Let me know by voting on our poll below! No features or nothing distorted, like him. I went to the bank laughing every time. So anyway, I was always curious. The second, after Nixon. 1968 Shirley Chisholm becomes the first African American woman to be elected to Congress. Instead of making the audience hear about his plans of retirement, he turned the moment into a teaching moment on the things that truly mattered to him. But the white people of that time, if one had five slaves and his name was Jones, they would be called Jones property. I want everyone to bear witness, I am the greatest! MP: What about also being a champion, a thing that Ive often wondered about, do you get people coming up to you and wanting to take a swing at you? But its nature to be with your own. endstream One of the greatest American heavyweight boxing champions, Muhammad Ali was known as much for his flamboyant self-promotion and controversial political stances as for his boxing ability. The key thing to remember about the worlds captivation with Ali is that he truly fought for the world and not himself. The Rhetorical Genius of Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., 17 January 1942 - 3 June 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist, who was the Heavyweight Champion of the World three times between 1964 and 1979. SIEGEL: Those were excerpts from Muhammad Ali's poem, "I Am The Greatest," recorded in 1963. Walk up and just hit ME? Ive been on planes flying through thunder storms when the pilot says, ladies and gentlemen, we tried to fly around it but we cant so its going to be rough. Like Joe Lewis was one of the greatest fist fighters but didnt have the foot work. In the ring, he was a fierce fighter, but outside of the ring he was known . If youre just looking for presentation services though, please just exit out this box and continue along. I got him real quick. SettingsHD. So I kept working until I did it. Ali comes out to meet Frazier but Frazier starts to retreat, If Frazier goes back an inch farther hell wind up in a ringside seat. Four months after the Harvard speech, Ali survived 14 punishing rounds of boxing to defeat Joe Frazier in Manila. Its an opinion. And you cant take no Chinese man and give him no Puerto Rican woman and talking like theyre in love and emotionally in love and physically. MP: Are you saying that every white man in America is a devil? Impossible is nothing.. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Ali. Do I do what? Last night when you went to bed and woke up this morning, you don't remember a thing. You would hate other people if you dont want to stay who you are. To me, as someone whos interested in sport, hes without doubt the most beautiful and complete athlete Ive ever seen. If you attack me, Im not in no foolish movement. Santa Claus was white and everything bad was black. Mainly when I fight them. Its a dare. Comment about George Foreman prior to the "Rumble in the Jungle" match, when referee Clayton warned Ali that if he didn't stop talking he would stop the fight. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. You'll also get our monthly newsletter AND a free copy of our eBook "The Building of Stories," because we're just so nice. It was written by Gary Belkin, the man behind Ali's spoken-word album I Am the Greatest (1963). If I say the mans going to fall in round five, like your man Henry Cooper here, he was stopped in round five but it was on a cut - it wasnt because he was out. They later agreed with me on just that subject. Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? 25 Muhammad Ali quotes to inspire you (2:58) Check out some of the best quotes "The Greatest" ever said. MUHAMMAD ALI: Well, I knew to draw money to make people, the, or the rich people, meaning the White people at the time who could buy ring side seats. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. Just the idea of me, a humble fella from Kentucky, lucky in sports and now heres the house and the fight was piped in to places like Thailand in the government house, and Arabian officials took time off just to watch two men boxing. People like Tom Jones and Elvis Presley - Im not nothing like that. I know I can eat downtown now.. But that was his right, he could have that job. But if I kept my mouth shut, because I can make millions, that isnt doing nothing. I took my gold medal, thought Id invented something. You my opposer when I want equality. It's just a job. The most powerful military country in the world, America - which makes all the guns, all the machinery, all the bullets - taught us how to shoot the guns. They have alienated many from learning about Islam. I am the greatest! I tell you what I really fear. He was getting all mad and saying. Elijah Muhammad, is the one who preached that the white man of America, number one, is the Devil. No white man says hes not the devil. KMJQ Featured Video. When Cassius says a mouse can outrun a horse, don't ask how. MA: Well, yes. But he also insisted a Muslim woman should be covered from head to toe. I see the cameras and I see millions of people. In America they got two policemen, five policemen and one car watching each other, each has got a pistol, one has got a machine gun, one got a shotgun and two dogs growling at each other. It's a dare. Joe Frazier fought his last fight with Bobby Foster in Detroit, Michigan. MA: No, not society. I asked how much money was I getting, you know, for taking up my time. Just last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. It happens every day. Known to be one of the greatest speakers to walk this earth, he used confidence, passion, and rhyming verse to communicate his points. There were a few little street gangs sitting in the spotlights at night time - talking and playing marbles. Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II: 90.0 million (tie) "The Greatest" made a comeback on September 15, 1978, as boxer Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks, to whom he'd lost seven months prior. MP: Well its in every article Ive ever read about it. If Ali says a mosquito can pull a plow, don't ask how. If . So you got black people in an all-white country and they dont know nothing about themselves. I dont see the audience. The same people will give me hell if I turn to them and say, lets free my people now. I want everybody out there to know. Its been declared a pacifist movement. Olympic champion. Most fighters are scared to say they lightened up because they call the fight a fix or say, you carried him. No, Ive never noticed that. MP: What about the other thing that can happen in a fight: brain damage. MA: I make predictions about what Im going to do before a fight, that makes me nervous because Ive gotten so good at it until people really look for me to do it. MP: Id like to talk to you now about what happened when you refused to join the forces. Muhammad Ali - one of the most well-known athletes to have walked this earth. Ali will never die," Don King, who promoted some of Ali's biggest fights, told The Associated Press news . So people still recognise me. Muhammad Ali was a true champion in every sense of the word. And Im not going to deny I believe everything he teach and for white people in the country who are not devils, then they should prove they are not devils. I Am the Greatest is a comedy album by boxer Cassius Clay, released in August 1963 - six months before he won the world heavyweight championship , publicly announced his conversion to Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. As you said, the black Muslim movement. What you have to do, is take all the fighters you want and me and rank me where you want. And Dempsey was more of a wild, rough fighter - a little like Marciano. And I was in the rain on my bicycle and I was leaning over listening to a fellows radio in a car. You've been unconscious for about 8 years if you're 30 years old.". I'm livin' out my inner vision right now. We had a local TV show called Tomorrows Champions, which comes on in Louisville in Kentucky every Friday at six oclock. Do you feel that Ali was the greatest boxer to step foot in the ring? MA: Well, number one: he is ugly. I believe in Allah and in peace. Archie's been living off the fat of the land. Hitch him up. Athlete, activist, rebel, poet, legendMuhammad Ali stood larger than life in the imagination of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Tony Galento was a little heavy-set fella who hit real hard to the body. Of course, he had a strange job, beating people up. And that makes me nervous until I get started. He got him a big band to travel the world with his new title thinking that hes gonna sell em all out. MP: As I said in my introduction to you, you are as much now a political figure as you are an athlete. Sometimes I feel a lot of things but I keep it in. A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish . At the time, he was 21 years old. So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if sends not diamonds, pearls or riches but the love of real true friends. He was hospitalized in Arizona with breathing problems earlier in the week, and his children had flown in from around the country. I'm not a Christian anymore. Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. Theres a bunch of agitating blood-thirsty people saying, my man can whoop your man and yall get in there and fight. How come the Chinese can go where I cant go in America? And none of those good white folks can be found to help us. What did you say? I dont do that. I've tussled with a whale. All this is going through my mind. "I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.". ALI: By Cassius Clay. The Greatest . But people talk about fighters dying and how brutal it is. Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was known for taunting opponents with colorful rhyming trash. Are you fearless? Before his fight with Archie Moore (1962), as quoted in. MP: Are you able to say how you might have managed against some of the great ones of the past? I was just joking - I heard hes a pretty good upcomer. I don't try to move into white neighborhoods. <> Because I can control it. MA: A swing at ME? MP: I think one of the things that are undeniably true about you Muhammad is that youve got this gift, this flair, for publicity. And that brought us back to his spoken word album he made in 1963, "I Am The Greatest." Ali was not the tallest boxer, nor was he as bulky as most other boxers of his time, his punches were not the strongest, but he was still the best fighter of his time. He looked at me and said, "I'm going to get you for that." I was told your budget was kinda low and you dont pay too much. For you all may go home after round four. And from then on Ive been writing a few more poems and Ive just completed a few more poems. (Not sure he intended that speech for use to endorse personal-brand preening, but hey; one person's pre-match pep talk . I really care nothing about boxing. Your email address will not be published. JEFF POWELL: Muhammad Ali's presence surrounded and pervaded us at the preview of 'I Am The Greatest,' the new exhibition about his life which opens on Friday at London's O2 Arena. July 2nd, 1964 President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The fella had a little boy beside him and a lady. What a beautiful swing. Watch and read the full transcript of Muhammad Ali's. His crusade was cut short when he was assassinated while giving a speech in 1965. MP: What about this other thing people have about champions. Our shop has joined forces with Hatchit Co to launch a full service digital experience agency that challenges brands to embrace their creative confidence through web, video, and digital brand strategy. ", "I'm the onliest person that can speak to everybody in the whole world. "If you even dream of beating . MP: But thered certainly be problems a buzzard mating with a sparrow, wouldnt there? Copyright 2016 NPR. I'm the greatest thing that ever lived. x[9;; ]:OeD9sc%/PMksJU;?W al4x-sy.i;6ZN*}c ,r'?c*. Im standing so proud. And I thought about that as I rode off in the rain. Theres a lot of money on the ship, but I cannot integrate on the ship or get equality on the ship. This boldness in telling the truth overshadows sport greatly. This is the legend of Cassius Clay, the most beautiful fighter in the world today. And the heavyweight championship is his destiny. And in Madison Square Gardens 1000 people couldnt get in, just to watch one man. ALI: He is the greatest. Black folks couldnt eat downtown. