Media MonsterWeird But True

Muhammad Ali Wanted To Go To Mars, Become The Boxing Champion Of The Universe

Muhammad Ali accomplished more during his career than almost any boxer before or since. He went 56-5, and those last couple losses were a result of hanging on too long at the end of his career. He won Olympic gold. He was heavyweight champion of the world three times over. He became a figure of social import far beyond the boxing world, one of the most iconic athletes of all time.

About the only thing he never did: travel to Mars and become the heavyweight champion of the infinite frontier.

Amazingly, though, that wasn’t for lack of a plan. Back in 1966, a persistent Chicago-area high school student named Michael Aisner managed to land a one-on-one chat with The Greatest. Over the course of the interview, Aisner and Ali had some very conventional moments – Ali talking about the time he first got interested in boxing, working hard, what he’d like to do after retiring – and some very non-conventional moments. Like when Ali went off on a bit about going to Mars to fight the Martian champion. He had it all planned out, down to his opponent’s unpronounceable name. And now, 46 years later, we can hear it all:

Muhammad Ali Goes to Mars: The Lost Interview from Tumblr on Vimeo.

(Note: if you have any problems getting the above clip to play, just go here.)

Person 1: Muhammad Ali’s great and everything, but I have to admit, I’m not totally sure why everyone makes such a big deal over him.
Person 2: Are you kidding? What more could you possibly want from the guy?!
Person 1: Well, if it turned out he’d ever told a story that sounded like something Metta World Peace would post during a Twitter binge…
Person 2: [shows Person 1 the above clip]
Person 1: Well, I’m convinced. Ali’s a national treasure.

Also: hell of a fitness plan he must have had, to stay in great shape over 10 years of spaceflight and presumably be immediately ready to box on a planet humans had never visited before. But hey, if anyone could have done it, it would’ve been Ali.

[With Leather]

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