"Ladiesandgentlemen, rightnow we'dlike tointroduce... thestarofourshow, theyoungman you'veallbeen waiting for." "Solet'sallget togetherandwelcome him to thestage withagreatbighand." "HowaboutitforSam Cooke?" "Before we doanything, we'dlike tosayhowareyoudoingout there?" " Is everyone feelingallright?" " Yeah!" "Howareyoudoing?" " You doing okay?" " Yeah!" " You two doing okay?" " Yeah!" "Well, laskyouonemore time." "Howyoudoing?" "Oh, yeah" "Isaidoh, yeah" "Oh, yeah!" "Oh, yeah" "Ibelieve we'regonnahave agoodtime tonight" "It'sgoodtohavesomebody youcan twist thenightaway with" "Rightnow" "Oh, yes, itis" "Isaiditfeelsgood whenyougotsomebody" "To twist thenightaway with rightnow" " Lordhavemercy." " Whatyou running from, son?" "We got a call." "Don'tfight the feelin' Don'tfight the feelin'" "Got to feelthe feelin'now Got to feelthe feelin'" "'Causeitmakeyougroove right whenyoufeelthe feelin'" "Oh, makeme wantyounow" "Got to feelthe feelin'" "'Causeitmakeyougroove right whenyoufeelthe feelin'" "Makeme wantya when Igot the feelin; baby" "So don'tfightit" "No, don'tfightit" "Baby,justfeelit" "I'm gonna bustyou up." "Beatyour ass like I was your daddy." "Isaidl'm beginning to feelallrightnow" "Ifeellcan tellyou aboutmybabyrightnow" "Isaidlfeel you're in themoodrightnow" "Isaidlfeel you're in themood" "Sometimesmeandmybaby we fussandfight" "Andmybabyleavehome 'cause thingsain'tright" "Forthose ofyou who thinkyoucamehere today... to hear us tell you like these Negro leaders do... thatyour times will just get better... that weshall overcomesomeday..." "I say toyou, you came to the wrong place." "Becauseyour times will never get better unless you make them better." "Those ofyou who thinkyou came here to hear us tell you... to turn the other cheek to the brutality ofthe white man... and this system ofinjustice that's in place right here in America... you thinkyou're gonna come here and hear us tell you... to go out there and beg for a place at their lunch counter... again, I sayyou came to the wrong place." "We don't teach you to turn the other cheek in the South." "And we don't teach you to turn the other cheek in the North." "The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches you to obey the law... to carryyourselves in a respectable way... in a proud Afro-American way." "But at the same time, we teach you... that anyone puts their hand on you... brother, you doyour best to see they don't put their hand on anybody else... again." "Time." "Just like that, Daddy." "Neverjump in one place." "Bad for the heart." "Forwards, backwards, sideways." "That's the most important thing." "I'm called Bundini." "Rhymes with Houdini." "He was aJew too." "Some people call me Fast Black." "Some call me Daddy Mac." "Gave Sugar Ray Robinson my power for seven years." "Myvoodoo." "My magic." "Now Shorty done sent me here to work foryou." " Who's Shorty?" " I call him Shorty." "Call him Shorty 'cause he like 'em circumcised." "Original people." "Like Moses." "And I was a babe in a basket too." "Born ona doorstep withanote across my chest thatread..." ""Youdo thebest youcan forhim, world. "" "I wannabeyourinspiration." "Your motivator in your corner." "Can I be in your corner, young man?" "Time!" "Got to tellyou howlfeelrightnow" "Thissonggonna tellyou howlfeel" "Iknowyoubeengoneaway foralong time, butlisten" "Baby, ifyouever" "Changeyourmind" "Knowthatleaving" "Leavingmebehind" "Bringit tome" "Bring thatgoodlovin; baby" "Bringitonhome tome" "Yeah, yeah" "Listen, lgot tobeaman to tellyou this, honey, look" "I'llgiveyoujewelry" "I'llgiveyousome ofthatmoneytoo" "Butlisten Thatain'tall" "Thatain'tall Sam will do foryou" "Allyougot to do isbringit tome" "Bring thatgoodlovin; baby" "Be the invisible man as soon as he swings." "Get personal with him." "This is important Listen tome" "Don'tyouknow thatl'llalways" "I'llalwaysbeyourslave" "TiIll'm buried" "Buriedin mygrave" "While I'm livin'" "Bringit tome Bring thatgoodlovin; baby" "Bringitonhome tome" "Onemore thing lgotta tellyou" "Listen tomerightnow" "Youknowthatl try" "To treatyouright Whatdidyoudo" "Youstayedup" "Youstayedup lateatnight" "Idon'tcare whoyou was with" "Bringit tome" "Bringall thatgoodlovin; baby" "Bringiton Everybody's withme" "Everybody's withme tonight" "Listen, letmehearyou sayyeah" "Yeah, oh, yeah" "Sonny Liston, you ain't no champ!" "You a chump!" "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." "Oh!" "Rumble, young man, rumble." "Y'all wanna losey'all money?" "Then you bet it on Sonny." "He know I'm great." "He will fall in eight." "Come on, you big, ugly bear." "I'll whupyou right now." "Two-ten and a half." "Two-ten and a half!" "." "The challenger, Cassius Clay, two hundred and ten and a halfpounds." " Man, you sure that's right?" " That's what the weight is." "Old, ugly bear, come on." "Let's go." "You got these folks fooled." "I ain't scared ofya!" "I ain't scared ofya!" "Two hundred and eighteen." "Two hundred and eighteen." "Sonny Liston, the champion ofthe world." "Two hundred and eighteen pounds." " Pounds ofwhat?" " Pounds ofugly." "That man's so ugly, when he sweat... the sweat run backwards offhis forehand just to stay away from his face." "Come on, you big, ugly bear!" "I'll turn you into a rug!" "Keep talkin'." "I'm gonna fuckyou up." "Ifyou whup me..." "I'll crawl out ofthe ring and take the firstjet airplane out the country." " Is that a promise, Mr. Clay?" " You'll eat his words first." " Cassius, you're a 7-1 underdog." " Liston says he talks with his fists." " What doyou say?" " You scared ofhim?" "I'm gonna give Sonny Liston talkin' lessons... boxing' lessons and fallin' down lessons." "Cassius, areyou a black Muslim?" "Pat Putnam says in the MiamiHerald" "A man's religion is his own business." "What kind ofquestion is that?" " Angelo, tell me" " Malcolm Xwas in town, then he left." "Was that so he wouldn't embarrass you?" " Yeah, Howard?" " Liston doesn't likeyou." "Really can't stand you." "Says he wants to kill you." "Howard Cosell, you ain't nothin' but an instigator." " Man, howyou get that way?" " Cassius, nowyou're being truculent." "Ifit's good, I'm that." "You next." "Soon as I'm done with Sonny Liston, I'm fightin' Howard Cosell." "Y'all write that down right now." "That's good?" "Wanna check that out?" "Hey, man, when you get back?" "I just got here." "I'm front row, seat seven." "I'll be sittin' with Mom and Dad." "You should've stayed in the first place." "Nobody gotta hide when they're with me." "There's nothing wrong with being cool, my brother." "He's right." " ...and challenger, Cassius Clay." " Goodevening, ladiesandgentlemen." "Brought toyou by the City Service Oil Company... and its dealers in 37 states and Canada... known to millions ofmotorists for Big Gallon gasoline... and by new Wildroot, totally new Wildroot in a new tube... with a great formula that grooms hair to look neat and natural, never greasy." "Another boxing milestone is at hand." "Injust a few minutes, Louisville's Cassius Marcellus Clay... will be facing the devastating punching power... ofthe heavyweight champion, Charles "Sonny" Liston." "...for the heavyweight championship ofthe world." "Introducing, on my right" "And now the time has come." "Both challenger and champion are in the ring." "The heavyweight championship ofthe world is on the line." "Ifit goes past the first round, there will be surprises already." "Sonny Liston wrapped in that terry cloth towel ofhis... wrapped around his head swami fashion..." "looking as malevolent and baleful as ever." "But this man is a professional prizefighter." "Make no mistake about it." "I want a clean fight." "When I say break, stop punching and step back." "Doyou have any questions, champ?" "Any questions, challenger?" "We're fine." "Touch gloves, gentlemen." "Good luck." "Good evening, sports fans across the nation." "Liston in the white trunks with the black stripes." "Clay, an inch and a halftaller, in the white trunks with the red stripes" "And Cassius Clay is sidestepping." "There it is, champ." "Stay on your toes now." "And we can