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West Australian
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
JUSTIN LANGER: Muhammad Ali's death may not have been caused by Parkinson's Disease
Muhamad Ali is iconic. Few wear that tag. But there are two clear images of the greatest ever fighter. One is of an athlete so supreme, his white shorts dancing around the ring like a matador's cape. His black boots moving so fast that they blur in the swirl of speed; back, forward, side to side, circling around an opponent like a shark weighing up its prey. His gloved hands and arms moving like a hose in a swimming pool, picking off his rival with a pinpoint accuracy often displayed by master archers or dart champions. 'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see.' Could there ever have been a more succinct description? Then there is the second image of the king of the ring. That of an older man whose hands, that once danced like lightning through the air, now trembled with their own quiet rhythm, as they succumbed to Parkinson's disease. Although his eyes still held the fire of a champion, the body that would once float like a butterfly, now trembled and slowed through the effects of the cruel degenerative disease called Parkinson's. The statesman, who transformed from the young man that once cussed his opponents with his legendary 'boxing poetry', finished his precious life spreading messages of hope and optimism, despite his crippling disease. In Coldplay's beautiful song Everglow, Ali says in his own recorded voice: 'God is watching me — God is. God don't praise me because I beat Joe Frazier, God don't give nothin' about Joe Frazier. God don't care nothin' about England or America as far as real wealth . . . it's all His, He wants to know how do we treat each other? How do we help each other? So, I'm going to dedicate my life to using my name and popularity to helping charities, helping people, uniting people. People bombing each other because of religious beliefs. We need somebody in the world to help us all make peace. So, when I die — if there's a heaven — I'm gonna see it.' If only our world listened to these words today. Boxing has been a lifelong passion to me. From Muhammad Ali to Rocky Balboa, I would hit the punching bag and speed ball, skip rope and do push-ups and sit-ups in mum and dad's garage. The art of boxing was the closest way I could replicate the art of batting. When I wasn't in the cricket nets I would be in my friend, mentor and trainer, Steve Smith's gym banging the focus mitts and bags, and training like a boxer. Not only did this get me very fit, but it helped me maintain focus on my goals. In batting and boxing, you need a strong technique of attack and defence, sharp concentration, confidence, fluid foot work and fast hands. You must understand your opponent, face your own fears, as there is nowhere to hide in the ring or on a cricket field. When I first entered coaching, one of my first appointments at the WACA was another great friend and lifelong martial artist, Justin Boylan, who would train our players in the art of boxing, for all the reasons mentioned above. In 2008, I met former Australian boxing champion Ray Fazio. That year, Ray directed the autobiographical drama film Two Fists One Heart, a movie depicting his boxing journey and heritage growing up in Western Australia. When I was invited to watch the filming at Challenge Stadium, I was taken by Ray's athletic prowess, passion and energy, which later converted to his entrepreneurial and inventor spirit. Through his vision I purchased one of his inventions — the Boxmaster (now Fightmaster) machine — that sits in my gym at home. Unbeknown to me, the Fightmaster is not only helping people like me stay fit and mobile, but it is also helping fight Parkinson's disease. Businessman and philanthropist Denis McInerney, a friend of Ray and I, was talking me through this incredible success story earlier in the week. Through Ray and Denis, I spoke with the inspirational Professor David Blacker, a neurologist living with Parkinson's, who is still able to play golf and practice yoga. I then met Steve Arnott, the CEO of the Perron Institute here in Perth this week. Listening to the four of them talk through the serious topic of Parkinson' disease is both hilarious and inspiring. Denis affectionately calls Ray, the 'Northbridge (an inner city Perth suburb) Identity come good', Ray refers to Denis as 'The Connector', while Steve describes Ray and David as the 'Odd Couple'. As Steve says: 'People with different backgrounds often make the best partners because they come up with the best ideas because of their different experiences, perspectives and skill sets.' Odd as the coupling may be, and through all the banter, I pick up on the optimism and hope for those living with Parkinson's. What started as a 15-week trial program designed by Ray and David — and with the help of Edith Cowan University exercise