1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: In the previous episodes, Chicken Man and Lieutenant J. D. 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: Hudson both painted a picture of their worlds hustlers and cops. 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: I slowly began to learn who they were as they 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: continued to share their stories and how they became the 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: central figures of an event that in many ways encapsulated 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: the struggles of the times. In nineteen seventy, the consciousness 7 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: of the nation was shifting. The United States was in 8 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: the middle of the Space Race and the Cold War. 9 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: The country was polarized over Vietnam, and that intensified when 10 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: the United States invaded Cambodia in April of nineteen seventy. 11 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: Protests were sweeping the nation, and America's view of the 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: war was shifting. In May of nineteen seventy, four Kent 13 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: State University students were killed and nine were injured when 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: members of the Ohio National Guard fired on a crowd 15 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: gathered to protest the war. It would seem that the 16 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: nation was tearing itself apart, and these divisions would be 17 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: amplified in the southern city of Atlanta when Muhammad Ali, 18 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: a black Muslim who had been barred from fighting after 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: he refused to be drafted, return to the world stage 20 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: of boxing. All of a sudden, Atlanta throws it's hat 21 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: into the ring to the surprise of everyone. We must 22 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: understand that Atlanta is a new, sexy, kind of fast 23 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: city with beautiful black people. My dad was really excited 24 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: about this. This was the cream of the crops, the 25 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: most excited I ever seen him. You know, we're gonna 26 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: live good for ever after this. It's bedlam in Atlanta. 27 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: It's Marty Gras, It's New Year's e It's everything put 28 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: together from my heart radio and doghouse pictures. This is 29 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: fight Night. I'm Jeff Keating. It was the dawn of 30 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: a new decade in America. The nation's struggles would soon 31 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: be magnified. In one incredible event, the civil rights movement 32 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: had swept across the country. As Atlanta was becoming the 33 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: black New South. The anti war movement had found a hero, 34 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: Muhammad Ali, a young, confident black Muslim boxer known as 35 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: the Louisville Lipp who had resisted a war that many 36 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: in America had come to see as unjust. Meanwhile, Jerry Quarry, 37 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: the Bellflower bomber, symbolized the great White Hope. As the 38 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 1: word spread that Muhammad Ali was returning to the ring. 39 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: The national and international journalists sharpened their pencils and prepared 40 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: for this event unlike any of the city had ever 41 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: seen before. Politicians and businessmen worked behind the scenes to 42 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: formalize and strategize plans that would ensure a boxing license 43 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: was granted for Ali. Gangsters and hustlers from around the 44 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: country packed bags of cash, knowing the gambling on this 45 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: huge bout would be off the charts. This was a 46 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: perfect storm forming over Atlanta, and everything was at stake. Ironically, 47 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: this classic fight between Ali and Quarry landed in the 48 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 1: Deep South, in the city of Atlanta. I wanted to 49 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: find out how that happened, so I spoke with Los 50 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: Angeles based author and journalist David Davis, who recently penned 51 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: a new book entitled Wheels of Courage. David had written 52 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: an oral history about the fight that nobody wanted for 53 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: Atlanta Magazine in two thousand and five. So all of 54 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: a sudden, Atlanta throws it's had into the ring to 55 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: the surprise of everyone. And how this came about is 56 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: Robert Cassell was a New York based attorney who had 57 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: had some experience uh in the fight game. He had 58 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: helped promote the Joe Fraser Jimmy Ellis Championship fight. He 59 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: tried to get Ali back in the unsuccessfully and then 60 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: had an idea, which was to call his father in law, 61 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: a gentleman named Harry Pett who owned a business in Atlanta, 62 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: and called his father in law to say, Hey, Dad, 63 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: is there anybody out there in Atlanta that you know 64 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: who could pull off a fight involving Muhammad Ali? And 65 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: his father in law called back and said, if you're 66 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: going to get anything done in Atlanta, you go through 67 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: the state Senator Leroy Johnson. Leroy Johnson was the first 68 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: black man elected to the Georgia State legislature since reconstruction. 69 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: He was an insider in the political world in Atlanta 70 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: and also in state politics. Leroy Johnson was one of 71 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: the first politicians to recognize that while Georgia was under 72 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: the control of Lester Matics, an avowed segregationist, Atlanta was 73 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: becoming overwhelmingly black and that's where the power was. With 74 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: the pe bull. He sensed an opening. Maybe if he 75 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: worked on this, he could get the Alie fight to Atlanta. 76 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:14,359 Speaker 1: Here's David Davis, so Leroy Johnson after talking to Harry Pett, 77 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: searched the law books and found out that in Georgia 78 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: there was no state law governoring the sport of boxing. 