Faces In Korea: Muhammad Ali
With the recent passing of Muhammad Ali I figured it was as good as time as any to remember the Champ’s visit to South Korea back almost exactly 40 years after ago in 1976. Ali visited South Korea after participating in a celebrity wrestling match with famed Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki. Incredibly Ali threw six punches in the wrestling match and earned $6 million for it.
Pacific Stars & Stripes, June 26, 1976
Ali landed in Korea at Gimpo Airport and a motorcade took him on a tour of downtown Seoul where an incredible one million people it was estimated greeted him. Here is what Ali had to say about the welcome he received in Seoul:
“When I go back to America and throughout my tours I will tell people of the world how nice Korea is,” Ali said.
Pacific Stars & Stripes, June 29 1976
Ali also had good things to say about US troops stationed in South Korea:
“I’ve many American brothers over here, black and white who fight for the freedom of the world and are doing a job we can’t pay them for,” he said. “I am a fighter myself and I realize how lonely it is when you’re in combat-how lonely you are in training.”
After the motorcade tour of Seoul, Ali was next driven north to Camp Casey where he boxed and entertained 2nd Infantry Division soldiers:
Ali fought exhibitions for the U. S. 2nd Infantry Division after receiving a hero’s welcome in downtown Seoul from hundreds of thousands of Koreans.
“One million dollars a punch,” Ali said of his 15-round draw Saturday with professional Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki, who spent most of the bout on his back trying to kick Ali down.
“And you are going to see hundreds of punches for nothing,” he told more than 2,500 American soldiers at the Shoonover Bowl outdoor theater 12 miles below the demilitarized zone between South and North Korea. [Stars & Stripes, June 29, 1976]
So for soldiers stationed on Camp Casey the next time you are at Shooner Bowl remember that decades ago Muhammad Ali once entertained US soldiers there. Here is a cool story from the visit:
“All right, fellows. Do you have any boxers out here?” Ali asked.
Specialist Fourth Class Gerald Noble, 28, stepped out. The 202-pound soldier was a Michigan State heavyweight champion in 1967.
They agreed to a five-minute round, in which Noble tried hard but was no match for Ali. The champion danced in and away and landed scores of accurate but soft punches on the soldier-boxer.
After the fight, in which Ali patted Noble on the seat of the pants with his right fist after forcing him into a corner, the champ declared the soldier one of the best men he has fought.
The soldiers booed, and a 149-pounder volunteered to “put up a better fight, if not knock you out.”
The challenger was Private First Class Larry D. Rice, 20.
Ali faked being knocked down twice in a five-minute round with the welterweight, drawing big cheers from the crowd. In the end, however, it was Rice who became exhausted and gave up.
“Ali is a great fighter but today he turned out to be a greater entertainer, too. We love him in this remote area. He must be second to none in every sense,” an enlisted man said. “Second to None” is the slogan of the division.
What an awesome story Gerald Noble and Larry Rice were able to tell for the rest of their lives of boxing Muhammad Ali. It is such an incredible story they probably had a hard time getting people to believe them. I am sure the Koreans and GIs that saw Ali back in 1976 will never forget his visit much like many people in the world will not forget the legacy Muhammad Ali left before his passing.
