The Black Superman - MUHAMMAD NAVEED AHMED (Emmenay) (best books to read for teens .txt) 📗

a fight for the real gold.

And as all seats were sold out at Madison Square Garden,
Ali and Frazier clashed to decide the real champion.

From rounds one to four Ali battered Frazier at will,
Even though he had lost some of his previous speed and skill.

Frazier was flustered and frustrated at the start of round five,
That those who knew about boxing saw he was not a special guy.

Then, as some eyewitnesses say, a written paper was given,
To Muhammad Ali and the fight scene changed its pattern.

The sharp and hard-hitting Ali went to lie on the ropes,
As Frazier charged wildly and rekindled his lost hopes.

Yet, despite his wild charging and his aimless punch throwing,
Frazier's admirers found that he was just not 'smokin'.

And even though on the ropes Ali out-punched the so-called champ,
Proving to all his detractors he was still the people's champ.

Frazier hit him with low blows, a lot, below the belt,
But Ali made fun of him and neatly with him dealt.

All impartial observers who had converged there on that night,
Saw that despite Frazier's best Ali was ahead in the fight.

However, all those men and women who wanted Ali to lose,
Gave most of the rounds to Joe though he looked like a blown-up fuse.

Every fair analyst of the "Fight of the Century",
Slowly saw through the scheme prepared for Muhammad Ali:

That because of Ali's bravado and his fearless nature,
The racists of the world wanted Joe to be the winner.

The racists wanted Muhammad to lose and they called all the shots,
As the “People’s Champion” was made to look distraught.

And to save his future as a professional and good boxer,
Ali let himself look like he could not overpower Frazier.

And in the 15th round Ali even made it even more convincing,
By getting knocked down by Joe's left hook which he threw while charging...

And thus, even though, he had won more rounds than Frazier,
The referee and the ringside judges declared Joe as the winner.

Unexplainable things happened on that fateful March-8 night,
As a winning Ali was compelled and forced to lose the fight.

Video footage of those gruelling 15 rounds if seen even today,
Will make those who know boxing ponder why Ali threw the fight away.

For, as time reveals, after losing this momentous first battle,
Ali’s revoked boxing licence was given back to him sans the title.

This poet too has boxed as an amateur in his days of youth,
And to his death day will he say that Frazier "won" due to some crook.

For except round eleven and then the fateful final round,
Frazier had lost most of the rounds though Ali even clowned.

Perhaps the facts behind the "Fight of the Century",
Will emerge one day and sift falsehood from reality.

And as many boxing pundits like me say Ali won the fight,
History too will rewrite what really happened that night.

And in the rematch fight that followed Ali beat Frazier easily,
And in their "Thrilla in Manila”, consolidated his victory.

Nobody in his senses will disagree with this poet's contention,
That in all their three bouts Ali dominated most of the action.

And Joe Frazier was stripped of all his claims to greatness,
By losing to George Foreman who Ali knocked out senseless.

Truth cannot lie hidden forever and one day it will be proven,
That Muhammad Ali won the fight...and lost the decision.

The decision that made Frazier as Ali's victor in the first match,
Was nothing but a plot which the U.S. racists had hatched.

And even after more than four decades Ali is still known as the champ,
While nobody even remembers or knows Frazier even in his training camp.


