Facing Ali

This is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Whether you like Muhammad Ali or can't stand him, it is hard to argue that he is the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. What makes that so is all the great challengers he faced throughout his career. This movie is about 10 of his rivals all legitimate challengers and great boxers in their own right. None of them were bums or chumps. Anyone who appreciates the sweet science will love this film. Casual boxing fans and sports fans alike will end up enjoying this film. Rarely does a film show this much heart and character throughout each of the fighters unique backstory and career from where they came from to the fight they had with Ali. It is told through their own words and experiences from the fighters.I was spellbound by this film and couldn't turn away. I was captivated by every minute and truly believe this is a 5 star movie and rarely do I doll out such high praise for a film unless I find it truly worthily of the highest score. I consider myself more of a Frazier fan than Ali. I learned so much from this film. I didn't know that Ali thought Earnie shavers and Joe Frazier were the hardest punchers he ever fought.All true boxing fans are well aware of the classic fights such as The Fight of the Century, Rumble In the Jungle and The Thrilla in Manilla. But it is fascinating hearing these boxers tell their own stories about Ali. What made him great what were his weaknesses. Each of these fighters fought Ali during different times in his career and all have unique insights. Remembering that many of these guys fought each other along with Ali.Henry Cooper nearly beat Ali in their 1st fight. If Henry wouldn't have gotten cut, who knows what would have happened. Henry scored a big knockdown and really had Ali on the ropes a few more rounds and Ali could have easily lost that fight if it wasn't stopped for the cut over Henry's eye. This was all new information to me, I had never heard about.Some of the fighters stories are tragic like what happened to George Chuvalo's kids during his boxing career. Ken Norton's story is just moving. This was a guy who took Ali the distance in 3 fights. He outright won the first fight breaking Ali's jaw, but he sets the record straight that he broke his jaw late in the fight in the 14 or 15th round not in the 3rd round which was BS. The 2nd two fights both were controversial that could have easily gone Norton's way and would probably have made most men very bitter. I had no idea Norton was in such a bad car crash and that Ali came to see him in the hospital. That showed a lot of heart and good character. Norton seemed forever grateful to Ali for giving him the chance to fight him at all. All of that is in the film and is great.George Foreman's story is so well known it doesn't need much explaining he just got out boxed and used bad strategy. I was surprised that George didn't try and get a rematch with Ali. He had a rematch with Frazier and floored him again. But I loved how George says that if he fought Frazier a few years earlier it could have been a much closer fight I loved that kind of honesty in the film.Earnie shaver's story was also very interesting that I never knew about. He felt he was ahead on all the score cards when he fought Ali and had him on the ropes. But Ali came back in a fury in the final rounds and persuaded the judges to award him the fight.That is the thing about boxing to beat a champ you must prove without a doubt that you were the better fighter throughout a fight, a close fight will always go to the champ or a draw on a decision. The challenger has to prove decidedly that he was the better fighter throughout a fight to take the title. I was surprised Ali didn't give Shavers another title shot opportunity.Leon Spinks was probably one of the weakest challengers but came along at the right time and place and Ali made the mistake of taking his opponent for granted. The odds of Spinks beating Ali were similar to Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson Vegas never thought it would happen. I tell ya somebody got rich that night. Spinks was probably a journeyman boxer at best never a truly great fighter. I think Hollywood should stop making mediocre superhero comic book movies and make a film about his brother Michael Spinks that would be a best picture movie ready in the making all the drama and story elements are right there. Leon himself didn't really know how to deal with the stardom of suddenly being the champ. Leon lost the rematch but probably already changed his entire life for better.Larry Holmes is a great fighter and is often criticized for beating up an aging Ali. But what isn't shown is that all 10 of these former fighters would have done exactly the same thing as Holmes if their situations were reversed. To become heavyweight champion of the world many of them would have fought their own mother of father just to be the champ. Larry is a great fighter but like Evander Holyfield was champ at a time when there wasn't as many strong contenders out there as there was during Ali's heyday.Out of all the boxers Larry seemed to have come out the best of the fighters successful and happy with all his marbles compared to his contemporaries in the film. Also it shows another side of Ali he was using every cush word in the book at Holmes, he was hardly this all knowing stoic great guy all the time he was called the Louisville Lip for a reason. With all the praise Ali gets you won't find that in his Will Smith movie. Reality vs Fantasy.Finally what I find most telling from this film after watching it Is how Frazier lost the Thrilla in Manilla to Ali because his manager Eddie Futch was looking out for his fighters best interests, whereas Angelo Dundee Ali's trainer never should have let Muhammad Ali even get in the ring with Holmes. Dundee should have stopped that Larry Holmes fight much sooner than he did. I recently watched ESPN's 30 for 30 Muhammad and Larry. It was apparent just by Ali's appearance and demeaner that he was no longer fit to fight. He was pissing blood after the Thrilla in Manilla and should have retired right then and there. it was Dundee's job to stop his fighter from getting hurt and he failed to do so.Overall this documentary is time well spent. I learned so much and have more of an appreciation for all of these fighters. Ali fought all the big names and never really ducked any challenger and that does show you how good a fighter he truly was.

