Ali Page #6

I would fight Joe Frazier for free

in a phone booth...

in the middle of Times Square

if I wasn't broke.

Did you say you were broke?

How can you be broke?

You made more money than all previous

heavyweights champions combined.

What about your management?

Surely they have provided for you.

All I'm trying to say is it's time

for everybody to stop lyin'.

Muhammad Ali is the champ.

Get my son Herbert

on the telephone.

Muhammad, thank you for calling in.

I'll relay that to Joe.

And tell Joe I said

he is very ugly.

Muhammad says that he will

fight you anywhere, anytime...

and that the championship really is his

until that battle 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 of Islam.

He may no longer appear in temple,

pray or teach...

or have any conversation

with any Muslim whatsoever.

Why didn't you call

an ambulance or a doctor?

Because he gave me your number

when he checked in.

Normally, he's up there

making a lot of noise.

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.

- Leave you alone. You called me!

Yes, but that was a week ago.

- Why are you shamin' yourself?

- Let me go, man.

Why you doin' that

to yourself?

- Why you shamin' yourself?

- Ain't nobody shamed.

Ain't nothin' wrong with me.

I'm flyin'.

The Sky Chief talk 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 about you.

Don't care about me.

In all of everything, 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 why we free.

But free ain't easy. Free is real

and real is a motherf***er.

It eats raw meat.

It walk in its own shoes.

It don't ever waiver.

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 say you the heavyweight

boxing champion of the 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.

What you 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 for you.

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.

If they came to me tomorrow and say,

"We want you to fight Joe Frazier.

Madison Square Garden.

Millions and millions of dollars.

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, are you losin' your hearing

along with your hair?

Don't put no question to it, man.

I done told you, I'm through fightin'.

I got a much bigger contender,

a much heavier opponent.

I'm fightin'

the entire US government.

Do you think

you're going to jail?

I don't know. I don't know.

Joe Frazier told me on this show

that he could knock you out.

See, there you go agitatin'.

You should've asked Smokin' Joe

what have he been smokin'?

That boy even dream he whupped me,

he better wake up and apologize.

If I was to get in the ring with Joe...

here's what you might see.

Ali comes out to meet Frazier,

but Frazier starts to retreat.

If Joe 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 backin',

but there's not enough room.

It's only a matter of time

before Ali lowers the boom.

Ali swings with his right.

What a beautiful swing.

But the punch lifts Frazier

clean out of the ring.

Frazier's still risin',

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 somewhere over the Atlantic.

Now, who would've thought

when they came to the fight...

they was gonna witness the launchin'

of a black satellite.

But don't wait for that fight.

It ain't never gonna happen.

Only thing you could do...

is wonder and imagine.

This has been another

sports exclusive from ABC.

- Two. Go two.

- Over to Jim McKay...

in Bern, Switzerland.

- How you gonna go from me to Jim McKay?

- Listen, uh--

- Did your wife leave you yet?

- No, she hasn't left me yet.

She's going to, 'cause I

told your wife when I seen her...

I said, "Listen, why you

doin' this to yourself?"

Oh, man, Joe.

Who dresses you?

You look like the heavyweight

champion of pimps.

Hey, shut up and get in.

That jacket's a mess, man.

What you in Philly for?

Philly's my town.

Well, I just wanted to get

a little closer to you, honey.

Man, f*** you.

There'll be two undefeated heavyweight

champions, and they ain't fightin'.

- What about your 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

against Jerry Quary...

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 whup Jerry Quary...

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 eveythin' to lose.

Yeah, but you know

you ain't the real champ yet.

You beat Quary...

I'm gonna get you in the ring.

I'm gonna kick your ass.

By the way...

you need any money

or anything to tide you by?

No, I'm fine.

Time!

What you 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

what your 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 how you do it, Ali.

That's how you do it.

You okay?

You're a goddamn Superman.

Ain't no kryptonite

in this ring tonight.

- We want Joe Frazier!

- We want him!

- We want Joe Frazier!

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