see that the champion is the aggressor." "There's a shot under the heart." "Cassius Clay slips away." "And now Clay pounds a left." "Another left." "A straightjab." "It seems to have stunned him." "And that's the bell." "And they're fighting after the bell." "And they're still fighting." "This round is over." "Break it up, ref." "There is no love lost between the two contenders at this time." "Cassius goes back to his corner." "It's been an amazing round." "You can beat this guy." "I'm still here." "And Sonny Liston is not taking the stool." "He's anxious to get back into the challenger's face." "Take it to the body." "Kill the body, the head will follow." "This is a totally different fight than Liston expected... and anyone in this arena will tell you." "There's a long, looping left hand." "Clay's eyes are wide open now." " Come on, Cass!" "Move!" " Step back." " Come on, Cassius!" " Come on, Chi-Chi!" "I'm not prognosticating anything... but merely his survival to thisjuncture" "Cass, hit him!" "Break." "Let him go." "Sonny Liston is hurt." "He's bleeding from his eye." "He's defying the experts early." "We have to take a look at this man and say he is not in awe ofthe champion." "He ain't nothin' to me." "And he know it." "This is it now." "Let me have that,John." "And now they're ready." "You gonna knock the ugly offofhim." "That's gonna take a long time, butyou can do it." "There he is." "Get him off." "Doyourjob, ref." "Shake him." "Doyourjob, ref." "There it is." "Come on, ref." "Break." " There he is." " Clay slips around and out." "Up against the ropes." "Right above me now." "Too tight." "Get in there." "My eyes." "There's something in my eyes." "I can't see nothin'." "Come on." " What's going on?" " Nothin'." "The guy's punching' on the breaks." "Just take care ofit." "We're fine." "I can't see nothin', man." "Just go and cut 'em off, Angie." "No, no." "You can't fight with no gloves on." "Just get up." "Get up." "Try and do it." "Come on." "I can't see, man." " Come on, Cass!" " Dance!" "Liston crouching, hitting to the body." "It's like he's blinking, like he doesn't see Liston." "Ref, you gotta doyourjob." "Hold it." "Stay away from him, Clay." "Stay away from him." "The champion, you can see, is the aggressor." " Get him, Cass!" " Come on, Cass!" " Knock him up!" " Clay looks all done." "Hold on to him!" " Stop it." "Stop." "Break." " Knock him up." "Get on him." "Get on him, man." " You can see him now." " You go get him, man." "Clay lands a left, but Liston ducked under it... and took it high on the forehead." "It's Clay coming on." "And Liston backs away." "And all the predictions are going down the drain... as Liston is listless." "And there's the bell." "We're coming up to round seven." "Wait a minute!" "Liston's not coming out." "The winner and new heavyweight champion ofthe world is Cassius Clay." "Eatyourwords!" "Eatyourwords!" "Les, I'm going up into the ring." "Get back." "I'm the greatest thing ever happened to boxing." "Cassius." "Cassius." "I shook up the world!" "It's a scene of absolute bedlam in the ring!" "I am the greatest." "I'm a bad man." "I shook up the world!" "Did he ever hurtyou?" "I'm only 22 years old." "I ain't got a mark on my face." " I must be the greatest." " And you're pretty." "I must be the greatest." "Wait." "Hold on." "Hold on one second." "That's Sam Cooke back there." " Come on, Sam Cooke." " Let Sam Cooke in here." "The greatest rock-and-roll singer, and I'm the world's greatest boxer." "Hello, Sam." "That mummy's gonna get him, baby." " That mummy ain't gonna get him." " Yeah, he is." "He ain't scared ofthat mummy." "That mummy too slow to catch anybody." " What's going on, Sam?" " Howyou doing, Cassius?" "Don't believe that stuffon TV." "Don't listen to him." " Hey, congratulations, Clay." " Hey, thankyou,Jim." " Hell ofa fight." " You next, man." "You next." " Go ahead and get some food, brother." " Cassius ClayversusJim Brown." "Biggest fight in history." " The mummy only has one eye." " One eye and a limp." "That mummy's 643 years old." "He can't catch nobody." "Look at him." "You gotta fall down 'cause that's the onlyway the mummy could catch you." "Way to go, champ!" " Yeah, you the greatest." " Thankyou, brother." "Thankyou." " I'll seeyour next fight." " You'll see the next one?" " Oh, yeah." " Well, you better get there very early." "You better get there very early 'cause that man's going down." "Ifhe talk a littlejive, he's going down in five." "He talk a little more, I might drop him in four." "Ifyou wanna have more fun, do it in round one." "Oh, yeah." "Hold on." "I'm doing the rhyming'." "The people really look up toyou." "You plan on being a champ likeJoe Louis?" "Well, yeah, I'm gonna be the people's champ." "Not likeJoe Louis." "Well, you know, not exactly." "My name is not Clay." "Clay is the name ofthe people that owned my ancestors... and I no longerwanna be called by that slave name." " I am Cassius X." " Minister Malcolm." "What about the divisions in the Nation oflslam?" "This is the champ's time." "I'm here as a friend to support his victory... so I have nothing you want." "I'm definitely gonna be the people's champion... but I just ain't gonna be the champ the wayyou want me to be the champ." "I'm gonna be the champ the way I wanna be." "...fornohomeis immune to termites... nomatterhow well itisbuiltormaintained." " Hey, brother." " I was leaving." "I sawyour light on." "Whatyou doing up at this hour, champ?" "Oh, man, I'm watching this program on termites." "And them little itsy-bitsy things is eatin' these people's whole house down." "Oh, man, look." "I've been invited to speak at Ibadan University in Nigeria." " You wanna go with me?" " Hey, look, man." "You can have six million termites in your house and don't even know it... till you going to get something to eat and you bust through the floor." " What'd you say?" "Where?" " Africa." "You been?" "Africa." "All right, come on." "Let's go." "What is it?" "You ever thought you'd lose it?" "I mean, really lose it?" "When I was little, I tore out this picture of Emmett Till." "They put the barbed wire around his neck... and strapped him to that 75-pound cotton gin fan." "And they cut out one ofhis eyes 'cause he looked at some white lady." "Man." "I couldn't take my eyes to it, couldn't throw it away." "When I heard about those... four little girls who got bombed in that Birmingham church... the prohibitions ofthe Honorable Elijah Muhammad prevented me... from speaking my thoughts in action." "Because Birmingham was part ofthe civil rights struggle." "You know, begging for our place at the white man's table." "But dead children are dead children." "So the anger I felt I had to contain." "I locked it up so tight... my muscles seized." "I lost control over the right side ofmy body." "My leg gave out." "Right arm gave out." ""I'm having a stroke," I thought." "But I had to hold it in 'cause all I wanted" "Brother, all I wanted to do was find something and break it." "Break a part-- Break any part ofthis system... becauseyou are so provoked in your heart... and your spirit as a human being... at dead children." "And I could do... nothing." "Everyone knows I can't do nothing... anymore." "So Elijah Muhammad has suspended me as a minister in the Nation oflslam." "Man... you can fix that." "I don't know." "I'll trywhen we get back." "You get some rest, champ." "All right, brother." "Sit." "You know, only after long service and high merit... in the spiritual and physical rebirth ofAfro-American people... is one granted an original name." "Butyou are special." "A world champion." "So there is a gift I wish to giveyou." "From this day forward... you will be known as Muhammad Ali." " What?" " That's right." "You what?" "Well, what's wrong with our name?" "My name?" "We" " We madeyou." "Ain't nobody made me." "No bow tie-wearin', Arab-talkin' nigger gonna change that." "Ain't nobody in that ring but me." "I made me." "You don't know whoyou are." "I know who I ain't." "I ain't drinking'." "I ain't going back on mywife and for