physiologist Travis Cruickshank — the training package has helped transform the lives of those suffering from Parkinson's. Using the Fightmaster machines and a series of non-contact boxing exercises and warm-ups, the results have been physically and psychologically brilliant. Initial studies showed improved safety, tolerability, balance, fitness, sleep quality and Parkinson's severity scores, both in pilot trials and through the results of nearly 100 community participants. The increase in participants suggests it is working. People tend to vote with their feet. On Thursday, Professor Blacker told me: 'Exercise is medicine, and in fact, it's more than medicine, it is a lifestyle. Exercise has significantly helped to reduce my symptoms. I have learnt first-hand, and through the community working with Fight-PD, that a Parkinson's diagnosis is not the end, there is optimism and hope if you have the courage to move forward and challenge your body like an athlete does every day. 'Boxing movements, footwork and balance are excellent for PD because the postures and movements required are almost the exact opposite of what occurs in this disease. Add yoga to this and the benefits of brain, body and mind are heartening.' When you read about health and longevity in books like Outlive by Dr Peter Attia, the concepts of community, diet, exercise and health are paramount. Dr Attia talks of 'lifespan' as a measure of quantity, while 'healthspan' is a measure of quality. He describes this by saying: 'You want to skate smoothly to the very end of your life, not hobble to the finish line.' Essentially, it's not just about living longer, it's about living better. When Ray Fazio describes seeing Parkinson's patients and the benefits of the FightPD program he says it's 'the best feeling I've ever had in my life'. Helping others often has this effect. Another revelation through my conversations this week is that I always believed Ali's Parkinson's curse was the result of his boxing life. This isn't the case. Ali was diagnosed with young-onset, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, confirmed through decades of clinical observation and imaging. In other words, he is likely to have contracted PD regardless of his career. After he died, Ali's family gave permission for the release of his medical records to a leading PD researcher in the US who published some surprising findings in a leading neurology journal. While repeated head trauma from boxing may have been a contributing risk factor, the evidence does not support boxing as the direct cause. His condition showed classic features of Parkinson's, not post-traumatic Parkinsonism. This being the case, I was uplifted to hear that boxing training can have a positive effect on health rather than the other way around. Few want to get into the ring and punch on with an opponent, unless of course you are a professional or amateur fighter. I understand and respect that and wouldn't advocate for it. But I would recommend to any person, regardless of your gender or age, the benefits of training and moving like a boxer. It's a fun, confidence-building method of looking after your health and fitness. It has been proven, that irrespective of our opinions on certain contact/combat sports, the physical skills, mental stimulus, decision-making, and movement techniques required to compete in this environment are often very beneficial. Not only will they prove valuable in regular life, but in the case of Fight PD they can also have major health and medical applications. Throughout history, boxing has been described as a noble art, a science of timing and geometry, and a brutal ballet. Ali famously said: 'I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' Maybe there is something in this for all of us.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
CARVILL'S NOTES: Trash Talk, a Circus Tent, and a Another Golden Generation?
A word of warning: I tend to use stars (*) to replace profanity when I write. Some paragraphs of this particular column will, as a result, resemble the pages of an astronomy textbook. Of all the gruesome, unnecessary things that happen when you spend your life writing and covering boxing – the late nights, bad arena food, the blood-infused sweat or spittle drop that occasionally flies out of the ring to land on your notes – perhaps the most-tiresome aspect of it all is the name-calling and trash-talking that seemingly precedes every major contest. Catch all the latest boxing action on DAZN Trash talking has been part of boxing for decades and when it is not exasperating, it can be genuinely hurtful. By 1975, four years into their rivalry, Muhammad Ali had broken the soul of Joe Frazier apart by calling him a 'gorilla' and an 'Uncle Tom'. Frazier, for his part, never got past it. It is apparently not enough that two men will fight; they should also, for the purposes of putting bums on seats or drawing eyeballs to a screen, hate each other. I was reminded of that last week when reading about the pre-fight press conference (along with a pre-fight fight) between Richardson Hitchins and George Kambosos Jr. The pair had been sparring verbally for some days. On top of the Empire State Building during a face off and a photo opportunity, Kambosos pointed at Hitchins and said, 'Your breath stinks, bro. Your breath stinks. Your breath stinks.' 