Muhammad Ali And Howard Cossel Interview

but I do want to bring on our first guest he's a magnificent young man nobody else has aroused so much passion during the decade of the 60s I have known him almost from the beginning he came to New York first as a brash arrogant obnoxious youngster nothing about him has changed except for the palpable decline and his pugilist experience once he was a very great fighter now he is a one relic of the past a faded hero of yesteryear living off weak opponents at the moment but still mouthing words that he can no longer employ the skills to back up I've traveled the world with him I've seen him alienate nation after nation his braggadocio and he still proclaims to be that which he is no longer the heavyweight champion of the world so I am going to bring out in all of the futility that emblazoned his current efforts the former heavyweight champion of the world Muhammad Ali I said oh yeah I said I set back there and I listened to every word you said Howard every time you open your mouth you should be arrested for air pollution no problem you give me more trouble to my opponents now like I'm heard you gonna hostess ooh so I thought I would give you the honor of coming to talk with you now what do you want to talk about I want to talk with you first of all about the fact that you would still be an impoverished anonymity in this country if I hadn't made you famous listen listen now he's awful serious I'm Hannah so you told me you made flora Patterson popular but you know yourself if it wasn't for me you wouldn't really be who you are today because every time I fight go to foreign countries you would always be there and you never would have gotten to those countries that were to me and lately you haven't been able to follow me because I understand your budget is much cheaper what was it you told me don't make so much of that football guy dandy done we're still the number one act is that what you told me when you're in training for Frazier when was that when he came to the pool at the Americana hotel and said where's the white guy giving me all the trouble um you Jewish yeah I do want to find out about your recent antics I want to know why you continue to fight opponents who are obviously not qualified to meet you well how would right now you know it's a good question and I think this is why people like you and like to hear us because you see what you feel I see what I feel you ask me questions that something don't like many want to hear and you don't pull no punches so what like I'm fighting the best men that around for me to fight I'm giving them all a chance I could just sit down and I would say wait for Joe Frazier but macfoster who I just fought was ringing number five and the ten in the world who's a man who's been training all his life for the big time and probably never wouldn't have gotten the payday that he got if he hadn't fought me getting ready to fight say Josh evallo Canadian all cameras behind him I'm sure I'll beat him but like he got she's sure he's happened he's having another shot at the title and like what's his name the boy you criticize the master Mathias who was the one who fought Joe Frazier for his so-called title during my Muhammad we didn't criticize Malthus we criticized you while you weren't in shape for the fight well if I wasn't in shape of the fight Malthus didn't say I wasn't in shape you said that I was somebody says he collapse from fatigue no he collapses those are 12th round those 12th round and all leading a lot of people ascended I'm not in shape for my fights but like how much more shape to have to be in I'm still unscratched I'm pretty than you and your sports announcer I know I'm totally if you look at me and look at you I look better than you and you don't balk so what type shape to have to be in I went all my fights the it's not our - you didn't do me affection and up you take your jacket off I want to be public to see that let me let me ask you a question let me ask you a question let me ask you a question just a question this pretend is my show for one minute all right it's a dessert you saying that when I thought when I fought say all all of the fellows that I've been fighting lately would you say that they were in shape yeah except for Mathis he didn't like math Angela how did he go 12 rounds with me because you weren't doing anything it was slow footed then the funds be gone the travesty as your manager Angelo Dundee your trainer sitting right there told me early we don't know what we're gonna do I guess he'll add serious look listen look Joe Frazier I wasn't in shape enough for Frazier medium said I was all three years but yet it was Joe Frazier who had to be under intensive care for one month when I fought macfoster I was 226 they say the heaviest of my career macfoster the other day just got out of the hospital in Japan they wouldn't let him leave the country everybody I'm fighting ladies end up in the hospital's I'm unscratched I'm unmarked I'm overweight I'm fat but yet I'm always winning and what if I get in shape it to be a murder wouldn't it as a matter of fact your record for knockouts I mean one punch knock outs is absolutely non-existent you like to kill it only one turn no long shot in the hand in the legs B oh you're overweight you're not serious about your profession I'm a decision it's about to be made by Angelo Dundee no long and a handle you is that right answer Wow is this true Angelo yeah why would you he's trying to cause dissension hey I'm on him and he's trying to put me on Angelo but let me put your evaluation of the man Frazier's fighting Terry dang well to run standing phrases in this position where I like when you're the champion like he is you have to fight anybody but you have to be paid for it and the college boys just fault Terry Daniels somebody put up the money which was sufficient and who's he fighting the next fighter Ron Stan was heralded pugilist from Omaha Nebraska yes but somebody thanks enough of it to put up probably a quarter of a million dollars so who are we to complain when somebody thinks enough of him to put up a quarter of a million dollars and Frazier would be out of his mind if he didn't take it cause he's in it for living he's got a big family all right for this final question because then I want to go to the audience for questions do you think Frazier is ducking you on the rematch you guys can't fight again