fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions; he successfully defended this title 19 times. I really do. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion. Then the publicity after the fight said he had to spend four weeks in intensive treatment at the hospital he took such a terrible whooping. Oh no. Number one: We dont want to stir up the people. And Frank Sinatra turned his back and walked out on him. Finally, the Ali script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Michael Mann movie starring Will Smith as Muhammed Ali. I admit I lost three rounds - playing around four rounds. And you cant take no Chinese man and give him no Puerto Rican woman and talking like theyre in love and emotionally in love and physically. So I wrote a poem and Im going to close with this: Get all the boxing & MMA updates you need with our Mirror Fighting email update - sign up here. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. I cannot lose. In America they got a saying: the n****r talks too much. Alright, well, this glass can't make itself. The play didnt make it but I was a success. Here are two men like two roosters - you know, cock fighters - and they put knives on them and they are mad and fighting and dont even know each other, just to please somebody. MA: Well, you wouldnt. Most fighters are scared to say they lightened up because they call the fight a fix or say, you carried him. But the first place that well rise will be the black people of America, and then the rest of them will. but we wanted to dig deeper into some of his most inspirational speaking moments. Ali comes out to meet Frazier but Frazier starts to retreat, If Frazier goes back an inch farther hell wind up in a ringside seat. MP : But without that, even without the dispute about the judging, the fact is that youre a crowd-puller and Frazier is not. Im getting more praise and credit for doing what Im doing now on this show than coming here and beating five of your English champions. Also remember that when presenting information, rhythm and timed pauses are key to retaining an audience and delivering an impactful message. He was a true beat poet -- as in, he loved having a rhyme to have a reason to . He's being laid to rest in his hometown. And I said to myself, the champion of the whole world can whoop every man in Russia, every man in America, every man in China, every man in Japan, every man in Europe - every man in the whole world. For he cant start counting til Frazier comes down. Im not crying. Ive always been one to Im not just a boxer. So you got black people in an all-white country and they dont know nothing about themselves. Elijah Muhammad, is the one who preached that the white man of America, number one, is the Devil. What Im trying to say is - well, you say that but youre on a show you gotta say that. Few would argue if I call him unique. MP: I do understand. I livened the game right up. Entdecke Muhammad Ali, der Grte: Meine eigene Geschichte, 1975, Memoiren, SIGNIERT, 1./2. Our team is always happy in helping you deliver an experience. Anytime you live in the twentieth century, 1964, and youre walking around here singing We Shall Overcome, the government has failed us. Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American professional boxer widely regarded as one of the greatest and most significant sporting figures in historyif not the greatest, as he claimed himself. SIEGEL: Those were excerpts from Muhammad Ali's poem, "I Am The Greatest," recorded in 1963. But as soon as I heard the truth that Elijah Muhammad teaches us in America, it made me accept it. Age is whatever you think it is. I fought Jerry Quarry, gave him a chance. He didnt mention anything about Europe or Sweden or Canada. God made us different. He was still known as Cassius Clay. MA: I cant really say. They go down in history for just being athletes. One of the greatest American heavyweight boxing champions, Muhammad Ali was known as much for his flamboyant self-promotion and controversial political stances as for his boxing ability. Then I signed to fight Buster Mathis. Or should I just close the door and stay safe. I'm the king of the world, I am the greatest, I'm Muhammad Ali. No sir. 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The world has lost a legend. Impossible is not a declaration. So I think I could beat Joe Frazier singing. Four months after the Harvard speech, Ali survived 14 punishing rounds of boxing to defeat Joe Frazier in Manila. Im not that big of a fool. Thank for inspiration us Champ and empowering the people everywhere. If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, Im not going to jump in it and get killed because hes gone out and started something I dont believe in what hes fighting for or his approach. Ellis has got a family, hes an ex friend of mine and he wants to live too. What you have to do, is take all the fighters you want and me and rank me where you want. MP: Talking about fear, do you ever get scared - or nervous - before a fight? And the flag is going dun-dun-dun-dun. Do you think youve changed heavyweight boxing for the better? Dan Angelucci: 'The Best (Best Man) Speech of all time', for Don and Katherine - 2019 Hallerman Sisters: 'Oh sister now we have to let you gooooo!' for Caitlin & Johnny - 2015 Korey Soderman (via Kyle): 'All our lives I have used my voice to help Korey express his thoughts, so today, like always, I will be my brother's voice' for Kyle and . Black men - one might be the president. This will be like a kid out of the Olympics meeting the fastest heavyweight champion who ever lived. I was lucky, from the age of 12 I had boxing talent and was good for my age. An illustration of text ellipses. They drew about 4500 people - the place held about 11,000. This is a strong indication for a presenter on the power of being humble and real. Im sure we all have this built-in radar of what we predict and when it happens, we feel I knew it. I am great! Tonight, I'm gonna whip you till you cry like a baby. Ali gained worldwide attention in 1960 when, at the age . I said that before I knew I was." We all have greatness inside ourselves. But Elijah Muhammad teaches us the truth of God beautified the planet by separating everybody in different countries for themselves: Chinese in China, English in England, Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico, Ethiopians in Ethiopia, Arabians in Arabia, Egyptians in Egypt, and Americans took that country and stole it away so theres always going to be trouble and chaos. Those who ever come in to prominence. Impossible is potential. MA: If a man dreamed to be, they better wake up and apologise. We love the classics , Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee., I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was., Dont count the days; make the days count., Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world theyve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Comment about George Foreman prior to the "Rumble in the Jungle" match, when referee Clayton warned Ali that if he didn't stop talking he would stop the fight. SUBSCRIBE For More Boxing & MMA Content!Follow Our Other Socials TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fightingcentre Instagram: https://www . And the President lived in the White House. ", "I'm the onliest person that can speak to everybody in the whole world. When Im in the ring I dont worry about nobody being that good to really hurt me. And that brought us back to his spoken word album he made in 1963, "I Am The Greatest." I always wondered why. Ali could be Robert Frost in a robe; Maya Angelou with a championship belt, though his sometimes simplistic stanzas sometimes leaned more toward something out of a Dr. Seuss book. In 1971 the boxing legend sat and chatted to Michael Parkinson about his career, his beliefs and his poetry. And I always wondered why I had to die to go to Heaven. Variant transcription: Who would have thought, when they came to the fight. The government wanted him to change jobs. Period," the first family wrote of the cultural legend, who died at 74 in a Phoenix-area hospital Friday night. MP: Whether you want it or not, you are. I done handcuffed lightning, and throw thunder in jail. You my opposer when I want equality. I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to beI'm free to be what I want. ", "If Ali says a mosquito can pull a plow, don't ask how. I am the man this poems about, Ill be champ of the world; there isnt a doubt.. The three-time heavyweight boxing champion was known for his political, social and . Accuracy and availability may vary. We had 11,000 at the supermarket the other day in Birmingham. In the ring, he was a fierce fighter, but outside of the ring he was known . Muhammad Ali. If you talk jive youll fall in five. And the Africans have been there for centuries and they cant talk to the animals. Could I first start of by asking you, youve been the champion of the world three times, and youre now the ex champion, do you feel that people are treating you differently now that you are the one-time champion? I just won the gold medal and I couldnt eat downtown. Muhammad Ali, original name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., (born January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.died June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona), American professional boxer and social activist.