This is absolute quality Also fantastic with kids........very funny man !! [video=youtube;-yNWfRfaHPU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yNWfRfaHPU&feature=player_detailpage[/video]
I was a young 'un in the 70s when he was fighting Foreman and Frazier. Ali is, by far, the greatest sportsman that ever lived.
He was probably the first global superstar. And certainly a hero to millions. "Ain't no Viet Cong ever call me ******".....legend.
Jocky got a lot of grief for having an Argentinian wife, Billy, it was around about the time of the Falklands if I remember correctly. He was a cracking darts player, I'm sure he lived down here for a while, Wallsend maybe?
The Rumble in the Jungle....one of the most famous fights ever.....26 minutes long....Ali letting the brutal Foreman punch himself out....rope-a-dope....really worth watching http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=334E92E5124A19BD1BA3334E92E5124A19BD1BA3
I do believe you're right. That's when darts were darts & they used knock back the lager & smowk like ****. None of this pissing about with a bottle of watter & a packet of Wrigley's for them lads. He used to make me laugh when he took his teeth out.
lol, love it mate. billy, watch that fight mate, it's brilliant, ali at his best. I can remember the build up to the fight as if it was yesterday, great stuff.
I'd take issue with Ali as the first global superstar - whether you knew anything about baseball or not, you'd heard of Babe Ruth. And there'd be few countries in the world where news headlines didn't include Jesse Owen in 1936. Roger Bannister, Edmund Hillery and Sherpa Tensing all did things that can never be taken away from them. So no, I wouldn't call Ali that. But overall, I can't think of a better loved and admired sportsman than Ali. His three round demolition of Cleveland Williams in 1966 was possibly the greatest example of heavyweight boxing the world had ever seen - and probably still is. Phenomenal.
Ali probably had the benefit of mass media exposure, particularly TV which the others wouldn't have. I take your point about the others though
Not the greatest, but was certainly the most famous, first world wide super star as they even heard about him in Russia in the '60s.
Ali was one of the greatest ever for me, undoubtedly but he was part of a high-profile sport so was bound to be more popular. For me the greatest athlete that has ever lived is Haile Gebrselassie, his humility and his grace sets him above any other in my opinion, besides the fact he set more World Records than I care to remember. Not the best sport to watch but when you learn about him as a person, his commitment and determination, it's just incredible. I'd have Senna in there to complete a top 3.
