The Champ: My Year with Muhammad Ali

by Michael Gaffney, Bert Randolph Sugar (Foreword by)

Overview

The legendary boxer’s personal photographer from 1977–1978 shares fascinating stories and stunning rare photographs.
 
Michael Gaffney traveled the world with Muhammad Ali, covered three fights, took eight thousand photographs, and produced hours of recordings that, pieced together in this book, define and reveal an authentic Ali. Poignant, funny, and brutally honest, this book reveals the struggles of the legendary fighter who fought to stay in the game he loved.
 
This is a dramatic and up-close look at the trilogy of Ali’s fights from 1977–1978: A tough win against Earnie Shavers, a shocking loss to Leon Spinks, and a glorious redemptive comeback victory to win the World Heavyweight Championship for an unprecedented third time, a feat never accomplished before or since. Filled with dramatic photos, The Champ is also a compelling personal journey inside the good heart and courageous spirit of one of the most extraordinary people of our lifetime.
 
“The Champ is one helluva achievement and one helluva book.” —Bert Randolph Sugar, Hall of Fame boxing historian
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938120206
Publisher:	Diversion Books
Publication date:	09/01/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	102
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Award-winning photojournalist Michael Gaffney started his career as a news photographer in 1972. In 1977, he became Muhammad Ali's personal photographer for a year, traveled around the world, covered three fights and made eight thousand photographs of the champ. This collection of photographs combined with hours of tape recordings became the basis for Gaffney's first book, The Champ: My Year With Muhammad Ali.

In 2009, he held the first photography exhibition Muhammad Ali: The Champ at the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey. The exhibition was a benefit for the Morristown Neighborhood House, where Gaffney learned to box as a young boy. The exhibition was well received, earning a feature on ESPN with Hall of Fame Boxing Historian, Bert Randolph Sugar. It was followed by exhibitions in New Jersey, San Francisco, and London which created interest for producing The Champ.

Gaffney, a graduate of the University of Dayton, ran a corporate photography business for twenty-five years. He is presently a contract photographer with Muhammad Ali Enterprises in Manhattan with photo representation by YellowKorner Galleries worldwide. He and his wife Joanna live in Sunriver, Oregon, and Mendham, New Jersey, and have five children on both coasts.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

The Courage of Conviction

Little could the world have known that a stolen bicycle on the streets of Louisville, Kentucky would fatefully lead a twelve year old boy named Cassius Clay to become a boxer and the international phenomenon known as Muhammad Ali. Over the years, Muhammad's journey down destiny road was a double edged sword hitting incredible highs and cruel lows. Remarkably, Muhammad Ali evolved beyond the brash and brilliant fighter who thundered into the spotlight, only to become scorned as a draft dodger, and emerged as a world treasure. His body limited by Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali remains one of the most beloved, extraordinary people of our lifetime.

The power of Muhammad Ali is found in the courage of his convictions: "I am The Greatest, I said that even before I knew I was." From an early age, this unshakable, indomitable spirit was with Muhammad. "I knew my purpose when I was 12 years old — I was to be World Heavyweight Champion. I didn't care what happened; there were obstacles in the back, in front, to the left of me and right of me. When you know that purpose, nothing stops you."

Ali single-handedly revitalized the sport of boxing in a period when interest had waned. His astonishingly accurate poetic prophesies on knockout rounds captured the public's imagination — there has never been anyone like Muhammad Ali before or since. In the ring, opponents found out that Muhammad Ali could back up all his outrageous boasts. Quickly the world discovered the fastest hand and foot speed that had never been seen before in a heavyweight fighter. Ali brought an exciting new style to boxing, circling with a lightning fast jab and effortlessly dancing around opponents while they plodded flat-footed straight ahead.

Controversy seemed to find a way into Muhammad Ali's life, making him the world's most recognized person while being met with scathing rejection. At 22 years old, then Cassius Clay had earned a fight with the Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston, whom Clay had dubbed, "the big, ugly bear." Clay was a serious 7-1 underdog which didn't stop the confident young boxer from declaring to the world press, "I'm young, I'm pretty, I'm fast and can't possibly be beat." Against all odds, Clay shocked the world with his remarkable upset victory over Liston to win the Heavyweight Championship.