'I can't talk with this guy. This guy's breath stinks,' Kambosos said a few moments later. A few seconds after that, Kambosos pointed to his crotch and, referring to a proposed $50,000 bet, said, 'You can shake on that, too.' Hitchins was not one to be outdone. After stating that he had never been down in boxing, he said, 'You ****ing pussy. You ****ing *****. I'm going to show that. I'm going to show you, *****.' It was much the same last month when Darren Till called out Carl Froch following the former's win over Darren Stewart. Responding to repeated barbs, Froch said of Till's knockout by Masvidal: 'He's been absolutely ****ing ironed out by Jorge Masvidal with half a punch that's clipped him on the chin.' Froch went on, fantasising what would happen if the pair were to meet. 'It would be an absolute ****ing wipeout, game over,' he said. 'The problem is for Darren Till is that I've been retired for eleven years. I'm not interested. I don't want to fight any more. Don't call my name out to give yourself credence. Listen, if the money was there and it was big enough, I'd certainly take a look at it. But for now, Darren, one—you'd get ****ing demolished, and two—there's no real bunce in it. Just pipe down about the Cobra's name.' Till went on to offer his reply, also through Twitter. He wrote, 'Can't wait to snap that fat big ****ing disgusting nose soon.' It is now understood that fight terms for Froch-Till will soon be finalised, although they stipulate that any bout will take place behind the bins, but not the one by where the teachers' room is. There will also be a rematch clause, but one that states that the loser gets to have his dad beat up the other one's dad. Fighters engage in trash talk because it is not rocket science that animosity sells fights. But it is also lazy to throw cheap venom at your opponent. Ultimately, it cheapens everybody. But does it not get tiresome after a while? How much can the public be expected to believe that so many people hate each other so much? That is the other thing that such talk is: cheap and unbelievable. Because what will happen is that the fighters will trash talk, the fight will take place, and afterwards they will stand next to each other, admit that each always admired the other, and that the bad blood was merely there to hype a fight. It will all be as tiresome and predictable as a Marvel movie. So here is an idea – the next time a fight looms into action, the pleasantries should not be saved for after, but for before. The fighters should be nice to each other before the bell rings, talking about how much they respect the other's skills and their will to win. Then they should fight. And, only after that, should they then move to hate each other. If it only does one thing, it will set up the rematch quite nicely. And on that note: A few weekends ago, I was in Hamburg to commentate the European heavyweight championship between Labinot Xhoxhaj and Mourad Aliev. My commentary gigs are fun and I do it for my love of the sport, saying, 'Hey, I'm just glad to be part of the circus.' Except that the match, which was shown on DAZN, was literally held within a circus tent. Next time, I'm going to wish I was part of a party on a beach somewhere, sipping a non-alcoholic cocktail. The UK boxer James Cook died recently, aged 66. By all accounts, he was not just a good fighter, but also the most decent of men. Cook, 25-10 (14), held the British and European super-middleweight titles in a career that went from 1982 to 1994. He defeated along the way the likes of Michael Watson, Errol Christie, and Mark Kaylor. He also took on Herol Graham and Graciano Rocchigiani. After his retirement from the ring, Cook turned his ship towards working with his local community in Hackney, London, and was eventually awarded an MBE in 2007 for these services. His memory, certainly, will be a blessing to all who knew him. As the current generation of heavyweight champions and contenders – Usyk, Fury, Dubois, Wilder, Whyte – gets older, the next few years will see more and more of them retire, with another generation – Dubois, Wardley, Itauma, Torres, Hrgovic, Kabayel – beginning to come through. Does this mean that we could end up with not one golden generation of heavyweights, but two successive ones? Interesting. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Iconic venues in NYC that have hosted boxing ahead of return to Madison Square Garden
