Ali Page #5

about the war?

- You say you're the people's champion.

- Yes, sir.

Do you think you're acting

like the people's champion?

Yes, sir.

I'm not gonna apologize to you.

This is not a courtroom, and I do not

have to answer your questions.

- What about Terrell?

- We'll fight in another state!

- Are you gonna dodge the draft?

- I ain't draft-dodgin'...

I ain't burnin' no flag,

and I ain't runnin' to Canada.

I'm stayin' right here.

You wanna send me to jail?

Fine. You go right ahead.

I've been in jail for 400 years.

I can be there

for four or five more.

But I ain't going'

no 10,000 miles...

to help murder and kill

other poor people.

If I wanna die, I'll die right here

right now, fightin' you, if I wanna die.

You my enemy. Not no Chinese,

no Vietcong, no Japanese.

You my opposer

when I want freedom.

You my opposer when I want justice.

You my opposer when I want equality.

You want me to go somewhere

and fight for you.

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 guy you 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 want you all to tell

all their aunts...

and all their uncles

and cousins and friends...

get to your television set,

get to your radio...

'cause I never wanted

to whup a man so bad!

What's my name?

What's my name?

What's my name, motherf***er?

What's my name?

What's my name?

The jury has found you guilty

of refusing induction...

into the United States

Armed Forces.

Does the defense have anything

it wants to say?

Yeah, I'd appreciate if the court would

just give me my sentence right now...

rather than waitin' and stallin'.

Very well.

I sentence you to

the maximum sentence allowable:

five years imprisonment

and a fine of $10,000.

Doubtless your lawyer

will lodge an appeal...

so while you're free on bond, I order

that your passport be surrendered.

I'll not have you 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, do you?

Yeah. I remember somethin'.

What's your name?

- You know my name.

- I know your name.

You came to my school

right before you 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-Quary fight?

Yeah.

We're gonna be in front of

the US Court of Appeals 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 16.

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 of Times 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 revoke yours?

They don't want you to fight.

- Tijuana.

- No.

State Department refuses permission

for the one-hour visa.

No fight in Tijuana.

Can't fight here.

Can't fight outside the country.

I know people

in the restaurant business.

They want to start a chain.

Muhammad Ali Champ Burgers.

Muhammad Malts,

Fistful of Fries.

All of that.

Why do I wanna be

in the restaurant business?

'Cause you need the money.

- How much all this gonna cost?

- Too much.

They do that to you too, you know.

They bust you out.

All right.

Go get me some

Champ Burgers.

Did y'all see that?

That man just hit me.

Oh, you done messed up now, sucka.

You done messed up--

I don't wanna do nothin'

in front of your daughters, though.

I can't beat you up

in front of your daughters.

- Hey, champ, good to see you.

- 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, why you just havin'

a fresh mouth talkin' to me.

So you think that's funny, huh?

Telling me I can't write,

that I scribble.

Now you 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.

We will give you five minutes

to leave this area.

Who is the heavyweight champion

of the world?

What's happenin'?

- Hey, man.

- We lost on the appellate level...

in New Orleans.

- We're heading to the Supreme Court.

- We already got turned down there.

I'm petitioning on a conscientious

objection basis. Religious belief.

I believe that they'll hear that.

Where the money

gonna come from, Chauncey?

Herbert say I'm runnin' on empty.

Now, just put aside...

"How did that happen?"

License all revoked, passport gone,

can't fight here, can't fight nowhere.

Then what happen if I lose

at the Supreme Court?

Then you go to jail for five years.

Oh, I saw Bundini

when I was in Europe.

- Yeah? How is he?

- He's bad. He's in bad shape, man.

You better get your 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.

If that happens, promise me you'll

put some new people around you.

What you talkin' about?

Where Herbert and them

when we need 'em?

Gene Kilroy's dropping off groceries

like charity.

We borrow money from my folks.

They're all over you when you got it,

and then they just drop off you...

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 Muhammad Ali.

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 tell it like it is.

With your court and boxing problems...

can you get a fight promoted?

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