The next day Clay confirmed he had joined the Nation of Islam and changed his named to Muhammad Ali. At that time, Muhammad's association with the Islam religion and briefly with Malcolm X represented a radical departure from mainstream public opinion and the newly crowned champion was bitterly rejected. As Ali embraced his new religion with the same intensity he brought to boxing, his popularity vanished.

In 1967, at the height of the Viet Nam War, Muhammad Ali was drafted for military service but refused induction based on his religious beliefs. He filed as a conscientious objector and said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." The government proved to be Ali's greatest fight and the most devastating loss. Ali courageously refused to back down from the draft based on his principled religious convictions but it came at a great cost. Ali was banned from boxing, sacrificing his lifelong dream, and stripped of his Heavyweight title. The ban lasted for three and a half years, denying Ali the prime years for a heavyweight fighter.

As Angelo Dundee, Ali's Manager, said, "We never saw Muhammad Ali at his best." Ali said, "I spent the time driving around in my little Volkswagon giving lectures to college kids." Muhammad stood strong for the principles that guided him, but the damage was done and the price had been paid. Muhammad Ali began an incredible journey back to regain his lost glory, and along the way the world would find the spirit of a champion.

THE MAN

There is a quiet strength about Muhammad Ali and why he will always be known as "The Greatest of All Time." The heart of a champion, the soul of a saint.

Champ had finished his morning workout at Angelo Dundee's Fifth Street Gym in Miami when I asked him to run on the beach. Ali agreed and told me it would be good training for his leg strength running on the sand in combat boots. He told me he always ran in heavy combat boots so his boxing shoes would feel lighter when he was in the ring. I thought of something Muhammad had said years before: "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses — behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights." MUHAMMAD ALI

January, 1978

While in Miami Beach, Veronica and Muhammad gave birth to their second child, Laila. I asked to make pictures of his newborn daughter who was just 2 1/2 weeks old. He agreed, and we went to their apartment where he lay on the floor and held his child in his hands for this rare, tender moment of father and daughter.

Most of the time, there were crowds of people surrounding the world's most famous person. This is one of those rare times I was alone with the Champ in Madison Square Garden, as he worked on his hand and foot speed hours before the Earnie Shavers fight. It was fascinating to see this master boxer, so completely focused on his fight plan. Ali floated effortlessly in circles, gracefully dancing while grunting to power each snapping punch in the air. He always made it look so easy ... elegance in motion.

The Champ relaxes in the locker room before the Shavers fight. He was calm, cool and confident because he had put in three months of sparring, training and road work. He knew he was ready.

"I'm as confident as I say, and I'm better than I say I am." Muhammad Ali

"I am America. I am the past you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident and cocky. My name not yours. My religion not yours. My goal my own. Get used to me." Muhammad Ali

"Those of you who won't be able to see the Sonny Liston fight, here is the eighth round, exactly as it will happen.

Clay comes out to meet Liston, Liston starts to retreat. If Liston goes back an inch further He'll end up in a ring side seat. Clay swings with his left, Clay swings with his right. Look like young Cassius will carry the fight. Liston keeps backing up but there's not enough room, It's a matter of time till Clay lowers the boom. Now Liston disappears from view. The crowd is getting frantic, But our radar stations have picked him up, He is somewhere over the Atlantic. Liston is still rising and the ref has found He can't start counting till Sonny comes down. Who would have thought when they came to the fight They'd witness the launching of a human satellite. Yes the crowd didn't dream When they put down their money That they would see a full eclipse of the Sonny."