sure I ain't praying'... to no blond-haired, blue-eyedJesus." "Paintin' those blue-eyed, blond-haired Jesuses is what put food in you." " Steak and vegetables on the table." " It's dinner!" "Go ahead." "Go ahead." "Hello?" "Hereyou go, Daddy." "Thankyou, baby." " Yeah?" " BrotherMalcolm." "The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has given the Muslim name of Muhammad Ali... to Cassius X." "HerbertMuhammadhasbeenput in charge ofhis training." "He will not be traveling with you to Africa." "Healsoaskedme toinformyou... thatyoursuspension willbe extendedindefinitely." "Brother Cassius won't be coming to Africa." "Not with me." "Don't put it off." "We'll be fine." "I will." "Igotalittle doll forAtallah." "Really?" "Yeah, it'sbeautiful." "I'vegotsomuch toshowthegirls when lgetback." " I'm takingalotofpictures." " Yeah?" "Yeah, lgotsomegoodstuff I want toshowyou." "Areyoueating?" "Well, you'renotcooking, so" " What's going on?" "Anything?" " Nothing." "He's on the phone, talking to his wife." "She's having a hard time sleeping, the baby's kicking a lot... what are they gonna name the baby." "Ijust wake upa couple oftimes in thenight, butit's okay." "Would you like to take a seat?" "Sure, thankyou." "Whaty'all done did with the real pilot?" "I am the pilot." "He's the copilot." "Here." "Sit down, Mr. Clay." "Oh, man." "In Louisville, where I growed up, they barely let black folks drive buses." "Muhammad!" "Hey, brother." "What's going on, man?" " Whatyou doing here?" " I wasjust going to the airport." "Wejust got here now." "So whereyou going?" "Liberia." "Say hello to Maya Angelou right here and Ambassador Huang Hua." "And that is Taher Kaid." "He's the ambassador from Algeria." "Oh, man." "Where should I go?" "I wanna go all over this place." "Go to Algeria." "See Ben Bella." "Then go to see Mecca and Medina." "I just came from there." "Made my seven circuits around the Kaaba." "I prayed at sunrise." "Two million people." "Pilgrims from all over, man." "Dressed the same." "High and low, the same." "Blond-haired, blue-eyed Muslims, Arabs, Africans, lndonesians." "Seeing brothersjust like us, praying together, it was beautiful." "I drankwater from the well ofZem Zem." "I prayed in the ancient city of Mena." "I prayed on Mount Arafat." "Youshouldn'thave quarreled with Eliijah Muhammad." "Walking in their footsteps." "All ofus together." "You shouldn't have quarreled with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad." "What?" "You shouldn't have quarreled with Elijah Muhammad." "Hey, Brother Muhammad, look here." "Brother Muhammad!" "Listen, I'm sorry to keepyou waiting." "Into each life... a little rain must fall." "And, you know, every day cannot be sunny." "Every smile is not a smile ofhappiness." "And every tear that is shed" "Sonji, Sonji, Sonji." " Whatyou keep saying my name for?" " 'Cause I love it, girl." "How long you been working with Herbert?" "About a year." "I sell MuhammadSpeaks over the phone." " What kind ofname is that?" " My father named me after Sonja Henie." "What's your father do?" "He was shot in a poker game when I was two, so he don't do nothing." "And my mother died when I was eleven." " Who raised you?" " My godparents." "But I been offon my own for a long time." "Whatyou doing tomorrow?" "Go for a ride with me." " Oh, no, no." "I gotta work." " I'm gonna square it with Herbert." " Herbert said you met the Beatles." " Oh, yeah, yeah." "Only one of'em is smart, though." "The fella with the glasses." "Oh, he is my favorite." "Yeah, folks was screaming and fainting." "I said, "Man, is this how they act when you get big?"" " What did he say?" " He said, "Champ... the more real you get, the more unreal it's gonna get."" "Wow." "Your" "Precious love" "Love" "Meansmore tome" "More, more" "Thananylove" "Can everbringme" "Nevercame true" "Oh, andl" "I wantedyou" "Letme tellya I wassolonely" "Solonely, lonely Solonelyandsoblue" "GoodGodAlmighty" "That's whatlove will do" "Do" "Let's go." "Yeah." "Whereyou live?" "I'm gonna takeyou there." "And you know I got a man somewhere out there that I don't mind crawling to." "Sometimes I wake up in the midnight hour, tears rolling down my face." "And ifl look around for my man and I can't find him..." "I follow the Lord, look a little higher." "Kind ofpray to the Lord." "Because I always believed that the Lord could help me ifnobody else could." "But sometime I think he don't even hear me." "So I have to fall a little lower on my knees, look a little higher." "Kind ofraise myvoice a little higher." "And this is what I say when I call on my man." "I especiallywantyou ladies to listen to me 'cause maybeyou can try this." "It might helpyou every once in a while." "This is whatyou say when you call on your man." "Get in tune to" "Darlin'" "Darlin; don'tyouknow" "Thatlloveyousomuch, yeah" "Fall down onmyknees" "Beg mybaby, please" "Igot to tell theman thatllovehim, yes, I will" "Foryourprecious love" "Foryourprecious love" "There'snothing There'snothing, nothing" "In this whole wide world I wouldn'tdo foryou, darling" "I'll walkallnight outing therain" "Lord, lgot tosee mybabyagain" "Igot to tell theman thatllovehim" "Onemore time, yeah" "You ain't no Muslim, huh?" "Cover my hair, wear no makeup and wear those long dresses?" "Honey, please." "Wereyou a virgin?" "A virgin?" "Howyou gonna-- Whatyou saying?" "Well, you werejust so gone, offon a little good time." "Well, no, I ain't no virgin." "But I may as well be." "I ain'tjoking." "I always know when I know." "You see this face?" "You got a pretty face for a lady's face... butyou ever seen anything as pretty as me?" "Who wouldn't want to be with me?" "What, you five foot three or something like that?" "That's too small for me, but I'm gonna make an exception." " Oh, well, thankyou." " Because ofyour spirit." " My spirit?" " Yeah, girl." "You too much fun." " Butyou got to be a Muslim." " A Muslim?" "And howyou do that?" "Youjump over a broom and, shazam, you're a Muslim?" "I ain't never been with nobody likeyou." "And, baby... baby, you ain't never gonna be with any other." " What?" " That's right." "I wanna marry her." "True love." "You don't marry that girl." "She was a date." "Have some fun." "She's notyourwife." "You don't marry this girl." "Here's some management papers." "I need you to sign right there." "My fatherwould kill me." "Watch whatyou're signing, Ali." "This ain't got nothing to do with you." "Anything's to do with me I say is to do with me, fat boy." "I'm still a Christian." "And get me a kosher cook." "I want that lady over at Malcolm's temple." " Lana Shabazz." " And put my brother on payroll." "Fifty G a year just for drivin' andjivin'." "What doyou say, Howard?" "Come on full-time as my photographer?" "I'm not gonna be on the payroll." "I'm freelance." "Emphasis on "free."" "Muhammad, she's not foryou." "When I met her, she worked in a cocktail lounge... with a bunny tail on her backside." "What the hell was you doing in a bunny tail lounge anyway, Herbert?" "Sellin' MuhammadPeeks?" " You been saving it up training, Ali." " Your ass." "You should spread that stuffaround a little bit beforeyou settle down." "No, man." "Marriage is the cornerstone of Muslim life." " Yeah, well, Sonji Roi is not a Muslim." " Well, she's gonna be now." "Youjust fix it up, Herbert." "Yeah." "Okay." "So, whywe meeting?" "I got Malcolm shoulder to shoulder with Martin Luther King." "And we got Malcolm traveling all over the world, getting Ben Bella and Nasser." "We were better offbefore with Malcolm inside the Nation." "So we've decided we wantyou... to get Elijah Muhammad to take Malcolm back." "That's ajoke,Joe." "When am I being reimbursed for my expenses?" "Dry-cleaning all these suits is not free." "We gotta talk about this guy too." "Get me receipts, I'll reimburseyou foryour dry cleaning." " Whatyou drinking?" " What I'm drinking?" "Come on, champ." "This is water." "You know I'm a natural man." "You know." " What's going on?" "We're late." " I'm changing my damn clothes." "You gave me that look, so I knowyou don't like