The documentary film Facing Ali ran in several movie theaters in the summer of 2009, and it was named one of the top fifteen documentary films for the Academy Awards. The film premiers February, 15, 2010 on Spike TV Network.
The show features all the living legends who fought against Ali in his career. They discuss how fighting Muhammad Ali changed their lives.
Recently Larry Holmes and Joe Frazier answered questions from members of the Television Critics Association. They were happy to talk about the film and the life of Muhammad Ali.
Cassius Clay Becomes Muhammad Ali
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. He drew ire from many Americans when he refused to join the military and was arrested and found guilty of draft evasion. He was subsequently stripped of his boxing title and had his license suspended. Four years later his appeal was successful and he returned to boxing.
Muhammad Ali has Parkinson’s disease and is unable to speak and move freely. “I think we're on the dark side of seeing Ali now because I don't really like to see him the way he is,” said Larry Holmes. “I haven't seen him in a couple years. And the reason why I don't go to see him is because I don't want to see him like that. I want to take what I remember of him, and I want to keep that. I don't want to think about the way he is now.”
Larry Holmes Talks About Ali
Ali was known to antagonize his opponents with his rhetoric. As Holmes admitted, “We didn't think it was funny at the time. But he said a lot of things to me, said a lot of things to Joe [Frazier] about Joe. And, you know, we didn't appreciate it, you know, and we were there to fight and to win and we was trying not to get hurt while we was doing what we had to do. Ali played a very important part in our lives. Without him, boxing probably wouldn't have been alive because he had the mouth. He can talk, and he makes people like him. He made people that didn't like him, he made them like him. So Ali had a lot going for himself. He had a lot of charisma. You all know that a lot of people didn't like Ali because of the service thing, not going in there, but [people] around the world learned to love him.”
Holmes added, “Ali was a great man. Don't take anything away from him. But he needed people like Joe Frazier, like myself, like Kenny Norton to be the champion that he were, because he talked up a good game …” Larry Holmes said while he and the other fighters were focusing on their boxing, Ali was busy talking and rhyming and getting the press to cover his rants.
But Ali garnered the affection of the masses. Holmes reiterated this with a story. “I was in Las Vegas, and a lady came up to me and said, ‘Hi. Your name is Larry Holmes.’ I said, ‘Yes, I am. How you doing?’ She said, ‘I hate you.’ I said, "Why? What did I do?’ She said, ‘You beat Muhammad Ali.’ I said, ‘Lady, I'm sorry you hate me because it was him or me.’”
Larry Holmes had some interesting things to say about the movie and Muhammad Ali, “I think this movie Facing Ali is a great movie … and the reason why I'm saying that is Ali went through a whole lot. He wasn't the nicest guy in the world … And he was always trying to be good to people. … And I appreciate the fact that I got opportunity to be with him and work around with him and go places with him, because he's a great guy.”
Another moment that Larry Holmes remembers and speaks fondly about is after he beat Ali. “I'm the only one to ever really stop him, and I probably could have done it a little earlier if I really put the pressure on him. But when I beat Ali, I went to his room, and my memory is, ‘Hey, Ali, man, you're always going to be the greatest in my book, and I love you.’ And he says to me, ‘Why you beat me up, then?’ Holmes chuckled and added, “When I left that room, because he was still making jokes with an ice pack on and everything, ‘Why you beat me up, then, if you love me?’ If you beat me up -- you don't love me if you beat me up, you know. Ali was great, and I loved Ali then. I love him now, and Joe Frazier might say he don't like Ali, but Joe loves Ali too.”
The Future of Boxing
As far as the current state of boxing, Joe Frazier told the journalists, “I don't know what direction …the whole fight game [is going] today. When I was there, Larry, Muhammad, George [Foreman], Norton, all of these great guys were friends, but yet we came out to put on a good show for the fans and make sure we won the fight. But what's going on today, I couldn't tell you.”
Facing Ali premiers February, 15, 2010 on Spike TV at 9 PM ET/PT. It combines exclusive interviews with footage from his fights to create a rounded look at the career of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.