79 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 1: In other words, there was a loophole. When he saw that, 80 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: he sensed an opening and realized that the power to 81 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: license a fight in the state of Georgia would be 82 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: through the mayor of Atlanta at the time, Sam Missell, 83 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: and through the board of Aldermen and Leroy Johnson was 84 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: a very, very smooth politician who had made friends on 85 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: both sides of the aisle and with African American and 86 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: white Americans alike, and he was allied with Sam Missel. 87 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: He had helped bring out the African American vote to 88 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: help Missell get elected as mayor in nineteen sixty nine, 89 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: and working with a close friend of his, Jesse Hill, 90 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: who was president of Atlanta Life Insurance, they approached Miscelle 91 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: and said, look, we can get this fight here, We 92 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: can get a license for this fight here, we can 93 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: bring Ali down here, and we can have a barn 94 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: burner of an event that speaks to the rising sense 95 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: of Atlanta as a major league city. Here's Henrietta Antonine. 96 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: She worked with Jesse Hill for thirty years and she 97 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: helped him behind the scenes to support Larroy Johnson in 98 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: his effort to get Ali a boxing license in Atlanta. 99 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: Jesse Hill was a giant in Atlanta. He was the 100 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: president of Atlanta Lice Issuance Company. He was a community activists. 101 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: He was a highly professional businessman. He worked with the 102 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,720 Speaker 1: civil rights movement. He was chamitable, was among of the 103 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: King Junior Center, and he was one of the first 104 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: African American to be on the Chamber Commerce. I was 105 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: inspired when I started working for Atlanta Life, and I 106 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: admired our president, who was very outspoken, who who was 107 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: involved in anything that involved justice and quality for black people. 108 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: Here's a man that was always looking for the injustices 109 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: that we're facing our people all the time. And he 110 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: talked about how ridiculous it was that they were going 111 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: to stop Muhammad Alive from fighting because of his his 112 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: religious belief and I hear I heard him discuss it 113 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: more time than I can count. So he was one 114 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: of them. He was one of the first to talk 115 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: about that was not fair and it was it was 116 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: an unjust law and and he was against it. And 117 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: I remember him saying that they were going to do 118 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: something about it. So between Jesse Hill and Moory each 119 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: Unson lobbying Sam misseell that did it, and Missle was 120 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: convinced to give a license for the fight in Atlanta, 121 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: and in exchange he got a donation for an anti 122 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: drug organization that they had set up. So Leroy Johnson 123 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: made an appointment to see less dramatics at the Governor's 124 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: office at the Capitol. And the way he described it 125 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: was that just before his meeting, the governor's son had 126 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: been involved in a little bit of an incident and 127 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: the judge had ruled every person deserves a second chance. 128 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 1: Here is State Senator Leroy Johnson. When the word got 129 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,319 Speaker 1: out that he was going to fight here, the question 130 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 1: was whether or not the government was stopping. But a 131 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,839 Speaker 1: mathematics was stopping. So I went to him and I said, go, 132 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: I got an opportunity to get a license for Ellie 133 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: to fight. And Elie doesn't know anything but fighting. That's 134 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: his profession. And if he doesn't like, he's gonna have 135 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: it gone well there, Governor supposed well. At that time, 136 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: Governor matic Son had got into trouble into Cab County 137 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: and the Jersey. The Cab County said to his son 138 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: when he came to a citizen, I'm gonna give you 139 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: another chance. I went to Mandick and I said, all 140 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: I'm asking government is to give Ali another chance so 141 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: that he can find that's his profession. And so Maddox 142 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: said to me, and under that umbrella, give him another chance. 143 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: He said, Okay, on with the fighting. Even after Governor 144 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: Maddox agreed not to stand in the way of obtaining 145 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: Ali a boxing license publicly, his stance did not change, 146 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: nor did his support. This was revealed that several news 147 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: organizations across the nation covered this story how he became 148 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: a political issue rather than a heavyweight fighter overnight. The 149 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: minute he refused to be drafted into the army. He 150 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:09,960 Speaker 1: tried to get out of the draft by saying he 151 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: was a minister of the Black Muslim faith, but the 152 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: course weren't having any of that, and after that, the 153 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: people who are unprofessional boxing of the United States stripped 154 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: him of his heavyweight crown. Meanwhile, a group of a 155 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: lot of blacks and whites managed to get play a 156 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: fight with Jerry Quarry to get him a license and 157 