Recorded at a Detroit Press Conference, 1977

"I am the Greatest of All Times ... I'm pretty. 'He isn't supposed to be cocky ... that nigga needs a whooping.' They come back to see me beat. 'That cocky nigga.' I'm beautiful, I'm pretty. Because that's not the order of the day, see we look at Jesus Christ, we see hair like yours and skin like yours. We were given a white Jesus, we look at the Last Supper, we see all white people. We look at the angels in Heaven, we see all white people, no Chinese, no Mexicans, no Blacks. We look at Miss America, we see white. We look at Tarzan, King of the Jungle, ruler of Africa, we see white. Angel food cake is white, devil food cake is chocolate. Black is always bad, the Black has the bad luck. Threaten you, I'm gonna blackmail you. Put you out of the fraternity, you get blackballed. See black was always bad. Therefore, here comes a little something out here in society —'I am the Greatest of all Times.' 'That ain't right,' little children say, 'Mommy, why did he say that?' So that cockiness is just to make my people see and feel just like somebody and have something to look up to." Muhammad Ali

"I've always been a rebel. Look at my lifestyle, look at the way I've been talking since the Viet Nam war. All my life I've been cocky, rebelistic and different from most black people. It's always been in me. Check way back when I was Cassius Clay. 'I am the Greatest, I'll destroy, I'm pretty.' I always wanted to be different, cocky, arrogant and proud." Muhammad Ali

It is a little known fact that, for someone who flies a million miles a year, Muhammad was afraid of flying. He found a way to calm himself by reading the Holy Quran, gathering ideas and spending hours writing lectures. Muhammad believed his true calling was to be an ambassador for peace and understanding. His real joy was giving his lectures on: The Purpose of Life, The Meaning of Friendship, The Qualities of the Heart, The Real Cause of Man's Distress, The Intoxications of Life, The Art of Personality, The Power of Suggestion, The Attitude, and The Education of the Infant. Each lecture was 45 minutes, and remarkably, he would use no notes, memorizing each lecture and never missing a word.

Champ playfully relaxes with his daughter Hana, two years old, and his wife Veronica in a New York City hotel the night before the Shavers fight.

Muhammad cherished family time as celebrity demands on his personal time was excessive. Here they are in the Ali RV heading from Deer Lake, PA to Washington, DC for a special White House visit to see President Jimmy Carter.

Wrestling with his son Muhammad Ali Jr., with his daughter Jamilah.

Muhammad with four of his nine children with his wife Khaliah "Belinda" Ali, Jamilah: Muhammad Ali Jr., Maryum and Rasheda at the Chicago Hilton where he was being honored by the Chicago Institute for Developmental Disabilities.

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth. And I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want." Muhammad Ali

CHAPTER 2

The Spirit of a Champion

THE FIGHTER

These hands changed the world of boxing. The greatest lateral movement and the fastest hand speed and foot speed had never been seen before in a heavyweight fighter. Ali's speed, durability, heart and ring generalship were among the best ever. These hands that won 56 fights, 37 by knockout with 5 losses, are being taped before the Earnie Shavers fight at Madison Square Garden.

THE SPIRIT OF A CHAMPION

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." MUHAMMAD ALI

A few months before the ban was lifted, the first Ali-Frazier fight was held at Madison Square Garden, NY. 71 million watched the largest televised heavyweight fight in boxing history. Ali's promotional antics attracted worldwide attention, and the fights became pop culture celebrity events. Not only did it live up to the hype of "The Fight of the Century" but it is regarded, round for round, as one of the best fights of that era. The battle between the two undefeated heavyweights was a classic confrontation between a masterful boxer in Muhammad Ali and a brutal slugger in Joe Frazier.

They kept a furious pace for all 15 rounds, with vicious toe to toe exchanges; neither fighter would back away. Frazier forced the fight with unrelenting pressure, moving forward in a crouched style. The Garden roared with excitement when, in the fifteenth and final round, Frazier locked in a tight exchange, reached down and timed a perfect left hook flush on Ali's jaw that lifted him off his feet and onto the deck. Ali avoided the ten count and somehow defied the seriousness of what should have been a knockout punch, and was back up on his feet in seconds. Still seriously dazed with a hideously swollen jaw, Ali managed to stay out of Frazier's range for the rest of the round. Frazier won a unanimous decision and retained the heavyweight title, dealing Ali the first loss of his professional career.

