Some amazing bits including Ali and Frazier supposedly being introduced to the ring beforehand. Very heartwarming. Rest in peace George. Still my hero.
Back then you had to go order the fight at the cable company and pick up a box, in most cases. I went to order it and they had two buttons: “You Can Do It George” and “I’m With You Evander.” They gave the George buttons to older customers and Evander to the younger in keeping with the “Battle of the Ages” promotional gimmick. They gave me an Evander and I asked for a George (I liked both) and the lady was like ‘you’re supposed to want the young guy’ and I told her I was an old-school boxing fan who came up during George’s heyday … and she gave me one of each, haha.
I remember that. You had to rent the box for a fee then order the fight at $29.99. Good times! Luckily in 1999 I was able to get an "*legal" Blackbox and was able to watch everything. Lol
It was a pain to do it, but not without rewards — me and my brother ordered most of the boxing PPVs in those days and we were under different cable companies … between us, we got a poster from most every PPV because we’d ask for it when we returned the box and since the fight was over, they had no use for them. After a while they’d set them aside and save them for us. Pretty sure some of those same faded posters decorate the walls of the gym where I work out now, which is the successor to the gym my brother and I started.
We didn't know it in the 70's that Foreman had such a personable gift-of-gab. He was so busy trying to intimidate EVERBODY.. but it must have been there then, too.