Boxing returns to Madison Square Garden this weekend, with Richardson Hitchins' IBF super lightweight clash against George Kambosos Jr headlining an evening of the sweet science in the Big Apple. Whilst the Garden has become the Mecca of boxing for many fans, New York City as a whole is littered with many iconic venues that have staged big fights over the decades. Here is a rundown of some of the stops in NYC boxing has paid a visit to. Watch over 180 fight nights a year live on DAZN To many, Madison Square Garden is a sporting Mecca. Described as the world's most famous arena, MSG is home to NHL franchise the New York Rangers, as well as the NBA's New York Knicks. Aside from sport, the Garden is also a dream venue for musicians, with artists such as Elton John and Billy Joel labelling the arena as their favourite to perform at. However, the biggest crowds the venue can currently hold are for fight nights, with 20,789 able to watch boxing at the Garden. MSG has long been entwined with boxing – even though the venue has been relocated many times over the years. The third incarnation of the famous arena saw Joey Giardallo's seventh-round knockout of Willie Tory in 1954, in what was the first boxing match televised in colour. The Garden will always retain its lofty place in the history of the sport, having hosted the 'Fight of the Century' in 1971. Still regarded as one of the biggest fights in boxing, the bout between undefeated heavyweights Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier more than lived up to expectations, going the full distance with the latter ending up on top. Barclays Center Madison Square Garden is not the only NBA home that frequently hosts boxing. The Brooklyn Nets ' arena, Barclays Center, is far younger than its Manhattan-based counterpart, opening in 2012. 19,000 punters can watch boxing here, and it has hosted plenty of world title fights despite its infancy as an arena. In just the second card hosted at Barclays Center, 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins became the oldest champion in the history of the sport when he claimed the IBF light heavyweight belt with victory over Tavoris Cloud. St. Nicholas Arena Originally an ice rink, St. Nicholas Arena would become one of the first proper homes of boxing in the USA. With legal venues for boxing scarce in the States, the rink started hosting fights in 1906, staging cards until its closure in 1962. Frequent boxing action could be enjoyed by those in attendance at the rink and to others watching at home; so frequent were fights that NBC transmitted a show called Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena during the 1940s. Plenty of big names threw punches at the venue, including Jack Johnson and Rocky Graziano. On one of the final cards hosted at the rink, a young Muhammad Ali, still going by his birth name of Cassius Clay, secured a knockout victory over Billy Daniels. Radio City Music Hall Although standing for almost a century, Radio City Music Hall does not have as much storied history with boxing as other venues in New York City. In fact, it took 68 years for the first night of boxing to be staged at the concert venue, with Roy Jones Jr headlining a card in January 2000. Jones retained his WBC, WBO, IBF, and IBO light heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over David Telesco, with Jones not dropping a round on the judges' scorecards. In 2013, the second and currently last card was staged at Radio City, with another world title clash. Cuban super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux unified his WBA belt with Nonito Donaire's WBO title thanks to a unanimous decision win. Yankee Stadium Boxing has been a part of the schedule at Yankee Stadium since its inception in 1923. 63,000 watched on as former heavyweight champion Jess Willard secure his last win as a professional. Joe Louis frequently fought at the home of the Yankees – in between fights at Madison Square Garden, highlighting both venues' importance to boxing during the first half of the 20th century. Muhammad Ali would headline the final card hosted at the old Yankee Stadium, edging out Ken Norton via a tight unanimous decision. Boxing would return to the home of the Yankees in 2010, shortly after the new stadium was constructed. Miguel Cotto stopped the previously undefeated Yuri Foreman in the ninth round, picking up the WBA super middleweight title in the process. That, until now, remains the most-recent fight staged at Yankee Stadium. Times Square Just over a month ago a new venue played host to boxing, with the iconic tourist destination of Times Square converted into a ring for The Ring 's debut promotion, featuring Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Ryan Garcia. Fighters' ring walks were replaced by a fleet of NYC yellow taxi cabs whisking boxers from nearby hotels, giving the event even more of a fever dream feel. Whilst the ambition show was admirable, the open air venue saw a limited capacity, leading to a subdued atmosphere, which perhaps led to subdued performances inside the ring.
