European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse A go egg of Fugg Lolitta k i9mffikf--tf a of Mem Mem you re a lady. Don t cry Ali Orts a Little fan knocked Down by the throng trying to reach him after a workout. By Billy Reed he Day begins at 5 ., when the Boss Shat ters the quiet of his training Camp by ringing the Bell outside his private log Cabin. Immediately i the misty darkness is punctuated by lights T coming on in the other Cabins on the Hillside. The Bell tells everyone that Muhammad Ali was up ready to get at the business of training for what promises to be a dramatic Climax to his epic boxing career. Soon he would be moving his training Camp from Deer Lake pa., to new wears a Blue jogging suit with White stripes on the sleeves. After ringing the Bell he strolls past the mess Hall and gymnasium toward the two Story Cabin where his wife Veronica lives with their children. On the Way barely visible in the darkness he Shadow boxes As if trying to shake the sleep from his 36-year-old mind and body. This Camp Cost me $480,000, but it s perfect Man says Ali. Even if i used it Only for this one fight it would be Worth the Money. It s Worth a half million dollars to get ready for the fight that s going to mean something to the whole world. This is my last fight my last time in Camp. It s like my whole Camp was built for this purpose this one fight. I Don t know Why but god has his the fight in question of course is the one against Leon Spinks Friday in the new Orleans super dome. Spinks took the world heavyweight championship from Ali feb. 15 in Las said earlier that the return bout will be his last Hurrah even if he becomes the first Man to win the heavyweight title three times. Later however he said he will not announce his retirement after the rematch. If i win i m Gonna use the title for six months a year no sense giving it up right away he contends rightfully that it will be one of the biggest sporting events Ever. It will be seen on television by an estimated 2 billion people in More than 70 countries. But now on this dark and humid summer morn that All seems far away As Ali stands beneath his wife s bed room window and softly Calls Veronica an upstairs Light flickers on and Aii satisfied that his wife is awake walks through a gravel parking area and across an Asphalt Road to the Little White Frame building with the stained Glass is Ali s place of worship his mosque and it is the first place he goes almost every Day. He takes his Reli Gion just As seriously today As in 1967, when he cited religious grounds As justification for refusing induction into the United states . His conversion to the Muslim Faith undoubtedly was the most important move of his life. It Cost him fans in America but it made him a hero virtually a god to the world s 800 million moslem. Inside the mosque s one room is panelled and carpeted but the Only furniture is a Metal folding chair on which sits a copy of the Koran the holy Book. Upon enter ing Ali takes off the heavy combat boots in which he runs. Then he stands meditatively head bowed and hands clasped before throwing himself to his Knees and bowing toward the East. Finally he rises picks up the Koran and sits on the floor his Back against the Wall so he can study his lesson for the Day. While Ali is worshipping the Camp is beginning to stir. Of the 20 or so people employed by Ali during training at a total Cost of $12,000 a Mont Only his closest friends and advisers get up to run with him. After worshipping Ali is driven to an isolated Rural Road so he can run at least two Miles. He hates to run but he knows he must do it to be ready for Spinks. The last several Hundred Yards of the two mile run Are Uphill and Ali is breathing heavy and perspiring freely when he finally stops. He then walks awhile stopping every few Yards to shadowbox. Finally he gets in the car and Heads Back to Camp to do calisthenic. Ali hates calisthenic almost As much As he hates run Ning so he puts them off by sitting around and talking with friends and employees. Ali seems to enjoy these Pri vate sessions. Invariably the conversation is about the subjects that interest Ali the most himself and Allah. The truly great men of history never wanted to be great Ali says. Look at Jesus. Moses Noah lot Abraham Mohammad. God s prophets and All they wanted was a Little Robe and a Donkey and a Chance to be closer to god. This is deep Man. This is getting to the heart