Muhammad Ali - The Whole Story [DVD]

I grew up in the 80s when Mike Tyson was in his prime and as far as I knew, the greatest heavyweight that has ever lived. My pop did not agree. He then proceeded to tell me a story about how he won a hefty bet in 1964 on a 7 to 1 young underdog fighting a tough veteran Sonny Liston. My pop is not easily impressed so to hear him speak so highly of someone naturally sparked my interest.After reading a few highly rated reviews and also showing an exceptional amount of fight footage, I purchased Muhammad Ali - The Whole Story. Originally wanting to see Ali knock people out, the documentary telling of, a then Cassius Clay growing up in a time and place where the color of his skin was against him, quickly made me come to respect him as a man.Not before long, the footage brought a proper image to what my pop said about him. I was amazed of just how much fight footage was included! From his fights as a light heavyweight in the Olympics to Larry Holmes in the 1980s, you don't get a highlight reel, but an almost real time capturing of how his feet, ring generalship, blazing speed, jabs, combinations and eventually his wits, heart and his iron jaw helped him overcome countless opponents as well as life's obstacles.What really made me respect Ali so much more is how he handled loss. A long time boxing fan, I've seen what happens to more than a few promising boxers when they finally lose. It's like they lose their nerve and they're just not themselves in the ring. Ali showed that he's both physically and mentally carved out of stone. The man came back after a 3 and a half year absence (which is also considered a heavyweight's prime years) losing his edge (his speed and reflexes, slightly) and even after two losses, decided with no fear, to face the man who beat both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, the two men that beat Ali. He stood toe-to-toe or toe-to-rope with a younger stronger George Foreman and adapted himself not to out-dance but to outlast the formidable Foreman in what is among the most famous knockouts in boxing history.After winning the heavyweight championship for a second time, Ali and Frazier met for two more battles. The third meeting has become legendary. Ali's repeated and demeaning comments to Frazier just turned Frazier into a machine that would not stop moving forward regardless of how much Ali threw at him. Ali never got flustered or discouraged at Frazier's constant pressure. After 14 rounds, these two warriors left it all in the ring in one of boxing most brutal wars.The footage from there shows life after The Thrilla in Manila. Ali's love for boxing and life and just not being able to walk away and how to this day, he still overcomes adversity. And despite having Parkinson's is still as witty as ever. The last part of the DVD also has a shot that will make your eyes mist up.The nearly 6 hours of this DVD really made me inspired by Muhammad Ali. Not just as a fighter, but as a man. A man who stood up for his beliefs even though it cost him his best years as a heavyweight. A man with not only the talent but the intelligence to harness that talent. Even when the talent isn't what it once was, he adapted, showed he can not only dish it out but take it as well, and he never lost his confidence and will to be a champion. Now don't get me wrong, Tyson in his prime was still great, but my pop was right, Muhammad Ali is truly the greatest of all time.

Will make excellent Christmas gift for a true Ali fan.

I picked this up mainly to see the fights. 2 Discs and it's pretty generous with quite a bit of his fights. The background is generally good but I thought he was idolized a bit too much especially when they go on about him and the draft. He's a great fighter but as with all humans he had he's flaws. Still if you want to see at least parts of a lot of his fights this would be something of interest. I had hope you could just get all his fights to view but that doesn't appear to be possible. So FWIW. I would recommend it to someone interested in the fights. This documentary doesn't really go into aspects of his personal life that exposes the not so commendable qualities of Ali: women and race.

this 2dvd product was extremely thorough with the early years of Ali's boxing career the take you on a nice well rounded overview of the years1971 to the end of his career. Excellent!

I bought this on VHS not realizing that this was available on DVD. Let me tell that everyone who has expressed an opinion here is 100% right.Unbelievable picture quality is the first thing. You get to see the washed up bleached kinetiscope picture cleaned up with amazing clarity. Even on VHS, the picture quality is quite apparent especially in volumes 1 & 2.There are many Ali biographies and documentaries but this one has footage I've never seen and I've been an Ali collector and fan for over 50 years.Do yourself a favor and purchase this set whether on VHS or DVD........you won't be disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Muhammad Ali and this DVD captures his rise to the top as the greatest boxer of all time. He is so charismatic and humorous and I loved watching hours of his interviews and fights. I sure wish that they'd come out with a collection of his interviews because more than being a great boxer he was a great individual and expressed himself well even if no one wanted to hear him. He was one guy you couldn't keep quiet. I hate that Parkinsons has taken away his voice moreso than his ability to fight. Overall I think this is a great set to add to any Ali lovers' collection.

Gift

I rarely watch anything on that big tube since I spend most of my time reading, but this 6 disc documentary was well worth making an exception. If you already know who Mohammad Ali is then you will learn new, interesting things about his life and struggles. If you don't know who he is then buy this right now and find out how this man was the best athlete in his sport and is also a great ambassador. This is a Must-Watch!

A must for all Ali fans !Fantastic book.

Excellent series documentary!