I just watched the documentary FACING ALI. Not much new in the way of the facts, but some very interesting takes from ten of his notable opponents. The Stephen Brunt Book had fifteen interviews. The documentary took out seven (Hunsaker(since deceased), London, Mildenberger, Blin, Bugner, Wepner and Coopman). Two were added, Spinks and Terrell. The ten were rounded out by Cooper, Chuvalo, Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Lyle, Shavers and Holmes. They had the nerve to use subtitles when 'enry was reminiscing ! Frazier looks ancient, and Norton never really recovered from his accident. Both Georges look great, and the rest are somewhere in between. Anyone else see this ? Thoughts ?
Norton did recover as he seemed pretty fine at the HW champions dinner in the late 80's. But yeah, the wars in the ring have taken some toll.
I loved it. You could really tell the toll that boxing takes on a man's body. Shavers has a glass eye?
I read the book, but film has a way of showing you more than a book ever could. I forgot how angry Ali was as a young man prior to being drafted into the armed services for Vietnam. Cooper's interview was excellent, though the split glove incident was not address. I have seen an Ali marathon on ESPN titled Ali the young champion where Dundee flat out says they went to look for another glove and a few minutes have passed the day after the fight when they land in the airport. I was un-aware of Ali thumbing Terell in the eye in round one, in what looked to be one of his best performances. So far the star of the show is Chavalo. Chavalo feels certain the 2nd Liston fight was a fix job or dive, and talks in good detail about the Terell and Liston fights. I agree with Chavalo that the first Liston fight is Ali's best performance. I'll catch the rest later.
I saw the 1st Frazier fight. The more I listed to Chavalo, the better I think he is as a boxing analysts.
Watched Facing Ali...Great docu, but what impreesed me the most,waswatching the most rugged heavyweight I have ever seen...George Chuvalo,took TREMENDOUS punishment,in his boxing career, and never FOLDED. Like a man,and what he suffered in his private life, losing two sons to drugs, and a wife to suicide,soon after,and somehow surviving, leaves me in wonderment ,how much courage, George Chuvalo posesses...By far the Toughest heavyweight I ever saw...I admire him and wish him the best....
I saw Foreman's comments today. Fighters sometimes exaggerate the truth a bit, but with Foreman I get the feeling he's telling it like it was. Foreman said he never felt more confident going into the Ali fight. His thinking was, Frazier defeated Ali. I whipped Frazier with ease. Norton beat Ali. I whipped Norton with ease. Now I get an older version of Ali? This fight is going to be over in 3 rounds.
I loved how Foreman told how scared he was of Frazier. Chuvalo was great. What an anti-drug message he left although it had nothing to do with the main story.
