Boxing !

Just as impressed were the West Indian cricketers who met Ali at Lord's, though probably not with his batting technique.

Ali was politely complimentary about cricket, but warmer when talking of bowling.

"Running up as fast as Wes Hall would be good training for me," he said.  8)

Hall is in the left corner of the picture holding three bats.

Rohan Kanhai wanna show him how to hit the canvass after delivering a massive right Hook !  ::LOL::

clic on pic to enlarge.
                                                 
                                                 

                   

If nothing else, boxing and cricket have the concept of "breaks" in common ;

as Ali demonstrates, stretching out in West Indies' dressing room at Lord's.

       

Float like a butterfly, sip like it's tea 

                             

Home of Postmaster General Anthony Wedgwood Benn (smoking a pipe) to discuss the broadcasting of the fight.

In the photo with Benn are fight promoter Harry Levine (next to Benn)

Ted Dexter (next to Levine), the former England captain...... 8)

                           

On May 21, Ali, beat Henry Cooper in six rounds at Highbury, the fight stopping when Cooper suffered a deep gash over

his left eye and had to concede the match to Ali.

"The cut was so bad I had to go see a plastic surgeon," Cooper said later. "The way Ali fought, he was the type of guy

who dragged your flesh, so he hurt me really badly - I needed a hell of a lot of stitches."

                 

After his victory, Ali reads about it in the Sunday papers. And you can be sure that once he's done with the boxing news,

he'll go right to the story about Charlie Griffith being reported to the MCC for throwing during a match against Lancashire 

I want to know what the Babu had in the glass he was holding!! 

The greatest!!!!!

It is great to see these rare photos of the greatest boxer and possibly back sports man of all time! Ali made his way into the white's man corner back in a time when racism was very rampant.

Stunning photos, thanks for sharing these Ketch. These were really fun to see. I wasn't aware that Ali was at Lord's for the second Test in '66.