S
tarting this series on great sporting moments, there was only one place where I could begin. I was sixteen years old, living in London and already a great fan of Muhammed Ali. Like millions of others around the world, Ali was a hero to me. The excitement that heavyweight title bout would generate is hard to appreciate nowadays.
After his enforced break from boxing due to his refusal to be drafted into the US Army at the height of his powers, Ali EJE OPU ÙHIU GSPN .BSDI VOUJM 0DUPCFS "GUFS IJT SFUVSO IF IBE B DPVQMF PG XJOOJOH ÙHIUT UIBU QBWFE UIF XBZ GPS UIF n5IF 'JHIU PG UIF $FOUVSZo BHBJOTU +PF 'SB[JFS BU .BEJTPO 4RVBSF (BSEFO XIJDI IF MPTU JO CSVJTJOH SPVOET "GUFS UXP NPSF ÙHIUT BOE B DPOUSPWFSTJBM XJO PWFS ,FO /PSUPO UIF SFUVSO XBT BSSBOHFE BHBJOTU 'SB[JFS XIP IBE MPTU IJT World Champion status to George Foreman at Madison Square garden. After another enthralling and draining bout, Ali got his revenge by a unanimous points decision. This victory paved the way for Ali’s greatest test, a chance to regain the World title against the aforementioned champion, George Foreman. 'PSFNBOmT QSFWJPVT UXP ÙHIUT IBE CFFO BHBJOTU UIF QSFWJPVT DIBNQJPO 'SB[JFS BOE UIF POMZ PUIFS CPYFS PG UIF UJNF UIBU DPVME CF CSBDLFUFE XJUI UIFTF UISFF ,FO /PSUPO 8IBU IF EJE UP CPUI XBT USVMZ GSJHIUFOJOH 'SB[JFS XBT EJTNBOUMFE XJUIJO UXP SPVOET BGUFS HPJOH EPXO TJY UJNFT BOE /PSUPO B IFBWZ IJUUFS IJNTFMG BOE LOPXO UP IBWF B HPPE DIJO XBT IJNTFMG LOPDLFE EPXO UISFF UJNFT JO UIF TFDPOE SPVOE 5IF ÙHIU XBT NFSDJGVMMZ TUPQQFE BGUFS IJT MFHT UVSOFE UP KFMMZ when he tried to get to his feet. So Foreman was the man who Ali had to overcome to regain the World Title. It was a frightening prospect. Foreman was BO PWFSXIFMNJOH GBWPVSJUF BOE TPNF DPNNFOUBUPST HFOVJOFMZ GFBSFE GPS "MJmT TBGFUZ BHBJOTU UIF ZFBS PME 'PSFNBO and his ferocious punching. Ali himself was 32 and had much more wear and tear than the younger man. To overcome UIF DIBNQJPO JO UIF PQQSFTTJWF IFBU PG ;BJSF XIFSF UIF ÙHIU XBT CFJOH IFME XBT B NBTTJWF BTL GPS "MJ BOE TFFNFE almost impossible. 0SJHJOBMMZ TDIFEVMFE GPS UIF UI PG 4FQUFNCFS UIF ÙHIU XBT QVU CBDL VOUJM UIF UI PG 0DUPCFS BGUFS 'PSFNBO SFDFJWFE BO BDDJEFOUBM DVU JO USBJOJOH UIBU SFRVJSFE FMFWFO TUJUDIFT BCPWF IJT SJHIU FZF 5IF ÙHIU XBT BDDPNQBOJFE CZ BO incredible amount of hype. A three day music festival was arranged and went ahead with major stars like James Brown, ## ,JOH UIF $SVTBEFST BOE #JMM 8JUIFST BUUFOEJOH "OPUIFS VOVTVBM BTQFDU PG UIF ÙHIU XBT UIF TUBSU UJNF #FDBVTF PG UIF BSPVOE UIF XPSME QBZ QFS WJFX BVEJFODF NPTUMZ JO UIF 64" UIF ÙHIU XBT UP TUBSU BU BN MPDBM UJNF
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DISCOVER PATTAYA
Issue 235/12 | JULY 2021
