Beyond The Ring Is Magic
"Boxing is the only sport you can get your brain shook, your money took and your name in the undertaker book." - Joe Frazier
“ In the future clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
"I am leaving, I am leaving"
But the fighter still remains” Simon and Garfunkel
Last week, I was affected by four serendipitous events converging into one in my mind, giving me inspiration for discussing the time in my life when I crossed paths with two of the greatest boxers of all time, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. This is my story.
Clancy Steadwell posted a note about acquiring ideas and inspiration to publish timely writings. Cori Bren restacked his note and tagged me and a few other writers, complimenting us on our punctual delivery schedule. While thanking Cori for the shout-out, I came across Coleman’s response, “Half the time I end up writing an article based on a Note I read and am like, “Oh snap, that reminds me of something” lol.” His comment reminded me that a few days prior, I had encountered a wonderful article about boxing, which gave me immediate inspiration for this week’s Substack. The article is Handcuffed Lightening by The Obsolete Man, about one of the world’s greatest boxing matches fought by two of the best fighters of all time, George Foreman and Mohammed Ali. Foreman and Ali had distinct styles in and out of the ring. Ali was known for using theater for publicity and showmanship. In 1974 before their fight in Zaire, Africa (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DNC), Ali didn't disappoint when he made this comment before the event Rumble in the Jungle, "I did wrestle with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick." A public statement like that can intimidate your competition. At that time in his career, Ali didn't have the same formidable strength and power as Foreman, so psychological gamesmanship was his most vital asset if he beat one of the hardest punchers in boxing history. George avoided theatrical antics and focused on athleticism, preparation, and performance before a fight. “Big George” was a befitting name for him, highlighting his immense physical strength and relentless aggression in the ring. His punch power and brute force were reminiscent of a cartoon, genuinely staggering. Holyfield said the hardest he’d been hit was by George.
I honestly don’t understand fighting, and why two men or women would want to spend a significant amount of their lives punching each other out and getting battered around. I can’t imagine getting popped into the side of my face from a big punch. That’s a sport only the participants understand, but I’ve heard it's the ultimate form of competition between two individuals for most boxers. Most boxers will tell you it hurts when punched, but they get used to it. And after the first punch, you can't feel the second one. My guess is the first time in the ring, you have either a fight or flight reaction. If you leave, this is a telltale sign you don’t want a black eye. That’s the response I got from George Foreman, and Muhammad Ali once, who said, “When I feel pain, that’s when I start counting because that’s when it counts.”
Now, one of the benefits of being successful in show business is that you meet many fascinating people, some famous and some not, but they are all intriguing and different. Foreman and Ali were famous, captivating, intriguing, and very different from one another. I met George and spent a few weeks with him in Reno, Nevada, where he hosted a boxing camp for kids and adults on the Reno Hilton’s massive stage, where we were headlining Spellbound. At the time, the Reno Hilton stage was the largest in the United States, and living backstage in a far corner was a gutted 727 used as a stage prop during the late seventies in the stage spectacular “Hello Hollywood Hello!” when the Hilton was the MGM Grand. The largest stage measures 53.3 x 73.4 m (175 x 241 ft). It has three main lifts, each capable of raising 1,200 performers (65.3 tonnes or 143,961 lb) and two turntables each with a circumference of 19.1 m (62 ft 6 in). It's massive, and appearing intimate on its landscape was a challenge. One time for a few weeks and during the daytime, a giant boxing ring would be pulled out to the center of the stage, where students learned boxing techniques from one of the best boxers ever to live. I stopped by one afternoon to watch, and I was fascinated by the lesson being taught by a boxing champion. The students took turns sparring with George Foreman.
