>>For the first time, I watched the Ali movie (starring Will Smith)
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>>I'm not much of a boxing fan - and only vaguely remember the Ali fights in the mid to late 70's (my early teens)....but I was just floored by the charisma of Ali (at least as portrayed in the movies)
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>>For those who remember Ali in the 60's (and who also saw the movie) - is the movie very "true to form" on Ali? This was a great movie (or at least I'd like to believe it's a great movie)
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>I have not seen the movie, but can assure you Ali was about the most charismatic person in the country. He was cocky, charming, entertaining. And he was the heavyweight champion of the world. SO fast. He would taunt his opponent by standing within range with his hands at his sides, knowing he was quick enough to get out of the way. The only guy who ever figured it out was Joe Frazier.

PMFJIH, but I think things would have been different had Ali had been allowed to fight continuously without the forced layoff. Ali was unquestionably the finest heavyweight I've ever seen. I've never been a big boxing fan, but what Ali did wasn't just 'boxing'. Sounds trite, but he really was an artist.

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>My dad was at the fight where Ali beat Sonny Liston in Lewiston, ME. That was the one Ali won by KO one minute into it on what everyone there thought was a phantom punch. Liston was the quintessential boxing thug, the polar opposite of Ali, and the thinking has always been that he threw the fight, or had to. Never proven as far as I know.

After watching it a number of times in slow motion, I don't think there is any doubt that Ali hit him. Didn't seem all that hard, but I think Ali hit him in just the right spot with Liston's head at just the right angle to do maximum damage.

Do you remember when Ali fought Brian London? We were watching it on TV. Third round he trapped London in the corner and hit him about a dozen times in the space of just a couple of seconds. You could hardly see Ali's hands move. Amazing!