Drama in the Bahamas: Muhammad Ali's Last Fight by Dave Hannigan

Author:Dave Hannigan [Hannigan, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-Fiction, Biography, Sports, Boxing, Illustrated
ISBN: 9781613218990
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Published: 2016-06-20T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Trouble in Paradise Island

One more fight, that’s all. Then I’ll retire.

Muhammad Ali, New York City, May 23, 1978

FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE FIGHT, Angelo Dundee was in Hollywood, Florida, at the baseball winter meetings. It was a measure of the profile he’d gained through his lengthy association with Muhammad Ali that he was there to promote a sportswear company with which he had a commercial relationship. Inevitably, one of the journalists monitoring baseball trades got around to talking boxing and asked about whether Ali had enough left to defeat Trevor Berbick.

“I’ve never been more convinced of anything in my life,’’ said Dundee. “I didn’t want Ali to take another fight, but he was determined. He wants to wipe out the memory in the public’s eye of his terrible performance against Larry Holmes.’’

When Dundee arrived at the Britannia Beach Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, December 8, he found Ali holding court in room 642, lounging on his bed in a robe, surrounded by reporters, opining on everything from Holy War to holes in Berbick’s defenses. Same tableau as it ever was. The two men hugged like the old friends they were. But, of course, many of those present knew one of them was actually a lot more enthusiastic about Friday night’s forthcoming festivities than the other.

“Angelo thinks I shouldn’t be fightin’,” said Ali earlier in the week. “He’s coming in to work the corner but he thinks I’m shot, my legs have gone. But Angelo’s not me. He don’t know what I’ve got.”

Dundee did his best to dispel any idea he might have sat this one out, telling those witnessing the reunion, “If he’s determined to fight, I’ll be in his corner.”

At which point Ali started to boast anew about how well his sparring had been going during his celebrated trainer’s absence, citing in particular an uplifting encounter with the next biggest name on the fight card.

“I had a four-round brawl with Hearns, and it was right on,” said Ali.

“With Tommy?” Dundee asked.

“Stickin’ and jabbin’. Over his jab. Trading punches. Getting him in the corners. One on one.”

“I love you going with little guys,” said Dundee. “I love it.”

Ali had indeed sparred with Hearns, and afterwards the Detroit fighter reckoned there could be only one winner of the main event.

“Ali can still do anything with the left hand that he wants,” said Hearns. “I think he’s a much better man than Berbick. I had the pleasure of seeing Berbick fight before and he don’t have the style of Ali. He’s not of the caliber of Ali. I feel that with Ali’s ability that he can go on and be victorious.”

Hearns was standing by his man, but others who witnessed their spar remember it differently, recalling an embarrassing affair in which the gulf between the elderly (at least in boxing terms) Ali and a young fighter in his prime was all too apparent. Hearns was fast and occasionally furious, dictating the pace and the style of the exercise; Ali was ponderous, one-paced, and restricted mostly to heavy-handed pawing.

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