Coachella Valley remembers Muhammad Ali
Bruce Barrett was a business partner and close friend of Muhammad Ali. Their friendship began in the late 1970’s.
“We never talked about politics, people, religion–it was like he would call me at 5:30 in the morning. ‘What are you doing?’ and I would say waiting for a dummy like you to call me and he would say ‘Come on, let’s go to the gym. I want to box,'” says Barrett, remembering stories of his time spent with the boxing legend.
Ali defied all odds in the ring and on the political scene, refusing to fight in Vietnam when he was drafted.
“He wasn’t going to go to war because he didn’t believe in it,” says Barrett, “Boxing–he knew how to promote himself, which nobody had ever seen, no black athlete at that time had the guts to stand up and say I’m the greatest. I’m going to sting like a bee, float like a butterfly.”
After his suspension from the sport was lifted following his refusal to go to Vietnam, Ali made history in his bouts against Joe Frazier in the Fight of the Century and against George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle, but it was his personality that won him fans around the world.
General Manager of Le Vallauris, Tony Bruggemans said he met Ali in Indonesia when he was the CEO of a hotel.
“He said ‘I’m going to make you the World Champion,’ so he put his belt on my belly,” says Bruggemans.
2-time Welterweight Champion and valley native, Tim Bradley says if it weren’t for Ali, his own career might not have been possible.
“Without Muhammad Ali, we wouldn’t be where we are today in boxing, meaning African Americans, meaning the minority,” says Bradley, “We wouldn’t be able to box in these huge events.”
Even local youth boxers see Ali as a role model.
“He got a gold medal in the Olympics, and he was a good boxer,” says Junior Olympic gold medalist Santos Ortega, “A lot of people look up to him and I’m trying to follow in his footsteps.”
“He being iconic is really special. People are really going to feel the loss of Muhammad Ali,” says Bruggemans.
“There will never be another Muhammad Ali in our life. Just the greatest,” said Barrett.
