Review of Facing Ali (2009) by Erno K — 30 Dec 2009

Muhammad Ali was a character, that much is certain. In this documentary, some old-timers and boxing legends reminisce what it was like to get up in the ring with the floating butterfly that apparently also stung like a bee. Also talked like an asshole, by the way.

What to me was very striking was the amount of people in the film that could not speak properly anymore. Boxing is ultimately a pretty sick sport if you think about it, because it is mainly getting hit in the head for 15 rounds. Imagine doing that for 15 years. No wonder these men don't always seem right in the head anymore in their twilight years.

It was sad to see Ali's degeneration here, and you can easily see it. From the fast-moving, fast-talking ball of energy he transforms into a shaking, fragile thing in the course of the film. He simply did it for too long. Money can make you do stupid things. Tell me you wouldn't do it if somebody offered you 8 million dollars to go 15 rounds with someone of your own size, even if you are much older. Shit, I'd do it for 4 million. Not a penny less though, honestly... Okay, 60 bucks.

The documentary is good and all, but I didn't get into it like in some others I have seen this year. Therefore I must give it a lukewarm rating of three stars. It was watchable, but nothing more.

And now an unwarranted commercial. The review is over and you may stop reading now. Do not complain to me if you continue.

Boxing has made a mockery of itself by making up titles practically every day. They probably don't even know themselves who the champions are anymore, in any weight-class. They give you fights you don't really want to see, and the good fighters barely fight once a year.

Now, in MMA almost every superfight will always eventually happen, the dudes (women too nowadays) fight two to four times a year, and there is always a clear and definite champion in every weight class, at least in the UFC. If fans want a certain fight, it will probably happen. Do with that information what you will, but I strongly recommend fight fans to convert to MMA, where the fighters are actually MUCH healthier due to the much smaller amount of head punches during a career. With those gloves you only need one punch, you see. It might hurt more in a single fight, but is way better for a fighter's life. More entertaining too. Some of my favorite fighters don't eve rely on punches, they just grab the opponent's extremity and make it a pretzel.