what I had on." " What is this?" " Whatyou wanted, isn't it?" " A water glass with vodka in it." " No, that was before." " Before what, sir?" " Beforeyou showed up." "Get out ofhere." "I'm fine running around here in these cute, short things foryou." "I am submissive toyou." "I ain't gonna be submissive to them BrotherX's and Z's... about what they think." "They ask me a bunch ofquestions all the time anyway." " What questions?" " Aboutyou and us." " And I ain't telling them shit." " You tell it like it is, sugar." "Took away my boy's name." "What they give him back?" "Bad style." "I thinkyou drunk." "Daddy Clay, you're something else." "Now, that's a firecracker right there." "We're gonna have to workwith that." " A scale ofone to ten." " That's right." "I have one" " I had a ten-- Well, I didn't have a ten." "I had a five-- five good twos." "I don't drink." "I don't smoke." "I converted to Islam foryou." "Okay?" "l-- All except the dress." "Whatyou doing in my pockets, man?" "Getyour hand out ofmy pocket!" " Hold it, my brothers." " We got a thiefin here!" "Just be cool." "Be cool." "Brother, you crazy?" "They killed Malcolm!" "They shot Malcolm!" "They shot Malcolm!" "They shot Malcolm!" "...washitseven times in the chestandbody... andonein thelower rightshin." "Apparently, the unknownman... walkedup to thespeaker'splatform... at the time MalcolmXwas speaking... openedfireathim at veryshortrange." "The arena is surrounded by fbi." "The stands are only halffull." "The promoter has taken out a million-dollar insurance policy... due to Cassius Clay's membership in the militant and radical black Muslims." "And, oh, by the way, Sonny Liston is here too." "Touch gloves and come out fighting." "Come on, son." " Come on, Chi-Chi." " Put a whupping on him now." "Ain't nothing changed." "Whup on him now." "Whup up on him." "Way to go!" " There it is!" " Sock it to him, baby!" "Yes!" "Get up!" "Ain't nobody gonna believe this." "Get up!" "Yes!" "Confused." "We're confused." " Check his time." " Timekeeper's sounding it's over." "Check his time!" "It is over!" "I think the champ was in a hurry." "Areyou okay?" "What's wrong?" "Whyyou all done up like that?" "I'm out there dying foryou out ofworry." " Worry?" " Yes." "And all you can think about is ifl look dull enough?" "What ifl straightened my hair and moved into some white suburb?" "How I am says something." "You want me to go get her?" "Not now." " Not right now, fellas." " Not now." " What I got to do?" " About Sonji?" "Have no contact with her for 90 days." "Make a public statement ofdivorce at the mosque... and Islamic law will be satisfied." "Satisfaction is not making it with the woman who send you to the moon?" "I'm the only normal person left around here." "I'm a blackJew, I can't read and I'm halfdrunk." "I need to talk toyou." " No, you can stay, Brother Herbert." " Brother?" "He ain'tyour brother." "Your brother's taking yourwife back to Chicago." "She's crying like a widow." " Well, I ain't dead." " Well, you may as well be." "You don't rememberyour name orwhoyou are." "You gonna try for Germany?" "You gonna try to get stationed in Germany?" " Everybody is trying to avoid Vietnam." " Whatyou talkin' about, man?" "They changed your classification." "It's in the paper." " What?" " Champ." "Eskridge." "You're 1 A." "They tryin' to draft me in the army?" "You know about this?" "Okay, here we go." "All right, all right." "Hey, I got to go." "They started runnin'." "You know, so I went down there, I did everything I was supposed to do..." "You know, so I went down there, I did everything I was supposed to do... and I flunked their draft board test." "Then without testing me again, to see ifl'm anywiser orworser... they decide I can go in the army?" " Cassius, in my opinion" " My name ain't Cassius Clay." "That is a slave name, and I am a free man." "I am Muhammad Ali." "You know, I apologize." "I apologize toyou on the air." "Your name is Muhammad Ali." "You have a right to be called whateveryou want." "I apologize toyou." "You sure make a lot ofmistakes for a so-called educated man." " You reallywent to law school?" " Yes, Muhammad." "And to think I gave up a lucrative practice for the likes ofyou." "I'm the best thing ever happened toyou, Cosell." "Without me, you'd be a tall white man with a microphone in his mouth." "And without me, you'd be a mouth." "We'll be right back." " You want some food for that thing?" " How could you do such a thing?" " 'Cause it's funny." " To someoneyou revere." " That thing almost bit my finger off." " Mr. Bundini..." "I'm glad you were here to witness this-- this assault." "Have a little coffee with your sugar." "They're coming afteryou... because they're scared of black militancy in the inner cities." "I ain't no H. Rap Brown." "I ain't no Stokely Carmichael." "All they are is political." "You're the heavyweight champion ofthe world." "Here's the deal the government offered." "You do six weeks in basic." "You go to the reserves." "You don't go to Vietnam." "Now, the messengerwould not object ifyoujoined under those terms." "I stay out ofjail and keep boxing." "Ifyou accept the induction, life goes on." "Marvin DeckerAnderson, US Army." "Marvin DeckerAnderson, US Army." "Juan Raymondo Benitez, US Army." "Pryce Marshall Benson, US Marines." "Cassius Marcellus Clay, US Army." "Mr. Clay, I'm required to inform you... that refusal to accept a lawful induction order... constitutes a felony... under the Universal Military Training and Service Act... punishable by fiveyears imprisonment... and a $1 0,000 fine." "Doyou understand?" "Yes, sir." "Federal Bureau oflnvestigation." "Mr. Clay, you're under arrest for refusing induction." "Yeah." "Yeah, this is me." "No, you got to ask Chauncey Eskridge." "That's my lawyer." "He's in Chicago." "No, I'm out on bail." "No, man, I ain't never shot nothin' in my life." "No ducks, no geese, no deer, no nothin'." "Yeah, I know where Vietnam is." "It's on TV." "Southeast Asia?" "What, it's there too?" "What do I think about who?" "The Vietcong?" "Man, I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong." "Ain't no Vietcong ever called me nigger." "Yeah, that's right." "You know whatyou're doin', Ali?" "You know whatyoujust said?" "Everyone, Europe to China, every home in America... everyone's gonna know what the heavyweight champion ofthe world... said about the US war." "So what?" "So what?" "I ain't got to be... what nobody else want me to be... and I ain't afraid to be what I wanna be... think how I wanna think." "I got almost nowhere I can promote a fight foryou." "Plus I think they're gonna vacateyou from the crown." " What?" " Yeah, ifyou're convicted." "Oh, so they're gonna take from me what no fighter in the world can." "And New York may revoke your boxing license." "You sureyou wanna do this?" "The next three to fouryears are every heavyweight's prime." "There are few ofthoseyears." " What about Terrell?" " We'll know about that this afternoon." "I gotta find us some venues fast." "I'll call you later." "You understand the issue is your license to fight Terrell in Illinois?" "Yes." "Then areyou prepared to apologize... aboutyour unpatriotic remarks about the war?" " You sayyou're the people's champion." " Yes, sir." "Doyou thinkyou're acting like the people's champion?" "Yes, sir." "I'm not gonna apologize toyou." "This is not a courtroom, and I do not have to answeryour questions." " What about Terrell?" " We'll fight in another state!" " Areyou gonna dodge the draft?" " I ain't draft-dodgin'..." "I ain't burning' no flag, and I ain't running' to Canada." "I'm stayin' right here." "You wanna send me tojail?" "Fine." "You go right ahead." "I've been injail for 400 years." "I can be there for four or five more." "But I ain't goin' no 1 0,000 miles... to help murder and kill other poor people." "Ifl wanna die, I'll die right here right now, fightin' you, ifl wanna die." "You my enemy." "Not no Chinese, no Vietcong, noJapanese." "You my opposer when I want freedom." "You my opposerwhen I wantjustice." "You my opposerwhen I want equality." "You want me to go somewhere and fight foryou." "You won't even stand up for me right here in America... for my rights and my religious beliefs." "You won't even stand up for me right here at home." " Which guyyou want to go first?" " You, sir." "Tell Clay he gettin' on after me." "I'm the champ." " What?" " I said you can get on after me." " No." "What'd you call me?" " I called you Clay." "You will announce it from right here, from flat on your back." "What's my name?" "What's my name?" "What's my name?" "Say my name!" "You gonna say my name!" "Your mama called you Clay!" "I'm gonna call you Clay!" "I wantyou all to tell all their aunts... and all their uncles and cousins and friends... get toyour television set, get toyour radio... 