Muhammad Ali feature

Working on a feature story about Muhammad Ali for Boxing News weekly mag in London. If anyone can share a personal memory of meeting or working with or interviewing the man called The Greatest, it would be greatly appreciated (see samples).

Thanks,
MB


Riddick Bowe (Former World Heavyweight champion): "Muhammad Ali is what enticed me to get into boxing. I liked his spirit and I liked his style. And I liked the way he spoke. See, what happened was, I was in junior high school – I was in 8th grade, I was 13 years old – and the reading teacher brought in a tape of Ali. And I just fell in love with Ali from that point on. I said, 'I wanna be heavyweight champion of the world.' And in about ten years later it took place and it happened. My teacher, she called around a couple of gyms so I could start boxing. So we finally decided to go to Bed-Stuy Boxing Association Club. And I walked into the gym, fought in the Kid Gloves, the Golden Gloves, the Junior Olympics, and I realized in that time I could be champ. Because I did feel a certain ease, you know? A lot of guys had a lot more experience than I had but I was beatin’ up all them guys like I was there the whole time they were."

James 'Buster' Douglas (Former World Heavyweight champion): "Muhammad Ali made such an impact on boxing and was a beautiful boxer. He had a beautiful jab. I met him on several occasions, kicked it with him, we had a ball. It isn't like it usually is where your expectations are too high. It wasn't like that. It was even more than I expected. He said he liked my style. He told me he was jumping up and down, and jumping out of his chair watching the Tyson fight. It was a thrill to bring pleasure to a man who brought so much pleasure to me."