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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1978)
Section II Portland Observer Thursday, October 5,1978 Page 3 The Greatest A li has done it all — fighters could take on Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Ernie Shavers, George Foreman — even Sonny Liston and, Ron Lyle? A li beat them all, and that’s all you can ask. People have to go with Muhammad A li. He's fought everybody there is to fight, and what's more, he's managed to adjust to each style. Muhammad A li coined a popular slogan: “ Your hands can’ t hit what your eyes can’ t see,” “ float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” and a younger generation o f fight fans made it their eleventh commandment. The tw o statements, w hile hum orous in nature, are declarations o f philosophies that oppose each other at every level, and represent boxings classic confrontation: the persistence o f a slugger vs. the elusiveness o f a boxer. . A li depends on backing up and boxing to get out o f jams. Muhammad A li has had some o f his greatest fights against sluggers. And as far as a lack o f current talent is concerned, i f you look at the size o f the current heavyweight contenders, all o f them are bigger, faster and stronger. A li didn’ t have to knock people out — he outpointed them. Remember that A li, at 6’ 3” , 225 pounds, hit hard and often, and a lot o f times those punches take more o f a toll than a single knockout punch. Muhammad A li, is not only big but he is the fastest Heavyweight Champion who ever lived. A fter A li won the light Heavyweight Gold Medal in the Olympics in 1961 he said: . . this is an age o f records and record-breaking. I f you don’ t break some records, you’ re a no one . . . 1 have to be first (even) in the soup line . . . ” The most recognized face in the world lived up to his popularity. M uham m ad A li who crow ned him se lf “ The Greatest,” in 1965, remarked, “ The man who’ s gonna whup me is now ten years old. There’ s a little bitty boy walking around the sidewalks and he doesn’t even know but he’s gonna be interested in boxing.” Muhammad A li, the 36-year-old tw o-tim e form er Heavyweight Champ didn't know how accurate his prediction would turn out. Leon Spinks, an ex-Marine and a Gold Medal winner in the 1976 Olympic Games, was only eleven years old when A li made that statement to a reporter. That little bitty boy became king o f the mountain. And A li, “ the people’s champ” became the challenger. In previous fights A li announced the round in which his opponent would exit — a feat (or treat) that his fans could count on. But this time he kept Spinks — and the fans — guessing. Up to his old tricks o f promoting him self and the fight, A li, who dubbed the man he first beat (1964) for the Title, Sonny Liston, “ The Bear,” and the second he toppled for the crown, George Foreman (1974), “ The M u m m y .” He also had a label fo r Spinks'. He called Spinks “ Blackula.” Poking fun at the gap between Spinks teeth when he removes his mouthpiece between rounds. A li said: " I ’ ve got a purpose, I ’ m going to win the Title a third time. Something that no other champion in any weight has ever done,” says A li. AU vs. SPINKS Cham pion Leon Spinks and form er Cham pion Muhammad A li broke training camp to head for New Orleans on Thursday, August 31st, to begin final preparations for their September 15th, encounter at the New Orleans Superdome. They began public workouts at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium September 1st. Both men had trained intensely and were below their respective fighting weights the first time around with over two weeks training to go. Those around both fighters felt confident that theit man would fight the best fight he was capable o f at this stage in his career. That proposed a very compelling question. That question was whether A li, even in the best o f condition could salvage enough o f his once remarkable skills to beat o ff the young, strong, brawling Spinks. He was intent upon becoming the first man in history to gain the crown three times. Spinks loved the power and glory o f being Champion. He was ready to put up the fight o f his life to keep it all. Both men had something to prove. This encounter was aptly dubbed “ TH E BIG ONE.“ FGE ENERGY UPDATE Do-it-yourself Conservation Show Returns on KPTV Because o f the popu larity o f the television program “ H ow to w ith Pete" w h ich shows do-it-yourselfers how to insulate, make storm doors and w indow s and a variety o f other home weatherization projects, PGE is happy to present a repeat o f the best o f the “ H ow to " series again this fall. Show s are s c h e d u le d o n C h a n n e l 12 (KPTV ), 10 to 10:30 am . every Saturday- through Decem ber 9th. All PGE division and d istrict offices have schedules w hich are yours fo r the asking o r you can call 226-8501 and w e 'll m ail you one because we re anxious to have you learn all about conservation and w eatherization from Pete, one o f o u r PGE energy misers. PGE/Reader’s Digest Scholarship Awarded to U. of O. Freshman A 11000 Reader's Digest scholarship, w hich was part o f the National Sweepstakes Award w on recently by PGE fo r the best u tility com m unications d u rin g 1977, was awarded this m onth to C urtis G rund w ho plans to enter the U niversity o f Oregon this fall. C ur tis is the son o f the late John Grund, a PGE em ploye. C u rtis graduated fro m Tigard High School last June, was valedictorian o f his class, active on the school newspaper, an accom plished athlete and an outstanding student. PGE President, Robert H. Short, made the scholarship presentation. Energy Education for Families at Trojan Info Center Have you and your fam ily had the o p p o rtu n ity to visit the Trojan Inform ation Center yet? If not, there’s an in teresting, educational treat in store for ✓ you. A com bina tion o f films, slides, and fascinating w o rkin g models, assembled in an ultra m odern building, relates a wide assortment o f energy inform ation on conservation, energy sources, safety and plant operation, that is easily understood. More than 100,000 visitors toured the cen ter so far this year. The center is a com forta ble 42-m ile-drive north and west o f Port land on Hwy. 30 and it’s hard to miss the bright orange building that houses a fas cin a tin g educational experience. Come visit and learn. Workforce Now Totals 1,000 Building Boardman Coal Plant The 530,000-kilow att Boardman coal-fired generating plant, currently under construc tion 13 miles southwest o f Boardman, O re gon, is just under 40 percent com plete w ith a w orkforce o f 1,000 producing a payroll of approxim ately »1.5 m illion per month. The plant, w hich is scheduled to be generating ele ctricity by June 1980, represents an in vestment estimated at J5OO-525 m illion. PGE w ill be operator and principal owner. PGE Has a Bureau-full of Speakers to Present Free Club Programs Now that fall is officially here ( it began Sept 23), most civic, service, church and social clubs are resuming their meeting schedules and PGE speakers are available to present a variety o f topical programs at luncheon, dinner o r evening meetings. The programs range in subject m atter from A (atom ic en ergy) to Z (zucchini freezing). To arrange for a speaker, program chairpersons (o r anyone, for that m atter) can sim ply call 226 8501, o r w rite PGE Speaker’s Bureau» 121 S.W Salmon St., Portland, OR 97204 for a folder describing the programs that are available. Thought For the Day Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people. Harry Emerson Fosdick 56E Fbrtland General Electric