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: bring the fight to Atlanta. Mayor Sam Marsell proclaimed the 158 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 1: fight are Sports Appreciation Week. Governor Lester Maddis, though, had 159 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: different ideas. He thought the whole thing was a disgrace 160 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: and declared a day of morning. I don't see how 161 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 1: this fight could take face very anywhere in the United 162 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: States of America. Will men fetish did their his country's 163 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: uniform and refused to be inducted into the service of 164 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: his country. So our call for a day of mourning 165 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 1: because of this, at this tragic thing is halfway in 166 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 1: this United States of America, where men have fought so 167 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: long and their wives and children have sacrificed so much, 168 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: that this would take grace in this great city, in 169 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: our great state, even more than, like I say, anywhere 170 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: in the country or now. That I had an understanding 171 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 1: of what was going on in the world around October 172 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: of nine, I also wanted to understand about the boxers 173 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: that were about to face each other in the ring. 174 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: Here's David Davis talking about Jerry Corry and how he 175 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: became interested in his life. I had done a long 176 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: future story on Jerry Corey for The l A Weekly, 177 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: and I was very curious about Jerry's career because it 178 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: was one of those that you see sometimes in sports, 179 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: and in boxing a career where the ability was there, 180 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,839 Speaker 1: but it's just for whatever reason, whether it was timing 181 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: or bad luck, he never quite reached the pinnacle of 182 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: his sport, which in boxing would have been the heavyweight 183 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: championship of the world. And it did happen that he 184 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: was fighting in an era where there were some amazing 185 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: heavyweight fighters Muhammad Ali of course, but also Joe Frazier, 186 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: George Foreman, Ernie Shavers, just a collection of quality heavyweights, 187 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 1: and Jerry was slightly undersized even for that era and 188 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: unfortunately never quite reached the pinnacle. Here's Dr Hopson describing 189 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: Ali's character as a boxer and a man. Ali was 190 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: known as the Louisville Lipp Prize fighter. Ali was not 191 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: the typical arctype you know, black but art type athlete. 192 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: I mean, he was extremely you know smart. It grown 193 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:00,719 Speaker 1: up at a middle class on where his father was 194 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: a mail carry, his mother's school teacher. But he was 195 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 1: you know big, he was charismatic, and he was you know, 196 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: fast with his hands. He was just a new style 197 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: of boxer, heavyweight boxer, and he had a conscious. He 198 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: had a conscious because he was afforded particular good things 199 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: in his life in terms of his family structure. And 200 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: so when he decides to not participate in the draft 201 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: and he's willing to go to jail, and then he 202 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: changes his name to Muhammad Ali from Cassius Clay. Of 203 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: course he's stripped of his title, and then he's really 204 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: blacklisted in terms of where he could go and what 205 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 1: he could do. When you take away a man's livelihood, 206 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 1: it's natural that he would go into survival mode. But 207 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: the choices for Muhammad Ali were extremely limited. Here's David 208 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: Davis describing what Ali was facing around the country. Ali 209 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: was in exile, so to speak, in the boxing community. 210 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 1: He was stripped of his heavy A title and no 211 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: one would touch him the big fight commissions New York, 212 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: Madison Square, Garden, Vegas, Los Angeles. So what was he 213 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: to do? How was he to make a living? And 214 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 1: he struggled with that and did a play on Broadway. 215 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: He was on the college lecture circuit. But all through 216 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: this time period, his managers and business people affiliated with him. 217 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: They searched for maybe they would fight on a Native 218 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: American reservation, you know, because that would be outside of 219 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: a boxing commission. That didn't happen. They were gonna maybe 220 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: fight in Tijuana. That didn't happen. No one really wanted 221 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 1: to take the chance because they figured somebody's gonna jump 222 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 1: up and file lawsuits and it's going to get ugly. Meanwhile, 223 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: the heavyweight division was moving along with Joe Frasier, so 224 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: the powers that be in boxing were waiting to see 225 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: how all this was going to be resolved, either four 226 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: Ali or against Ali. No one wanted to take a 227 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: chance and advertise that they were promoting a Muhammad Ali 228 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: fight because it would have been very, very unpopular with 229 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: both the general public and the boxing powers that be. 230 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: Here's Dr Hobson explaining why Atlanta would be a perfect 231 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: place to host this boxing event. There's a ground swell 232 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: of things going on here and this is called the 233 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: Black New South. And so you must understand that Atlanta 234 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: is growing. It has now become an entertainment city. And 235 