'cause I neverwanted to whup a man so bad!" "What's my name?" "What's my name?" "What's my name, motherfucker?" "What's my name?" "What's my name?" "Thejury has found you guilty ofrefusing induction... into the United States Armed Forces." "Does the defense have anything it wants to say?" "Yeah, I'd appreciate ifthe court would just give me my sentence right now... rather than waitin' and stalling'." "Verywell." "I sentenceyou to the maximum sentence allowable:" "fiveyears imprisonment and a fine of$1 0,000." "Doubtless your lawyer will lodge an appeal... so whileyou're free on bond, I order thatyour passport be surrendered." "I'll not haveyou benefiting yourself by fighting abroad." "This court is adjourned." "Hold on." "Watch this." "I've been working on this at home." "Hold on." "Watch this." "I've been working on this at home." "Just relax." "See?" "'Cause it's spooky and sometimes people get scared and run." "Pay attention." "This is very spooky." "Go ahead." "Blow on that for me." "See, you don't need to fight no more." "You don't remember me, doyou?" "Yeah." "I remember somethin'." "What's your name?" " You know my name." " I knowyour name." "You came to my school right beforeyou won the title." "I interviewed you for my school paper." "I was eleven." "You had a long braid." "Yeah." " You called me "Little Indian Girl."" " Wow." " Man, that was you." " That was me." "And I loved you then, just like all them kids did." "I never stopped." "I still do." "Hey, did you see that Ellis-Quarry fight?" "Yeah." "We're gonna be in front of the US Court ofAppeals next month." "We're gonna lose." " We'll appeal to the Supreme Court." "Jimmy Ellis, the champ." "Man, I've been whupping on that boy since I was 1 6." "All that's gonna happen, they gonna give Ellis to Frazier..." "Frazier's gonna kill him, then what?" "Where's the gate?" "Then they got to let me fight." "Jimmy Ellis." "Fight that boy in a phone booth." "Fight him in the middle ofTimes Square." "You think that'd draw a crowd?" "Champ, draw a crowd or not draw a crowd... it's not gonna make a difference with your boxing licenses." "The ACLU's handling your case against the New York Boxing Commission." "They've discovered that New York's got actual ex-murderers... and ex-rapists currently licensed to fight." "But revokeyours?" "They don't wantyou to fight." " Tijuana." " No." "State Department refuses permission for the one-hourvisa." "No fight in Tijuana." "Look" "Can't fight here." "Can't fight outside the country." "I know people in the restaurant business." "Theywant to start a chain." "Muhammad Ali Champ Burgers." "Muhammad Malts, Fistful of Fries." "All ofthat." "Why do I wanna be in the restaurant business?" "'Causeyou need the money." " How much all this gonna cost?" " Too much." "They do that toyou too, you know." "They bustyou out." "All right." "Go get me some Champ Burgers." "Did y'all see that?" "That manjust hit me." "Oh, you done messed up now, sucka." "You done messed up" "I don't wanna do nothin' in front ofyour daughters, though." "I can't beatyou up in front ofyour daughters." " Hey, champ, good to seeyou." " All right, ladies." "Take care now." "All right now." "All right now." "You called me "Little Indian Girl" 'cause I wore my hair in a braid." "And then I said, "Man, you scribble." "You can't even write." "Need to go back to school till you learn how to do it better."" "Now, whyyoujust havin' a fresh mouth talkin' to me." "Soyou think that's funny, huh?" "Telling me I can't write, that I scribble." "Nowyou wanna try to make up with me." " This will make everything better." " Shut up." "Mommy and Daddy moved to Mexico!" "Come on, baby." "Oh, sweetie, come on." "Whois theheavyweightchampion ofthe world?" "What's happenin'?" " Hey, man." " We lost on the appellate level... in New Orleans." " We'reheading to theSupreme Court." " We already got turned down there." "I'm petitioning on a conscientious objection basis." "Religious belief." "Ibelieve that they'llhearthat." "Where themoney gonna come from, Chauncey?" "Herbertsayl'm runnin'on empty." "Now,justputaside..." ""How did that happen?"" "License all revoked, passport gone, can't fight here, can't fight nowhere." "Then what happen ifl lose at the Supreme Court?" "Then you go tojail for fiveyears." "Oh, I saw Bundini when I was in Europe." " Yeah?" "How is he?" " He's bad." "He's in bad shape, man." "You better getyour belt back" "Look at this." "Joe Frazier." "He can't up no gate." "Can't fill no arena." "They got to let me fight." "Fight." "Ifthat happens, promise meyou'll put some new people around you." "Whatyou talkin' about?" "Where Herbert and them when we need 'em?" "Gene Kilroy's dropping offgroceries like charity." "We borrow money from my folks." "They're all overyou when you got it, and then theyjust drop offyou... when you don't." "Norton, he's big and strong, but he ain't nothin'." "Hold on a second,Joe." "They're telling me we have a caller." " Go ahead, please." " Cosell, this is MuhammadAli." "It's Muhammad Ali." "Everybody knows that I am the champ." "The crown is a lie." "I know it's a lie." "Joe Frazier knows it's a lie." "And it's time for everybody to stop lying and tell the truth." "Let's tellitlikeitis." "Withyourcourtandboxingproblems... canyougeta fightpromoted?" "I would fightJoe Frazier for free in a phone booth... in the middle ofTimes Square ifl wasn't broke." "Didyousayyou werebroke?" "Howcanyoubebroke?" "Youmademoremoney thanallprevious heavyweights champions combined." "Whataboutyourmanagement?" "Surely theyhaveprovidedforyou." "AIll'm trying tosayisit's time foreverybodytostop lying'." "MuhammadAliis the champ." "Get my son Herbert on the telephone." "Muhammad, thankyou for calling in." "I'll relay that toJoe." "And telIJoe I said he is very ugly." "Muhammadsays thathe will fightyouanywhere, anytime... andthat the championship reallyishis until thatbattle ensues." "Mr. Ali has sporting blood." "Mr. Ali wants a place in this sports world." "He loves it too much." "I am therefore suspending Mr. Ali from the practice oflslam." "He may no longer appear in temple, pray or teach... or have any conversation with any Muslim whatsoever." "Why didn'tyou call an ambulance or a doctor?" "Because he gave meyour number when he checked in." "Normally, he's up there making a lot ofnoise." "But now he hasn't answered the door in three days." " What's that?" " It's daylight." "Get me that short dog." "Give it to me." "What's wrong with you?" "Ain't nothin' wrong with me." "My head ain't bad." " Leave me alone." " Leaveyou alone." "You called me!" "Yes, but that was a week ago." " Why areyou shaming' yourself?" " Let me go, man." "Whyyou doin' that toyourself?" " Whyyou shaming' yourself?" " Ain't nobody shamed." "Ain't nothin' wrong with me." "I'm flyin'." "The Sky Chieftalk through me." "I know the word." " You know low." " Yeah?" "I know low where the king is goin' back to his throne!" " From the root to the fruit!" " Them rhymes is old, Bundini." "You need to get some new ones." "God don't care aboutyou." "Don't care about me." "In all ofeverything, we don't mean nothin'." "He don't owe us." "We be." "And that's the onliest thing He did." "But that's good." "That's whywe free." "But free ain't easy." "Free is real and real is a motherfucker." "It eats