CNN
22-03-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Boxing heavyweight great George Foreman, who fought Muhammad Ali in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,' dead at 76
George Foreman, the two-time world heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist whose legendary rivalry with Muhammad Ali culminated in the famous 'Rumble in the Jungle' title bout, died Friday according to a verified social media account dedicated to Foreman. He was 76. The Instgram post reads: 'Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr. who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by loved ones. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose. 'A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family. 'We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.' Known as one of the most powerful punchers in boxing history, Foreman won Olympic gold in only his 25th amateur fight devastated one of the all-time greats in Joe Frazier and went on to retain the heavyweight title twice before his now-iconic 1974 fight with Ali in Kinshasha, Zaire - now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Foreman's victory over Soviet fighter Jonas Čepulis at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico sparked the beginning of his professional career, but his celebration was also significant. He took a small American flag and waved it to every corner of the stadium – a memorable moment, given that just ten days earlier his US teammates Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power salute on the podium. It was an action for which Foreman has no regrets, despite backlash when he returned to the US. He told The Undefeated: 'When I walked into the Olympic Village, I saw a couple of athletes who looked like me. I went to speak to them, but they couldn't speak English. For the first time, I realized that the only thing that could identify us was our nation's colors. 'I waved the flag so they knew I was American. Everyone started applauding, so I waved it higher. That is the only reason I had that flag. If I had to do it all over again, I would have had two flags in my pocket.' He continued: 'I proudly walked down Lyons Avenue in the Fifth Ward [in Houston] wearing my medal. A guy I thought was a friend walked up, looked me in the face and said, 'How could you do what you did when the brothers [Smith and Carlos] were doing their thing?' It … broke … my … heart. I didn't expect that.' Foreman turned professional, and won his first 37 bouts before taking on world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, in January 1973. Despite being the clear underdog, Foreman knocked Frazier down six times in two rounds to claim the WBA and WBC heavyweight belts, and become heavyweight champion. His two defenses of the title - first downing Puerto Rico's Jose Roman in 50 seconds and then beating American Ken Norton, who had just defeated Ali, in just two rounds – set up the 'Rumble in the Jungle' bout in Zaire in October 1974. The event had huge cultural and political significance. The decision to hold the fight in Zaire was controversial, with criticism over human rights abuses and corruption under late President Mobutu Sese Seko. It was also seen as a platform for Black athletes to promote African unity. The fight itself – which saw both contenders guaranteed $5 million each, a huge amount at the time in the sport - is seen as one of the greatest ever. Using a tactic later known as 'rope-a-dope,' Ali was able to withstand Foreman's punches by leaning back on the ropes, before landing a series of blows in the eighth round in what turned out to be his only knockout defeat in a 28-year professional career. 'I thought this would be the easiest $5 million I was going to pick up,' Foreman told CNN following Ali's death in 2016. 'I hit him hard in the third round, and he looked at me as if to say, 'I'm not gonna take it!' 'He hit me with a quick one-two, knocked me down to the canvas and my whole life changed. I was devastated. Little did I know I would make the best friend I ever had in my life.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Foreman, Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Famed Entrepreneur, Dead at 76
George Foreman, whose colossal career in the ring saw the legendary boxer take home two heavyweight championships, has died at the age of 76. HIs family announced his death on Foreman's Instagram account. 'Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr. who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by loved ones,' read the caption, which was posted alongside a photo of the boxing champion with his family. 'A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.' More from Rolling Stone Marty Callner, Director of Iconic Cher and Aerosmith Music Videos, Dead at 78 Aurelio Martínez, Honduran Musician and Star of Garifuna Music, Dead at 55 Jesse Colin Young, Youngbloods Frontman Who Sang Sixties Hit 'Get Together,' Dead at 83 The statement also highlighted Foreman's achievements as a 'humanitarian, an Olympian, and two time heavyweight champion of the world,' writing how the icon was a 'force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name— for his family.' No cause of death was given. Foreman first won the heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, triumphing over Joe Frazier in Jamaica. Turning professional the following year, Foreman won the world heavyweight title in 1973 with a victorious knockout of then-undefeated Joe Frazier. He would also go on to fight Muhammad Ali in 1974 during the historic 'Rumble in the Jungle' in Zaire. When he returned to the ring despite public skepticism, he beat the undefeated Michael Moorer in 1994 to reclaim the world title. Outside boxing, he transformed his worldwide fame into a booming business as an entrepreneur known for his George Foreman Grill, which has sold more than 100 million units globally. This is a developing story. Best of Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best The United States of Weed Gaming Levels Up