I noticed George taught them to squat down in their posture, using their quads and abs to achieve a low center of gravity, and the force behind the punches and jabs came directly from their abs. Just like a ballerina uses her abs to raise her leg in a perfect arabesque. That is something that I could understand from my dance training. Of course, there is more to boxing than having solid abs. These students were also shown how to use hand-eye coordination to fight their opponent better. An essential part of boxing training. And the rhythm? George knew the importance of rhythm. Jumping rope to music, his students learned the importance of this element for a good boxer. And when I watch two boxers fight, I'm reminded of a pair of skilled dancers. They have the same fluid movements, footwork, rhythm, and understanding of timing as they execute their respective movements with grace, agility, and balance. Additionally, both anticipate their opponent's or partner's movements. The ring is a boxer’s stage, and in the ring, boxers perform a symphony of speed and might as they move to the rhythm of courage and boldness. Being a trained dancer, I thought, “That's one helluva workout.”
George’s clinic ended for the day, allowing me the opportunity to try to chat with him. Admiring him after watching him teach students the art of boxing, at that point, I would never have thought of boxing as an art but only a sport I didn't understand. I'm not to let a good opportunity pass by, so I noticed he was looking for in an off-stage bathroom which was miles away on that enormous stage, and I yelled in his direction, “There’s one right here!” as I pointed towards the door of our dressing room, located immediately stage-right thanks to Frank Sinatra who when performing at there required a dressing room a few feet walking distance from the stage. If there is one thing I could go back and thank Frank for, it would be this fantastic dressing room, elaborately decorated to his refined taste, and just steps from the stage entrance. So George followed my hand, which pointed the way to our dressing room. I introduced myself, said a few things about his clinic, thanked him for doing his work with kids, and told him what I did —headling on the same stage ss his clinic each night in the show Spellbound. After using the restroom, he hung out a bit, and we invited him to our show, which he came to as our guest one night. Later, before he wrapped up his clinic, we took a photo with him backstage. Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced the photo and must post it when I find it. It's priceless, snd I'll find it and share it in the future. It shows the massivenes of Foreman‘s arms. His entire forearm and bicep of one of his arms enveloped my ex-husband and me in a giant, lovable embrace, indicating his enormous compassion for people. He also showed his colossal size. My ex-husband and I could easily fit in one of him. Here is a rendition of an AI image I generated representing the moment. This shows two arms in a bracing ass, but with work, I know I can collaborate with AI to generate one more like the photo. It’s a fun tool for those needing images for their Substack stories and essays.
I followed George’s career in the media and remember when, in 1994, he won his title back after he had lost it 20 years earlier to Mohammed Ali that fateful night in Zaire. I was happy for him, and a few years later, I met Mohammed Ali in a magic store — Hollywood Magic on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. There he was, sitting on a stool talking magic shop with one of the expert magicians. I didn’t recognize him at first, but Jonathan whispered, “That's Mohammed Al!” Sitting on the stool , his stature was much lower than his height, so we met at eye level. I was the only female among about half a dozen male magicians shopping for magic.
I turned out to be the focus of Muhammad Ali‘s presentation of a magic trick for a few short moments. He turned to us, and we were introduced. Ali loves magic, so I watched and focused my attention on Ali who held a white handkerchief in his hand, waving it as he folded his hand into a fist and began pushing the handkerchief into the hole between his thumb and fingers using his index finger. Inch by inch, the white scarf disappeared into his powerful hand. When it’s gone with the final tuck of his finger, he shows his fist to me inches from my face, like we are in a pretend boxing match, and, with a mischievous smile in his eyes, he opens his hand, and poof! Just like magic, his hand was empty. I knew the handkerchief didn’t disappear because I performed this illusion. Presented by Ali’s giant fists, though, it was perfect. When he finally stood up, that was a magic trick itself. Suddenly, his eyes looking at me, levitated to 6’3”, and I stared at a giant. We all shook hands and made arrangements for him to see our show. Our paths intersected many times through our connections in the Magic community. To me, just like George Foremen, he was a loving giant.