Despite the loss, Muhammad Ali had shown a powerful will to win that earned respect, not only from the fans who witnessed this brutal fight, but also from Joe Frazier. Frazier praised Ali for his ability to take his best 15th round left hook and must have wondered what more it would have taken to knock Ali out. Both fighters recognized their similar skill levels were also matched with a never say die will to win.

The damage from this fight took a toll on both fighters. Many felt Frazier was never the same after this fight. Frazier spent three weeks in a Philadelphia hospital suffering from emotional and physical exhaustion.

Ali's swollen jaw turned out to be a blood hemorrhage. His hip joints had taken such a pounding from Frazier that his legs were temporarily paralyzed. Ali and Frazier had created a classic with "The Fight of the Century" and, despite the loss, Muhammad Ali showed a courageous will that won a hard fought respect from even his harshest critics.

True to the fighter's form, Muhammad waged a three and a half-year court battle to regain his boxing license. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ali, admitting it was unconstitutional to take away a person's right to earn a living. His boxing license was reinstated, and Muhammad Ali came roaring back to business. When the ban ended, a golden era of the greatest fights in heavyweight boxing history began as Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier twice more, Ken Norton three times, and George Foreman. These fights were the first big-purse events that captured worldwide interest by staging fights in foreign lands and using the new technology of satellite closed-circuit broadcasts. The fighters challenged each other and raised competitive heavyweight boxing to new heights. It was during this period that Muhammad Ali established the legend of being the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time and earned the title of "The Greatest."

After the loss to Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali went on a winning rampage of 10 straight fights and then stepped into the ring with Ken Norton. At age 29, Ali's skill levels were being challenged by younger, stronger fighters so Ali adapted and changed his style. The fast hands and feet were now being replaced by crafting a new strategy that employed reliance on mental and physical toughness. The Champ had always used what he referred to as "psychological warfare" on his opponents, and now he would add a "scientific" approach to his boxing style. Muhammad Ali trained himself to be able to function in the sub-conscious state and this recuperative skill when he was hurt was the hidden, dangerous force that made him unstoppable.

When Ali was in training for the Shavers fight at his Deer Lake Boxing Camp, there was concern for the physical abuse Ali was taking during sparring sessions. Chuck Bodak, one of the most respected cutmen in boxing who had worked the corner for 52 world champions, was convinced Ali was destroying himself. Bodak knew the game and had a reverence for Ali, once stating that he was the most perfect, instinctive fighter he had ever seen. The problem that Bodak observed was Ali would spar everyday for three rounds and not throw a single punch until 30 seconds of the last round. Ali would absorb concussive head and body shots from the sparring partners who would be fired if they didn't hit him hard enough.

There were others in the camp besides Chuck who tried to persuade the Champ of the damage being done, including Dr. Ferdie Pacheco. Pacheco who was Ali's personal physician for 14 years felt the repeated concussive blows to the head and powerful body shots were doing irreversible damage. Pacheco knew Ali's capacity to take a punch was both a blessing and a curse. It gave Ali the ability to sustain and win championships against the games heaviest hitters, however Pacheco understood the cumulative long term effects on Ali's health.

Since Ali recovered quickly after fights, was in great shape and still at the top of his game, the health warnings went largely unnoticed. Angelo Dundee, who knew his fighter better than anybody was not so convinced of the damage being done in the ring. He acknowledged fighting is a tough business but with no apparent signs of skill deterioration, this would be a tough argument with Muhammad who had always been the most self directed fighter Angelo had managed. Despite the speculation and objections inside the camp, Ali continued with his established training regimen.

Ali was convinced that he would have a great advantage and an edge beyond any other fighter if he could function while seriously hurt, and continued with his dangerous training discipline.

During the second round of the Earnie Shavers fight, Ali took a right cross directly on the jaw with such force that his legs buckled with a sure knockout hit. Ali bounced off the ropes and then did a hilarious leg wobble routine complete with a wild, swinging bolo punch that convinced both Shavers and the judges that he wasn't hurt.

(Continues…)

---

Excerpted from "The Champ"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Michael Gaffney.
Excerpted by permission of Diversion Publishing Corp..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---