Great documentary on Muhammad Ali but also boxing history and the times. Great documentary. Muhammad Ali is still one of the greatest fighters of all time!

I know I will do an update within a couple of days but this documentary is amazing. What I loved about it were the interviews with past champions who either fought Ali or were beaten by him. their respect for Ali is beyond anything I have seen up to now.Let me explain briefly: I have been a big fan of heavyweight boxing going back about 55 years. My neighbor down the street used to train and know many great heavyweights going back to Marciano, Jersey Joe Walcott, including Max bear who he trained with and others. I have all the Ali magazines from the The Ring to every sports page from the Los Angeles Times. I actually met Ali during an exhibition and that being said, I have a bias.Now then, Frazier, Spinks, Terrell, Ron Lyle, Foreman, and Chuvalo and Sir Henry Cooper give insights that I have not seen before or heard before. the music that accompanies the fight scenes fits nicely but the interviews with all these great fighters who are able to talk at length in detail about what is what like to fight Ali or watch others Ali is inspiring. They were able to put into words what is what like to step into the right with this legend and had such high praise for him that one fighter actually said if he had not fault Ali, this interview would not be taking place. Many of them credited their careers to having fought Ali and all were deeply saddened by his current health.If you are expecting reams of fight video, you will not find it here but you will find enough that it all ties together almost seamlesslyIt is true that you will not see any recent interviews with Ali and that is a shame but I have seen enough to get the other side of the coin--those who fought him and understood what it was like to step into the right with him or to watch his magic and glad they were not fight him as he dispatched his opponents or the opponents fought him and beat him.Am I an Ali fan---you bet I have not read the other reviews but I will try to be civil if they do not give this video five stars.I give this five stars and I think it is well worth the money.

Grazie per questo fantastico DVD, ho atteso mesi per trovarlo e alla fine ce l'ho fatta grazie a questo negozio! I gestori del negozio sono stati gentilissimi e molto professionali!Sono contentissima! 🙏🏽

Superbe DVD qui raconte le parcours d'une des icônes du 20e siècle, le boxeur Muhammad Ali - alias Cassius Clay - vu par ses anciens adversaires. Quel plaisir et quelle émotion de revoir en action "The Greatest" face à aux légendaires Joe Frazier et George Foreman, mais aussi Larry Holmes, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Earnie Shavers, George Chuvalo ou Henry Cooper. Tous ces hommes avaient des tripes, tous ont connu la précarité ou la dure condition des noirs aux Etats-Unis, et, même diminués par l'âge, les entendre évoquer leurs combats contre Ali est passionnant. Muhammad Ali, qui fut trois fois champion du monde des poids lourds, marqua profondément les années 60 et 70 non seulement sur le ring, mais aussi en dehors, par son engagement contre la guerre du Vietnam et en faveur des minorités noires. Converti en 1964, Ali rêva d'un Islam pacifique ... Il ne renia jamais ses convictions : cela lui coûta son titre mondial des lourds en 1967, trois années et demie d'interdiction de boxer, un retour vers le sommet semé d'embûches et de frustration, et certainement sa santé ... Chaque époque a ses héros. Muhammad Ali , mort en 2016, fut un sans aucun doute un héros de son temps. Lui qui tutoya la perfection sur le ring, cet athlète flamboyant qui fascina le monde entier pendant près de deux décennies, ce magicien du verbe et des rings connut une fin dramatique : muré en lui même et terriblement diminué par la maladie de Parkinson, Muhammad Ali resta digne jusqu'au bout. Ali ne sut pas éviter le combat de trop et pour lui plus dure fut la chute, mais quelle destinée et quel exemple de courage ... Bravo et merci Monsieur Ali ... Bravo et merci Messieurs Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Holmes et tous les autres ... "Facing Ali" : un DVD à voir d'urgence et une leçon de vie ...

Great service and great buy... I enjoyed some endless footage with this DVD on Muhammad Ali.

A wonderful film featuring interviews with several of Ali's opponents. It is based or at least inspired by a book of the same name. Although guys such as Ron Lyle and George Chuvalo are not well known these days their stories are very interesting and well worth listening to. Our own Sir Henry Cooper is also featured and he was clearly an intelligent and perceptive man who emerged relatively unscathed from the ravages of the ring. I think this film has passed under the radar to some extent but it deserves an audience.

Great movie. Wonderful listening to all the great boxers he fought.