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus . One fella was going for a rock and another was picking up a stick and there wasnt no referees or judges and I got out of there real quick. I am not Elijah Muhammad. But when youre behind the wheel its not like that. Boxing is a stepping stone just to introduce me to the audience. They go down in history for just being athletes. Here are 50 pieces of wisdom from Ali which we could all look to follow which would make the world a better place. Muhammad Ali was indisputably a great boxer and ultimately a good human being. Why couldnt I have pretty cars and good money and nice homes now? God didnt make a mistake making us all like we are. Then I was on Joe Frazier. Im invited to all of their homes all over the world and Im invited to Muslim countries. I have to help the dope and prostitution problem. This is part of whats wrong with you -- you do too much singing. And when I heard it, Ive been free ever since. Muhammad Ali delivered an epic victory speech after he beat George Foreman to regain the world heavyweight titles in October 1974. Now, all of a sudden, the man tells me, come on - I want you to leave the galley because I want you up here to have something to drink and giving me number one spot. MP: Can I ask you, you see your place very clearly as an athlete and this particular dispute weve been talking about. Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. You dont shoot yourself. We love the classics , Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee., I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was., Dont count the days; make the days count., Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world theyve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. MA: Black and whites, how? As thousands of people mourn Muhammad Ali at his funeral in Louisville, Ky., NPR remembers his 1963 poem, "I Am The Greatest.". You my opposer when I want justice. In an age when the demarcation line between sport , showbiz and politics has become blurred, hes a prime example of a man who is an athlete yet he represents so many other things for so many other people. MA: Only for reasons of war, not for religion or my peoples freedom. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky. No woman on this whole earth can please me and cook for me and socialise and talk to me like my American black woman. They make a million dollars, they get a Rolls Royce and a nice home and a white wife and think, well, I made it. Ali at a news conference on October 28, 1984. But if its something I want to be with, the people who started it were black, I wouldnt not get in it. Designing and delivering experiences through Presentation Design, Presentation Training, and Video Production. Islam means peace, I couldn't just sit home and watch people label Muslims as the reason for this problem. Angels are white, the Pope, Mary, and even the angels. I said, Mother, when we die, do we go to Heaven? She said, Naturally we go to Heaven. I said, Well, what happened to all the black angels?, I said, Oh, I know. And you know after that fight, Frank wouldnt talk to him. Here he is in all his splendour. Now Ali lands to the right. Do they have a lot of bathrooms in Heaven?. Read more:Muhammad Ali funeral will have worldwide audience of billions. What they mad about? And a lot of time Ive been lucky enough to predict 17 times what round. He's been preaching he never mentioned England. But he would take his time and had sharp, hard punches. No sir. Yes! And he ran off the show. I think Terrell will catch hell at the sound of the bell. Whatever the case, one thing's for sure: only Ali could truly deliver it. Today its time to stop singing and start swinging. That's the funniest joke in the world. And here are two men, fighting each other and they bleed and hurting each other. I had to go to see what he would do - would he win or lose? With the help Yahoo! They love their little slant eyed, pale brown skinned babies. He's got speed and endurance. If he can prove hes not the devil, then he should get on television and call the man a liar. He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. Impossible is not a fact. Ellis has got a family, hes an ex friend of mine and he wants to live too. Our team is always happy in helping you deliver an experience. Something to think about, aint it? Variant transcription: Who would have thought, when they came to the fight. Well, Americas in too much trouble - I dont want that job now. Come over and say hello! Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali's fourth wife came into his life in 1986. And I just cant see myself with a man on the ropes and just to prove how bad I am - and I see in his eyes, his head, hes hopeless - and Im just deliberately hitting. Soon this will be old news. Alleged response by Ali to a reporter who asked how he felt about sharing the Islamic faith with the suspects of the World Trade Center terrorist attack, as debunked at. Ali explained the various . Favorite quote:Id like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness. I have more fans and more followers and more supporters. They prowl the streets day and night - they shooting, hitting, its crazy. . . ALI: For I am the man this poem is about, the next champ of the world, there isn't a doubt. I gave him a whooping and a spanking because I was looking towards those who backed him. Those rattle snakes didnt want to bite me and I knew they were good. The little ugly duckling was the black duck, and the black cat was the bad luck. muhammad ali i am the greatest speech transcriptlist of alberta feedlots. 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