NY Times article after the Ali vs Evangelista fight

I saw this the other day.

The journalist absolutely kills it.

‘The Greatest’ Is Now ‘The Dullest’ - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

Ali was 35 years old and wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy past it. Ironically, Alfredo said he still showed him a lot:


Best I Faced: Alfredo Evangelista - The Ring (ringtv.com)

 

It's not just Ali's age. It was the way the article shone a light on his financial problems and expressed concerns for his future.

 

I read that article. That fight was two fights away from the debacle in Las Vegas.

 

For the third Norton fight, Ali's entourage required SEVENTY FIVE hotel rooms in what would have been one of the most expensive hotels in New York.

Ali would have picked up the tab for all meals and phone calls on top of the accommodation.

I don't understand how someone who earned his money the hard way could have allowed it to slip away so easily.

 

How would things be different if Ali fought Larry Holmes at MSG in September 1977 instead of Shavers?

Larry was on the shortlist. Shavers, Holmes and Norton are the possible fights mentioned in the article.

Ali would fight Shavers next and win, and Ali was supposed to fight Norton after Leon.

But, clearly, Shavers proved tougher than expected so they went with Arum's fighter Leon as the tuneup instead of Don King's fighter, Holmes.

1977 Holmes was only a year removed from being Ali's sparring partner.

Ali-Holmes in 1977 is a toss-up, really.

If Ali managed to win, his last title defense may have been against Larry Holmes.

That would put it up there with Lennox beating Vitali in his last title defense.

 

It's sad that decades later this is still the case with so many pro athletes. You'd think they'd have learned by this point but no.

 

I don't fancy Ali's chances here.

The best he could hope for is to scrape a lucky decision.

I think Holmes would have beaten him.

 

• Some celebrities see celebrity as a burden. Ali loved being a celebrity and having a lot of people around you is part of being a celebrity.

 

The sad thing is that a lot of those people weren't needed.

Ali should have got the satisfaction of being a celebrity from being mobbed wherever he went. Maybe that wasn't enough.

He surrounded himself with a lot of yes men and parasites. Bundini Brown being one of the main culprits.

 

He would have probably gotten robbed by the three blind men.

 

One of the members of his entourage was stealing from him. When another member told him Ali said he must need the money.

 

Did Muhammad ever call him Alfredo the Tomato?

I wish he’d fought Alfio Righetti so we could hear all his spaghetti jokes.

 

This. In 1977, Holmes would win the fight. Ali would win the decision.

 

Holmes in 77 beats the snot out of Ali. And Ali may have been great in the ring but he was not great at managing his money. A lot of people have that fault also. But that’s on Ali he could have retired and lived comfortably if he would have managed his money! And been around better people! Including people he let control him. In my book Ali was not a great person!