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: as a result of it being a sports and entertainment city, 236 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: you mean you have the arrival of the Falcons, the Hawks, 237 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: and the braves. We must understand that Atlanta is a new, 238 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: sexy kind of fast city with beautiful black people. Here's 239 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: David Davis describing the scene as the fight, and that 240 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: big weekend approached. It's bedlam in Atlanta. It's Mardi Gras, 241 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: it's New Year's Eve, it's everything put together. And over 242 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: the weekend you had this influx of journalists and the 243 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: fight crowd and all of the hustlers and ball v 244 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: vance who could shake down to Atlanta for this fight, 245 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: and it seemed that everybody congregated at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 246 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 1: which had just recently opened and was known for its 247 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: trademark atrium lobby and glass enclosed elevators so that you 248 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: could sit at the bar and watch the action of 249 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: people coming down into the lobby and see what they're 250 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: wearing or what they're not wearing, and have another drink 251 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: and celebrate what everybody assumed, or most people assumed, was 252 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: going to be a Mohammad Ali victory. As the city 253 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: prepared for this monumentous event, many citizens across the nations 254 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: were still divided on their support from Mohammed Ali. Here's 255 00:16:54,720 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: Dr Hobson. You know, White America was upset with Mohammed 256 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: Ali because they felt that he had made boxing political. 257 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: But the truth of the matter is that the body 258 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: politics of what it means to be black big and 259 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: strong has always been a political kind of conversation. They 260 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,439 Speaker 1: saw him as a draft dodger. They saw in his 261 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:17,639 Speaker 1: own patriotic when the truth of the matter is that 262 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: Mohammed Ali was probably the most patriotic person in the 263 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:24,800 Speaker 1: United States because he believed in the American Constitution and 264 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 1: felt like he had the right to protest or to 265 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: assert himself on his terms. I mean, in a city 266 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: that is sixty seven percent black at this time, of course, 267 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: he becomes the embodiment of the brains and the brawn 268 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: of what it means to be black, particularly in the 269 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: black New South. Right before all the festivities in Atlanta began, 270 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: Chicken Man was dealing with this anxiety as he prepared 271 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: to pull the party off, especially when he heard that 272 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: engraved invitations were printed and passed out to a large 273 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: group of hustlers and gangsters. So he got the idea 274 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: to move the party without telling anyone, and then letting 275 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: people know at the last minute where the real party 276 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: was going to be held. Here's Chicken Man telling j 277 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: D from a tape recorded over forty years ago about 278 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: his plan. Let me tell you another thing that really 279 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: made me aware. I had to go back to New 280 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 1: York for something. I called a cab back to the 281 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: train station downtime. Polo picked me up. Polo told me 282 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: and said, god, man, do you know these people gotta 283 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: have some invitations. I had no idea because I wouldn't agree, 284 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: no way to have an invitation to give him the 285 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: game to anybody, and to give me anybody. So I said, well, 286 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 1: so when I got into a minute, I staid, York 287 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: and I talked to him. So they already did it nine. 288 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: So when I come back to allow, I get the 289 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:08,479 Speaker 1: idea to move it with that didn't even know. And 290 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: when they come where supposed to be, then we had 291 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: taken to where it really is. Chicken Man starts to 292 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,239 Speaker 1: put his plan in motion by cutting a deal with 293 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: a local thug who was hard up for cash. So 294 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,919 Speaker 1: a boy, a fellow I had out a little ding 295 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: any probably his name was Teddy Pollard. Used to be 296 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: a little thug drug using so he about to lose 297 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: his house. So this this is a good way to 298 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 1: baddest house. Hi. I was gonna give him the money 299 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,720 Speaker 1: the badest house, hiding three or fold of notes or 300 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: whatever to use the house. Three n fol day. It 301 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: was a blessing both way. So we go and he 302 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: we go to setting up the basement. So now the 303 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: two or three days before the part for the for 304 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,160 Speaker 1: the fire, week before the fight, the people New York 305 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: and some people here to build a out take. If 306 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: people come with all the materials they want, they know 307 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: what they wanted. So I had to go get somebody, 308 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,880 Speaker 1: a copenter who could do what they want. And they 309 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: know the lumber, they know everything all they needed, with 310 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: some about competence who can father the instructions so they'd 311 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: be at the craft table. But still I'm playing. I'm 312 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: gonna move because I'm getting more engy and engy for 313 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: some reason. But when he decides to tell his buddy Fireball, 314 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: who would ask him to host the party, Fireball was 315 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: against this plan. So then next morning I see called me. 316 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: I said, listen, man, we're gonna move. I've already arrayed, 317 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna move the game, the Craft game from my 318 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 1: house to play. I gotta take you by and show you. 319 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: But he got all upset. It's no, man, I don't 320 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: want to move there. You gonna move for we want 321 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: the crap game to be where the people are. People 322 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: want to leave a party to go to the crap game. 323 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: But the crap game at the part people get because 324 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 1: the game is all ready there. So I said, well, 325 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 1: but Matt, so I tried to reason with him why 326 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: I wanted to do that, but it was just again 327 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 1: what he wanted to do. You know. I had second thoughts, 328 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: but I said, Okay, now Chicken Man is back to 329 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,719 Speaker 1: where he started. He finally gets everything set up and 330 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 1: even though he still had a bad feeling, the party 331 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:28,439 Speaker 1: was ready to go. Here's Gordon Williams Jr. Describing the scene. 332 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: I went to the house prior to the party, you know, 333 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 1: but I was a young boy, and I was like, wow, 334 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: they got it the whole place. I mean that was 335 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: nothing in there but roule a wheels and card tables 336 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,200 Speaker 1: and crap tables, and I mean that's always in there, 337 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: you know. And I was like, wow, this is incredible. 338 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: He did it, and he pulled it off. Everything was 339 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: working according to schedule. The pre partying starts at Chicken 340 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:55,679 Speaker 1: Man's house and things are rolling. Hustlers are dressed to 341 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: the nines, Booze is flowing like a river. Money is 342 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: flying everywhere. The party of parties. Chicken Men had a 343 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: bad feeling for weeks, and now that he sees all 344 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: the action at his house, he knows some ship is 345 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,920 Speaker 1: about to go down. He doesn't know when, he just knows, 346 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: but he's in it and he's got to let it 347 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: play out. If so many people came in the house, 348 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: I mean niggas had a meek heads. I mean I had, 349 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 1: you know, and I thought I had been to a 350 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 1: few places and saw a few things. But when I 351 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: saw these things coming and the good, the good told me, 352 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: I got. I got. I actually got afraid then, because 353 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: you know, I know the danger and the police catching all. 354 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: Let's all us together whatever we call what we thought 355 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,360 Speaker 1: we would have. I mean people. Then there money, so 356 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: I realized not in love and involved in something here. 357 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: But I think I know WA makes some money though 358 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: you know I'm staying because advises and all these big 359 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 1: crap fits the biggest time they're only the time I 360 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,680 Speaker 1: saw the bush. You that that money that's said, that's 361 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 1: that's quite. I ain't eve knob of that right right there. 362 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:17,960 Speaker 1: I want shot that ain't invested with people better. I 363 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 1: mean it came like never before. Everyone was in for 364 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,119 Speaker 1: a fight. Muhammad Ali was fighting the rust from his 365 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 1: absence in the ring, the pressure from his supporters to 366 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: regain his title, and for his safety as thousands of 367 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: death threats were targeting him and his entourage. Jerry Corey 368 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: was fighting to prove himself as a championship boxer and 369 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: to live up to the title forced upon him as 370 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 1: the Great White Hope. J. D. Hudson was fighting to 371 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: keep Ali alive since he was in charge of his 372 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: security team in Atlanta, and soon Chicken Man would be 373 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:00,959 Speaker 1: fighting for his life. Nobody he knew that while this 374 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: huge event was happening, a mastermind lurked in the shadows, 375 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: preparing to take down the super Bowl of parties and 376 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: robbed some of the most dangerous gangsters in the country, 377 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: and it was all about to happen on Fight Night. 378 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: Fight Night is a joint production from High Heart Radio, 379 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: Will Packer Media and Doghouse Pictures in association with Psychopia Pictures. 380 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: Produced and hosted by Jeff Keating. Executive producers are Will Packer, 381 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 1: James Lopez, Kenny Burns, Dan Bush, Lars Jacobsen, and Noel Brown. 382 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: Supervising producers Taylor Hickoyne. Story editors are Noel Brown and 383 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: Dan Bush. Written by Jeff Keating and Jim Roberts. Edited 384 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: by Matt Owen. Mixing and sound designed by Jeremiah Kolonnie Prescott. 385 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: Music written and performed by the Diamond Street Players. Additional 386 00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: music by Ben Lovett. Audio archives courtesy of WSB News 387 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: Film and Videotape Collection, Brown Media Archives, University of Georgia Libraries. 388 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Dr Maurice Hobson and David Davis. Fight 389 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: Night is a production of I heart Radio. For more 390 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, check out the i heart 391 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.