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CNN Live Saturday
Boxing Historian Hank Kaplan Reflects on Muhammad Ali's Life
Aired January 12, 2002 - 15:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the greatest is turning 60. Muhammad Ali will reach that milestone this week.
Boxing historian Hank Kaplan joins us now from our Miami bureau to talk about Ali and his incredible career. Thanks for being with us today.
HANK KAPLAN, BOXING HISTORIAN: Pleasure to be here with you, Cathy.
CALLAWAY: Now, tell me about Muhammad Ali in the young days. You actually knew him when he was a teenage Cassius Clay, didn't you?
KAPLAN: Oh, yes. I remember him the first day he came up to the gym, and we recognized immediately that this kid was -- had great talent, unusual talent, and he was a great personality to boot.
CALLAWAY: Yeah, he really has an electric personality, doesn't he?
KAPLAN: Oh, yes.
CALLAWAY: Do you think that he will be remembered for that, for his humor, for his electric personality? Or was he really the great boxer that history is painting him to be?
KAPLAN: Well, he was a great boxer. He had -- he had very unusual assets as a heavyweight boxer, and he'll be remembered for his -- for his ability to innovate for -- and as well as his personality, which was incredible.
CALLAWAY: Now, we know that the younger generation is getting a chance to see Muhammad Ali, see a bit of his life with a new movie that's out now, "Ali" with Will Smith. Not really going to be able to capture the world popularity that Muhammad Ali has, will it?
KAPLAN: Can you repeat that question, Cathy?
CALLAWAY: Do you think that the younger generation will ever be able to understand just how popular Muhammad Ali was around the world?
KAPLAN: No, I don't see how it's possible to be able to really appreciate what Ali meant to the -- to the -- to the sport and to the rest of the world, socially and politically, and every other which way.
CALLAWAY: You mentioned politically. You were with him when he shocked so many people by deciding to follow Islam.
KAPLAN: Yes, it was a surprise and a shock, but people soon got over that, because Ali had the ability to transmit his -- his thoughts to everybody. He was a completely honest kid. You know, the first things that entered his brain rolled right off his tongue, and people appreciated that and had a lot of respect for his honesty and sincerity.
CALLAWAY: One of the things that Muhammad Ali is also known for is that you never saw Muhammad Ali get into a lot of trouble. So many boxers that we know of and that you know -- I know you've known generations of boxers -- have had problems with drugs, or trouble with the law, but not Muhammad Ali.
KAPLAN: Muhammad Ali loved life, loved people. He cared for himself. His physical condition was primary. He loved his body, he took real good care of it. In addition to everything else, he had a great trainer, named Angelo Dundi (ph), who sought to it that he maintained those kinds of habits.
CALLAWAY: We're looking at video of Muhammad Ali now, recent video, receiving his star. Parkinson's has taken so much physically from Muhammad Ali. Has he shared some of his frustration with you recently over that?
KAPLAN: No, he really hasn't. But the one thing that I have noticed through the years is that Muhammad Ali is very conscious of, and that is his age. He kind of thinks a lot about growing older, and his -- his position and his -- his status in society.
CALLAWAY: One thing we know Muhammad Ali will never lose is his sense of humor, his great personality. Certainly one of the greatest. He's turning 60 this week. We wish him happy birthday. And thank you very much, Hank Kaplan, for joining us and reflecting on his career with us. Have a good day.
KAPLAN: You're welcome. Thank you, Cathy.
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