of my i was a Little boy in Louisville i used to Lay on my bed at night crying. I knew i was going to do some thing in life i just did t know what. Something Ain t right i thought. Why do the White Man go to and the Black Man to ? i always knew some thing was wrong. I went to Church and saw Jesus As a White Man with Blond hair and Blue eyes. What if Jesus was really Black what if All the Angels were really Lack what if everybody at the last supper was really Black what s 300 years of looking at that White Jesus Gonna do to a Man s mind of Man what Cha talking about finally about 8 30 ., Ali knows he finally must face up to the exercises. His masseur Luis Sarria greases his body with Oil to induce spends the next 45 minutes doing More than 300 sit ups. Lying on his training table with Sarria holding his feet Ali does 21 conventional sit ups. Then he does 16 More rocking Back and Forth touching his elbows to his Knees. Beads of perspiration Glisten on his body. And so it goes until the session is Over. Ali gets on the Scales. He weighs 228 pounds which Means he has to lose eight or 10 More pounds in a the calisthenic and Rubdown Ali slips into a Blue shirt and Slacks and goes to the mess Hall for Cook Lana Shabazz feeds him sliced Cantaloupe a Platter of fresh fruit and Fried eggs with sausage and grits. He eats Only two meals a Day. Luis Sarria above Ali s masseur since 1965, prepares the Boxer s face before a workout. At right Ali worships in his mosque at his Deer Lake training Camp. Watched by conditioner Lloyd Wells left and masseur Sarria Ali endures one of his 300 daily training sit ups. Photos by c. Thomas Hardin Page 14 the stars and stripes monday 1978 in the evening the menu usually consists of Steak salad and fresh Green goes Back to his Cabin at 11 To rest until about 1 30 . Sometimes he sleeps. Other times he watches television plays with his children or practices the magic tricks he has Learned recently. While he is resting the daily horde of reporters photographers tourists and autograph seekers begins arriving. By 1 30, it s standing room Only in the tiny gym. People occupy All the Metal folding chairs and lean against the Walls. Body heat increases the temperature in the room to 100 degrees or so. Some Days the crowd in the gym is so big that Ali does t have enough room to jump rope or work out on the big bag. This upsets his handlers but not Ali. The crowds Are Good for his ego and his attitude. With people watching he can t cheat on his training. Also As Ali sees it it makes it More fun to jump rope or punch a bag if people Are there to applaud when he s finished. After a workout Ali retires to his dressing room to rest Shower get a Rubdown and meet with reporters. He delivers a sort of Stock interview with enthusiasm Day after Day. Finally he walks outside to meet the people who have been waiting to touch him and get his Auto graph. With the Public and especially with children Ali is incredibly patient tolerant and kind. No other big time athlete gives so much so often. Ali spends hours signing autographs and posing for pictures. I know How big i am with these people he says. When i was a kid my hero was sugar Ray Robinson. I finally got a Chance to meet him in i960, when i was on my Way to the olympics. He was coming out of a hotel and i ran up and introduced myself and asked him for his autograph. But he said not now kid. I m Busy i went Back to my hotel and cried. I told myself i never wanted to disappoint a kid the Way sugar Ray disappointed after his workout Ali comes out and walks into a mob of poor ghetto kids who have Ridden the bus from the Bronx to see him. In the group was one pretty Little girl maybe 6 years old. Her Black hair was fixed in pigtails and she had put on her Best dress for Ali. But when Ali came out and the kids rushed to him the Little girl was knocked Down in the dust. Kids stumbled Over her. Her dress got dirty. And she began to cry the sobs shaking her body. Ali heard and pushed his Way through the mob so he could pick her up. He put her head on his shoulder and patted her gently on the Back with his huge hands the hands that had knocked the sense out of the Sonny listens and the George foremans of the world. A c Mon you re too big to cry he whispered softly. You re a big girl. You re a lady. Don t in a few moments she stopped crying and began to smile. Distributed by the new York times news service the stars and stripes Page 15