raw meat." "It walk in its own shoes." "It don't everwaiver." "Yeah." "I" " I sold your belt." "I sold your belt to a barber for $500 on Lenox Avenue." "That's how low I did you." "I couldn't help it." "I got a crazy mind." "That belt sayyou the heavyweight boxing champion ofthe world... and I took that $500... and I put it in my arm." "That's what I called to tell you." "I heard about the Nation stuff, the courtroom." "Whatyou gonna do?" "Take me back." "I could go down there and get the belt." "I can go get the belt." "Hey, champ." "$1 ,000 to the man that bring me Howard Cosell's toupee dead or alive!" "Don't bother me." "I'm a world-famous sportscaster... and you're an ex-champion with diminished skills." "I can't be seen with you." " How's it goin', champ?" " Pretty good, man." "Muhammad, I'd do anything foryou." "You know that." "But I've got bosses who only give a damn about Nielsen ratings." "I guarantee... it will be a historical and a momentous night." "Ifthey came to me tomorrow and say, "We wantyou to fightJoe Frazier." "Madison Square Garden." "Millions and millions ofdollars." "Here's your license back." I will tell them..." ""I will never fight again."" "Frankly, Muhammad, I'm surprised, because unless you-- or until you fight Frazier" "Cosell, areyou losing' your hearing along with your hair?" "Don't put no question to it, man." "I done told you, I'm through fighting'." "I got a much bigger contender, a much heavier opponent." "I'm fightin' the entire US government." "Doyou think you're going tojail?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "Joe Frazier told me on this show that he could knockyou out." "See, thereyou go agitating'." "You should've asked Smokin'Joe what have he been smokin'?" "That boy even dream he whupped me, he betterwake up and apologize." "Ifl was togetin thering withJoe... here's whatyoumightsee." "Ali comes out to meet Frazier, but Frazier starts to retreat." "IfJoe goes back an inch farther, he'll wind up in a ringside seat." "Ali swings with his left, Ali swings with his right." "Just look at the kid carry the fight." "Frazier keeps backing', but there's not enough room." "It's only a matter oftime before Ali lowers the boom." "Aliswings withhis right." "Whatabeautifulswing." "But thepunch lifts Frazier clean outofthering." "Frazier's still rising', and the referee wears a frown... 'cause he can't start countin' till Frazier comes down." "Frazier's disappeared from view." "The crowd is getting frantic." "But our radar stations picked him up." "He's somewheres over the Atlantic." "Now, who would've thought when they came to the fight... theywas gonna witness the launchin' ofa black satellite." "But don't wait for that fight." "It ain't never gonna happen." "Onliest thingyoucoulddo... is wonderandimagine." "This has been another sports exclusive from ABC." " Two." "Go two." " OvertoJim McKay... in Bern, Switzerland." " Howyou gonna go from me toJim McKay?" " Listen, uh" " Did yourwife leaveyou yet?" " No, she hasn't left meyet." "She's going to, 'cause I told yourwife when I seen her..." "I said, "Listen, whyyou doin' this toyourself?"" "Oh, man,Joe." "Who dresses you?" "You look like the heavyweight champion ofpimps." "Hey, shut up and get in." "Thatjacket's a mess, man." "Whatyou in Philly for?" "Philly's my town." "Well, I just wanted to get a little closer toyou, honey." "Man, fuckyou." "There'll be two undefeated heavyweight champions, and they ain't fighting'." " What aboutyour license?" " I can fight in Atlanta." "There ain't no state boxing commission in Georgia." "It's all set." "I do a prelim in Atlanta againstJerry Quarry... but we got to get this steamroller movin' right now." "So what do I have to do?" "All you got to do is announce that after I whupJerry Quarry... you gonna give me a title shot." "Come on, man." "Say it!" "Say it!" "What I got and all I got, I got with these right here." "Hell, man, I already got the title." "So I ain't got nothin' to win, but I got everythin' to lose." "Yeah, butyou know you ain't the real champyet." "You beat Quarry..." "I'm gonna getyou in the ring." "I'm gonna kickyour ass." "By the way... you need any money or anything to tideyou by?" "No, I'm fine." "Time!" "Whatyou want?" "Take me back, boss." "I'm clean." "This is a resurrection." "This is God's act." "And the prophet is goin' home." "Take me with you, boss." "I'll do anything." "Your hands can't hit whatyour eyes can't see." "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." "Rumble, young man, rumble." "God ain't watching'!" "Ain't nobody but us!" "God ain't watching'!" "Ain't nobody but us!" "There it is!" "Stay in his face!" "Go, Muhammad!" "There it is!" "Now for the right." "Boom!" "Prophet is goin' home to the throne." "That's howyou do it, Ali." "That's howyou do it." "You okay?" "You're a goddamn Superman." "Ain't no kryptonite in this ring tonight." " We wantJoe Frazier!" " We want him!" " We wantJoe Frazier!" " And you deserve it." "You deserve it." "This prophet is comin' home, goin' from the darkness to the light." "Soak it in this for about 20 minutes." "We don't need their management." "Hey, Herbert, we did good." "Doin' good tonight." "All praise to Allah." "The messenger has lifted your suspension." "Congratulations." "Soyou're sayin' I can be a Muslim again." " Yes." " I ain't never stopped." "Just like I ain't never stopped bein' the champ." "I begged my father to reinstateyou." "When?" "When you do that, Herbert?" "After I promoted this Quarry fight or after I won it?" " We can get Frazier." " Man, I done already got Frazier." "We can get $5 million for Frazier." "We talkin' management, talkin' money or talkin' religion?" "When I got leery and talked up why I'm broke... then come the suspension." "Nowyou explain that one to me, my brother." "That was my father." "Your father." "I loveyour father, Herbert." "I swear, man." "I love the Nation." "But it don't own me." "You go on out there and you make that Frazier deal." "My brother." "Yeah, your brother Herbert." "Go on somewhere, make that deal." "And he accepts me." "I'mJewish, butyet he's Muslim... and we still get along." "He understands me." "He understands me and he still allows me to hang with him." "He knows I like pork and white women, but still allows me to be here with him." "Now, I can give up pork... but them white women, goddamn it!" "Howyou deal with it, boy?" "Hello?" "Muhammad, it's foryou." "Thankyou, Lana." " Yeah?" " Muhammad?" "Howard Cosell." " You TKO'd them." " Hey, whatyou talkin' about, Howard?" " With Quarry?" " No." "The Supreme Court ruled today... in the case of The UnitedStates vs. Cassius Clay... aka MuhammadAli." "You won an eight-to-zero unanimous decision." "You're free." "Congratulations." "I'm free." "The Supreme Court just set me free." "What areyou talkin' about?" "Eight-to-oh, unanimous decision." "The Supreme Court just overturned my conviction." " Yes!" " All right." "All right." " Did we get 'em, Ali?" " We got 'em, man." "Hey, man." " Did we do it?" " We did it, man." "Theywanna be on your side now because the truth has shown itselfto the power." "Now the power's comin' to the truth." "That's what it is." "And the truth tastes good when there's a belly full oflies." " Whatyou talkin' about?" " It don't matter." "It don't matter." "Ladies and gentlemen, 1 5 rounds ofboxing... for the undisputed heavyweight championship ofthe world." "In this corner, the contender and former heavyweight champion ofthe world... weighing in at 21 3 pounds... with a record of31 and 0 with 25 knockouts..." "Muhammad Ali!" "His opponent, weighing in at 2051/2 pounds... with a record of26 and 0 with 23 knockouts... the current heavyweight champion ofthe world..." "Smokin'Joe Frazier!" "I want a good, clean fight." "Protectyourselfat all times." "Gentlemen, touch gloves." "Good luck to both ofyou." "Come on!" "Stick him!" "Come on!" "That's okay, champ." "Don't stop fightin'." "What's comin'?" "Leanback, man." "Moveback." "Work, legs." "Ain't nobody hurt." "That's all right." "Ain't no" "Keep