Ali fighting fit and set to 'dee-stroy’ Bugner

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33883, 1 July 1975, Page 38

Ali fighting fit and set to ' dee-stroy’ Bugner

(Bp

RONALD BATCHELOR,

N.Z.P. A.-Reuter correspondent.)

KUALA LUMPUR. Muhammad Ali promised yesterday that he would put Joe Bugner “out on his back” in their world heavy-weight title clash in Kuala Lumpur, but would not predict the knock-out round.

While the champion p went 30 rounds- (90)* minutes) of non-stop; [talks in his hotel suite with a group of report-, ers, the British challen-, ger sweated out a final i workout in the gym and < sent a victory message! 'to the British Isles. [, “T shall give them a good!J show tomorrow and 1 shall h 'give them the title.” he de-l dared. 11 Both fighters hid thern-|j [selves 4wav in their hotel! 1 suites to relax in the final (' hours before , tomorrow ' morning's battle in which Ali;' is heavilv favoured to retain 1 his "title Tn the fiftieth fight of; his nrofessional career. , Ali. who did not work out in the gym vesterdav. ’ B '' unending his time at the!, movies. He said he intended! 1 locking himself in a room! 1 with a projector to run] 1 through four films f"Gun-l' fight at (IK Co-rel.” "Return/ of Billy the Kid.” "Count! 1 Dracula meets the Wolfman I, on the Haunted Hill,” and I "The Mummy”! which he ' evidently feels will set him ' up mentally to “dee-strov that fella Bugner.” [; Came to win Bugner. as if to eliminate; the mountain o. doubts about! his chances, thrust his iaw| out after a session of shadowboxing. skinning and; calisthenics and exclaimed:! ‘T didn’t come here just to; plav—l came here to win thel title.” 1

Outside the main entrance of his hotel was the encouraging photograph of the British fighter above the silver coloured words: “The Champion.” But the poster, and a couple of British supporters.

I were about the only evidence I among fight experts in town 'that Bugner might pull a i miracle. 'Heal good’ Angelo Dundee, Ali’s jtrainer, a realistic appraiser ,of the men he handles, said: “Ali’s in unbelievable shape. He’s real good. I guess he ‘will K.O. Bugner soon after [the half-way mark—say the 'ninth or tenth rounds, maybe the eleventh.” [ ' Ali, who rambled on to reI porters in his suite so long .thAt the journalists finally (had to break up the conference with the excuse that [they had other work to do, [emphasised that he was, prepared, if necessary, “to dance ,15 rounds.”

Bugner, ne said, was "talking about beating me on points.

"That’s gonna reallv be hard if I don’t knock him out or cut him up. To beat me on points he’s got to outdance me for 15 and no man alive can do that ... no big man will follow me.”

And the self-styled “greatest fighter of all time” also had some kind words for I Bugner. ; "You know, I like Joe,” Ali said. “He’s friendly, he’s nice, he’s humorous, you can’t be mad at him.

"I try to get mad, I try

to psych him, but he laughs —he blushes. I try to make him say something, but he’s so cool I gotta give him credit.”

Pausing for effect, Ali stroked his chin, grinned, and added: “I wonder how we’re gonna get serious.” A surprise well-wisher for Bugner was Joe Frazier, the former title-holder whose flight to Kuala Lumpur hardened speculation that a third multi-million dollar Ali-Frazier clash is being organised to take place later this year, probably in Manila.

Frazier, one of only two men to beat Ali. told Bugner after his work-out: “You look good . . . make sure Ali doesn’t get up.” Verbal slip Frazier will be at ringside when the fight gets under way at between 2 p.m. and 2.15 p.m. today (N.Z. time). It will be telecast live on TVL “I want Ali bad, real bad.” Frazier said when he arrived. And the odds he will get the chance — if the champion disposes of Bugner — hardened every hour. All fuelled the reports of the third meeting — expected to provide $NZ9,250,000, the richest fight purse in history — when he declared at his press conference: “Manila’s begging me to fight Joe Frazier . . . now, when I get ready for Joe Frazier I’ll be skinny and mean and [evil. ...” The champion, caught in [the verba] slip, tried to bore [on by declaring he couldn’t [meet Frazier again, or anyone else. He was retiring. But Ali’s grin and. grimace as he uttered his denial virtually confirmed that concrete negotiations for the Frazier battle are going on. Earlier. Ali had said he intended living in Malaysia. Addressing a banquet in his honour given by the Chief Minister of Sabah (Tun Datu Haji Mustapha), the world champion said: “Me and my wife have decided to come here probably for two years ;and fight for Malaysia.”