Muhammad Ali retires in February 1970 (Mike Douglas Show)

[Music] before you make your announcement are you still on probation from the musim church yes I have about another two months and I'll be back okay you want to go ahead with the yeah what I was going to say is this uh there's been a lot of controverse over who's the World Heavyweight Champion you know you have my Farmer Spa partner James Ellis who they gave the title to and a local boy here named Joe Frasier and uh and then I know that I've never been defeated neither so the boxing authorities recognized James Ellis and Joe Frasier on papers the champion all but one rang magazine that's net Fletcher they recognized myself and all of my fans black and white throughout America and the world are determined to not recognize no one but me there's a lot of confusion so you have a title fight coming up between James Ellis and Joe Frasier and uh I'm announcing now I have announced uh I told it to a press conference a few days ago that I'm finished forever with boxing I'm through I'm retired I read that and so I would like right for all of my fans uh who follow me and support me which number millions in America all throughout Asian Africa and Europe who will not recognize no one but me right now so to keep boxing legal and to keep it like it's been going I'm going to turn over my championship belt to the winner of this fight between James Ellis and Joe fras and Madison in scare Garden that night and so that I can direct all of my followers to them letting them knowing that I'm finished and I'm through as long as I'm not legally retired or dead then this is confusing and there'll always be trouble and controversy so uh to keep the thing like it was see this belt right here traditionally this is the same belt that Jack Johnson had Rocky Mariana Joel Louis Jean tun then it start with John El Sullivan right John L Sullivan this is the World Heavyweight mhip built this is it I don't think this is [Music] this explain something it says here one by Cashes Clay my name at the time of Louisville Kentucky convention hall Miami Beach Florida knocked out Sunny Liston of Denver car Ro in seventh round now traditionally this is the same bill this went from hand to hand but they just give you new belts but it's the same belt so since this is the last of the real world championship belts and I've never been defeated then uh I'm going to hand this to the winner honoring him as the best next to myself of course of the [Applause] [Music] fras then if you're going to do that we should we should put another little on here and put second best on it well you know well he will get a belt I'm sure from the boxing but it be what I call it'll be what I call elimination belt or homemade or racial or political belt this is the by me will make him really the champion this is the first time in history of champion this right given his Bel away to my knowledge so then this [Music] will then we W have no more no more trouble over who's champion and all that was this a difficult for you no no how much how much thinking about this did you do before you decided to do about 20 minutes are you serious yeah I'm wow I wouldn't put myself on the if I didn't mean it how does your how does your wife feel about you doing oh she's glad yeah I can imagine it must be a terrible thing for a wife to either sit ringside or home she wouldn't watch him you know in your heart did you always like to fight at the age of 12 years old I was two times Golden Glove Champion two time Champion i title at the age of 18 to the amateur box your brother me a story that I your brother told me that when you were 16 you were watching the Olympics you said in two said to him in two medal that's that's positive thinking a matter of fact doing my champion no I didn't think I really and I was with I didn't think that list when and later I found out he pulled them up from the alcohol in the Wintergreen some my eyes and I you by a computer I don't consider that feed science we about a TKO a knockout he knocked me out and TKO one and then that was happened I knew that before we Champions your how actually this computer you you and he got about could have never heavy because on nothing and make good else could do this 28 the outcome of this fight happens at the Joe my see if I after you don't go to jail you was right you to is that right right now who do you think I don't know was your spying partner James Ellis yeah for about four years you think he'll beat I have you always had this great how about your I saw were great on that and you sang over here [Applause] [Music] they like to give away my my producer dumb as you look that's a favorite expression of yours are you yeah go to prison I take life as it come I don't worry about nothing about i' been nothing you just said I don't worry about anything how do you take Life by day well here the way I look at it like if something happen punish it see like like a if I know and some uh thing that's going to punish me is myself happen is the real torment not the actual true anticipation is always greater than the realization so woring about happen when I read this to be a headline then next day they have put something else in five days if people on it lot them are prom men in three is forgotten so part about me to worry about is that question money and legal fees so far price of Freedom comes High America to spent maybe some I don't know how many B just to free somebody else so what's a few dollars what's the what's the [Applause] [Music] [Applause] sentence five years that ain't nothing not for free no I know I met a fell the other day going to the airport I'm not do what they want to do but he had his SC on his black brother man he how you doing M how you feel I'm you sure are brave oh you you have a lot of I said where Vietnam I said you a bold one not me you have a lot of Courage too you put your life I don't think I've ever asked you and I often wanted to ask you this don't think you would have would ever have gotten to the front line because they me no but they really I think I know they would have had you go buing morale he might didn't what I'm doing did you think about that at all I wouldn't if I was told offals from Washington knew I wouldn't have you wouldn't have went to war that didn't bother me I just followed my Rel My Religion giving this belt you think this will affect your at all I don't I don't know I never thought about it I'm list a popularity I'm just want to get rid of it I want to keep the to give it to the next best man so the fight game still stay real right now it's phony like there's only they always had a sand in America there's only one champion and heavyweight champion of the the only way you can win that title is in the ring you can that change with me and they even got this same color though same color black see so to keep the thing right keep it like it was I really like the sport of boxing I mean I've been in it all my life but I'm I'm through with it now you and Mariano were good friends so I'm finished with it so I just want uh the thing to stay so fras and Ellis can actually say they are champions and not be ridiculed by my fans you're not the champion Muhammad Ali beat you you never fought Muhammad you're fake so by me recognizing this man and turning all my fans to this man and giving him my belt I hope that'll let them see that I'm actually out of it so they will as the next man as the champion well I'm glad you chose our show to do be right [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] back e e