puttin' out." "Come on." " Move, Ali!" " Back, back, back!" "Muhammad, you said you were gonna win the fight." "How doyou account for the beating you've taken?" " Did he hurtyou?" "Joe said you don't wanna fight again." "Oh, how wrong he is." " Whywould it be different?" " Muhammad, wait!" " But I wanna ask him something!" " We all wanna ask him something." " Sons ofbitches!" "Get outta here!" " When areyou gonna get a hairpiece?" "Don't worry about it." "You lost all ofyours." "You cue ball head motherfucker." "Get outta here!" "Just one more question." " Let me talk to him." "We're close to thestart ofroundone." "Now that Smokin'Joe done run outta tomato cans..." "I got Yank to commit to a rematch with you in about six months." "Frazier said he'd be happy with three mil." "I'll fly toJamaica, get Yank to sign right afterJoe beats this big stiff." "I thinkhehurtJoe Frazier." "I thinkJoeishurt." "Downgoes Frazier!" "Downgoes Frazier!" " Downgoes Frazier!" " Get up,Joe." "Theheavyweightchampionis taking themandatoryeightcount... andForeman ispoisedas canbe." "ForemanisalloverFrazier." "AndFrazieris down again!" "Hemaybe-- No, he's rising." "It's over!" "ltis over!" "It'd be easy to get a fight with Frazier now." "Only thing he's champion of is gettin' knocked down." "George Foremanis theheavyweightchampion ofthe world." "The Rumble in theJungle." "That is the name that I've given it." "Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire." " Don, Zaire?" " Yeah, Don." "I mean, why not Antarctica, somethin' like that?" "What's wrong with New York City?" "Becauseyou miss the significance." "See, I dream ofovercoming 400 years ofracial depression... to the dawn ofa new day ofliberation, financial and otherwise." "It will raise up the spirits ofour inner cities." "It will rise up and fill with hope, the souls... the unrequited needs ofthe black proletariat." "That is, the discouraged, dispirited, denigrated denizens... ofthe demimonde that is called the ghetto." "Man, Don, you crazy." "You must've studied the whole "D" section ofthe dictionary." "Good morning, sister." "Hi, brother." "Howyou doin', champ?" "Why they saying that?" "What they sayin'?" "What that mean?" "I don't understand." " It means" " What?" "It mean, "Ali, kill him." "Ali, kill him."" "The champ is here!" "Ladies and gentlemen, the heavyweight champion ofthe world has arrived!" "The champ is here!" "Hey, man." "He's quiteyounger than you." "Howyou feeling about that?" "He's quiteyounger than me?" "Well, we quiteyounger than you." "Whatyou talkin' about?" "Thirty-two years old." "Best shape ofmy life." "Hey, stop!" "All right, back up." "Did you see Muhammad Ali?" " Here's yourwater." " Oh, thankyou, hon." "Bottled water." "Frozen steaks." "Brought all that stuffing like Africa's ain't got no steaks." " You could pick up parasites." " Mobutu eats it." "Mobutu's takin' care of Mobutu." "He steals all the wealth and sends it to Switzerland." "What that got to do with any ofwhywe here?" "We are here 'cause Don King got Mobutu to put up $1 0 million." "Don King don't care about Africa." "He's worse than Herbert." "Here come Herbert." "And Don King fit right in too." "Now he's a dashiki-wearin' rip-off." "Don King delivered the first-ever... black-promoted championship fight in Africa." "Don King talks black, lives white and thinks green." "And you're defending him and Brother Herbert?" "'Cause clean-cut Muslims in a parade on the South Side ofChicago... ain't gonna get this done!" "I got to put honkies with connections and bad-ass niggas to it." "And now they matched you up against George Foreman." "Doyou think they give a damn ifyou get killed?" "So that's whatyou think?" "I just wanna know why my Muslim husband... is allowing himself to get strung up on a cross." "Just tell me why." "Maryum's sick." "Maybe I ought to go back to Chicago and look after her?" "Sure." "Well, then I guess I'll be back before the fight." "Ifthat's all right, my husband." "This fight is no contest!" "He is entirely too slow to fight me." "I say that George Foreman is a mummy." "He's too slow." "You know I name all my fighters." "I'm gonna call George Foreman "The Mummy."" "He fight like a mummy." "And when I see George throwing' punches, this is what I hear:" "Here come the left." "Here come the right." "But the mummy can't hit what the mummy can't see... 'cause I'm too fast for him." "I'm too fast." "I'm too fast." "I'm too fast." "I move too good for him." "I'll hit George Foreman so many times, he'll think he's surrounded." "He gonna say, "Call the police!" "It's five of'em in here!"" "I'm bad, man." "I'm bad!" "Muhammad, I'm sorry." "I have to ask." "Areyou really fast enough anymore... to beat George Foreman?" "Ifhe gets you against the ropes, he can knockyou out with either hand." "Many people believeyou're not the man you used to be ten years ago." "See, now, Howard..." "I didn't even want to talk about this, man." "Especially not out here in front ofall these people." "But I talked toyourwife... and she said you not the man you used to be twoyears ago!" "Champ." " Champ, George had an accident." " He" " He had what?" " What areyou talking about?" " He got cut right above his right eye." "His sparring partner's elbow split it open." " Can he fight?" " Not for six weeks." "This is not a humorous situation, my champ." "This postponement could be long, especially ifGeorge leaves." "You trying to pull something here, Don?" "IfGeorge leaves, he ain't comin' back." "George don't like it here." "How rightyou are, my suspicious and short Italian brother." "Look here, man, my fiduciary responsibility... to this first all-black promotion... is analogous to a garden in the African sun-- it must grow, it must bloom." "Cannot flower in the gloom and shade ofpostponement to the Astrodome... or any dome out ofZaire where it be deprivileged oflight and bled ofwater." "'Cause what gonna be bleedin' out of there is money-- a hemorrhage ofcash." "I'm talkin' about blood on the floor." "Double hotel costs, airplane, travel costs, food and beverage." " So what doyou want us to do?" " Muhammad Ali." "The people's champion." "My black brother." "I need you." "I need your strength." "I need you to find a way to get George to stay." "Be Moses in reverse." "Do not let my people go." "Keep them the fuck right here in Egypt." " Ifyou'll pardon my Swahili." " Lingala." " Saywhat?" " They speak Lingala." "Ali wants his title, and he wants it in Zaire." "Okay, all right, okay." "Let's take it back." "George go, George go." "Hell, I can getyouJoe Frazier." "Ali-Frazier 3." "That's the fight everybodywant to see." " We don't want Frazier, we want George." " Hell, I don't control George Foreman." "There's been an accidental injury to George Foreman in training." "The truth is..." "George knocked hisselfout." "That's right." "He did three rounds, realized he was gonna lose to Muhammad Ali... and knocked hisselfout." "I predict that when the fight is set, he might not show." "Oh, you bad." " That's right, I'm a bad man." " Ain't no doubt about that." "Yeah, butyou tell George the same thing." "I heard you." "I been watching you." "I know he's your man, I knowyou got him picked, but the man is in trouble." "The whole world was gonna know, but now he ain't gonna show." "In order to ensure that George is ready, we are thinking ofpostponing... from September 24 to October 30." "What about the concert?" "The concert will go on as planned." "Those dates are September 20, 21 " "I want all the helicopters guarded, all the private planes, private boats." "I'm serious." "I want the airports" "I want President Mobutu and all his paratroopers" "All you Zaireans, y'all be on guard too." "Any strange boats creeping away, they might be taking him out." "Bus stations." "And bus stations!" "Right." "Watch the bus stations." "The elephant caravans" " They might be trying to take him out on an elephant." " What'd you say?" " Hell, I ain't talking toyou." "Hey." "Hey, man." "Don'tyou never talk to Angelo like that." "Don'tyou never talk to Angie like that