(4) RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE

Big George Foreman was the World Heavyweight Champion,
Towering and fearsome, as strong as a stallion.
He had shattered the myth of old Smokin' Joe,
By knocking him down and out, six times as we know.
The power of his punches destroyed Kenny Norton,
And humbled the hopes of unranked Joe Roman.
When George swung his punches very few could stand,
The power they carried was like the 'Big Bang'.
It was when Ali, the 'Champ' of all time,
Was finding it hard to match aging skills with rhyme.
A three-and-half years'lay-off had robbed him of his prime,
Time had taken its toll and skills were on the decline.
The very feet that danced for 15 rounds and more,
Were unable to shuffle beyond round four.
Still, Ali retained some of his old glow,
As his destruction of Norton and Frazier would show.
The dream to regain the title kept him moving on,
Beating guys like Bugner out of his path like pawns.
At last Big George had to face him for the title,
And the Louisville Lip was right across the table.
George knew since childhood, that when Ali said something,
His words always conveyed a very clear warning.
So when Ali said that once inside the ring,
Foreman would learn the real meaning of boxing.
Don King the promoter arranged their big rumble,
That was to be fought in an African jungle.
The world thought perhaps Ali had gone crazy,
When he claimed he would regain all his lost glory.
Foreman, it was known, was deadlier than Liston,
Younger and stronger with punches packing a ton.
When Ali could not knockout Smokin' Joe or Norton,
How could he, they said, vanquish Foreman the awesome.
So most of them forecast a sad end for Ali,
They said he would be 'killed' by George like a flea.
Ali's old some said, too slow, no power in his blows
Beyond round three it was predicted George wouldn't prolong the show.
But Ali was Ali, undaunted and brave,
Insisting how he would teach Big George to behave.
So on October 30th of 1974,
The 'Rumble in the Jungle' held much in store.
As the bout started Big George charged and bombed
Trying to land his best shots but Ali remained strong.
He was putting his well-thought plan in action,
Raining right hand leads on Foreman with precision.
The annihilator of Frazier and Kenny Norton,
Was shaken when Ali hit him and commanded the situation.
Relentlessly George charged and managed to corner Ali,
Hitting him with all the power his haymakers could carry.
With Ali on the ropes and Foreman landing his bombs,
Many closed their eyes fearing the knockout gong.
Foreman kept swinging punches but Ali kept his cool,
And when the round ended he even disdained the stool.
Come on George he urged daring the champion to fight,
This was something that none expected on that night
With tactics unchanged he charged to end the fight in two,
Even though he did his best his wish did not come true.
Now Ali's strategy showed he was more than the dancing master.
Content on the ropes he taunted George to hit harder.
Round three was a new scene as the excited crowd roared,
Ali Bomaye, Bomaye Ali, as Foreman was getting weaker.
For the first time in years the champ was getting hit,
It was round three but Muhammad was strong and fit.
In sheer disbelief the world, and George watched,
As the Black Superman rope-a-doped and dodged.
The fourth round was but a replay of this scene,
Ali was on the way to fulfilling his old dream.
Foreman was punching him with the best he had got,
But Ali's ring wizardry was reducing it to naught.
In five Ali showed he still remained,
The king as more jabs on Foreman rained.
Not a soul who was watching the bout ever thought,
That Ali would have the whole world so distraught.
By the end of round six and then seven,
Foreman's dazed mind was floating in its heaven.
In the closing seconds of eight, Ali came out for the kill,
His lightning array of punches made even time stand still.
Foreman was frustrated, gasping for every breath,
His end was drawing nearer with every tired step.
Then it was that Foreman was hit with two lefts and a right,
He came down like a tree, crashing down with its might.
He was on the canvas and did not know what happened,
Till the referee went and told him that he had met his end.
And so it was on that fateful dawn in Zaire,
That the invincible George was consumed by Ali's fire.
Joe Frazier was stunned and so was Kenny Norton,
As they saw how Ali walked with the grace of a real champion.
He erased forever doubts about his boxing prowess,
'Ali, you are the greatest', he made them all confess.

THE CHAMP�S OWN POETRY

AFTER THE OLYMPIC VICTORY OF 1960

They say the greatest was Sugar Ray,
But they still have to see Cassius Clay.
He is fast and quick of feet,
And he appears to be very neat.
Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee,
Your hands can�t hit what your eyes can�t see.


PREDICTING SONNY LISTON�S DOWNFALL

(a) Ali advances and Liston starts to retreat,
If Liston goes back an inch further, he will wind up in the ringside seat.
Ali swings with his left, Ali swings with his right,
Look at young Ali carry the fight.
It�s a matter of time when Ali lowers the boom,
Liston steps backwards, but there isn�t enough room.
Liston has disappeared and the cameramen are frantic,
Wait�the radars have picked him, somewhere in the Atlantic.
Who would have thought when they came to see the fight,
They would witness the launching of a human satellite!

(b) If you want to lose your money,
Then gladly bet on Sonny.


AGAINST HENRY COOPER IN 1963

This ain�t no jive,
Cooper will fall in five.

AGAINST JOE FRAZIER IN 1971

Joe Frazier is gonna come smoking,
And I aint gonna be joking,
I will be pecking and poking,
Pouring water on his smoking,
This may shock and amaze ya,
But I will destroy Joe Frazier.


AGAINST KEN NORTON IN 1973

It will be a left hook or a right cross,
That will teach Norton who is the boss.
My jaw has healed,
His fate is sealed.

A

GAINST FOREMAN IN 1974


So George Foreman do yourself a favour,
Stay away from my left, it cuts like a razor.

You were all amazed when Nixon resigned,
Wait till I whup George Foreman�s behind.

It was so exciting, it was such fun,
I saw him shadowboxing and his shadow won.

AGAINST JOE FRAZIER IN 1975

It will be a chilla and a thrilla,
When I tame the gorilla in Manila.

AGAINST ERNIE TERRELL IN 1967

I am fighting him for he needs the money,
After this fight his life won�t be sunny.

*********** THE END************