Ali Page #8

If that'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 throwin' 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.

Are you really

fast enough anymore...

to beat George Foreman?

If he gets you against the ropes,

he can knock you out with either hand.

Many people believe you'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 of all these people.

But I talked to your wife...

and she said you not the man

you used to be two years ago!

Champ.

- Champ, George had an accident.

- He-- He had what?

- What are you 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 if George leaves.

You tying to

pull something here, Don?

If George leaves, he ain't comin' back.

George don't like it here.

How right you 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

of postponement to the Astrodome...

or any dome out of Zaire where it be

deprivileged of light and bled of water.

'Cause what gonna be bleedin' out of

there is money-- a hemorrhage of cash.

I'm talkin' about blood on the floor.

Double hotel costs, airplane,

travel costs, food and beverage.

- So what do you 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 f*** right here in Egypt.

- If you'll pardon my Swahili.

- Lingala.

- Say what?

- 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 get you Joe Frazier.

Ali-Frazier 3.

That's the fight everybody want 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 his self out.

That's right.

He did three rounds, realized

he was gonna lose to Muhammad Ali...

and knocked his self out.

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, but you tell George

the same thing.

I heard you.

I been watching you.

I know he's your man, I know you 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 of postponing...

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

tying to take him out on an elephant.

- What'd you say?

- Hell, I ain't talking to you.

Hey. Hey, man.

Don't you never talk

to Angelo like that.

Don't you never talk to Angie

like that again.

Something wrong with you, man?

Think you callin' some shots here?

You ain't callin' nothin'.

They all know.

All them ladies out there,

they know I'm ready.

I see fear in the eyes

of his 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.

- With just a little something extra.

Hey, you with Don?

Don brought me here,

but I'm not with anybody, no.

- Where you 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 grandfather was Jewish.

Well, they mixed all that stuff up

in there real nice.

I'm the only witch 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 what you did.

You made sure the fight stays here.

You know all them reporters

and writers in there...

they say George

is gonna kill me.

What you think?

Mr. Ali? Mr. Ali?

- We want thank you.

- 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 are you?

- Hi, champ.

What's going on?

I'm great. How you 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 of this county.

All the women so pretty.

All of 'em, they got hair come all

the way down to the back of their 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 of guy?

More cushion for the pushin'.

What'd he say?

So why you so glad

we still here?

Making the fight stay here

in Africa--

Anybody can fight in Vegas.

Well, that's one job.

I got two.

Got to whup George.

Islamic faith help you do that?

Listen, girl, as a Muslim

I am failed in the eyes of God.

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 at you.

Green eyes.

Cocoa skin.

Okay, rest of me, 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

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