We’re live with heavyweight boxing champ David “Niño” Rodriguez! Talking life in the ring, surviving a brutal attack outside the ring, and his decision to come out of the closet as a conservative.
Jerry Mitchell writes: January 17, 1942: Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Muhammad Ali broke through racial barriers in the segregated South and became the best boxer in history, winning an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and the heavyweight championship in 1964. Three years, he was stripped of his title after he refused to be drafted into military service. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction, and Ali fought again, winning back the heavyweight crown in 1974 when he defeated George Foreman. But the boxer formerly known as Cassius Clay is probably best remembered for his three matches against Joe Frazier. His boxing and his words became poetry, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Read the rest of this entry »
“I’ve wrestled with alligators. I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning and thrown thunder in jail. You know I’m bad. Just last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.”
Acclaimed for his quick, dancing style as a fighter, Ali also blended a unique mix of political activism and personal conviction that won him international recognition outside of the ring.
Three-time heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali, who charmed millions with his wit and confidence in the ring and inspired many more with his commitment to humanitarian causes has died, according to the family spokesman. He was 74.
Ali had been hospitalized for a respiratory issue June 2. At the time, a rep said he was in fair condition.
One of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing, Ali retired in 1981 after losing to Trevor Berbick in his 61st career bout.
Soon thereafter, Ali — who doctors said had begun showing signs of sluggishness and neurological damage in the 1970s — began receiving treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Ali, who called himself “The Greatest,” was married four times and had nine children, including daughter Laila, who also became a professional boxer. Ali and his fourth wife, Yolanda “Lonnie” Williams, had been married since 1986.
Born Cassius Clay on Jan. 17, 1942, Ali first stepped in the ring at age 12 in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., after his bicycle was stolen and a police officer suggested he learn how to box. Ali went on to become one of the most successful athletes and revered public figures in history.
Acclaimed for his quick, dancing style as a fighter, Ali also blended a unique mix of political activism and personal conviction that won him international recognition outside of the ring.
After winning 100 of 108 amateur fights, Ali took home an Olympic gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He later allegedly chucked the medal into a river after a waitress at a soda fountain in Louisville refused to serve him because he was black.
Weeks after the Olympics, Ali signed a lucrative contract and won his first pro bout on Oct. 29, 1960, against Tunney Hunsaker. Ali quickly ingratiated himself with the media with his boastful claims and fresh, stylish way of speaking. He told Sports Illustrated in 1961: “Most of them [other boxers] … can fight almost as good as I can. I’m just saying you never heard of them. And the reason for that is because they cannot throw the jive. Cassius Clay is a boxer who can throw the jive better than anybody.”
The brash, underdog Ali promised boxing fans he’d “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” against Sonny Liston.
At age 22, he stunned the larger Liston, beating the champ in seven rounds in Miami to win his first heavyweight title. In their next match in 1965, Ali floored Liston with a hard, quick blow minutes into the bout and retained his crown when the referee stopped the fight. Read the rest of this entry »
Why is Amazon is so successful? This anchor has an interesting theory, though his co-host clearly does not appreciate his personal insight. Similarly, a host makes a comment about eating burritos outdoors that her co-host finds so distasteful, he can’t contain his impatience to move on to the next segment.
From the weatherman who weaves Taylor Swift lyrics into his forecast, to little kids dancing in the background of a news report, there’s plenty here to enjoy. Some of it is NSFW.
Ross Kelly reports: Every summer there are numerous collegiate baseball leagues that sprout up to showcase the talent of the amateur players. These kids are willing to travel all across the country to get some extra work in not only for their upcoming season, but also for local scouts. The Alaska Baseball League is one of these leagues but it wasn’t any of the players who made names for themselves, but rather opposing managers after they got into a fistfight.
The larger man in the black is the Anchorage Bucs manager, Mike Grahovac, while the shorter man is the Peninsula Oilers manager, Kevin Griffin. Grahovac had been ejected and apparently had some parting shots (no pun intended) for Griffin who was coaching third base. As you can see, some naughty words and a chest bump led to an all-out brawl, between adults, that had to be separated by college kids.
SALT LAKE CITY – Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and five-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield squared off in the ring Friday at a charity fight night event in Salt Lake City.
Romney, 68, and Holyfield, 52, sparred, if you could call it that, for just two short rounds before Romney ran away from the boxer and threw in the towel, giving up a round early in the lighthearted fight that came amid several other fights by professional boxers and an auction.
“You know what? You float like a bee and sting like a butterfly.”
The two barely threw any punches and largely just danced around, occasionally lightly jabbing each other in the midsection in what was much more of a comedic event than an actual bout.
The black-tie affair raised money for the Utah-based organization CharityVision, which helps doctors in developing countries perform surgeries to restore vision in people with curable blindness.
Romney’s son Josh Romney, who lives in Utah, serves as a volunteer president for CharityVision. Read the rest of this entry »
Former Massachusetts Governor and two-time presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) and five-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield stare down during their weigh-in before their boxing match in Holladay, Utah May 14, 2015. The two will box on Friday to benefit the medical charity CharityVision.
Yes, sports were covered in the first Journal. Then-champion John L. Sullivan took on Jake Kilrain in what would be the last world heavyweight championship bare-knuckled prize fight. The Journal predicted a Sullivan win, although incorrectly printed it as “won.” (read more)
In a scene reminiscent of Weekend at Bernie’s, the family of a dead Puerto Rican boxer propped up his embalmed body at his wake in a fake boxing ring on Friday and posed for photographs with the corpse.
The family was honoring the wishes of slain boxer Christopher Rivera, who was shot to death on January 26, according to police.
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The larger man in the black is the Anchorage Bucs manager, Mike Grahovac, while the shorter man is the Peninsula Oilers manager, Kevin Griffin. Grahovac had been ejected and apparently had some parting shots (no pun intended) for Griffin who was coaching third base. As you can see, some naughty words and a chest bump led to an all-out brawl, between adults, that had to be separated by college kids.