unless you well I can't and he wants it yes tank years I think he's ducking because like I'm busy Frazier like I have seven more fights londo in various countries including Russia of all places of Frazier don't fight but I think that Frazier still recuperating from the physical punishment you took as quite as his help and I think that they're picking opponents for him they can't really hit him on in his head too hard because the two fellas he's fight I think if I fought them I'll be run out the country I wouldn't fight them but at least the fellas I'm fighting I'm much better but you least heard of George Chuvalo you heard of James Ellis Buster Mathis shared a jerk and Blin so what I'm going to say macfoster Jurgen Lane how do you think I think that as soon as I think as soon as I think as soon as Frasier really Cooper rates he knows where my manager is his manager know how to contact me and as soon as they are physically in shape I think they're be ready I'd these folks I would think would want to ask you some questions and we're going to give them the opportunity to ask us both questions we'll be back right I think maybe you're about to face some people who'll prove tougher than Frazier for you mom had you up to the challenge no these I'm ready these all my people they you know they recognize who the real champion is all right let's begin well call upon you as you raise your hands let's begin with this lady in the blue dress right there since uh you are vocal and you are a philosopher do you have any political ambition no I don't I don't have no political ambitions now I don't - I don't control it I don't write the books and the problems that I'm confronted with politics have played no part in that gentleman back there do you think you would have won the Fraser fight had you not messed around in that seventh and eighth round I think I played around for four or five rounds that I shouldn't have and lost the level throne you shook me up completely and the 15th round he didn't shake me up like the 11th round but he knocked me down and I was right up at the count of three but you lose around when you're knocked down so I know at least six rounds that I lost but I think I won nine I think that if the fight was judged round by round punch about punch and compared to the physical damage done to both fighters it wouldn't have been no doubt that I've won but since the tax situation been like it is it ain't really bad that we get two chances this gentleman right here regrets about not going to the army not really no because now I'd like to know what Joe Namath is really like what Joe Namath is really meant he's a sensitive young man very bright who's got a great deal of charisma um the gentleman to my right are the two great names stars of their time they fill a room by their very presence he's also a swinger and he likes young women who looked like you this young lady right I have you ever been an athlete Shh have I ever been an anthem depends upon the form dear but I was I was all Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn and stickball for seven years were you ever in top physical condition now can you tell how can you say he wasn't it was I ever in top physical condition let me tell you something in May of 1966 when Ali was about to go against Henry Koopa for the second time and was in training over there I trained Cooper in the thomas a becket gym bar that's what it really was a British pub up in the second floor Cooper's manager Jimmy wick saw me work out and said you should fight Olly not my man he was right mr. Cosell I'd like to know if you think that the Heisman Trophy as it stands now being always given to someone in the offensive backfield is turning into a force where they gave it at the best price to myself in that regard at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga branch some months ago I spent trophies suppossed for many reasons it's voted upon by a massive number of sports writers who in most cases haven't even seen the players play for whom they're voting that's item number one item number two is that backs can't be compared with defensive linemen there is no yardstick for measurement differences of position require different skills item number three no player from a black college has ever gotten a single vote for the Heisman Trophy look at the roster of professional football Leroy Kelly Morgan State Willie Davis the great Green Bay and number 87 of the past from Grambling but Buchanan from Gramlich how in the world do you have anything with meaning when players like these have never even gotten a single vote I think it's a farce this gentleman in the striped shirt well how it is how really your friend that's Howard my friend is he ready over the question I'll tell you should we tell him how to wholesale Howard Cosell is a man of his profession and he's ducks in the business and same with me in mind and he's independent I'm independent he don't need me and I don't need him he speaks his piece I speak man he respects me I respects him but I can't say he's my friend laughing a ring with you how long will he last you mean how hard would the blow have to be listen how will Cole sail how will Cole sale isn't he's a good man with his brains he's not a fighter and long run he proves to be more successful than most fighters he uses his brains you think there should be a gated arrange for him to run a vacation you know what I mean an escape route but he might you know he's he's one of the best men in the sport of mountain field and I miss him when he's not at ringside promoting my fights because he and I makes a good team but one day I promise to slap it the gentlemen in the rear row I'd like to address a question for you if I may did you enjoy the bank but we attended together in Columbus Ohio in January just the past January very much I'd like to say publicly I think the best annual football banquet in the country is the one conducted by the Columbus touchdown drop you mean the one that dandy done and humble our both himself one we just attended in January I'd like to ask one of Muhammad the fact that matter what they say Muhammad I still think you're a champion I'll be right back

Channel: CoEvi Sessions

Views: 2,296,413

Keywords: HBO, boxing, Boxing, Greatest, Of, All, Times, television, Interview, Exclusive

Id: 1hXF-ule0pw

Length: 14min 57sec (897 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 01 2012