Facing Ali

It was 1964, I was 14 years old. It seems so long ago - well, it was. I was in the seminary in Subiaco Arkansas listening one night to Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston. It started a love of boxing that lasted a very long time.

This film was a blend of talking and boxing. It kept you glued to the screen so you wouldn't miss a word or a moment of action.

It was a well balanced film; giving the good and the bad. You gained a real insight into Muhammad Ali, and into those who fought him. A fight with Ali was literally a lifesaver for Ken Norton, who was broke.

An excellent documentary about a great man.

This documentary cements itself as one of the greats in boxing history. Out of the numerous films, books, documentaries and other assorted material on Muhammad Ali, Facing Ali surely is in the top 5. With no interviews of the legend himself, Pete McCormack crafts an intimate and touching portrait of Ali through the eyes of his biggest rivals. George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Ron Lyle, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks and Ernie Terrell all have unique voices into what it meant to fight the champ and on the legacy he left. Chuvalo in particular speaks exceptionally well, giving analysis to both Ali the man and the fighter. This is an unmissable treat.

FACING ALI is a fantastic documentary that is a befitting tribute to the man who is undeniably "The Greatest", Muhammad Ali. I absolutely loved this "career biography" that is told by some of his most significant former opponents like Joe Frazier and George Foreman. It is easy to see why Ali is the Greatest Fighter of all time. The film has a well blended combination of historical footage and contemporary interviews beginning with his early professional fights through his last fight with Larry Holmes. It recalls his conversion from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and how he stood by his principles. We also get some insight into the men who fought him as they recount some of their own history. But mostly it is an affectionate tribute to great fighter and a great man.

I have seen a lot of material regarding Muhammad Ali. Movies, clips from his greatest fights, documentaries, interviews and many, many more. This is what I was expecting when I sat down to watch 'Facing Ali'. Another documentary concerning this extraordinary man's exploits.

What I found, however, was something else. Something that kept me glued to the screen for the entirety of the film.

The premise of 'Facing Ali' is simple. Ten fighters who had traded blows with Ali during his remarkable career are interviewed. George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Larry Holmes and many other great boxers give their opinion on their fights with Ali, as well as Ali the boxer and Ali the person.

The interviews are beautifully done, with each fighter recounting their experiences, both personal and official. I found it riveting to hear each one's story. The pain and heartache each one endured to get where they were was clearly visible, as were their vivid recollections of their experiences with Ali. They say history is written by winners. This documentary identifies the men who were on the other side, who lived in the shadow that was Ali. They are no less remarkable.

The shooting style was very simple, and it worked. The interviews are interwoven with various Ali quotes and footage, as well as (of course) clips from his greatest fights over the course of his career. The whole thing comes together to keep one interested. This is no mere recollection of a great boxer's fights. It is also about Ali the man, a fighter of awesome ability, but also a man with a conflicted life, filled with hardship. This is told from the point of view of the men on the other side of his gloves.

This documentary is deserving of any praise it receives. 'Facing Ali' may have been told from the side of his opponents (phenomenal fighters and people in their own right), but it leaves little doubt - Ali was, and always will be, one of the greatest.

Based off the book which was written by Toronto sports writer Stephen Brunt. In the book, he chooses 15 boxers, all of which have faced Ali, some won, some lost. Thankfully, in the movie, we only have to sit through 10 of them.

Mr. Brunt's book did everything it could to find important moments of Ali's life. The most notable fighter omission from the book was Leon Spinks. Why wasn't he included? After a relatively exhaustive search, Mr. Brunt couldn't find him. Fortunately for the viewers of the video, Director Pete McCormack found him after months of searching. Spinks had lost his job and was helping at a shelter in the mid-west USA.

I had heard about this video a while back but I avoided it until I saw MMA fighter Randy Couture say that he liked it a lot. Only then did I make a point to watch it.

Sitting down to watch the screening of the video, I feared that it would be just another glowing, "Ali was the greatest", lovefest for 100 minutes. Fortunately, this was not the case. Most of the fighters interviewed were genuine in their praise, a few were self-serving and one was bitter. Probably from being asked for the umpteenth time how great Ali was.

This is an essential video to watch about the life of Mohammed Ali. For those who forget just how fast, how smart and how talented he was as a boxer. For those who only see him now as an over the hill boxer that had too many fights, or as a shell of his former self because of Parkinson's, this video is for you.

To know the fear, anxiety, power, rage and humbling experience of stepping into the ring with a truly great fighter, you need to hear it from the people who have done it.