God gave these boxers two lives. First, their athletic talent, skill, prowess, agility, strength, and mental power to perfect their boxing chess games, winning the coveted World Heavyweight Champions. Secondly, through their fame as boxers who were blessed with with dedicated fans, and who continued following them into the next chapter of their lives, he encouraged them to live their lives to the fullest. Spiritually, physically, and mentally. Foreman had a near-death experience that defined the trajectory of his future. At the same time, Ali was incredibly humbled by the ravaging effects of Parkinson’s Disease, leaving him disabled in his later years. However, through their faith in the same God, although from different religious backgrounds, they found the next episode in their journey, which started together in Zaire and cemented their lifetime friendship and camaraderie.
Reminiscing back to 1974 in Zaire Foreman entered the fight with a generous attitude, stating that he was merely helping Ali. “Boy, I’m going to go out and give Muhammad Ali a chance to fight again, make him a few dollars … I had no idea that I’d be getting off the canvas and listening to the ref count me out, and I was devastated losing my title,” Foreman reflected. However, like all great fighters, they must confront the most powerful and skilled adversaries to uphold their crown. But triumph isn't assured. In 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire, Big George met face to face his match in the "Rumble in the Jungle." The much more agile, rhythmic, and faster than lightning speed, Ali famously employed his "rope-a-dope" strategy, allowing Foreman to tire himself by absorbing punches against the ropes before launching a counterattack. Ali won the fight by a knockout in the eighth round, leaving George stunned as if he were electrocuted for too many seconds before he could beat the clock to resume fighting. Unfortunately for George, the younger challenger was destined to claim the iconic championship, leaving Big George overthrown and losing his coveted belt — World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. The Rumble in the Jungle helped seal Ali’s domination as "the Greatest."
The final serendipitous event that caused me to write this article this week was after reading Michael Newberry discussing tennis strategy and the importance of wearing down your opponent on a tennis court, taught to him by his tennis coach, George Tolley, at USC. At the same time, he was a student studying tennis and art. For those unfamiliar with Michael, he publishes a brilliant Substack about art, art theory, history, some intrigue, and his journey in life as a successful artist who began his adult life as a world-class champion tennis player. From his article Chapter 2 Two Roads Diverge about his coach George Toley: “One of his insights was that if you break your opponent’s serve on the changeover, take the full 1-minute time of rest. He observed that when you rush, your opponent can hotheadedly make up the lost ground, but if you slow him down, he stews, feels inadequate, and then calmly takes charge of your lead and wins the psychological war. He also used a similar technique for when you were losing or not playing well—always keep your winner’s timing and posture, and before you know it, the tide turns in your favor. These tactics helped me gain tremendous knowledge about body language, which I have used every day in painting since then.” Michael reminds me of a similar strategy Ali used against Foreman. His "rope-a-dope" strategy, discussed earlier in this essay was used on Foreman, tiring him by forcing him to take punch after punch and falling into the ropes with each force delivered before Foreman launched his counterattack. By then, it was too late. Ali won the fight by a knockout! Proving psychological manipulation is a vital tactic to used by athletes for winning any game, "Psyching them out" or "mind games." This ploy strives to disrupt the adversary’s focus, eroding their confidence and potentially affecting their performance.
The same strategy can be applied to our daily lives in several ways. The sinister can employ it to control your decision-making skills by manipulating your fear. Fear brings down your resistance, and your opposition has a better chance of influencing your thoughts when you are scared. Don’t be! When you step into the ring of life, do so confidently and be fearless. Bullies use brute strength to try to take you down, but you have strategy and self-assurance on your side. That is what scares the devil.
“If fear drives you in hiding, then the criminals have won” Dick Solomon, 3rd Rock From the Sun
I will leave you with a few beautiful and inspiring quotes from Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
“I am the greatest; I said that even before I knew, I was.”
“Don’t count the days; make the days count.” Mohammed Ali
“ I am a winner every time I go into the ring.“
“That’s my gift. I let the negative of the roll off me like a water off a duck's back. If it’s not positive, I didn’t hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy.” George Foreman
Q
Funny how things can sometimes line up so clearly and simultaneously. Thank you for the mention, and for sharing such great memories of getting to meet both of these legendary figures!
The timing of this article was so particular for me. Thank you for this piece!