again." "Something wrong with you, man?" "Thinkyou callin' some shots here?" "You ain't calling' nothin'." "They all know." "All them ladies out there, they know I'm ready." "I see fear in the eyes ofhis followers." "This was supposed to be the fight that Muhammad Ali was ended." "Supposed to be Muhammad was gonna fall." "Supposed to be my destruction." "Well, they miscalculated." "They misjudged." "They got it wrong." "Hold on a second." "What's your name?" "Veronica Porche." "Porche." "Like the sports car." " Yes." " Withjust a little something extra." "Hey, you with Don?" "Don brought me here, but I'm not with anybody, no." " Whereyou come from?" " LA." " LA?" " But my people are from Louisiana." "Louisiana." "What, you Creole?" "We're Creole, so I'm African, French and Spanish." "My mother's grandfatherwasJewish." "Well, they mixed all that stuffup in there real nice." "I'm the onlywitch doctor here." "Bundini Brown." "Bundini Brown is an authentic witch doctor." " You tell 'em." " The only one in the United States." "I'm real glad you said whatyou did." "You made sure the fight stays here." "You know all them reporters and writers in there... they say George is gonna kill me." "Whatyou think?" "Mr. Ali?" "Mr. Ali?" " We want thankyou." " Hey, fella." "Y'all wanna thank me?" "Y'all gonna thank me?" "What I did?" "They thanking me for something." "Hey, you ever been down to Hong Kong?" "Thailand?" "Taiwan?" " No." " No?" "I can't go there." " Hi, Ruthie." "How areyou?" " Hi, champ." "What's going on?" "I'm great." "Howyou feeling?" "When I go to sleep, this closes up." "That's what happens." "When I go to sleep, all this rests together." "During the day, I got to think." "Get me out ofthis country." "All the women so pretty." "All of'em, they got hair come all the way down to the back oftheir knees." "All of'em" " All of'em about Veronica's complexion." "Every single one of'em." "Bad, man." "But ain't nothing like the sisters." "Ain't nothing like the sisters." "Come on." "Why don't we go take a ride or something?" "Wanna come with me?" "Ruth, tell us the truth." "Is this your kind ofguy?" "More cushion for the pushin'." "What'd he say?" "So whyyou so glad we still here?" "Making the fight stay here in Africa" "Anybody can fight in Vegas." "Well, that's onejob." "I got two." "Got to whup George." "Islamic faith helpyou do that?" "Listen, girl, as a Muslim I am failed in the eyes ofGod." "I should've discovered Islam at 50, 'cause I'm weak on women." "First they take my eyes." "My heart follow." "Making me the lovingest husband in the world... and the most terriblest husband at the same time." "Look atyou." "Green eyes." "Cocoa skin." "Okay, rest ofme, let's go." "Rumble, Ali." " Mrs. Ali." " Hello, Muhammad, Mr. Cosell." " Hey, when you get in?" " Today." "And I learned we now have this suite at the Intercontinental Hotel." "Muhammad, may I have a word with you, please?" "Yeah." "What's goin' on?" "What doyou mean, what's goin' on?" "Doyou have to throw it in my face?" "Do I have to read about it?" "Do people have to call me on the phone to tell me?" "I didn't mean for that to come out." "And I live with the casual ones." "I live with 'em." "So why doyou disrespect me like this?" "I respectyou." "I will always respectyou." "Doyou love her?" "I don't know." "So what is supposed to happen now?" "I fight George." "I didn't come all this far to lose." "Neither did I." "Belinda." "What, Bingham?" "There it is." "Hey, Zack, where's George?" "What's he pulling?" "Where's George?" "Where'd he go?" "I just wanna make sure you're gonna control the evening." "George isjerking us off, making us wait." "It's all over foryou, man." "You don't have a chance." "You don't have no chance." "The rumble in thejungle!" "You don't have no chance, man." "Okay, let's go." "You guys know the rules." "I want a good, clean fight." "Ali, be quiet and listen to the instructions." "You been hearing about me ever sinceyou was a boy." "Ali, be quiet." "Listen to the instructions." " Nowyou got to face me." " No hitting low." " When I tell you to break" " You got to face me now." "Be quiet, or I'll disqualifyyou." "When I tell you to break, I want a clean break." "Understand?" " You shoulda never came to Africa." " All right, shake hands." "Takeyour corners." "Okay." "All right." "No problem." "Break!" "All right, break." "Step back." "Take it to him!" "That's what we came to do, Daddy!" "The heavyweight championship fight..." " That's all you got?" " live via satellite... direct from Zaire, Africa." " There we go." " That's it, Daddy." "Youjust keep dancing around him, okay?" "Just keep moving." "Legshurting." "Airheavy..." "like I'm in water." "Get away from the rope!" "Get offthe rope!" "Get offthere!" "Move it!" "Get offthere!" "Get offthere!" "Get offthe rope!" "Get offthem ropes!" "Come on now, Ali, get offthe ropes!" "Come on, baby!" "Come on, Ali!" "That's it?" "That's all you got?" "That's it?" "Move him out to the center!" "There he goes!" "Get away from the ropes!" "Get offthe ropes!" "Beenherebefore." "Little greenroom." "Open thatdoor." "Gonnagetout thisplace." "Come on, man, getupandgetout." "They said you could punch, George." "You ain't hitting'." "You hittin' like a sissy, George." "You can't lay up on the ropes like that." "You're letting him beat on you." "You can't do that, champ." "Come on, now." "You wanna explain that to me?" "Jab, then go to the middle ofthe ring." " You had your fight going, then" " You gotta dance, baby." "Shut up!" "Just be quiet!" "You let me take care ofthis!" "Got to dance." "You can't come out there like that." " You can't back up." " You got to respect the man." "What is with the ropes?" "Something going on you wanna talk to me about?" "Tell me what's going on with you." "What areyou doing?" "Put thejab on him." "You got to let him go and dance." "Don't let him get in your corner." "He's trying to cut the ring offyou." "He's trying to cutyou offthe ring." "You can't let that happen." "Just take care ofit!" "And there's the bell." "The fighters meet in mid-ring." "Get offthe ropes!" "Stay offthe ropes!" "Foreman again pushing him against the ropes." "And Ali laying back, fighting those blows against the sides ofhis body." "Get back in the middle ofthe ring, Ali!" "Muhammad, get offthe ropes!" "You're punching like a sissy, George." "Punching like a sissy." "What the hell's going on?" "Come on." "George, get him back." "What the hell's going on?" "Come on." "You got to get offthe ropes!" "Get offthe ropes!" "Eight rounds to go." "Running out ofgas, big fella?" "Let him go." "Can'tletyouget thatsecondwindwhich youdon'tevenknowis there foryou." "You want the title?" "Want to weartheheavyweightcrown?" "Nosebroke,jawsmashed, facebustedin." "Youready forthat?" "ls thatyou?" "'Causeyoufacingaman who will die beforeheletsyou win." "Ali, don't let him beat on you on the inside." "Don't let him beat on you on the inside." "Come on, Ali." "Let's go, Ali." "Let's go, baby!" "Stay offthe ropes!" "Get offthe ropes!" "There it is." "Keep 'em in his face." "Break!" "Oh, you missed him, George!" "You gotta go to work on him, Ali!" "I thoughtyou could punch, George." "They said you could punch." "Come on, Ali!" "Get away from the rope!" "Get offthe rope!" "He got him!" "Move him around!" "Take him!" "Come on, Ali!" "Get offthe ropes!" "Get offthe ropes!" "Get offthe ropes!" "George Foreman is hit by a combination ofpunches... and down he goes!" "George Foreman is down!" "He's fallen like a tree in the forest!" "He is felled by a combination ofblows from Muhammad Ali!" "Okay, this fight's over!" "This fight's over!" "I told you!" "I told you!" "Referee Zack Clayton is counting." "Seven, eight!" "And he's on his knee." "It is over!" "It is over!" "It is over!" "It is over!" "George Foreman has been knocked out by Muhammad Ali!" "Muhammad Ali has done the impossible!" "He has regained the heavyweight crown... that was taken unjustly from him in 1 967." "What a moment ofhistory in this arena... in Zaire, Africa!" "A tremendous, tremendous moment."