:58:01
The sense was that we were watching
a man who was going out to be...
:58:06
going out to the gallows.
:58:08
They all believed he was gonna get
defeated and they were terrified.
:58:13
They thought that with his pride
:58:15
he would take one of the world's
worst beatings ever
:58:18
and he wouldn't give up.
:58:20
And he was gonna be destroyed.
Killed or maimed, they knew not what.
:58:23
But they were deeply frightened,
:58:26
as if they were taking whatever fear
Ali might have had and absorbing it.
:58:31
After a while he looked at Bundini
:58:33
and said,
"We're gonna dance tonight."
:58:36
They said, "You're gonna dance!"
:58:39
Muhammad Ali was so funny
repeating this.
:58:42
"What am I gonna do?!"
They said, "Dance!"
:58:45
He said, "Yes!
And that man's gonna be bewildered!
:58:49
"I'm gonna dance and dance!"
:58:51
And they said, "You're gonna dance!"
I swear they were all crying.
:58:55
And he built them up to a degree
:58:58
so that for him
they became half-happy.
:59:03
(Commentator) Here comes the
Ali people out of the dressing room
:59:05
and all of the questions
will be answered.
:59:08
The awesome power of George Foreman
:59:11
against the varied boxing skills
of Muhammad Ali.
:59:14
It's age against youth.
:59:17
The experience of Muhammad Ali
:59:19
against the youth and brute force
and blinding speed.
:59:23
You can hear the band strike up
in the background
:59:25
as Ali moves to the ring.
:59:27
This is what Muhammad Ali lives for,
this is the man's life.
:59:31
This may be an historic event,
:59:34
Muhammad Ali coming into
the boxing ring for the last time.
:59:38
Should Muhammad Ali retire,
:59:40
this will be, what you're seeing now,
a very historic event.
:59:43
Here comes the heavyweight champion
of the world, George Foreman,
:59:47
jogging out!
:59:49
George Foreman
decked out in his red robes,
:59:52
coming in with his people.
:59:54
(Mailer) 'No one in the press
ever saw Mobutu
:59:58
'and he didn't come to the fight.