Cassius Clay Jr. is 'dead broke'. After the so-called millions of dollars made, the Champion, also known as Muhammad Ali is out of money. He still owes his management team, The Louisville Sponsoring Group $50,000, who lent him money, to cover his ever-growing expenses. Cassius Clay, who went on a recent exhibition tour in Europe in early 1966, has added quite a few characters to his pay-roll. One is Herbert Muhammad, son of Elijah Muhammad. No one is quite sure of what he does. He is supposed to be the Business Manager, at a salary of $300 / Week. But no one knows what business he manages, and whether he is qualified to understand contracts, let alone read them. On the recent trip to Europe, Herbert Muhammad was paid $1300, for his duties. Angelo Dundee was asked, What does Herbert Muhammad do?, and Mr. Dundee stated, "no one knows what he does". Angelo further stated, "the only thing I saw him do, was help put Muhammad's gloves on".
Interesting post. In the beginning,Herbert M seemed to be very good for Ali's interests,but turned out to be a charlatan. He did many questionable things. I've always thought that he would have been the only man who could have talked Muhammad out of signing for the Holmes fight,if he'd chosen to. Money talks :fire Having said all that,the fight game is littered with those who rip fighters off. Always has been.
I've just finished Tom Hauser's book on Ali's Life and Times. More than Herbert were ripping him off and it still continues to this day. Bundini Brown ripped him off and others in group.
Unless,,,,, it's 'Herbie,,,,,,,"The Love Bug"' The businessmen from LSG were heart-broken over Muhammad Ali's decision. They had provided him with the best attorneys and business advisors. All their work went down the drain. Their were hard feelings, when Muhammad Ali contacted them in 1967, to help him out of the U.S. Military issue, after he turned his back on 'them white devils' in 1966.
Angelo Dundee was getting $300 /Week, plus bonuses back then. I think Rudy Clay was sometimes a sparring-partner, and sometimes the training camp manager in charge of sparring partners, washing the cars, personal valet, etc.
There was a whole new crew in their, in 1966. I think they were making arrangements to be picked up by the Mother of Planes.
May 1966 Jack Olsen, As the world of reality slips away from Cassius Clay, the constrictive tentacles of the Black Muslims draw more tightly around him. Out of money, his only friends are a colony of parasites. Clay is uneasy with fame, and listens to no counsel but his own - Gordon Davidson, an Attorney with LSG - The money just goes. He only took home $105,000 for the Chuvalo fight. That is apalling for a Heavyweight Champion. Cassius is soon finding out, that there is no joy in becoming a Champion of Nothing.
His first wife 'Sonji Roi' negotiated a nice $15,000 per year divorce settlement, plus he had to 'fork over' $22,500 for her lawyer fee's. For 10-years 'no less'. Later she said,,,,,,"He was no Champion in the bedroom, he performed like a preliminary fighter. I felt that he needed more seasoning." This content is protected
I forgot he called them "White Devils" back in 1967. Ali credibility began to fall as the Nation of Islam muscled into his career.
